Chapter 17

Ye Zhi-Qiu joined his students in running, and Teacher Zhao dispersed the crowd with a fierce shout. Red flashed everywhere in Interface, indicating the fuckery going in in my body as I dispelled my Hammer with mixed feelings at the unexpected revelation. The good thing was no one got hurt, and at best, it was teacher's name who'd make the proverbial headlines when things finally spread.

That guy though… he was a loose end.

Rongrong helped me up and Oscar passed me a sausage, also helping to support me.

"Thank you, Jin," she said, the worry transparent in those pink irises.

I smiled back. "I'll be alright, I've been through worse."

Mubai kept glaring at the stragglers, and both Zhuqing and Hongjun quietly circled around us.

Xiao Wu nodded to Tang San, who leaned in. "We can't let him escape," he said, his eyes steeled with blue light.

I sighed and nodded, and asked Rongrong to help me stand straight. I cleared my throat, getting everyone's attentions, and said, "Teacher Zhao, friends, I need a favor from you all."

Which is why not a few moments after, me, Tang San and teacher Zhao found ourselves back in the forest and giving chase to those who escaped. Us two kids were getting carried on his shoulders, while Mubai and the rest stayed behind near the outskirts of the city to wait for us.

My and Tang San's mission for the clan hinged on us delaying our debut in the spirit master world as late as possible. A few rumors weren't too bad, but a guy from Spirit Hall and a few students alive to tell the tale was.

"I must kill them, teacher Zhao," I told him.

My stomach was dancing around a pit fire of bile, my spirit still reeling from the earlier injury despite the healing warmth of Oscar's sausages. That sounded horrible.

It was, a very strange experience to knowingly move out with the intent to murder, kind of a mix between the weakness from coming down with the flu and the dizziness of grinding away at another body in a rave. Disturbing. Tang San took the heat before, but this time was all on me. Those people coming out of this alive were my responsibility. Though, personal matters aside, I was amazed teacher Zhao even went along.

"Our clan owes you a great debt, teacher," Tang San said.

"Your debt is nothing but a fart in the wind," teacher Zhao said. "How could I save face knowing that guy dared to hurt my cute students?" He kicked up his pace, all seven spirit rings blazing a highway through the old forest. The guy didn't even need my Crown's light to navigate, what little moonlight there was probably lit the world up like day to his Spirit Sage eyes.

"There," Tang San said, gesturing Westward. Teacher Zhao changed directions, the inertia of it throwing me off and shaking my guts.

We were following Tang San's poison trail with him pointing out the way through scent. These otherworldly skills of his was too broken in my opinion, to do the things he did, and as grave as the situation was right now, I still found it funny how so many people just chucked it up to him being a genius. He apparently planted his poison needles on all those students' robes before they ran, hence our following them now.

"We're close," Tang San said.

A moment later, we broke out into a clearing to see the same eight people with all their spirits out and in formation. Seven students, all around their late teens, faced us with grim expressions, lips pressed thin and pale, jaws clenched, and eyes all hard as stone. Their white rings were dazzling in the dark forest, and they made a spectacle to behold with the spirits they wielded: a horse, a ram, a bull, a trident, a pike, a knife, and a tiger for that one lady.

"Clear Sky sect," grease tail said and spat on the ground. He had his turtle shell facing us with all his students behind him, his five rings arrayed like a peacock's plume.

Tang San unveiled his wings, their jewel-like membranes shimmering in the moonlight and took to the sky without a sound. Those people's eyes followed him as he ascended, his two purple rings making him look like some angel of death, while Teacher Zhao remained unperturbed, only looking on. The student's knees started shaking, and my face was numb and thick from the blood rushing within me, my heart pounding with an erratic rhythm that seemed to drown out the whistling wind.

"You should understand why we're here," I said, summoning my Crown and covering myself with my Domain's amber light.

Grease tail's eyes widened with jaws clenched tight as his students all cowered behind him. He looked back at them and all tension left his shoulders as he sighed, his body rolling with the breath. A low growl turned into a long howl with all his might, his students covering their ears as tears trickled down his eyes. When he stopped, he faced the three of us with bloodshot eyes. "Curse you," he said with a guttural tone. "Curse you, Clear Sky sect!"

Teacher Zhao's purple ring shone, and they all sank to their knees as I extended Devour and Shock all over them, my range enough to cover the entire clearing as white swords and black rain fell from the skies.

