Phantom of the Eastern Mountains-001

 He was a black-clad phantom moving along snow-covered mountain paths. The tracks on the ground would quickly disappear, but he possessed great skill and continued to track them. It was a small caravan, barely consisting of 30 members, both young and old, with no animals. He followed the tracks swiftly to catch up with them, and from a distance, he could see their silhouettes. Jun kept moving until he was close enough for them to realize that he had caught up with them, so they reluctantly stopped to gather together.

They were thirty people, led by a middle-aged man who approached Jun, with the rest of the caravan behind him. Severe exhaustion and weakness were evident on their bodies from their journey and lack of food. The forty-year-old man, known as Li Suho, hesitated as he walked towards Jun. Their story was well-known—a tribe or family forced by circumstances to head east, fleeing or searching for new opportunities in the land of the dead. There must have been a strong reason compelling them to seek the east, and what was strange to them was seeing Jun, not the other way around—a traveler clad in black amidst a world of icy whiteness. If he wasn't a bandit, then perhaps he was someone fleeing from someone else, which could mean more trouble.

"Stop right there! Who are you?" 

Li Suho shouted, waving a thick axe with a frail hand towards Jun, who showed no sign of trembling or surprise. Behind his black mask, his gaze was steady as he reached out to remove the mask from his face, revealing the face of a handsome young man, about 18 years old, with an intelligent expression and long hair flowing behind him. Surely, someone as handsome as him must be a devil, for how could devils tempt humans if they were not as beautiful as he?

"I'm a pilgrim traveling the land alone." 

"Do you think I'm a fool? Who would travel alone in such lands?" 

"And who would travel with their entire family in such lands?" 

"Rude as well! You should show respect to those older than you..." he trailed off as a weakened woman in her twenties reached out her hand to his chest. 

"My dear, calm down. The more of us there are, the better," the young woman said. 

"But..." 

"Don't worry! The journey is long, and we are all lost in this land, searching for our purpose." 

She was the only one who attempted to speak with the man.

Jun's gaze was drawn to a palanquin carried by the caravan members, something about it piquing his curiosity. None of the other members of the caravan spoke or approached either the man or Jun, keeping their distance in wary silence.

The man, Li Suho, eyed Jun with clear distrust, his grip tightening on his axe. "You will not travel with us. We don't need more trouble, especially not from a stranger," he said firmly.

Jun remained silent, his expression unreadable, making no effort to argue or even respond. He simply stood there, his eyes occasionally flicking back to the palanquin.

The woman who had earlier calmed Li Suho stepped forward again, her voice gentle but with a hint of authority. "Perhaps we should reconsider, Suho. A lone traveler like him could be of use to us. The road is long, and we are all vulnerable in these lands. Another capable hand might make the journey safer for everyone."

Li Suho frowned, clearly torn. He looked at the young woman, then back at Jun. "He doesn't even speak. How do we know we can trust him?"

"Trust is built over time," the woman replied. "And time is something we have as we travel. If he means us harm, we'll be no worse off than we are now. But if he can help, we may just reach our destination safely."

Jun remained silent, watching the exchange with calm detachment. After a long moment, Li Suho sighed, lowering his axe slightly. "Fine. But you stay at the back, and you do as you're told."

Jun gave a slight nod in agreement, his expression unchanged.

With the decision made, the caravan began to move again, slowly making its way along the snowy path. Jun took his place at the rear, his eyes still drawn to the palanquin, though he said nothing.

The group traveled in silence, the only sounds being the crunch of snow beneath their feet and the occasional rustle of fabric as someone adjusted their clothing. The day dragged on, the landscape remaining unchanged as they trudged forward.

As the sun began to dip toward the horizon, casting long shadows over the snow, the caravan finally reached a small cave nestled in the side of a mountain. It was a welcome sight, offering shelter from the biting wind and a place to rest for the night.

The caravan members began to set up a makeshift camp inside the cave, while Jun remained on the outskirts, watching them with his usual quiet demeanor. He had yet to speak more than a handful of words, but his presence was felt nonetheless.

The woman who had spoken up for him earlier approached him as he stood by the entrance to the cave. "Thank you for not causing trouble," she said softly. "I know Suho can be... difficult, but he's only trying to protect us."

