Chapter 11 - Inheritance

As he stepped over the threshold, ki energy lights flickered on, casting the chamber in a dim glow. The walls and ceiling were decorated with opulent engravings and friezes depicting the glory of the Lo Chang clan although everything was faded and dusty. Many large, iron bound chests lined the walls, racks of weapons and armor hung next to once vibrant tapestries of fine silk. Judging by the amount of dust, grime and mold coating every surface, this chamber had sat undisturbed for hundreds, perhaps even thousands of years.

At the center of the chamber was an ornate mat, and as Li Kang approached it, he jumped as a ki Spirit appeared in the shape of a broad and powerful warrior with a noble look. While life-like, ki Spirits are not alive but rather complicated and intricate audio-visual recordings utilizing stored ki energy.

"Master Lo Chang," Li Kang knelt respectfully, addressing the spirit. While it was unlikely that this ki spirit was aware of its surroundings, it was better to be safe than sorry.

"My heir," The spirit boomed while looking to Li Kang's right. "As you have passed the 7 Lotus trials which have ensured you fit to claim my bountiful inheritance, as well as possessing the True King's holy dagger of consummation, I hereby pass these treasures to you. You will ensure that the name Lo Chang continues to live in the hearts and minds of not only our people but in those of our villainous enemies. May their heads roll with their entrails picked apart by carrion and their souls be severed from the spiritual realm, never to be reincarnated and instead to walk the nether plane for all of eternity…" the ki spirit of Lo Chang took a deep gasp of air then continued, "… and their clan houses and pagodas burnt, fields salted and ruined. To inflict a 10,000 year famine upon their people while ours feast in eternal glory. Feeding and growing fat upon the meat of wild spiritual beasts and drinking the wine of rare ki fruit and other such treasures…" The spirit grew silent and Li Kang wiped sweat from his brow in relief until suddenly Lo Chang began again with vigor, "… and our youth to wield the strongest heavenly treasures while our enemies' offspring languish, deprived of elixirs, pills and tonics. Cursed to remain weak and sow for the slaughter…"

Li Kang, tired of the old ghost's incessant rambling, decided to check out what treasures this fortuitous inheritance contained. He opened the first chest, the lid releasing a heavy cloud of dust into the air. Disappointingly, it contained only the moldy remnants of what had likely been powerful ki aura fruit. As Lo Chang's ki spirit continued to drone on, Li Kang opened the other chests. Inside were a variety of pills and elixirs, many of which appeared to have been preserved by their jade enclosures. Additionally, there were several heavy sacks of gold coins, pressed into square tablets in the ancient style. The greatest treasure though came from a small, unassuming box. Inside, Li Kang found a dagger opposite to his Dagger of Avarice. The Dagger of Charity. The dagger was silver with beautiful scrollwork up and down the blade, a blue gem set into the pommel. A faded scroll wrapped around the sheath explained its ability. "Yin and Yang, the dagger of avarice takes while the dagger of charity gives. This grade one heavenly treasure will allow you to inject your ki aura into your foe, crippling their cultivation and wreaking havoc on their Meridians. Unfortunately it will render the victim unstable and unable to be drained by the dagger of avarice."

Li Kang couldn't believe his luck. Now he had what many cultivators from his region could only dream of, two grade one heavenly treasures. Not only this but he also had many pills and elixirs to raise his level in preparation for bonding a Martial Spirit. He could only thank the Lo Chang clan for leaving such a bounty of treasures for him to find, and locking them up tightly enough that they remained here all these years later, untouched.

As Li Kang exited the chamber, having gathered all the treasure he could into his rucksack and carefully devised a sling to carry the rest, he had to smile at his good fortune. 

"Ho ho, my thanks to you old man Lo Chang!" Li Kang chortled at the ki spirit. "With these treasures I will surely enact a centennial revenge on your old enemies and mine: the villainous Suhn Clan! I will drain their meridians dry and gain the power to climb the ladder of destiny!"

The ki spirit continued on as Li Kang walked out of the chamber. "...and condemn even their ancestors to the same fate, deprived of pills and elixirs, never a grade one spirit fruit to pass their lips, never a grade two spirit fruit imbibed by those villains, never a grade three spirit fruit…"

Li Kang was long gone.