His students were the first to die, all the bases of their necks and skulls pierced at the same precise location with pristine silver needles already smoking with acrid fumes, while Ye Zhi-Qiu survived the ordeal. He was impaled on the ground through all his limbs, as swords from above and below enclosed him in a cage of black and white. Teacher Zhao's gravity focused on him, and his pooling blood was pressed into the moist earth as those white swords bent and broke with his snapping bones.

He kept howling and struggling, as I raised my Hammer high, purple ring shining.

With hope, our secret was safe with this. For now.

Ye Zhi-Qiu's skull lay broken on the grass, grey matter spilled out under my golden light. I spat out the bile that came up, hissing as it burned my tongue. "It is done," I said.

Teacher Zhao put a hand on my shoulder. "Is this your first kill, little Jin?" he said.

"Human, yes," I said. "But I've… taken life before."

Tang San descended to the ground and folded his wings behind him like a pair of sapphire coattails. "On the road to Shrek," he said, "we encountered some trouble."

"I see," teacher Zhao said. "And I also see you have a spirit bone."

Tang San nodded to that, and we started going through their things and got a purse of a few hundred gold coins, and a spirit tool filled with the usual fare of those who live by the road. The only valuable thing we found was the second level Spirit Hall tile, but none else other than that.

"Let's go," teacher Zhao said, and turned to leave but Tang San shook his head.

"Teacher Zhao," I said, "I still need to clean up."

His brows furrowed as I extended Devour one by one to those bodies and warm red flowed in together with the little hints of green from the undergrowth. Teacher Zhao watched as I finished my work, each of those bodies crumbling to dust leaving only their clothes. To eat all I killed, was my way of life.

When I finished, teacher Zhao had on a scowl. "Only evil spirit masters perform such methods to further their own cultivation."

I shrugged. "Then let me be evil, but for me, all I did was honor my responsibility to the life I'd taken."

He said nothing to that, and we then burned whatever was left of their clothes, making sure everything was nothing but char when we left. We got back a few minutes after, with most of my injuries already healed, and my spirit power now at the twenty-ninth rank and half-way to thirty.

"We should change hotels," said teacher Zhao.

No one complained, and after coming around the long way through a few alleys and dark corners, we finally found a beat-up place too dirty to fill up and we all shared a big dorm-type room to spare the trouble of prying eyes. We didn't eat out anymore after that, and everyone settled for me cooking a little something for those who didn't get a chance to eat—but only after agreeing to use a different recipe.

"I can smell blood on you," Zhuqing said as she received her bowl of beef stew.

My hands froze mid-pour for Hongjun's bowl, and all eyes settled on me. "That's because we took care of those Blue Sunshine people from earlier." I finished pouring the share, and moved on to give Xiao Wu and Rongrong theirs. "Don't worry though," I said. "I don't literally have blood on me." Devour made sure of that.

Xiao Wu bit her lip, and Rongrong met my eyes without flinching. Mubai and Oscar said nothing, only taking their food with a nod and a small smile.

Tang San spoke up, "Our family holds a grudge with Spirit Hall, and had we let them live, I, Xiao Wu, and little Jin would have all come to danger, and dragged you all into our matters. It was for the best we settled this before matters got worse." He bowed low to all of them, and I paused my pouring to join, with Xiao Wu joining us.

"But worry not," I said, "in case things do escalate with Spirit Hall, we'll be sure to leave as soon as that happens and draw their ire away from you."

Rongrong grabbed my sleeve and shook her head. "I owe you my life," she said. "How can I leave you to fend for yourself to protect me more than you already have?"

I chuckled a bit and said, "Careful there Rongrong, I might mistake that for you confessing somewhat."

She went red, mouth opening and closing and could only stare back, then her eyes turned from flustered to resolute and she pinched my cheeks apart despite the redness. "Ugh, could you stop being annoying for once you little pest, I'm trying to say something important here!"

The awkward silence was filled with my groaning—and a light laughter filled the air as Rongrong gave one last tug.

"You're not getting rid of me that easy," she said with a smile.

And… I had to look away.

Mubai cleared his throat. "I'm already your big brother even if you didn't ask, so of course I won't leave my little brothers in their time of need either."

Oscar nodded. "How can I leave my business partner so soon?" he said. "Didn't you still owe me a fortune?"

