21-22

Zhang Yi Interlude 2

To stunned silence the Immortal turned around, slamming the door behind him.

For a moment the air seemed to hold still. Zhang Yi and the other boys all stared at the door that had just slammed shut, processing the Immortal's words. Then, a young villager broke the silence.

"H-he's just messing around, right?" the boy asked from within his cage, face pale with fear. "This is just part of the test, r-right?"

No one responded. While it may be comforting, to believe that the Immortal was not really planning on selling them into slavery and that this all really was just a test along the way to joining an Immortal Sect, the sheer venomous derision in the Immortal's words left no room for doubt about his intentions.

Zhang Yi looked around the room, comparing the fear-ridden faces of the other boys to the intense dismay he felt fill his own mind. Then a sharp voice cut through the air.

"Now is not the time for fear or despair. We need to escape from these cages!" shouted Jiang Fang, the son of Lord Jiang. "We hav-"

"T-there's no way we can escape from an Immortal!" one boy interrupted fearfully.

"Of course we can!" Jiang Fang responded firmly. "The Immortal drugged us all before kidnapping us. If he were all-powerful, he could have just grabbed us all by force. Instead, he used cunning and trickery. That means... we definitely stand a chance of escape! "

Murmurs of realization and agreement came from the caged villagers. Jiang Fang's confident and charismatic statement renewed hope in them.

Zhang Yi nodded his head slightly. Jiang Fang's point did seem to make sense, at least on the surface. For what purpose would the Immortal waste his time drugging them all if he so capable? If they somehow managed to free themselves from the iron cages, perhaps they really could escape.

Furthermore, there was a magnetic confidence in Jiang Fang's words that reassured the frightened villagers and made them want to believe in his words. Indeed, the leadership ability of someone who had been raised to rule a city could not be doubted.

It was just a shame such a skill belonged to greedy and vile people like the Jiang Family, Zhang Yi thought.

"Now, as I was saying, we simply need a way to get out of these cages..." Jiang Fang said, looking around. "Anyone have any ideas..."

As Jiang Fang and the other boys began to discuss, Zhang Yi's attention drifted back to the cages.

They were large iron cubes with a wooden bottom plating. The front of the cage was the opening and it was closed shut by a large iron shackle. If the cages had a weakness, it would be one of those two features.

As Zhang Yi stared at the cage, an idea came to mind. If he could somehow knock the cage onto its side, the wooden bottom would be in the air, without any solid ground behind it. Then, he could break the wooden planks and exit the cage.

He charged up to the edge of the cage, slamming his shoulder against the metal. A loud slamming noise filled the air and his cage shook.

'I barely titlted it,' Zhang Yi grimaced, feeling a jolt of pain run through his arm. 'If I want to knock it over, I'll need to hit it a lot harder!'

"What are you doing?" one boy asked. "You won't be able to break the iron bars with your body."

Zhang Yi ignored him, charging into the front of the cage even harder than before. The force of his blow rocked the cage over. For a moment he felt it tipping before the entire cage fell to the side, slamming into the floor and producing a cloud of dust. Now on the floor, Zhang Yi lifted himself from the ground, turning to face the cage's wooden flooring.

'It worked!' the pale-skinned boy thought, smiling slightly. He raised a fist, slamming it forward into the wood. He hissed in pain, feeling a shock travel up his arms, before punching the wood a second time. Then a third. Then a fourth. Finally, upon his fifth punch, one of the wooden planks broke in the middle.

By now, the other fourteen boys were all staring at Zhang Yi in transfixed silence. Could he really be able to get out of the cage?

"So that's what you were doing! By knocking over the cage, he can break through the wooden bottom!" He Zhao, the blacksmith's son realized.

Zhang Yi continued punching and kicking at the wooden planks of his cage, cracking and smashing through them. As he worked, the other boys began to cheer and encourage him loudly. Even Jiang Fang was smiling slightly upon seeing him chip and break off pieces of the wood. Slowly but surely a hole was forming in the wooden side of the cage.

The rest of the other boys began to mimic him, shoving into the sides of their own cages and trying to knock them over. As they did so, Zhang Yi continued to expand his hole. Soon, it was large enough to crawl through.

He leaned forward, pushing his head through the hole. Jagged wooden planks pressed into his robes, depositing splinters into the thick cotton. Slowly he wrigged his upper body through the hole. Then he lifted his legs, pulling himself out fully.

Zhang Yi fell to the floor, covered in sweat and splinters, but feeling immensely satisfied.

Clapping and cheering broke out amongst the boys for a few seconds, before Jiang Fang interrupted them.

"Help break open the other cages!" Jiang Fang shouted. "We need to hurry up before the Immortal returns."

Zhang Yi nodded, walking over to He Zhao's cage. The blacksmith's son had only managed to break open a melon-sized hole in the wood. Zhang Yi raised his foot, kicking the wood as hard as he could. One of the planks snapped off from the force of his blow. Repeatedly the two continued to widen the hole. After a few minutes, it was large enough for He Zhao to crawl through.

The two split out, walking to other cages and helping the boys within it escape, each freed boy then helping another. Soon, all fifteen of the boys had been freed.

Then, Jiang Fang waved his hand, motioning for the others to gather around him.

"Good job everyone," Jiang Fang began. "Now that we've got out of the cages, we need to prepare our escape plan. Firstly, we know that Immortal said the auction would take place in an hour. That was half an hour ago. Meaning, we have twenty to thirty minutes before he returns."

The boys around Jiang Fang nodded, listening intently to the boy who had become the unofficial leader of their group.

"Here is the plan," Jiang Fang continued. "We all gather around the door to this room silently. The moment the Immortal enters, we all attack him. Some of us can restrain him while the others beat him."

"Why don't we just break out of this room now?" He Zhao asked. "We all charge upstairs and escape from this place."

"No, that won't work," Jiang Fang said, shaking his head. "If we were to charge upstairs, the Immortal and whoever else is with him would immediately hear us coming and be able to prepare. Silently ambushing them one by one is our best bet of escape."

He Zhao frowned but accepted Jiang Fang's words.

"I'm in then," he nodded. "But I do have a suggestion."

"What is it?"

"We can use the broken wooden planks as makeshift stakes or clubs," He Zhao said. "Having weapons will drastically increase the chance of us killing the Immortal!"

"That's a brilliant idea," Jiang Fang smiled. "Everyone let's spend the next few minutes collecting any pieces of wood that would make good weapons."

Thus, the fifteen boys quickly walked around the room, gathering up any pieces of wood sufficiently large enough to be of use as a weapon.

Zhang Yi himself snagged a short but sharp piece of broken wood that could be used as a dagger and a long, mostly pristine wooden plank he could use as a club.

Then, ten boys gathered in wait around the door of the room, clutching their weapons tensely. Jiang Fang had sent the five youngest members off to a corner, as they would be more of a hindrance than a help.

The ten boys here all knew at least some basic martial arts, but none were anything resembling trained soldiers or martial art masters. Everyone was keenly aware of how bad their chances at survival were.

Who knew how strong the Immortal was? In the stories, they had all sorts of wondrous abilities, like flight and illusions. Perhaps the Immortal would simply wave his hand and reduce them all to ashes. However, Jiang Fang's earlier words were just enough to convince everyone they had a fighting chance.

Time seemed to pass slowly, each second dragging on in the tense atmosphere.

Zhang Yi clutched his wooden weapons in each hand, legs wide in the stance Bing Meilu had taught him. The words she had spoken to him in their final meeting flashed through his mind.

"I believe our business is done then," Bing Meilu said had said, turning away from him "You should be fully capable of defending yourself now."

The thin boy could only hope that what she had taught him would be enough to survive the coming fight.

Then, the sound of approaching footsteps began to fill the air. Closer and closer, the sound approached

Zhang Yi felt the hairs on the back of his neck raise. He could feel his heart beating vigorously with trepidation.

The jingling of metal keys sounded out from beyond the door. Then, there was a slight scratching noise as a key was interested in the door's lock. Wood creaked and the door began to open. A man stepped forward-

"Now!" Jiang Fang shouted, shooting forward.

