10 - Bleak

"What is Cultivation?"

Among the one's gathered, there was none who did not know the answer. Yet, the silence pervaded the atmosphere and none commented. To them, although the question was simple, the answer hardly was. Because what the instructor sought was not a literary defination taught to them, but the ideology bron from experience.

"It's simple, to cultivate is to transcend mortality."

And it was. To all the children who sat on the mat, it really was a simple answer to a simple question. But they couldn't not unsee the smile, the ridicule hidden behind those eyes. The chose not to speak.

"To transcend mortality, and achieve the status of an Immortal. Isn't that what you've been taught? Do you not aspire for the vanity of those lofty achievements? Then tell me, what does it mean to transcend mortality?"

None answered. Just as he had expected. Just as it had always been, he smiled.

"Then listen, to transcend mortality is not to run away from death, but to face and overcome. That is the path; Your path! One who steps foot should believe it that he or she is no longer a mortal but more and thus are even closer to death than before. It's only those who overcome the struggles, fight the very heavens and rise to the top, who step past mortality."

There was silence, as he had expected. Some wore looks of confusion, others deep in thought, and some look at him in enlightenment. He knew, none of them understood. Nor will they, until they saw it face to face. The Death!

Xuan Wen wondered. He didn't understand the words his grandfather, the clan head of Xuan clan had just said. So he wondered.

Until now, he had reflected on the thought a thousand times. When he faced those difficult challenges of his clan, he thought of those words; when he fought on the arena, he reflected on their meaning; when he faced the beasts in the forest, he tried to comprehend his smile.

Until now, that is.

"A young and supple prey, one so tender and pliable. How interesting it will be to play with you."

Death.

It was just a word. He read and heard it many times. He had never pondered on its meaning though. Now he understood the words his grandfather had said. As a cultivator, he was always walking on a thin line, a single slip-up and he would die. He knew the fate, but now he understood it.

"I won't be an easy prey, I will fight to the bitter end." Empty words, he knew that. The evil in the form of the knew that. It was apparent in his eyes. His quivering arms and his trembling legs. His sweat soaked forehead and sticky shirt. Every point of his being screamed fear.

–"Energy Could Formation, a peak one at that." The words were like a hammer that put the last nail on his coffin. At that time Xuan Wen knew, running was no longer possible.

"I like it. When the prey struggles to move out of the grasp. The feeling when you chase that prey and you feel their hope kindling as they draw near their victory. Only for them to found out they never had the chance to escape in the first place. Then comes the despair, the crushing of hopes and dreams, the feeling of powerlessness. I love it."

Xuan Wen ground his teeth in disgust. Cultivators no virtuous group, but even they never took joy in others suffering. But this old man here watched him with mischief in his eyes, as if it all just a big game to him. He hated the man.

"Let me give a chance so that you won't call me unfair." Another trick, his eyes roamed left and right. Until out of the darkness crawled a big purple snake. It's scales were rough and covered in dust and pebbles. It was long and thick, thicker than his thigh and it's head was bigger with black fangs dotting it's gums. It's red devil like eyes shone with hunger and it's tongue flickered in search of fresh blood. Xuan Wen shuddered.

"I call it, [Blood-Seeking Python]. I raised it myself; so if you can defeat it, I will allow you to leave from this cave." His voice came plain and simple. Xuan Wen couldn't sense sincerity or lie and for a brief moment, he wondered if he had a choice.

–"It's a lie." The spirit voice out, Xuan Wen straightened a bit, "Don't trust his words, but for now do as he says. The snake is a peak [Foundation Establishment] beast, so it will a tough battle, but with my assistance you should be able to take it down. And when the time comes..."

Xuan Wen nodded his head inwardly. He did not want to look suspicious lest he get caught.

The man named Gu Yen stepped back, content to let the show unfold before him. The purple scaled, red eyed snake slithered toward him, its forked tongue hissed at him with plain malevolence.

Xuan Wen grasped the pommel and the handle tight in his hands, his eyes tracing the path the snake took. Months of hunting had honed his skills and expertise, so even in an unfair combat such as this, he maintained his composure impeccably.