Jun nodded slightly, his eyes scanning the horizon. "I understand," he said quietly, his voice barely more than a whisper.

She smiled faintly. "Get some rest. We have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow."

Jun nodded again, his gaze returning to the palanquin as the woman walked away. Something about it still held his attention, though he couldn't quite place what it was.

Later, as the night deepened, the woman approached Jun once more, offering him a small portion of food. He accepted it with a silent nod, but he didn't eat. Instead, he simply held the food, his gaze shifting between the woman's face and the palanquin that had intrigued him since he first noticed it. There was something unsettling about both, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

Li Suho, perhaps sensing Jun's detachment, tried to provoke him with words, throwing out barbed comments meant to unsettle him. But Jun remained impassive, not rising to the bait, his focus elsewhere.

The rest of the caravan ate their meal in silence, an uneasy quiet settling over the group. Occasionally, one of the children would glance toward Jun, their eyes curious and uncertain, before turning back to their food. The adults were similarly quiet, their expressions unreadable, as if they were lost in their own thoughts.

Jun, meanwhile, continued to study the woman and the palanquin, his mind working over the strange sense of unease that had taken hold of him. The woman's face, though kind, seemed to hold a depth of emotion that belied her calm demeanor, while the palanquin, always in his peripheral vision, seemed to exert a quiet, almost imperceptible pull on his attention.

The night wore on, the cave offering some respite from the cold, but the atmosphere remained tense, charged with something unseen and unspoken. Jun stayed at the entrance, his senses alert, aware of the strange energy that seemed to linger in the air around him. He didn't know what it meant, but he was certain that this was no ordinary caravan, and he would need to be cautious as they continued their journey together.

Finally, Jun closed his eyes, allowing himself a moment of rest, though his mind remained vigilant, ever aware of the mysteries surrounding him.

Jun opened his eyes to find the figures from the palanquin standing around him, each maintaining an unnervingly equal distance from where he sat. The air was thick with the stench of decay, a scent that only Jun could perceive. He had known from the start the true nature of this caravan, which was why he had not touched the food offered to him.

Li Suho stepped forward, his voice low and apologetic. "I tried to keep you from joining us, Jun. You must understand, this is a caravan of the dead. I meant no harm, but as you can see, you've stumbled into something beyond your control."

Jun remained seated, his expression calm, almost meditative. He had not been alarmed by their true nature; in fact, he had been aware of it from the beginning. The rot, the worms consuming their flesh, the overwhelming odor of death—these were as clear to him as day. The woman who had shown him kindness was no exception, her true form barely concealed by the facade she presented.

She stepped closer to Jun, her voice dropping to a whisper as she leaned in. "Don't be afraid, Jun. You will become our nourishment, as many before you have. My beloved husband doesn't like this process, so I ask that you show compassion and offer yourself willingly. You wouldn't be the first. We've fed on families, travelers, even bandits—all of them writhed in agony before their end."

Before she could continue, Jun moved with a speed that defied belief. In an instant, he was standing, his right hand slicing through the air with lethal precision. The woman's words were cut short, her head severed cleanly from her body. It flew through the air and slammed into the cave wall with a sickening thud, exploding upon impact, while her body crumpled to the ground like a marionette with its strings severed.

The suddenness of the act left the others frozen in place, their unnatural eyes wide with shock. Jun remained poised, his gaze steady and unyielding as he surveyed the scene, the sense of dread that had permeated the cave now shattered by his decisive action.

"Dearest!!! Noooooo!" Li Suho's anguished scream echoed through the cave as he fell to his knees, his voice filled with desperation. He shouted, calling Jun a madman, while the other corpses erupted into a cacophony of wails and howls—sounds that were far from human, more like the tortured cries of animals being skinned alive. The air grew thick with a sense of impending doom as the undead caravan members began to change.

The once-narrow, fragile bodies of the caravan members started to swell and distort. Their clothes tore at the seams as their forms grew larger, skin stretching and becoming a sickly pale. Long, twisted horns sprouted from their heads, and their faces smoothed into featureless masks—no eyes, no nose, no mouth, not even ears. They were monstrous, grotesque parodies of their former selves, driven by a primal hunger.