The young noble lashed out with the large wooden plank he was using as a bat, cracking it against the side of the Immortal's head, just as he entered the room. In the next split second, the nine other boys leaped at the man, slashing and stabbing out with their own makeshift weapons. Jagged stakes of wood pierced into the Immortal's body from all sides. A scream filled the air as he registered the pain.

Instantly, the boys were blown back by an unseen force, as if a great gale of wind had smashed into them. Zhang Yi rolled backwards, leaping to his feet.

He was greeted by the sight of the Copper-robed cultivator glaring furiously at him, body riddled with several pieces of wood. A slight green haze swirled around his body like a hurricane.

"You dirty brats!" the man shouted, drawing a copper short-sword from a sheath on his waist. "How dare you attack me!"

The green mist around his body swirled around the sword, surrounding it in a green aura.

The immortal leaped towards the nearest of the ten boys, who was still dazed on the ground. He stabbed his sword downwards, only for the boy to roll to the side. At the same time, Jiang Fang viciously slammed a kick into the immortal's backside, sending him stumbling forward, right into Zhang Yi's punch.

Zhang Yi felt the Immortal's nose break under his fingers, hot blood spilling onto his skin.

The Immortal grunted, tanking the blow and jumping sideways. At the same time, he raised one hand, forming a strange hand sign.

"Wind Valley Graceful Steps," the Immortal shouted.

The green haze migrated from his sword to surround his legs, forming coiling cloudlike shapes over his lower body. As the Immortal did so, the ten boys surrounded him, raising fists and wooden weapons in preparation.

The Immortal's face twitched slightly before he suddenly smiled widely.

"Good job, all of you!" He said, laughing. "You managed to pass my trial! I didn't expect you to all be so fast!"

The ten boys froze, nervously glancing at each other. What was this? Could it be that this whole thing really was just an elaborate test? However, Zhang Yi immediately spoke up.

"Don't listen to him!" the young boy spat. "He's clearly lying! Let's finish him off now!"

Zhang Yi was something of a village outcast. He was a penniless orphan without anyone to care for him. He managed to just barely scrape by on what he earned doing odd jobs for the villagers.

Many of them would scam him, making him do work and then reneging on the promised payment. After all, Zhang Yi had no one to back him up, so who cared if they broke their word to him?

As such, Zhang Yi had long since learnt to tell the truthful from the lying. And right now, the copper-robed Immortal set off every alarm possible.

His smile was forced, his laugh was nervous, his eyes were still filled with rage and there was no sincerity in his tone.

Immediately, the Immortal's eye twitched slightly and he chuckled casually.

"Of course I'm not! Look, just follow me upstairs and you'll see. I have an entire celebration feast prepared!" the Immortal responded."Don't tell me you want to risk losing your chance at immortality?"

"Zhang Yi's right" He Zhao commented. "I'm not an intellectual type or anything, but even I can tell when someone is being dishonest. You'd think an immortal would be a better liar."

The Immortal's face fell into a full-blown scowl and his grip on the copper-short sword tightened. An unconscious consensus formed between the boys and they all charged forward.

Punches, kicks and stabs all shot towards the man in the center of the circle. The green clouds swirling around his legs glowed for a moment and he shot into the air, jumping over all of the attacks. Several of the boys slammed into one another, causing four of them to tumble to the ground.

The Immortal landed behind one of the still-standing boys and slashed his sword powerfully. A wet splashing noise filled the air as the blade sliced through the boy's neck. Blood spurted from the wound, slashing the Immortal in the eye.

Several of the boys froze, watching with horror as the body of their fellow collapsed to the ground.

"I didn't really want to destroy any of the merchandise, but I guess I have to 'Kill the chicken to scare the monkey.'" the Immortal spat, slashing his blade into the air and splattering blood across the floor. "Now, unless you want to die like your friend over here, you'd best all surrender!"

Instead, the nine boys all charged towards him, faces contorted with anger. The Immortal sneered, twisting to look at Zhang Yi, who was closest to him. he leapt forward, stabbing his blade towards the young boy.

Adrenaline tore through his body like nothing Zhang Yi had ever felt before. His brain shut down and instinct took over. he dropped the wooden club he still held, body shifting into the stance his Teacher, Bing Meilu had drilled into him so many times.

'Nine Heavenly Stances of the Immemorial Palace Gate - Prosperity'

The Immortal's blade shot towards him like the fangs of a leaping snake, about to reach Zhang Yi's nec-

With the sound of leather shoes on liquid, The Immortal tripped on the blood he had spattered, falling face-first into the ground.

Immediately, Zhang Yi ran forward and kicked the sword from the fallen man's hand, before slamming a foot down on his head.

"Aaagh!' The Immortal shouted, trying to push himself up, only for a second kick to smash his head back down into the floor.

Several of the other boys crowded around Zhang Yi, kicking viciously at the downed man.

Blood splatters shot through the air, accompanied the brittle crunch of snapping bones as nine village boys brutally beat a man to death.

Zhang Yi interlude 3

Zhang Yi stood still, shakily inhaling as he stared at the broken pile of blood, bone and organ that had once been a living, breathing human being.

A horrible metallic stench permeated the air, filling his nostrils. It was as if the very oxygen he inhaled was reminding him of the blood spilt here.

He had been in fights, martial arts matches and violet brawls on the street. He had even seen dead bodies before. Yet somehow, when Zhang Yi stared at the bloody, broken corpse of the man whose life he had personally taken, his stomach squirmed in disgust he had never felt before.

"Killing is agasint the Dao!" Zhang Yi's grandfather, Zhang Lu, would often tell him. "The scriptures say all living beings contain the Uncreated Energy and one should not kill them."

Zhang Yi turned his head away from the body, bending over as he began to vomit. After a few minutes of dry heaving, he wiped the fluids from his mouth with his blood-stained sleeve before shakily straightening himself up.

Around him, he could see the other boys standing in solemn silence, save for their heavy breathing.

The silence sat unbroken, until Jiang Fang slowly bent over, grabbing the Immortal's copper shortsword. It still glistened with the blood of the boy he had killed.

Jiang Fang took an unsteady step towards the corpse of the Immortal, a strangely focused expression covering his face. He raised the sword high before slicing it down on the throat of the Immortal. The blade cleaved done through the neck's flesh, tearing through bone and tendon to slam into the wooden floor beneath.

The heavy crack of the metal blade against the ground seemed to cut through the air like a knife, and all the boys visibly flinched.

"...Hua Zi was avenged," Jiang Fang stated, after a moment, his voice low. "Now, if we want to stand a chance of getting home to Jiang City, we need to leave with the utmost haste."

Zhang Yi turned to look a the fallen body of the boy the Immortal had killed, Hua Zi. He had not known each other well by any standard but had worked alongside him occasionally whenever Zhang Yi did errands for the boy's father, a local leather-worker. Zhang Yi idly wondered how Hua Zi's father would react to news of his son's death. Would he cry and mourn as Zhang Yi had when his own grandfather died?

"Let's go!" Jiang Fang ordered, turning away from the Immortal's corpse to face the wooden door of the cage-room.

He began to walk forward, ignoring the boys behind him. After a moment of stillness, the other boys followed after him. Three stopped to gingerly retrieve Hua Zi's body and head, carrying him along with them. If Zhang Yi's memory served him, they were Hua Zi's friends. One had tears visibly dripping down his face, and the other two seemed close to reaching that point.

At the door, Jiang Fang stopped, leaning down to pick up a large iron ring that held a dozen keys.

'The Immortal must have dropped it when he entered the room.' Zhang Yi thought to himself

Jiang Fang pushed past the door, entering a small hallway beyond it. The hallway was built from yellow wood, oil lamps hanging from the ceiling to illuminate it. Two large pillars held up the roof, indicating to Zhang Yi that they were probably underground. There were two other doors inside the hallway, one that led to a staircase, and the other that presumably held the girls.

Jiang Fang walked over to the door. Instead of unlocking it with the keys he had taken from the floor, he raised a leg and smashed it into the door, ripping it off its hinges. Stepping over the fallen door, he entered the room.

As they followed after Jiang Fang, the other boys were greeted by the fear-ridden faces of the Jiang City girls. There were nineteen of them, all tied to a long fence with white rope and mouths gagged.

Upon catching sight of the bloodstained visages of their fellow villagers, several of the girls shouted through their gags, though Zhang Yi could not make out what they were saying.