Hongjun crossed his arms, smiled, and said, "And you owe me a replacement." Mubai punched him in the arm. "It's not easy to find someone who won't turn me away for my Evil Fire," he said. "Of course, I'm also on your side."

Well, that was all unexpected. I looked over at Zhuqing—who shrugged. "Spirit masters who don't look for trouble are no good," she said.

Ah, classic. "Still," I said, "Spirit Hall won't even let you rest in your graves if you cross them."

Teacher Zhao then started laughing, and said, "Little Jin, did you think I got to where I am without making enemies?" He nodded with a snort. "I too have killed my fair share of sons and masters in my youth. After all, this world is only kind to the strong."

"And what exactly is this matter that caused you to curse Spirit Hall so much?" Mubai said.

Xiao Wu clenched her fist, and Tang San shook his head. "They killed my mother, and banished our sect. Our debt is one they can only pay in blood."

"But with hope," I said, "that time won't have to come anytime soon."

Silence settled over the room, and our new-found friends just smiled—except for Zhuqing—and Tang San, Xiao Wu, and I could only accept their good will.

#

The following morning, we made our way early to Star Dou Forest's outskirts, and thankfully the rumors weren't as hot. Had someone died during the exchange though, things would've been much more different.

We were walking through the forest with cautious steps, all eyes watching for different directions to reduce blind spots as much as possible. Our formation was different from last time since teacher Zhao took the rear himself, and Tang San and Mubai lead instead as the spear head. I was behind Rongrong and Oscar near Teacher Zhao while Hongjun was in front of them, and Zhuqing and Xiao Wu guarded their flanks. We were arranged with the idea of a strong forward advance, with teacher the strongest attackers forming a pillar of force.

I had my Crown out surrounding us letting me sense everything within a thirty-five-meter diameter around us. Thanks to my two rings, the range of my normal Domain had expanded so much more from its initial five-meter radius, and feeling everything shift from the smallest rustling of grass to the breaths of those around me was something that took a lot of getting used to.

Rongrong kept looking around, vigilant and listless, and Oscar kept true to his assigned direction of forward west. Zhuqing and Xiao Wu also faithfully watch due West and East respectively, and our advanced was as strong as ever. Whenever Tang San would raise two fingers, I'd extend Shock to the front of my Domain, scaring any weaker spirit beasts away.

Mubai was Tang San's wall should anything charge up, and he kept a steady watch.

We passed a small herd of Wood Monger Squirrels, all below a hundred years of cultivation, and we circled round them.

Hongjun glanced back and raised an eyebrow.

"No need to kill what we can't and won't use," I said.

Then Tang San from ahead spoke with a low voice. "If all spirit masters keep killing spirit beasts without regard when visiting the forest, there could come a time when there are no more spirit beasts left."

Xiao Wu met my eyes, something sad flitting past her red irises, and looked away.

"Like people, we should only kill when absolutely necessary," I said. "To take life," more so those with the possibility of gaining sentience, "is a burden on the one who did the killing, and a responsibility to the one who lives on."

A few more minutes of wandering later and Tang San raised his fist and chopped forward and slightly to the left, signaling to do a focused scan in that direction.

"Something approaches," he said.

We all stopped and I stretched my Domain out to its maximum forty-five meters, and got a response. "It's moving with big lumbering steps, it has four legs and stands roughly one meter tall."

"Zhuqing," Tang San said.

The girl nodded and climbed the trees with deft and expert hands, not a hand or foot out of place. She leaped from tree to tree and disappeared, and came back a moment later. "I see a bull with curved horns and deep green fur, it has glowing yellow eyes too."

Tang San rubbed his chin before saying, "That should be an Everglade Bull, a strength type beast with a strong life force, its curved horns would signify it reaching the hundred-years cultivation, and its height of around a meter should mean it's already at the brink of the thousand years of cultivation, we should avoid this beast since it's no good for Oscar."

We followed Tang San's instruction and moved on with me probing for the bull's direction as we evaded its path.

Another few minutes and we did the same thing, me checking with my domain and Zhuqing scouting ahead.

"This time it's a snake-like beast with a cock's comb and a purple fan-like tail, it also has wings it flies with and its body is around six meters long," she said.

Light danced in Tang San's eyes, and he said, "This is good, that should be a Phoenix Tail Crest Serpent with cultivation reaching around one-thousand-eight-hundred years, it's also non-poisonous and its comb contains a great deal of nutrients."

