16

They sat in silence for a while. Onari was clearly lost in thought, and Yasaka just let him think. It wasn't the first time Onari had considered that he might have lingering trauma from his previous life.

Being so weak and helpless for so long would leave a mark on anybody's soul. For Onari, that mark revealed itself in his constant striving for more strength.

Luckily, cultivation was perfect for Onari's coping method. He was constantly growing stronger, and the breakthroughs even seemed to be getting easier as he hit his stride. The looming shadow of impending tribulation didn't even faze Onari.

The only thing that bothered him about his cultivation was his lack of understanding. He knew how to cultivate. His method had seemingly been imprinted on his brain at birth. But he didn't know 'why' cultivating was so easy for him. He didn't know 'why' his soul seemed to be instinctively pushing itself further up the path to transcend the heavens.

He felt that he needed to further his understanding of his Dao. That, and opening up to his family, were the only ways that he felt he would feel at peace with his trauma.

And alchemy was a good way to further his understanding. He already received small, not-insignificant insights into the Dao through his dabbling with formations. Taking separate ingredients and combining them to create something 'whole' and 'new' would hopefully grant him further knowledge of profound concepts.

The family sat there for a while, just thinking or enjoying the other's presence. Eventually though, Yasaka was called back to work. Usually Onari would lament the amount of work his mother put into running a faction, but this time he was almost thankful for it. He still had one more piece of business to take care of after all.

The other culprit that wanted to hurt Yasaka, and tried to have him killed in an 'accident': Narikage the Tsukumogami. Narikage needed to die. And Onari wouldn't be satisfied unless it was by his own hands.

Onari ghosted his way out of the castle's keep, making sure not to wake Kunou with his exit. He spread his Qi senses over the castle. The scent of treachery, betrayal, and malice was carried on the wind. Onari instantly turned in that direction.

He didn't bother taking the slower route on the ground. He swung himself up onto the keep's roof, and leaped to another building. Jumping between rooftops, Onari made his way over to a somewhat secluded portion of the castle's grounds.

Pressed right up against the wall of the castle sat a lavish building. It looked like a slightly smaller replica of the castle's main keep. One or two guards patrolled the area around the building, but it was simple for Onari to slip past their sights.

He alighted on the roof of the building with an inaudible thud. He took a moment to center himself before he spread his Qi senses out once again. A detailed image of the building's layout displayed itself within Onari's mind.

He focused on a specific room on the building's third floor. In that room, Narikage slept alone. The closest person to him was a guard that was stationed outside of the room.

A grim expression set itself on Onari's face. He made his way to the third floor window, letting himself in with a touch of Qi telekinesis. His footsteps were silent on the tatami mat floor as he stepped through the window. The Tsukumogami slept without a care in the world, ignorant of his impending doom.

Onari stood over the object spirit. The flimsy paper that made up the lantern Tsukumogami fluttered with each faux 'breath'. His hand slid over the vague approximation of the lantern's mouth.

Tsukumogami didn't actually need to do any of the normal bodily functions needed to continue living, but they at least had to go through the motions. It was part of what granted them their 'alive' status. So when Onari's hand blocked off the Tsukumogami's 'airway', Narikage's eyes shot open as he realized he couldn't 'breathe'.

He stared up at his assailant with shock and fear in his beady, spirit eyes. Onari's naturally crimson eyes glowed red in the darkness. The chilling sensation of Onari's Qi pressed down on Narikage, suppressing his cries for help before they could leave his mouth.

"Not a word," Onari whispered. His voice was deceptively calm. "You and I are going to have a little… 'talk' about your actions against me and my mother."

Narikage was physically restrained. He was lifted out of his bed, slung over Onari's shoulder, and stolen into the night. Onari made haste to a specific location in the forest behind the castle.

It was an isolated location, far from where he usually played with Kunou. He had originally discovered it and considered it for a meditation spot, but ultimately discarded it because of the area's subtly sinister Qi.

Onari set Narikage down, and his nose twitched in disgust. Narikage briefly struggled, but the strands of Qi that bound him held strong. If it was possible, the lantern spirit's shoulders would have slumped as he resigned himself to his fate.

Onari asked only one word, "Why?"

"Why what?!? I should be asking that question! Why are you doing this?!"

"Why?... Why did you think it was a good idea to subvert your liege in this manner?"

The Tsukumogami's paper skin seemed to pale, "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

Onari didn't even bother to play Narikage's game. He was already positive of Narikage's guilt. Now he was just dragging this out as long as he could stand to talk to this treacherous spirit.

"AHHHH!" Narikage screamed as a strip of paper was ripped from his physical body.

"You know…" Onari mused as he continued methodically dismantling the object spirit. "There are names for people like you."

Each name was punctuated by the tearing of another strip from Narikage's body, "Rat. Scab. Filth. Backstabber. Snake in the grass. Sniveling dog. Fork tongued devil. Power hungry chauvinist. Benedict-fucking-Arnold.

"But I don't think any of those do you justice. You tried to kill me. You tried to hurt my family. You were damned the moment you made the decision to scheme against me and mine. You are a bastard Judas, not even good at what you do."

Narikage's screams continued as Onari destroyed his physical body. They only petered out when Onari ripped up his mouth. And still, Onari wasn't satisfied. He could still feel Narikage's spirit anchored to the strips of paper.

He clasped his hands together, calling upon his foxfire and Qi. Lavender flames ignited the paper strips. Purifying Qi pushed at the spirit that lingered upon the burning material. An echoing cry of spiritual agony tainted the local Qi as Narikage's spirit was banished from the physical world.

A metaphysical gong sounded from Onari's soul after he finished exorcizing the Tsukumogami. The act of vengeance satisfied something deep within his soul. He felt his Qi reserves soar, surging through the Sixth and Seventh Dragon Diantian.

Onari panted as his cultivation stabilized just shy of the breakthrough point to the Third Stage. His internal Qi still churned fiercely within him. The evidence from his act of revenge burned away until not even ash remained.

Eventually, Onari calmed his breathing. Motes of Qi floated through the air around him. The Qi of the clearing he was standing in felt almost pleased with his vengeful offering.

Exhausted, he pushed the strange feeling to the back of his mind, and began to make his way back home. He could really use another nap…