Jiang Fang walked over to the closest girl, pulling the gag from her mouth. Immediately she began to yell.

"Young Master Jiang! The Immortal! H-He said he was gonna sell us as slaves!" the woman shouted.

"I know," Jiang Fang said, raising a finger to stop her from continuing. "We managed to escape from him. I'm going to untie all of you, and let's hurry out of here."

Jiang Fang raised the Immortals sword, slashing through the first woman's binding in a single swipe. She fell away from the fence, landing on her hand and knees, before pushing herself up to her feet.

Quickly, Jiang Fang walked forward, slashing and cutting through the women's bindings. Many of the boys ran over, hugging and greeting their sisters, fiancees and friends.

Of course, Zhang Yi did not have any friends, and his former fiancee had long since torn up their engaged marriage agreement, so he didn't have anyone to greet. Instead, he stood by the door of the room, glancing over at the one other boy who had remained there. It was He Zhao, the tall and tanned blacksmith's son.

"You don't have any friends or fiancees to greet?" Zhang Yi asked, idly curious.

"Not really," He Zhao shrugged. "I've always focused more on my blacksmithing than mingling with others. I mean, when bread is so expensive, who can afford to waste time socializing on when they can be working?"

The tall, bronze-skinned teen chuckled at his own joke slightly, while Zhang Yi grinned wryly.

"As for a fiancee, I don't have one yet. My parents would never marry me to a northern girl," He Zhao continued. "My mother wants to find me a good Usveri girl who'll keep the bloodline pure."

"Usveri?" Zhang Yi asked, having never the term before.

"It's an island off the coast of Bluewing Prefecture," He Zhao replied, shrugging. "It's where my family is from."

"Why'd you come to the north?"

"Most Usveri live on the mainland nowadays," He Zhao replied. "It's much safer than the ocean where Sea Demons can attack at any moment. But we still head back every now and then to meet up with our kin."

"I see," Zhang Yi commented, nodding slightly.

He had never really thought about He Zhao's ethnicity, but the young blacksmith did indeed look different from most people in Jiang City. he had darker, brownish skin and a taller build than the paler people that made up most of the north of the Bird Talon Continent.

"What about you, huh?" He Zhao asked. "You don't have a fiancees either?"

"I did once, but our engagement was annulled after my grandfather died and the Jiang Clan stole my family's property," Zhang Yi replied bluntly. "They didn't want to marry a poor, penniless orphan into their family."

He could see her in the corner of the room, hugging her older brother Li Renlong. Zhang Yi had never really known Li Mingming well, so he had not been particularly sad when she declared she wouldn't be marrying him.

"Hmm. That sucks," He Zhao responded. "But look on the bright side. If her family abandoned you the moment you lost your wealth, then they wouldn't have made good inlaws in the first place. It's more like you dodged an arrow."

"I guess," Zhang Yi shrugged.

Finally, Jiang Fang reached the last girl. It was a teenage girl with long brown hair that Zhang Yi vaguely remembered.

The moment the white rope binding her was broken, she ran, stumbling over to the boys who held Hua Zi's body, tears dripping from her face. As she began to loudly cry, Zhang Yi recalled her identity. It was Hua Zi's sister.

Staring at the young girl crying over the dead body of her sibling, Zhang Yi realized something.

He didn't want to die.

He didn't want to ever die.

He wanted to become Immortal.

He wanted to live forever.

As the thought passed through his mind, the copper coin on Zhang Yi's neck gently shook.

But... the so-called Immortal who had said he would be recruiting for the Copper Egg sect ended up being nothing more than a slave-trader. Would Zhang Yi ever really have the chance to join an Immortal sect of cultivation.

'Probably not,' the orphan thought to himself, sighing bitterly.

By now, all the girls had been untied and Jiang Fang loudly cleared his throat, grabbing everyone's attention and snapping Zhang Yi out of his internal thoughts.

"Let's go everyone, follow me! The women and the youngest boys stay in the back. I and the older boys will be at the front in case of any danger!" Jiang Fang said, walking over to the door of the room.

Zhang Yi, He Zhao and the other boys who had fought the Immortal slowly walked to the front of the group of children and teens. The three who held Hua Zi's body handed it off to some of the younger boys as they took their place at the front as well. By now everyone had pretty much accepted Jiang Fang as the 'leader' of their group and no one had any thoughts of disobeying him.

Jiang Fang slowly led the large group out of the room and back into the hallway, before walking over to the third door. behind it lay a short staircase that led upwards. Jiang Fang began to quickly run up it, holding his copper sword in a ready position.

The group packed into the staircase, slowly making their way up it and towards the room beyond. As they walked, a loud female voice called out to them.

"Bother Xi, have you grabbed the first product? The auction will start soon and I need to prepare!"

Zhang Yi froze upon hearing the voice. A second person? Was she also an Immortal? Would they have to fight her too?

Images flashed in Zhang Yi's mind, of the moment when the Immortal had blurred towards him with a sword in hand. It had only been for a rare spot of luck that he had survived. If he fought a second Immortal, would that luck still hold up? Or would he lose his life as Hua Zi had?

Some of the others froze as well, causing those running up the staircase to stumble and smack into each other a little, before straightening up.

"What was that sound? Brother Xi, are you alright? If you're having trouble wrangling the merchandise I can grab the spiked whip to keep them docile!" the woman called out again.

Zhang Yi clenched his fist upon hearing the words. It was a stark reminder of what exactly they were trying to escape. The horrible, painful fate of being sold as a slave. Slaves weren't considered people, they were property. Objects that could be broken or beaten with the same impunity one might break a doll or kill a pig.

From the front of the group, Jiang Fang motioned with his hand for everyone to keep silent. He continued up the staircase and they quickly reached the top. Jiang Fang pushed open the door at the end of the stairs and the group of children spiled past it.

Beyond the door lay a brightly lit lounge. A beautiful woman clad in a tightly fit red dress lay upon a couch, drinking a glass of wine. Her long, glossy black hair spilled messily over the side of the couch as she drank.

Upon hearing the door to her lounge open, the woman turned her head towards it. Then, her eyes widened and she dropped her glass.

"W-what? Who the hell are you?" she asked in shock and fear.

Then, a woman blinked and the fear on her face redoubled. Her face seemed to visibly drop from an alcohol-induced red-flush to bone-white in a matter of moments. It really was as if all the blood drained from her face.

'She probably realized who we are,' Zhang Yi thought darkly. I'd be pretty frightened as well if the slaves I'd been planning on selling broke out of the basement and entered my room covered in blood.'

However, the earlier fear Zhang Yi had felt seemed to fade away upon the sight of the woman's fear. That look of genuine terror wasn't from some Immortal. She was probably just an ordinary human. An ordinary human who would stand no chance against thirty or forty others, even if they were children and teens.

Zhang Yi was not the only one to realize this. Jiang Fang noticed it as well and he immediately capitalized.

"Surround her!" the noble barked.

Zhang Yi, He Zhao and the other older boys instantly sprung forward, circling around the woman so she had no path of escape.

If it was possible, her face seemed to become even paler.

"W-wait!" she shouted, raising her hands up. "Please, don't hurt me!"

From nearby, Zhang Yi could hear He Zhao angrily respond.

"Oh? Don't hurt you? The way you were going to 'not hurt' us with that 'spiked whip'?" the tall boy spat. "Didn't think we'd hear that, did you?"

"P-please-"

"Silence," Jiang Fang barked at the woman, stepping towards her. "I don't remember allowing you to speak."

He raised the copper blade into the air, raising it to be flat with the woman's face. Her eyes widened and she froze, lips closing.

"Now, I have a few questions for you," Jiang Fang said, sighing. "And you will answer them. First, you will tell me where exactly we are at the moment. Then, you will tell me exactly what is going on here."

"I-I don't know anything-" the woman stammered, only for Jiang Fang to whip his fist forward, slamming it against the side of the woman's head.

The woman screamed, hands flying up to cover her face. She curled away from Jiang Fang, starting to sob.

"I am not really a violent person by nature," Jiang Fang stated tiredly, only a hint of annoyance flavouring his voice. "I would rather spend my time resting in the shade or reading a good book than beating and killing people. However, I have always been very good at those things. So for your own sake, answer my questions so I won't have to hurt you."

