Gloomy Prelude (I)

Chen Wentian, still disguised as Immortal Sword Bandit Lin Huzhong, stood alone in a large, richly decorated hotel suite. His eyes were closed but his senses were keen and alert. A banquet table was nearby, laden to the brim with food and drink, almost all of which was untouched. Additional tankards of wine sat on the floor, still sealed and untouched.

On the other side of the room was a curtained bed that hid half a dozen beauties. They were all in deep slumber and impelled to remain so by his spiritual energy. They were supposed to be his entertainment for tonight but he wasn't interested in casual relations with strange women. He accepted them into the room simply to maintain his cover as a rogue immortal.

He was in Su River City with the Badlands Province, spending the night after a long day of teaching the locals the Six Meridians Demon Blight sword style.

The province was a barren region with striking landscapes; rocky buttes, jagged pinnacles, and eroded rainbow hills. Scrubby shrubs and hardy grasses grew here and not much else. The few beasts that called this place home consisted of small insects, underground rodents, and migrating birds.

The human population in the province was concentrated around Su River City. It was the only major human settlement in the province. All the notable cultivation sects were here. Situated next to a wide, slow-moving river, it was a veritable oasis in the middle of an empty land.

All the sects being in one place ended up being both a convenience and a nuisance. He didn't have to fly all over the province but he also had to contend with multiple sects competing with each other for his attention. After lengthy and heated arguments, they settled on an impromptu city-wide martial festival that lasted through the day and into the night. This involved numerous martial demonstrations, a spirited tournament between the sects, and lots of partying afterward.

The six women in his room were an unexpected part of those festivities, the product of six of the strongest factions within the city conspiring together to gain his favor. They sent in their most talented and beautiful core disciples, princesses, and daughters in hopes that they could establish a lasting relationship with him. One of them was even was already engaged!

Chen Wentian shook his head at the ridiculous situation. A worse immortal than him would have surely taken advantage of the situation without remorse. While he already had many disciples, his habits were still mild in comparison to the wild stories that circulated the immortal rumor mill, especially about loose cultivators who truly had no care about their reputation.

This didn't mean he wasn't tempted. With the complete legacy of the divine blue dragon within him, it was impossible for him to turn into a celibate monk. He was not that willful nor did he have a noble heart.

He had wanted to succumb to animal instinct, if only briefly. He had wanted to let go and satisfy his desires. But tonight was not the night for that. In fact, it was the worst night imaginable.

The air around the room changed. It had been dry and cool, a reflection of this region's climate, but now it was uncomfortably humid. Chen Wentian tensed and spread his spiritual sense out of the room and throughout the hotel. There was nothing out of place except for the strange air.

A thick fog then appeared in the streets. It spread quickly and obscured the city entirely. By the time he opened the balcony door and stepped outside, a light rain had started.

Rain was a rare but welcome gift here. The river could irrigate the crops but it was dirty. Drinking water came from wells or the occasional seasonal rain. Despite it being the middle of the night, people across the city woke up to the sound of rain with a flurry of activity. They put out buckets, pots, and the like to collect the clean, refreshing water from the sky. Some held out their hands to get a drink immediately.

Chen Wentian held out a palm under the eaves, letting a few raindrops land on his skin. He felt nothing out of the ordinary for a while. But eventually, he sensed foreign spiritual energy trying continuously to burrow into the flesh of his hand. It was a tiny amount of energy but it contained a deep malevolence within as well as profound might that was only possible if the source was an immortal.

Since he was an immortal also, this amount of spiritual energy had no effect on him. What it would do to the residents of the city was still unknown but it was certainly nothing good. Despite knowing this, there wasn't anything he could do to stop them or save them from their fates.

The rain continued to fall, steadily increasing in intensity. It splattered off the roof tiles and gurgled down the gutters. It was a symphony of life-giving nectar to the masses and for him, a gloomy prelude to the inevitable battle.

He was already trapped within the enemy's domain. Right now, they held all the advantages of initiative, environment, and information. They knew where he was while he still didn't have clue.

An immortal's domain attack was one of their most powerful attacks. It was an incarnation of their immortal Dao, a manifestation of their profound strength. Some immortal secret arts did not have a domain attack but for those that did, none of them were to be taken lightly. The worst thing he could do was to charge out into the rain, blindly attacking an unseen foe, falling further into the grasp of their domain.

So, therefore, he didn't.

He stepped back into the room and closed the door, leaving the people of Su River City to their uncertain fates.

He sat down at the head of the banquet table and let out a breath. "Fuuu..."

He opened a fresh jug of peach wine, poured himself a cup, and took a long sip. He savored the taste and quality, a little subpar for immortal standards but still acceptable. He pulled a plate of food beside him and began to take in small morsels.

He was in no rush.

He wanted to see just what kind of demon had dragged itself out of the underworld to cause trouble for him. He was tired of being herded around by its tricks. He was tired of it constantly hiding, scheming.

He wanted it to come to him.

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