The snake lunged, Xuan Wen took half a step back and slashed. He had underestimated the recoil of its serpentine body as it arrived before his sword met its scales. Xuan Wen gritted his teeth and pulled his face to the side.

The snake missed but so did he. He drew a ragged breath as his heart thundered in his chest. It had been a mistake, he realised, to fight a peak [Foundation Establishment] beast. Just now he was inches away from death.

–"Calm down, boy. Did you forget that I am here, let me guide your moments so don't question and follow my instructions."

Xuan Wen frowned, hesitance making its presence know. Could he really trust some cauldron spirit with his life? He took a look at his foe and nodded his head imperceptibly.

The snake drooled viscous and poisonous liquid on the ground, evoking a hissing shriek from the rocks as they melted under its corrosive decay.

The snake moved, and at the same time, Xuan Wen heard the voice of the spirit.

Just as the snake rounded and lunged, no, even before it, Xuan Wen ducked. The snake soared above his head and he cut a deep gash along its scaly abdomen.

"Hiss...!"

The python let loose a pained hiss as it looked at his sweaty visage with spite. Xuan Wen stared back in mock terance, his sword dripping red blood.

As expected of a mindless beast, no matter how much they trode the grounds of evolution, their base instinct never changed. All it took was a light shove and beast would rear its head, he smiled.

The unfolded as the spirit direction, like a song being played on a Zither. The man had become the audience, the beast an instrument and he had taken the role of fingers, dancing across the taut strings as the mind directed.

Slash!

A gash opened on its back, the snake rolled on the ground in pain and anger, but something else overcame the two strong emotions.

Fear!

A bright glimmer passed through Gu Yen's eyes, and the snake stifled, it's reptilian pupils constricting into thin lines. A baleful aura wafted from the scaly python and something told Xuan Wen he needed to dodge.

–"Be careful!"

The warning came too late as the snake had already moved. Even with his experience and the assistance, all he managed to do was block the fangs that came for his neck. The snake turned, and wiggled, its scaly tail wrapping around his back and abdomen. It constricted.

"Ughh!" Xuan Wen groaned in pain and annoyance. His bones felt brittle under the crushing force of this man-hunter, he felt like dying.

–"I will create opportunity, go for the kill!"

He barely heard the voice as his vision turned blurry. At that time, the cauldron released a subtle glow and the snake froze, its grip lessening. In his haze and bleary sightedness Xuan Wen struck, his sword cutting through the air and plunging deep in the snakes neck. He yelled and pulled, the sword moving up and through the head, dividing the python in two.

Thud!

It fell in a spray of blood and gore, dying the black mossy terrain red. Xuan Wen wiped the bloody splotches from his face and turned toward the calm man standing by the wall. His breath came ragged and tiredness seeped into his bones.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

"Wonderful performance." The man moved forward and Xuan Wen drew back, his gaze wary and his grip still tight. "That was a wonderful performance indeed; it was like you had eyes on the back of your head. Like a divine prophet you predicted all the moments even before the snake moved, what eyes you have~"

Xuan Wen gulped, feeling the purple dull eyes peer into his black one's as if searching for truth, or a lie. It seemed to have found none as it turned back to the corpse that was once a purple python.

"So I can leave, now?" His throat felt dry and his eyes roamed all around, searching for some path that he could turn to and run for his dear life; he found none.

"I am afraid you can't, after all I did say to defeat, not kill it. It was valueable specimen, a lost cause now." Xuan Wen saw the eyes turn back toward him, a sort of maniacal glimmer shinning in his otherwise dull eyes.

"What do you mean by that?" Even as the voice came out calm and composed, there was a tremor in his hands and his teeth were grit tight.

Gu Yen ignored it all and chuckled, "I said that if you defeat this guy, I will allow you leave this cave unharmed. As it stands, you have just slain this poor snake and I have incurred a huge loss, so unless you compensate me somehow, you can forget about leaving this cave." Gu Yen circled his weary form and said, "If for example, you give up an arm and leg, or your eyes, or some other part."

"You disgusting sick-fuck, you had no intention of letting me leave in the first place!"

Gu Yen smiled as if he were enjoying a great play, "No, I didn't."