The woman's shoulders shook as she suppressed her tears and nodded, terror blanketing her face.

"I-i'll do it, pl-please, just don't hurt me. I'll answer your questions," she sobbed. "We're at a house on the edge of Copper Lake City. Brother Xi runs a slave auction here. He kidnaps kids from rural areas that no one will miss and sells them. I'm just the auctioneer."

"Are there any other members of this 'auction house'?" Jiang Fang asked, stepping towards the woman.

"No, it was just me and him," the woman cried, shaking her head.

"Hmm. Well, what about the Copper Egg Sect. Is it real? Was he really a member?"

"H-he was, but just an outer disciple," the woman answered tearfully. "No one important."

"You know, he said that he was recruiting for the Copper Egg Sect," Jiang Fang mused. "How exactly would you really join the Copper Egg?"

"As long as you can afford an exam ticket and pass it, anyone can join," the woman responded through her tears.

"And when do you expect people to begin arriving for the next auction?"

"P-probably ten or fifteen minutes," the woman replied.

"Good," Jiang Fang muttered. "We have a little bit of leeway then."

Jiang Fang suddenly slammed his left arm forward, driving his copper sword straight through the woman's throat. Behind him, several of the girls screamed at the unexpected violence.

"Sorry about that," Jiang Fang said to the rapidly bleeding out woman. "But I can't really take the risk of you telling anyone about us."

Jiang Fang ripped the sword from her throat, watching as blood spurted from the hole he bored in her windpipe. The woman's body collapsed, falling still.

Jiang Fang then turned around to face the other villagers loudly speaking.

"Everyone, search this place. Grab any valuables you see! Especially changes of clothes!"

Zhang Yi interlude 4

"Everyone, search this place. Grab any valuables you see! Especially changes of clothes!"

Jiang Fang's shout filled the air. For a moment, no one responded. Then, one boy ran off. Immediately the rest of the villagers were spurred into action, spreading outwards to loot the house. One boy ran over to a shelf in the corner of the lounge, tearing open its doors to grab the silver cutlery within. Another tore an ornate copper statue from the wall it had been affixed to.

Zhang Yi turned, quickly jogging out of the lounge area through a door in the room's left side. He found himself in a large kitchen area. Several large shelves sat upon one wall, brimming with ingredients. There were jars of exotic spices and bags of dark green herbs, small containers of translucent fluid and bottles of alcohol.

Zhang Yi's eyes scanned the room, wondering how valuable any of the ingredients would be. After a moment, he gave up, realizing he knew absolutely nothing about cooking or what ingredients were expensive.

Instead, Zhang Yi continued forward, stepping past the kitchen and into the next room.

A large mahogany desk sat proudly in the center of the room, polished and glistening. Loose sheets of bamboo paper and splotches of ink covered the top of the desk.

The walls of the room were decorated with three large bookshelves, filled with random volumes. There were fiction books, encyclopedias, notebooks and more.

"It's a study," Zhang Yi muttered aloud.

Ignoring the bookshelves for now, Zhang Yi moved over to the desk. He began to rummage through the loose papers atop it, searching for anything of importance. The majority of the papers seemed to be finance-related, covered with complex calculations and dense text.

'Tax forms,' Zhang Yi realized absently. 'Who would have thought that even Immortals have to pay taxes?'

Moving on from the loose papers, Zhang Yi pulled open the first drawer of the desk. The well-lubricated wood slid open with a gentle wisp and Zhang Yi leaned over to inspect its content.

Within the drawer lay several ink brushes of varying sizes and bottles of dark black liquid. Looking over the brushes, Zhang Yi decided only one seemed to be visibly expensive. Its handle was a long stick of carved jade inlaid with gold leaf. Its head was made of large but fine hairs that shone glossily. Zhang Yi grabbed the brush, shoving it down a pocket before moving onto the second drawer.

The second one pulled open just as easily, revealing its insides to Zhang Yi. Within it lay a single book, a thick tome with an illustrated cover. It was titled 'The Lady and the Rogue: Revelations' and the prominent drawing of a scantily clad woman on its cover revealed its purpose all too clearly.

'How indecent!' the boy thought, shaking his head.

Blushing, Zhang Yi prepared to slam the drawer shut. Just before he did so, he noticed something strange at the edge of the drawer's inside. Leaning down, Zhang Yi brushed his finger along the edges of the drawer's inside.

There was a slight gap between the bottom of the drawer and its wall!

'It's a false bottom!' Zhang Yi discerned.

He removed the lewd book, dropping it unceremoniously atop the mahogany desk before removing the false bottom. Below it sat a small ornate jade box, body covered in complex carvings and plated with gold. It sat atop a small red velvet cushion and Zhang Yi realized he had just stumbled across something important.

Lifting the box up to his head, the boy attempted to open it, only to find it stuck closed, despite the lack of any visible lock. After a few moments of trying impotently to force it open, Zhang Yi placed the box down, sighing.

'How strange! There does not seem to be any lock holding it shut, yet I can't seem to get it to budge!' Zhang Yi thought.

Finally, he turned away from the desk to look at the bookshelves.

There were dozens of books stored on them, from thin notebooks to thick tomes. However, Zhang Yi didn't really think any of them seemed that valuable or important so he ignored them. Instead, he turned his head upwards at three large scrolls that sat atop the bookshelves.

The orphaned boy reached up, stretching as far as he could. However, he was still but a short eleven-year-old and could not reach the top. Zhang Yi grit his teeth in annoyance, bending his knees. Then, he leaped from the floor, powerful leg muscles launching him just high enough to pull one of the scrolls from the top.

Gravity pulled Zhang Yi back to the floor with a heavy thump. He looked down at the scroll he had grabbed. It was made from thick, heavy, yellow parchment, tied closed with a thin green ribbon. He pulled the ribbon open, unfurling the scroll. Then, his gaze landed upon its title.

'Wind Valley Magical Arts: The Complete Compilation'

Zhang Yi's eyes widened slightly and he gripped the scroll tighter.

Magical Arts? Had he somehow stumbled upon one of the immortal's magical techniques?

After pausing for a moment to process his discovery, Zhang Yi quickly scanned through the scroll, inspecting its contents. It began with a short poetry-like segment.

In the Wind Valley, the breeze flies. Elegant drafts circle atop the heavens. Be one with the breath of the azure...

Zhang Yi skipped past the poetry to the next segment of the scroll. It was a complex series of instructions filled with mystical terms.

Begin by circling Wind Qi around the Sea of Energy. Send one-half of the Qi into your fortieth Aperture and then into your eighteenth. Continue into your ninth aperture. Send the other half into the fifty-seventh aperture and then further into the sixty-eighth...

"Wind Qi?" Zhang Yi whispered to himself "This really must be an actual magical scroll!"

However, excited as he was, Zhang Yi quickly realized he could not fully understand the scroll. It was filled with bizarre and profound instructions about Qi, Meridians and all sorts of other strange terms he did not recognize.

Sighing, he closed the scroll. It should be expected that he wouldn't be able to automatically comprehend an Immortal's magic just like that. It would be more surprising if he could...

Zhang Yi set the scroll down atop the mahogany desk, next to the jade jewellery box. Since he couldn't understand the scroll, there was no need to waste time reading it, and he could move on.

Instead, he turned back to the shelf, looking up at the other two scrolls. Now that he knew they contained magic, Zhang Yi definitely had to get them. He bent his knees before jumping as high as he could.

Zhang Yi reached out, grabbing the two scrolls before landing. He unfurled the two scrolls, quickly reading their titles.

The first was called 'Copper Shell Breathing Method' and the second was titled 'Elephant Muscles Ancient Manual'. Just as he was about to begin reading the scrolls to see what he could learn, he heard a loud voice shout out.

"Everyone gather in the lounge! It's time to get out of here!"

It was Jiang Fang.

Zhang Yi paused before he turned around. He grabbed the three scrolls, jade jewelry box and jade ink brush. Quickly, he made his way back through the kitchen and into the lounge room.

In the ten or eleven minutes, Zhang Yi had spent exploring, the woman's corpse has been removed, though her blood still stained the couch she had sat upon. Atop the couch sat a small pile of various weapons, no doubt looted from around the Immortal's house.