They all turned their attention to Jun, advancing on him with outstretched hands, eager to tear him apart. Jun, however, remained composed. As they lunged at him, he leaped high into the air, narrowly avoiding their grasping claws. But in their frenzy, the creatures collided with Li Suho, their sharp limbs tearing through his body. He let out a final, gurgling cry as he was ripped apart, his blood staining the icy ground.

One of the demons, faster than the others, sprang toward Jun, its claws slicing through the air with deadly intent. But Jun was ready. In one fluid motion, he drew one of his swords from its sheath, the blade gleaming in the dim light of the cave. With a swift, precise strike, he met the demon's claws, deflecting the blow and forcing the creature back.

Jun retreated quickly, dodging another demon's attack. This time, he was ready to strike. As the creature lunged at him, he angled his sword and, with a powerful swing, severed its neck. The demon's head toppled to the ground, and its body crumpled, instantly reverting to a human corpse, lifeless and still.

Jun retreated quickly, dodging another demon's attack. This time, he was ready to strike. As the creature lunged at him, he angled his sword and, with a powerful swing, severed its neck. The demon's head toppled to the ground, and its body crumpled, instantly reverting to a human corpse, lifeless and still.

For six years, Jun had wandered in a dark realm, suspended between life and death, reliving the lives and moments of those who had once inhabited the Eastern Mountain. Among them were martial artists—some noble, others driven by darker purposes. Jun remembered one of these warriors, a man who had attacked his sister's wedding, slaughtering everyone on the mountain, including the monks at the monastery. The memory surged within him, fueling his resolve.

Jun raised his sword before him, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the remaining demons. With a swift movement, he charged forward like an arrow released from a bow. As he moved, six swords of golden Ki energy materialized around him—three on his right and three on his left. Each sword found its target, striking the demons with precision, and in an instant, seven demons fell before him.

It wasn't easy to kill these demons; their essence was resilient. But Jun's energy was unique, composed of various Ki forces, including the Ki of death, which allowed him to touch the very core of these malevolent beings.

He took a step back, his breath steady as the remaining demons began to converge on him. Jun raised two fingers from his left hand before his face, intoning, "Shaman, Heaven's Seals." Golden talismans formed around him, glowing with an ethereal light. With a swift motion of his sword, the talismans shot toward the demons, embedding themselves in the bodies of five of them. The talismans pulsed with power before the demons exploded, their dark forms disintegrating in bursts of light.

Jun then placed the tip of his sword against the ground, his voice low as he uttered, "Wudang, Awakening of the Swords." Suddenly, the blade turned a brilliant gold, and the ground beneath him shimmered with the same hue. From the earth, golden spikes erupted, piercing through the bodies of the remaining demons. Gripping his sword tightly, Jun swung it forward, sending the golden energy surging toward the demons. The force of the attack obliterated them, tearing through their ranks and shattering the entrance of the cave, leaving only shattered remains in its wake.

In the midst of the devastation, Jun noticed the palanquin, now destroyed from his final attack. From the wreckage, an old man emerged, his body frail yet emanating a powerful aura of death. The man was surrounded by a prayer bead necklace that floated in the air around him, each bead glowing with a sinister energy. As the beads began to disintegrate, a horrifying transformation took place. The old man's body swelled to an enormous size as the Ki of death gathered around him—spirits of the damned, freed from the beads, coalescing into his form.

Now a towering figure, the old man locked eyes with Jun. For a moment, they stared at each other, a silent understanding passing between them. Then, without warning, the old man turned and fled, his massive form retreating into the depths of the cave.

Jun sheathed his sword and immediately gave chase.

After Jun had disappeared into the depths of the cave in pursuit of the fleeing demon, silence fell over the now-devastated space. Moments later, two figures appeared at the entrance of the cave, stepping cautiously into the dim light.

The first was a man clad in the traditional robes of a Shaolin monk, his stance firm and his expression one of stern determination. Beside him stood a woman dressed in the elegant garments of a Wudang practitioner, her movements fluid and graceful, her eyes sharp as they took in the scene before them.

The cave was littered with the remains of the battle—human corpses, now reverted from their monstrous forms, lay strewn across the ground, a grim testament to the carnage that had unfolded. The air was thick with the lingering stench of death and the fading traces of Ki energy that had once filled the space.

The woman's gaze swept over the bodies, her brow furrowing in concern and curiosity. She took a step forward, her voice a soft murmur as she spoke, "Who dares...?"