We all nodded.

"Hongjun," Tang San continued, "birds are able to subdue serpents, so you should wait in ambush above it, and after you do, little Jin should Shock it and I'll move in to capture. Rongrong, please give us all speed boosts, and Zhuqing be ready to give chase just in case. Everyone else, make sure to watch out for danger."

We all moved into position, hiding behind some bushes as Hongjun climbed the trees.

Not a moment too soon, a red snake with wings flew in with a mesmerizing undulation—and Hongjun jumped down with his spirit out.

The snake got spooked and was confused for a moment, enough for me to extend Shock over it, making it writhe under the electrical surges. Tang San then jumped in to chop at a spot just behind its neck, and when he moved to capture it, the darn thing came awake again and a timely rush and power boost from Rongrong saved the day by knocking it out. I then stepped towards it and summoned my Hammer, to pin it down under its weight, crushing its body just a tiny bit with Mubai and his thousand-year ring holding down the snake's head.

"Your luck is good," said teacher Zhao, "you kids didn't even need me to intervene."

He passed Oscar a knife and Xiao Wu looked away just as he was about to stab it.

"Stop!" came a shrill voice.

And Oscar didn't push through with the kill. We all turned to that voice's direction, with Hongjun and Zhuqing stepping in front of me to hide my Hammer from sight. Teacher Zhao then stepped forward to hold the snake on his own, and I was able to retract my other spirit.

The voice apparently came from a granny holding a snake staff who was travelling with what looked like a really young daughter or a granddaughter, since they shared the same spirit of a snake staff, six rings behind the elder, and two rings behind the younger. The old lady had two yellow, two purple, and two black, and that was all we needed to know she wasn't gonna be as easy as that greasy ponytail guy.

"Won't you youngsters instead give that snake to us?" she said. "We injured it first and was waiting for it to weaken before striking only for you to steal our prey from us."

The girl stepped up with a sneer on her face. She was easy on the eyes and wore clothing that clung tight to her developing body. Hongjun stared at her, looking up and down every inch of her and I tapped his shoulder. "Don't perv on the lady, dude."

He sighed and looked away, stealing glances every now and then instead.

"From what I see," the old lady said, "these youngsters of yours shouldn't need a thousand-year spirit ring yet, they are much too young to be playing with a beast like this, and if you're only here to show them a kill, why not let us do so instead?"

Xiao Wu glared at the old lady, and Tang San stepped in front of her, and slowly, us melee attackers all formed a rough wall in front of our auxiliary masters, with Rongrong behind me.

"Please senior," said teacher Zhao. Hongjun did a double-take. "Our student here is actually in need of his third ring." He gestured at Oscar. "We are also equally valid with our claim after besting the beast."

The old lady's expression flashed something sinister, and I wouldn't have caught it without my Crown. Tang San shared a look with me, and I shook my head. This wasn't someone we could kill like that turtle guy, and even just a single black ring would cause me so much grief under uncle Zhi's hands.

"My deepest apologies," the old lady said—but her granddaughter didn't stop glaring at us. If I had to guess, she should be in her mid to late teens. "I didn't catch your name," she said. "I am Chao Tian-Xiang, and this is my granddaughter Meng Yiran."

Teacher Zhao's usual scowl turned into a wry smile, and he bowed—Hongjun did another double-take—before saying, "You wouldn't happen to be the Senior Serpent Grandmother?"

The fuck was with that name?

Granny chuckled and said, "I see that old nickname still comes around, and I don't suppose I've caught your name?"

Teacher bowed again. "I am Zhao Wuji," he said.

"I see," granny said, "of course a Spirit Sage so young could only be that Zhao Wuji." She smiled at that, but it was anything but pleased. "How about this instead, you give us that serpent, and we'll owe you a favor instead?"

Just then, that granddaughter of her spoke up. "A favor for these farts?" she said, "Why don't we just settle this issue here and now?" She had on a fierce smile full of confidence.

I rolled my eyes at her, and she glared back.

"Please, big sister," I said, "you truly didn't believe us when we said our brother here needs his third ring?"

Teacher Zhao raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"Such an impertinent child," said the granny. "And I suppose this eldest brother of yours is the one who needs this ring?" She gestured at Mubai who smiled back.

"It's not I senior," he said. "I already have mine."