Furthermore, someone had brought a large hand-drawn wagon to the center of the room, upon which someone had laid down the corpse of Hua Zi next to dozens of other items looted from the Immortal's house. There were crystal vases, silver cutlery, paintings, bags of coins and even small statues.

It was more wealth in one place than Zhang Yi had ever seen in his lifetime. Even his grandfather's antique shop had never contained so many valuables. In all of Jiang City, perhaps only the Jiang family themselves could have so much.

No doubt there was even more spread throughout the Immortal's house, unable to be gathered due to time constraints. Even with more than thirty people running around looting, it had still only been around ten or eleven minutes, so there was no way every nook and cranny had been searched.

It was a testament to the sheer difference in status that could exist between people. If Zhang Yi had even a percent of the Immortals wealth, then he wouldn't have suffered so much in life...

Jiang Fang and about half of the other villagers stood around the wagon. Other villagers quickly filed into the room from various doorways, having heard Jiang Fang's call. Each carried various items, from wooden boxes to carved jade ornaments, to bags of herbs. One even carried an entire silk bedsheet.

As Zhang Yi stepped into the room, he saw a shadow fly towards his face. Instantly, he dodged to the side, watching as a ball of black cloth smacked into the wall beside him.

"Change into that clean robe," Jiang Fang ordered, gesturing to the black cloth he had thrown at Zhang Yi. "Then put anything you've found in the wagon."

He frowned, annoyed by Jiang Fang's tone. However, after a moment, Zhang Yi nodded. Given their respective statuses, he couldn't really disobey the young noble, plus he really did need a change of clothes.

Zhang Yi stepped out of the lounge and back into the kitchen. After placing down his looted bounty, he quickly disrobed. The crusty, bloodstained robes he had been wearing falling around his legs to expose his naked body.

Speedily, he grabbed the black robe Jiang Fang had thrown at him and wrapped it around his body, tieing it closed. The robes loosely fit around his body, just a little too big. However, the luxury and comfort of the high-quality material that surpassed anything Zhang Yi had ever worn more than made up for that slight flaw.

Finished changing, Zhang Yi grabbed the scrolls, jewelry box and brush and walked back into the lounge.

As much as he wanted to keep them to himself, he knew there was no way he could keep them with him without anyone noticing.

Thus, he walked over to the wagon, placing down his loot inside it. He made sure to hide the scrolls underneath a large silken bedsheet someone else had deposited. That way no one would be able to see the scrolls and get curious about their contents. So long as no one knew about them, perhaps Zhang Yi would be able to retrieve them later. Amongst the tens of villagers all setting down their own gains, no one noticed his stealthy actions.

After Zhang Yi finished, it wasn't long until all the other villagers had arrived back at the lounge. Once everyone had arrived, Jiang Fang jumped onto the wagon, clearing his throat to grab everyone's attention.

"We don't have much time left before people start arriving for the auction." he began. "When that happens, they will surely notice something is wrong. If we are caught for having killed the Immortal and the auctioneer, then I hope I don't have to spell out what will happen to us all."

A solemn silence filled the air after Jiang Fang's words. Many of the villagers turned their heads, exchanging glances with their friends and family.

"If we leave now, we should be able to get out of here, safely," Jiang Fang continued solemnly. "However, it's still risky and many things could go wrong. Especially if people act on their own and endanger the group. So, until we arrive safely at Jiang City, I'm asking you all to follow my orders."

Jiang Fang had already been something on an unofficial leader to the group of villagers. He was the son of the Jiang City Lord and had automatically taken charge when everyone realized what was happening. However, there was no 'rule' saying anyone had to listen to him so he had to formalize his leadership role over the other villagers if he wanted to be sure people would definitely listen to him.

Zhang Yi sighed. He already knew what the responses of the villagers would be, and so did Jiang Fang. It wasn't like any of them would disagree with his proposal.

Just as Jiang Fang finished speaking, one boy stepped forward, speaking up.

"Of course we'll obey you, young master!" he said "After going through a life-or-death battle together, I know all of us men will follow you!"

It was Li Renlong, the older brother of Zhang Yi's ex-fiancee. The tall, well-muscled boy immediately answered in the positive upon hearing Jiang Fang's words.

As he heard the boy speak, Zhang Yi's eyebrow twitched slightly.

'Hey, who said you could speak for me?' Zhang Yi mentally complained as he watched other villagers began to loudly voice their agreements.

After a large enough amount of the villagers had spoken up, Jiang Fang nodded, bowing his head towards the villagers.

"Thank you all for your trust in me," he said solemnly. "I will make sure not to lead us astray."

Then, Jiang Fang jumped off the wagon. He grabbed one of the silken sheets someone had looted, placing it as a cover atop the wagon's contents.

Zhang Yi winced. Of all the places he could have put the scrolls, he had somehow ended up hiding them right underneath something Jiang Fang was about to use. He could only hope the noble either had not seen or was not curious about the contents of the scrolls.

If Jiang Fang did ever learn about the magic scrolls, Zhang Yi knew he would never see them again.

After covering the wagon with the silk sheet, Jiang Fang walked over to the pile of weapons that sat on the bloodstained couch.

"Li Renlong, Wan Zue, Zhang Yi, Dong Huo, Ling Shuren, He Zhao, Cao Xinyi and Yang Mu. You, along with me, are the nine oldest men here. It will be our duty to protect the others should anything happen," Jiang Fang began, gaze trailing slowly over the people he had mentioned.

While the other boys nodded or smiled proudly at Jiang Fang's words, Zhang Yi narrowed his eyes.

'Up to him to protect the others?' Why the hell would Zhang Yi have an obligation to risk his life for a group of people who did not care about him and who he did not care about?

When Zhang Yi's grandfather had died, the Jiang Family stole his inheritance. The Li family broke their engagement. The other villagers would push him around and steal what little he had. So why would he do anything to help them?

Zhang Yi had always believed in reciprocity in treatment. When someone gave you things or was kind to you, you acted the same towards them. When someone attacked you or insulted you, you did the same to them.

So, he would definitely not be going out of his way to help the Jiang City villagers, a group of people who had never gone out of their way to help him.

"Come up and arm yourself," Jiang Fang continued, gesturing at the pile of weapons atop the couch. "Then, we leave!"

While he was not planning on risking his life for any of the people here, Zhang Yi knew it would be best to stay with the group. So, he nodded his head along with the other seven boys Jiang Fang had addressed.

The boys all quickly walked over to the pile of weapons, Zhang Yi trailing at the back. They crowded around the couch, clamouring to grab the best weapons.

"Get in an orderly line," Jiang Fang snapped, noticing the crowding.

After a bit of grumbling, the boys quickly formed up in a line, each stepping forward to grab a weapon.

First was He Zhao, who grabbed a long-handled black hammer. After him, Yang Mu snatched up a silver Ji polearm. Dong Huo was next, selecting a thick glaive.

As each boy grabbed a weapon, eventually it was Zhang Yi's turn at the pile. He looked over the remaining weapons.

A short bo staff made from dark black wood, a pair of iron sai and finally a long, thin dagger. It was that final weapon that caught his eyes. The blade's length was just below the point it would qualify as a shortsword, its razor-sharp edge gleamed wickedly.

Pulling the blade out of the pile, Zhang Yi stepped backwards. Now that all of the boys were armed, Jiang Fang continued with his orders.

"You six over there," Jiang Fang said, pointing to some of the older girls. "You will be in charge of pushing the wagon first. If you get tired, switch out with someone else."

The girls Jiang Fang had pointed out nodded, quickly walking towards the wagon. Two walked to the front, grabbing hold of the wagon's handle. The rest walked behind it, placing their hands against the back.

Jiang Fang and the older boys walked in front of the wagon, and the rest of the villagers walked behind it. Quickly the group made their way to the house's front entrance. It was a wide double doorway made from a glossy, burgundy-coloured wood. Jiang Fang pulled out the iron keyring he had looted from the Immortals corpse unlocking the door and pushing it open.

Jiang Fang jogged through the door, followed by the boys, the wagon and the rest of the villagers.

As he walked out, Zhang Yi's blinked his eyes, rapidly adjusting to the bright sunlight. The atmosphere here was slightly warmer than Jiang city, but a horrible stench filled the air. It was a strange concoction of rotting meat, rancid feces and burnt coal.

