Immortal Lotus - 4

Marcus walked up to the little girl, crouching in front of her he looked into her eyes.

"Do you want to kill them?"

He asked in a low voice, and as the girl realized what is happening she clinched the knife harder. Looking at Marcus she nodded with determination in her eyes.

"Why?" Marcus wanted to know what made this girl wants to kill them so much, other slaves they saved were looking at the bandits with hate, but comparing it to the little girl, it was small and momentary.

She was different then everyone else, she had a pure flame of fury in her eyes, her killing intent was dense and suffocating.

And as she started to talk to Marcus, more tears began to flow down her cheeks; she spoke about how her parents died trying to defend her, and how the bandits took her older sister, how she screamed for a long time before she died... before they killed her.

Marcus was conflicted, if they take the bandits to the capital, they will make them criminal slaves or execute them. But wouldn't that be letting them go off easy? When they die, it will be their end, and as criminal slaves, they will work for years, maybe decades before dying from overworking.

"I want them to feel fear like my sister did when they were killing her…"

This line made Marcus's heart stop for a second. Isn't that it? The answer he was looking for.

Looking at the bandits, his face showed cruelty. Taking the knife from the girl's hand, he made his way back to where the bandits were. He will give them what they deserve.

He started pulling one of them into the forest, and after he disappeared from everyone's view, he untied the bandit and woke him up.

With his eyes opened he was looking at the bandit laying on the ground. On his face, Marcus saw fear, but he didn't stop.

With the knife in his hand, he cut the bandits tendons, in this same time he made sure not to danger any vital blood vessels with his eyes.

With the bandit not being able to move anymore Marcus went back to the camp and took another one.

He didn't stop until there were no more bandits in the camp. Their screams traveled with the wind, while their blood sunk into the ground.

He will leave them here, in pain, with no cultivation and not able to move. If the world wants them to live, they will survive, otherwise spiritual beasts will kill them sooner or later.

Coming back to the camp he knew that everyone would be looking at him, but he didn't care. Waking up to the girl he extended the knife back to her, he cleaned it from the blood of bandits, but she knew what he did with it.

But she still extended her hand and took it. And with a small voice "thank you…" she thanked him.

Going into one of the tents Marcus stared into empty space.

He found an answer or at least a part of it. And it was so simple he couldn't understand why it didn't come to him sooner. What he did today was saving dozens of people and punished those that brought harm to them.

But there is one more thing he can do.

Es… is there any way for me to give her a cultivation technique form the cultivation section?

"Yes Host, there is an item in the shop that can be inscribed with any information that I have, and then used to transfer the information to person's brain directly. It's called the Knowledge Crystal; it costs ten energy to buy and four energy to inscribe. It is a one-time use item, so please consider it before..."

No need to, I will buy one.

"...extend your hand Host, the item will be transferred soon."

Marcus waited for a few seconds, and then form his palm a black substance emerged and created a ring above his hand. The circle grew larger until it was the size of his palm. Inside of it a vortex suddenly formed and a crystal suddenly fell out of it. Landing in his hand, Marcus felt the energy moving inside of it, making complicated patterns and formations.

"What techniques do you want to be inscribed onto the crystal?"

Can you find something fitting for that girl?

"I can make a simple analysis if you can provide me with a sample of her blood, and with it, I will be able to pick fitting techniques for her. But it will cost one energy."

For the meantime Marcus but the crystal into his storage ring. Walking out he found the girl in the back of the camp, sitting alone.

"Little girl, can you tell me your name?" When he wanted to call her over he realized that he never asked for her name.

With eyes still red from crying, and a running nose, she looked like an average kid; there was no trace of the killing intent from before.

"M-my name is L-Liu Yang."

"You have a beautiful name Liu Yang; My name is Marcus. Now, I wanted to ask you if you want to be strong?"

"Big brother Marcus can make me strong?" Not expecting a question like this she was filled with disbelief.

"I can't make you strong, but I can give you a way to become strong. So, do you want it?"

"Yes!" With her squeaky voice, Liu Yang shouted, on her face was a smile, probably for the first time in a very long time.

"Good, but before I can give it to you I will need a small drop of your blood, don't worry it won't hurt." Taking her small hand, Marcus poked her finger with Jörmungandr, as the dagger was so sharp a small touch was enough to make the tip of the finger bleed.

Seeing tears gathering in the corners of Liu Yang eyes, he could only smile and tell her to be brave. With a drop of blood on his palm, he can now continue. Or rather Es can continue. Taking Liu Yang back with him he asked her to wait for him in front of the tent while he went inside.

"Es, find a suitable technique for Liu Yang."

"Yes!"

Again the black substance made his way out if his body and absorbed the blood. In a few minutes, Es gave the results back to him, together with three possible Cultivation techniques.

Which one do you think is the best?

"The Unruly Ocean Goddess is the most fitting one for Liu Yang; it has four realms with six stages each. On the final stage, it allows the user to break the dimensional boundaries."

It sounds powerful, let's go with it then!

"Please hold the crystal in your hand. The inscription process will begin shortly."

With this being done it was time to give it to Liu Yang, all she has to do is hold it to her forehead and say...

"Initiate transfer."