"What?" both grandmother and grandchild said.

Teacher Zhao sighed. "You truly looked down on us, esteemed senior," he said. "Students, why don't you show them our proof?"

We all released our rings, but Meng Yiran staring at me with a stupid look on her sure was refreshing. The grandmother though only kept looking at Tang San.

"There should be some trick," Meng Yiran said. "Two thousand year rings? What sort of illusion are you pulling?"

Teacher Zhao chuckled. "There's no trick," he said. "This little Jin of ours is simply a little monster among little monsters."

"Bullshit," the girl said, pointing her serpent cane at me.

Tang San looked at me and I sighed. "Senior Serpent," he said, bowing the grandparent's way. "Would it not be the way of spirit masters to compete for the prize?"

The old lady scoffed, and teacher Zhao smiled, she then said, "Then the person who needs this ring should instead come forward."

Oscar did so. "It is I who needs the ring, esteemed senior," he said. "But I have no attacking power as I am but a food system spirit master."

"Is that true?" she said.

"We still haven't lied," I added, and Meng Yiran glared at me once more. "Like you heard, his spirit is food and naturally has no attack, so why not fight me instead? And you can also verify whether these rings of mine are just illusions."

Her eyes darted over to Xiao Wu, then Zhuqing, Rongrong, and Hongjun.

"Assuming what you say is true," granny said, "then you should be overqualified to count in this fight."

"Normally yes," I said. "I mean, I'm sure you've never met anyone before with thousand year rings for their first two, yes?" What I said wasn't right but I wasn't about to point that out. "And I'm definitely stronger than your granddaughter there," I said, tipping my Crown to her.

"Such arrogance," Meng Yiran said, "fine then, I accept this challenge."

Her grandmother scowled for a moment, and returned to its harsh smile. "Tell me your name, boy."

I looked her straight in the eyes with the same look I'd give assholes on the road. "Tell me first of your affiliation with Spirit Hall."

She was taken aback, then narrowed her eyes. "They mean nothing to me," she said. "Nothing but power mongers."

I looked at Tang San who nodded.

"Good," I said, and she again had that baffled hint in her eyes. "I am Tang Jin."

"And what have you done to earn Spirit Hall's ire, boy? Your arrogance?"

I shook my head. "Nothing besides being born."

She scrunched up her nose. "What a peculiar child," she said.

Meng Yiran and I took up positions facing each other.

"Don't come crying for your mother when you lose," she said.

"Says the girl bullying a ten-year old," I said with a sigh.

"He's just ten?" that granny asked Zhao Wuji.

"You never asked," he said with a laugh.

The fight after that was as anti-climactic as I expected. The moment Devour and Shock touched her, the girl pretty much already lost. Sure, she had her cane, and that snake-like state she could put herself in, but under the focused light of my near-thousand and two-thousand-year spirit abilities, she was pretty much just roasted alive—though not literally. Thankfully.

Meng Yiran had on a shocked—heh—expression after the fight, only looking at me like I was something impossible on two legs, and that grandmother also had on a very evil expression. "Fine," she said. "You can keep the snake, come little Yi."

I then walked up to Oscar and whispered, "If you'll agree, I'll take responsibility to get you an even better ring than this serpent, and you can also make a good impression on the lady." He looked me in the eyes. "I'm also partly responsible for how Tang San got that near four-thousand-year spirit ring for his third, though at best I'm confident I can keep you safe up to two thousand years of cultivation, anything above that, by maybe give or take two-hundred years would be too strong for your body to handle instead."

Oscar looked over at Tang San and smiled. "I believe I owe you some faith as well."

He then ran after that grandmother and granddaughter pair and got the two to turn his way.

"Little Jin admits he cheated by fighting you with those freakish rings of his, and he and I believe we shouldn't be rude to such a pretty lady," Oscar said.

Rongrong pinched my side. "I didn't say that," I said, fending off her second hand.

"If the pretty big sister will accept, that is," Oscar said with a smile.

The grandmother shook her head and said, "Such a crafty little monster indeed. Then I believe it is that favor I offered you are after?"

I nodded to her. "Please do not forget my name, esteemed senior." I said with a bow.

She then extended her cane, her yellow ring shining. "If you want a ring for little Ao here," she said. "I could just pay off that favor here and now."

Well, it was worth a try at least.

"That depends on the spirit beast," I said.