He swept his eyes around the environment, taking it in. Outside the immortals, the house was a wide clearing. To the left of the house, a wide road trailed off into a forest. However, to the right sprawled a massive city.

Huge, absolutely massive stone structures could be seen rising above the city, dozens of stories tall. There were houses and buildings stretched as far as the eyes could see. Smoke trailed from chimneys, forming smog clouds high in the air.

Unlike Jiang City, which was really more of a large town, this was a true metropolis, filled with hundreds of thousands of people. The sounds were incredibly loud too, a constant clammer and clatter of noises that overwhelmed Zhang Yi.

Perhaps the Immortal's house was magic in some way because, while inside it, Zhang Yi had never noticed the smell or noise.

However, Jiang Fang's loud shout broke him and the other villagers from their enchantment.

"Now is not the time to marvel. Get a move on," the noble ordered. "We're heading into that forest."

Jiang Fang began to hurriedly run down the Immortal's front lawn, heading over to the wide road that led off into a forest. Zhang Yi and the others followed behind him, quickly making their way onto the road.

After several minutes of speedily running, the group slowed down slightly. They were now fully within the forest and the horrid stench of the city had faded somewhat, growing weaker and weaker with every passing moment. The noise as well grew fainter, becoming a muffled clattering in the distance.

Zhang Yi breathed a sigh of relief as he jogged at the front of the group. He wasn't sure how much more of the noise and smell he could take.

Eventually, they slowed to a fast walking pace, continuing deeper into the forest for more than half an hour. Suddenly, Jiang Fang turned sharply to the left, walking off the beaten road and onto the grassy forest floor.

"What now?" He Zhao asked.

"If we just follow the road, it will be easy for someone to follow after us," Jiang Fang said. "So, we will head off the road and into the forest."

"What if we get lost?" the blacksmith's son continued.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Jiang Fang responded.

Zhang Yi and the others walked after him, making their way deeper into the forest and further from the road. As they walked, the vegetation became denser and denser, eventually, the wagon could no longer move forward and Jiang Fang stopped.

"This is a good spot," Jiang Fang said. "It should be hard to find us here even if someone is searching for us."

The boy then turned around, facing the large group of villagers.

"We don't know if anyone will be searching for us," Jiang Fang began. "However, it's better to be safe than sorry. We will wait a few days before continuing on the road. It should lead us straight back to Jiang City if my memory serves me."

"What will we eat?" one girl asked worriedly.

It was a valid question. Even if several of the villagers knew how to hunt or forage, most didn't and it would be hard to gather enough food for more than thirty growing children with just a few people.

"We can have a few people head into the city and buy food," Jiang Fang responded. "As long as we are discreet, then we should be fine."

The girl nodded silently, reassured by Jiang Fang's words.

---

Hours passed as the group of children hid in the forest. The sun slowly sank and darkness thickened in the forest. Exhausted, mentally and physically, by the events of the previous day, the villagers easily fell asleep atop a makeshift bed made from various cloths stolen from the Immortal's house.

Jiang Fang had set up a watch system, so there were always two people awake who could wake the others should everything happen.

Currently, Zhang Yi and Ling Shuren were on guard, sitting upon a fallen log. The soft noises of the forest washed over them, the chirping of birds and the sound of a rushing river in the distance.

Ling Shuren sighed, laying down.

"I am just gonna close my eyes for a few minutes...," the boy yawned, laying down on the floor. "Don't tell anyone..."

Zhang Yi didn't respond, watching as the boy quickly fell asleep. Sighing, he stood up.

He looked around at the sleeping others, making sure they were all asleep. Then, Zhang Yi silently walked over to the wagon.

Carefully, he lifted up the silken sheet that covered it. In the corner, he could see the three scrolls.

Zhang Yi gingerly reached forward, grabbing the scrolls. After looking around to make sure no one had been woken by his actions, he grabbed a golden cloth from the wagon, wrapping it around the scrolls.

Then, he quietly tiptoed away from the group. After a few minutes, feeling he was safely far away from them, Zhang Yi began digging, in between two roots of a tree. Once the hole was large enough, he placed the cloth-wrapped scrolls into the hole and covered them back up with dirt.

Pulling out his knife, Zhang Yi carved a cut into the tree, marking it.

'Way later, after we get back to Jiang city, I can return to retrieve the scrolls,' he thought. 'Hopefully, no one has noticed I was gone.'

Zhang Yi returned to camp, satisfied in that everyone appeared to sleep. He walked over to two boys, shaking them awake.

"What is it?" one grumbled tiredly.

"Your turn for the watch," Zhang Yi said.

As the two boys slowly got up, Zhang Yi found himself an open spot on the forest floor, slowly falling asleep.

Chapter 21: The Blood Moon Spectral God

After having finished her talk with Xia Xuefeng and Zhang, Bing Meilu lay down on her bed. Her small body sank into the soft mattress. For a few minutes, she simply lay there, staring up at the ceiling.

Her eyes traced the wooden planks that made up the roof of her rented room. They were dark brown, with just a hint of green, she noted.

Slowly, a sinking feeling began to encompass the girl, her mind slowing. She lifted a hand to her mouth, letting out a soft yawn. She was well and truly exhausted.

Weeks of running through the woods of the Bird Talon Continent, the constant stress of her journey through the Flesh Mountains, the Qi she had expended, the mental stress of the revelation of the Moon Crying Swan Palace's destruction - All of that added up to ensure Bing Meilu was left feeling more tired than she had ever felt in her new life.

As a cultivator of Qi Condensation, she could sustain herself without sleep and other basics necessities like food or water for much longer than the average person but, ultimately, she was still just a mortal. A mortal who needed to sleep.

Bing Meilu blinked, rolling over and yawning again. She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. Slowly, the ebony-haired girl began to drift off to sleep.

---

Bing Meilu ran through a meadow of tall green, her skin brushing against the soft plants that grew from the earth. Drops of morning dew fell off of the disturbed flowers, splashing against her dress.

Dozens of fluffy white rabbits jumped alongside the girl in lockstep, their fur shimmering as if made from metal thread. One rabbit jumped in front of her, slowly growing in size until it was face to face with her.

The rabbit's tiny red eyes seemed to glimmer in the soft morning sunlight.

"Can I have a carrot," the rabbit asked.

"Oh, alright," Bing Meilu responded, reaching into the basket of fish by her left side.

She began to dig through the cold silver corpses of the fish, grasping onto the firm shaft of a carrot.

She pulled the carrot out of the basket, handing it to the rabbit, who began to chew on it.

Then, suddenly, the rabbit shoulder's began to shake, a deep chuckle erupting from its mouth.

"You fool! After all these years, I've finally found you!"

The rabbit's hands flew up to its head, pulling it off. It was just a mask! And below that mask was the face of the old man whom Bing Meilu had stolen her fish from twenty-five years ago!

"After years of hunting you down, I've finally caught up!" the man laughed. "Now, give me back my fish, you rascal!"

"I'd rather die!" Bing Meilu shouted. "Take this!"

She jumped forward, palm splayed. Lighting burst from her skin, forming a blade of electricity that stabbed towards the old man in the rabbit suit.

Yet as her thunder blade made contact with the man's chest, it did not kill him.

Instead of penetrating the exposed flesh between his ribs and stabbing his heart, the man's body simply fell apart, dissolving into hundreds of snakes.

The snakes wrapped around Bing Meilu's body, slowly constricting her.

'You can't hurt me,' the snakes laughed. 'I'm made of snakes!'

'Oh no! He right!' Bing Meilu thought in despair. 'If he's made of snakes, how will I defeat him?!'

---

Late at night, Bing Meilu lay asleep, gently dreaming. Her chest rose and fell with each breath. Her long ebony hair messily spread out across the mattress of her bed, fluttering slightly as she moved in sleep.

It had been hours since the girl had fallen asleep, and she was deep in her dreams.

As she dreamt, the girl's body suddenly froze. Every muscle, tendon-bone and ligament locked into place as a terrifying feeling slammed into her body.

In the night sky, a massive blood-red moon had appeared. Ghostly howls filled the air, crying and shrieking in agony. The screams were almost oddly musical, like a hellish choir of the damned had risen up from the underworld to haunt the living.

An overwhelming aura filled the air, mighty beyond comparison. Like a god had descended from Heaven, all living beings in the city froze from the terrifying feeling, completely unable to move.

Chests froze mid breath, eyes froze mid-blink, mouths froze mid-bite.

Bing Meilu awoke from sleep, unable to breathe, unable to move, unable to open her eyes to see. All she could feel was that horrifying pressure crushing down on every part of her. It was like being submerged in the depths of the oceans, hundreds of fathoms of seawater weighing down on you.

Still delirious from sleep, Bing Meilu struggled, trying to move. Yet it was no use. She couldn't even twitch a toe. Slowly, the fog of slumber cleared away and Bing Meilu realized what was going on.

That horrifying, soul-crushing pressure weighing down on her was unmistakably familiar. It was the sensation one felt when they were exposed to the Aura of a cultivator much stronger than themselves.

Then, just as suddenly as before, Bing Meilu felt something. A shiver through her spine as if someone were watching her. Then, a surge of bizarre foreign Qi gushed into her body, forcefully flooding through her meridians.

It was the Spiritual Sense of a cultivator, inspecting every nook and cranny of her body.

Her heart shook at the feeling of violation as the foreign Qi explored her meridians and groped around her Dantian.

Bing Meilu's Dantian rumbled as she gathered her Qi and slammed it against the foreign Spiritual Sense invading her meridians. Her assault battered against the invading Qi like a snowball against a city wall. Utterly useless. After a moment, she gave up.

All Bing Meilu could do was sit still and wait as her body was thoroughly inspected by the Qi.

'I'm going to fucking kill whoever is responsible for this insult!' Bing Meilu swore mentally.

A cultivator's meridians system was their most secretive and intimate place. It contained the very essence of their cultivation and being. Generally, the only time a cultivator would ever allow it to be inspected would be a medical examination. To forcefully inspect someone's meridians, as was happening now, was the height of disrespect.

Of course, to cultivators, disrespect did not matter. Only strength did. If you were strong enough to get away with it, you could do whatever you wanted.

'Once I've regained my cultivation, you're going to be the first on my list to kill!" Bing Meilu thought. '...Although, now that I think of it, I do have to kill that scum bitch from the Golden Dragon Celestial Firmament first... and that heiress of the Vajra clan... and that bastard duke from the Free Cities Deathless Domain Alliance... Actually, I have a lot of people I need to kill once I get my cultivation back.'

As she lay frozen, Bing Meilu heard the balcony door of her room open, loud footsteps ringing through the air. A draft of warm wind followed, flowing over her still form.

At the same time, the Spiritual Sense invading her meridians retracted.

Then, she heard a voice speak. It was not the voice of a human. It reverberated and echoed with the cadence of a thousand men.

"So... it actually is the Crystal Providence's legacy... I really can't believe this! Even after so long, fragments of her inheritance are still around yet all of mine are long gone, even though we both died at the same time! Just another thing for that bitch to gloat about, I can already imagine what she'll say next time we convene!"

Bing Meilu could almost feel the words moving through the air, slamming into her chest with physical force. White-hot pain shot through her torso.

"I could kill you and ensure her legacy is just as destroyed as mine..." the voice continued, now sounding thoughtful. After a pause, it sighed before continuing. "But... she's still the Second King's favourite. If she complains to him that I interfered with her successor, he wouldn't be happy at all."

Bing Meilu's mind jolted as she began to process the voice's words. The Crystal Providence was a mighty goddess from the ancient past who had lorded over the Dao of Yin. She was also the creator of the Crystal Providence Absolute Tome that Bing Meilu cultivated. It was a superb cultivation manual the girl had received from the dying last member of a sect that practiced it back when she was still a bright-eyed youth in Immortal Realm.

Yet somehow, the source of the voice seemed to actually know the Crystal Providence personally. Wouldn't that mean they were also some kind of god?

Without warning, the force-crushing Bing Meilu disappeared and her head shot up as she began to spew blood, heaving and choking as her injured lungs expelled the thick fluid. Her eyes shot open and she caught sight of the source of the voice.

A few feet from her stood a tall man. His skin was as pale as alabaster, smooth and without flaw. His hair was long and ebony, spilling over his shoulders like a sea of ink. In the place of his pupils glowed two red-moon that shone eerily. Black robes wrapped around his thin body, decorated by images of red moons that dripped with blood. He was supernaturally handsome - flawless in a way that was uncanny and inhuman.

"Your little subordinate tells me you gave her the instructions to my Anthem of the Crucified," the man said. "Now, where exactly did you find that? I don't recall ever teaching it to anyone!"

Bing Meilu froze. The Anthem of the Crucified? It was the cultivation method that had been used by her close friend Ruan Hua, who had looted it from the corpse of the... Blood Moon Spectral God, an ancient god who had perished epochs ago. A being that could certainly have met the Crystal Providence in the past.

'But... The Blood Moon Spectral God is long dead!' Bing Meilu thought furiously. 'And even if there were still some lingering fragment of his spirit alive, why would it take notice to me giving its Anthem to Xia Xuefeng but not to Ruan Hua's use of it? The only difference between now and then is... time...'

Time in the millions and millions of years, in fact. Bing Meilu had forgotten to account for the fact that the present moment was the ancient past compared to her old life.

Ruan Hua had cultivated the Anthem of the Crucified without issue - but millions of years before she had done so, Xia Xuefeng could not, because the Blood Moon Spectral God was still around in some form, and would notice.

As Bing Meilu was deep in her thoughts, her body automatically answered, compelled by the power of the Blood Moon Spectral God.

"I received it from my junior sister, Ruan Hua," Bing Meilu answered robotically.

"...And where did she get it?" the man continued, sounding almost exasperated.

"She found a manual for it on the corpse of the Blood Moon Spectral God," Bing Meilu said.

The man opened his mouth to speak, before pausing. Then, his eyes widened, fury plastering across his face.

"She what?!" He screamed.

The physical force of his words once again slammed into Bing Meilu, sending bolts of burning pain through her entire body.

"You... You mortals really have balls!" he spat, face dark with rage. "To dare deface my grave..."

Chapter 22: Bluewing Alchemy Academy

Transmigrated back into the body of her child self, can the mighty Celestial Bing Meilu survive in a Xianxia world all the while staving off the advances of arrogant young masters and wannabe protagonists alike?

Why is life so hard for the Icy Beauty?

Any corrections or criticisms are welcome, I hope you enjoy Chapter 22: The Bluewing Alchemy Academy

---

With that, the ancient deity's avatar faded, face a twisted rictus of anger, and the world returned to normal. Bing Meilu did not know if whatever leftover scraps of power he had left had simply run out, or if the sheer apoplectic rage her admission had induced in him was enough for him to simply leave in a fury,

Either way, with the terrible pressure gone, Bing Meiul heaved a gasp of relief, face white before she steeled her expression.

She stood shakily, circulating her Qi through her meridians to strengthen her weakened body and strained mind. At the same time, she internally berated herself.

'Bing Meilu... You fool! You failed to pay attention to the differences between your first and second life and earned yourself a God's enmity! You're going to have to deal with this and it's going to be messy!'

Gods were beings that transcended reality and the era, entities whose means and existence those from lower words could not comprehend. As a lower being, having a God coming after you was as if the emperor personally wanted the death of a particular chicken.

Death was not a question of if, but when.

Even if she had been at the peak of the Paragon Realm, Bing Meilu would still hesitate to challenge an actual God. Luckily for her, the Blood Moon Spectral God was long past his glory days, nothing more than a decaying fragment of will, the vestige of a long-dead God who no longer qualified to hold the title. If Bing Meilu played her cards right, she felt she could still triumph. Even so, it was one more trial, one more enemy to be added to a mounting list of problems.

She still didn't know who was behind the destruction of the Moon Crying Swan Palace, nor if the Devil and Demon God who'd ended her first life were aware of her regression and coming after her. She didn't even fully know how many butterflies in time had been caused by her regression.

'There's no use crying over spilt milk, I can only ponder my next move,' Bing Meilu resolved, face emotionless despite the dangerous revelation.

She inhaled, the much denser Qi of Bluewing Prefecture compared to the north of the Bird Talon continent allowing her cultivation to progress quicker, though not nearly as fast as the Yin Qi of the Flesh Mountains.

Bing Meilu was still only in the fourth realm of Qi Condensation. Ultimately, the most important factor in her success was her own cultivation level, and she resolved to increase it as much as she reasonably could.

---

Hours later, Bing Meilu's cultivation was interrupted by Xia Xuefeng, who stumbled into her room, face pale. Being weaker than Bing Meilu, she has likely been even more affected by the crushing power of the Spectral God.

"Mistress..." the girl whimpered. "Something happened... There was- a man- he called me a 'filthy mortal'... he did something to me! There's something in my Dantian! He said I would be the 'vessel of his rebirth'!."

Even Xia Xuefeng, a twelve-year-old child, who was, by in large, unaware of how the cultivation world worked, knew that a foreign presence in her Dantian was not good.

"Come here," Bing Meilu ordered sharply.

The distraught girl nodded, nervously walking over to her mistress and taking a seat.

She gasped, as the icy power of Bing Meilu Qi infiltrated her body.

"It's a Sealing Mark," Bing Meilu eventually said.

"Wha-what the fuck does that mean?" Xia Xuefeng squawked in fear.

"Calm down." Bing Meilu ordered. "Your panic serves neither you nor me."

She sat in silence for nearly ten minutes, allowing the horrified mortal child to reach a semblance of calmness, before continuing.

"A Sealing Mark is something akin to a fragment of power or will from a cultivator. It's similar to avatars and incarnations. They can serve all sorts of purposes, but in this case, it's to allow the master to use your body for rebirth, allowing the shattered fragment of death to be reborn as a living being capable of regaining his glory and power."

"What will happen to me?" Xia Xuefeng asked, bravely attempting to hide the terror in her voice.

"There are multiple options, depending on your luck. The best would be the most literal case. Your womb is impregnated with the sealing mark and you literally give birth to his reincarnation. It's not uncommon for higher beings to use lesser mortals this way. It's the origin of such legends as the idea that sages and great conquerors were born of virgin women who became 'miraculously pregnant' upon viewing a falling star or such nonsense."

"That's the best option?"

"The next option is a simple possession of your body and cultivation. The Sealing Mark would slowly siphon away at your cultivation before taking over your body and mind in full."

"Is that the-"

"The worst option is to be used as a sacrifice." Bing Meilu continued calmly "At least if possessed, your body gets to share in the glory of a higher being. This method would turn you into nothing more than a pill waiting to be consumed at the right moment."

At this point, Xia Xuefeng's face was completely pale with fear.

"D-Do you know which option it is?"

"No. It's not possible to know at such an early stage. By the time I'm an immortal I could probably narrow it down."

"Is there anything I can do?" Xia Xuefeng asked, a note of desperation entering her voice.

"Yes. You could shatter your cultivation?"

"...Huh?"

"You're only a suitable vessel for this God's rebirth because of your cultivation method. If you were to shatter your Dantian and return to life as a mortal, you would not have to worry about it."

At this Xia Xuefeng paused. She sat in silence for nearly a full minute, brow furrowed.

"That's not an option."

Bing Meilu merely raised an eyebrow, suppressing her smile. Xia Xuefeng was only twelve but already had impressive willpower.

"If that's the case, there is only one other choice. You'll have to refine the Sealing Mark. In the world of cultivation, there is no perfect method. A Sealing Mark is not the full power of its owner, and with skill, power and a bit of luck, you can refine it, taking away the power left behind by the owner and making it yours. I once had a similar Sealing Mark applied to me by the Empress of the Golden Dragon Celestial Firmament, and that is how I dealt with it. It's highly risky but there's no other choice for you." Bing Meilu explained.

In the end, the two's problems were still solved by cultivating to a higher level. More challenges had been added, but the path remained the same. Power was the ultimate guarantor.

Bing Meilu allowed several hours for Xiaxuefeng to recover, the two cultivating in silence.

Bing Meilu Yin Qi thickened as she stepped into the fifth stage of Qi Condensation.

Her servant, on the other hand, formed her second and third blood cross, stepping into the second stage of Qi Condensation.

---

Bing Meilu calmy strode down the streets of Blue Pearl City, flanked by the still injured Zhao and Xia Xuefeng.

In the distance a tall palace stood, glistening blue domes standing proud, like pearls in the sky. This branch of the Bluewing Alchemy Acadamy was from where the city got its name.

They arrived at the outer gates to the palace compound, where a long line stood. Merchants, diplomats, alchemists and more are all awaiting their turn to enter and complete business.

Rather than take a place in line, Bing Meilu led her subordinates directly to the gate, ignoring the strange looks those waiting sent her.

At the gate three disciples of the Bluewing Academy stood, two guarding while one processed those trying to enter.

Bing Meilu silently stood, a few feet away from them. Eventually, one of the guards turned to look at her. After frowning for a moment, he walked over to her.

"Back of the line, Young miss," he said curtly.

"Disciple Bing Meilu of Moon Crying Swan Palace greets her junior brother," she said.

She heard gasps from the people in the line but ignored them.

The guard merely raised an eyebrow.

"The Moon Crying Swan Palace? You're claiming to be a survivor."

"I happened to be stranded away from the sect on a mission during its destruction and survived. "

"Do you have your identity token?"

"I'm afraid it was lost with my spatial ring during a fight," Bing Meilu said.

The guard's face had become suspicious, so Bing Meilu raised her hand.

A complex matrix of icy runes appeared, circling around her arm in the shape of a snowflake.

"... What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's a secret technique of the Moon Crying Swan Palace. Even if you don't recognize it, your superiors will."

"I can bring you in to have your case heard, but who are these two?" the guard said after a moment of contemplation.

"This is my Junior Apprentice Sister, Xia Xuefeng. Naturally, she'll be coming with me. This man is my protector, Zhang, whose brave sacrifice has led to him being injured. I'm sure the Twelve-Headed Avian Sect won't mind me bringing him along?"

The guard shrugged. If Bing Meilu was who she said she was, there was no problem with her bringing along a servant. If she was one of the many frauds who had attempted to sneak in using the catastrophe as cover, then he was sure his superiors would deal with things in a properly final fashion.

He pushed open the gates, blue robes fluttering in the gentle breeze, and led them to an office that stood isolated in the courtyard.

"Captian, I have a girl claiming to be a disciple of the Moon Crying Swan Palace..." the guard relayed Bing Meilu's story.

After a moment, a voice from within the office responded.

"Send them in."

The guard pushed open the door and the three walked inside. The office was humble and lived in, with trophies and personal effects covering the walls and desk.

A tall, slender man sat behind a desk, wearing the blue robes of the Alchemy Academy. Bing Meilu would describe his features as attractive, but more 'pretty' than handsome, like a pampered noble prince with elegant features, smooth skin and the like. Only his strong Yang aura, which revealed him to be at least in Core Formation, revealed he was a male.

Bing Meilu refrained from bowing, causing the man to snort in disdain. Instead, she raised her hand, using the same matrix as she had shown the guard.

At this, the guard captain froze, widening his eyes.

"Is that Hai Yu's Grand Xia Frozen Matrix?"

Hai Yu was the Prime Grand Elder of the Moon Crying Swan Palace, only behind the Palace Master Yueling Shang and Great Ancestor, Yueling He in authority. She also happened to have been Bing Meilu's Master in her first life, and as such the transmigrator naturally knew her secret techniques.

The Guard Captain stood up and bowed, sweat beginning to appear on his brow. As a guard captain of a branch sect from the sixth-ranked branch of the Twelve-Headed Bird Sect, he was far below the direct disciple of a high-level Grand Elder in status. Even with said Grand Elder dead, that didn't mean her name meant nothing.

Now, he couldn't know Bing Meilu was not only not the disciple of a Grand Elder, but not even actually a member of the sect.

"This humble guard's name is Xi Long. I'll immediately bring you to meet the Wing Master of our local branch. I'm sure she'll be delighted to help you sort out your issues, Senior Apprentice Sister."

Despite being only a child in Qi Condensation, he, a Core Formation Veteran who had been alive for centuries, had to address her as if she was his senior.

"'That is acceptable," Bing Meilu said.