Chapter 7: Hua Clan (3)

〈"When will you give up?" Caue asked, sitting down beside Zane in the great hall of Azrael. It was a veiled Level—<Level 16>, one of the most peaceful they'd seen. Zane glanced at Caue, and then back at his hands, stained in blood. 

"Tell me what I'll earn by giving up," Zane asked, but his voice was unsure. 

"A way out," Caue replied. "Would it not be better knowing you won't have to risk your life to complete these levels?" 

"But… if I do that, what good will come? The System will find a way to drag more and more people into this. It doesn't matter whether or not I finish the levels or whether or not they even end. But letting these armageddons extend into the vicinity of those who are innocent?"〉

Zane's eyes scrunched, and he shifted uneasily, his mind deceiving him by showing him things he didn't want to see. Why was he even recalling that conversation? These things… wasn't he over them―why wasn't he over them?

When even was that? Why was he so weak? His arm clutched whatever was close to him as if wanting to know if he was still alive. "Get away," he murmured. Feeling it hard to move his legs, as if they were wrapped tightly in some cloth.

A new voice interrupted his hazy state, and hands pinned down on his shoulders. "And let you open your wound?" The pain was a bit, but Zane felt too nauseous to react. "Idiot. Can't believe I'm helping a nameless bastard." 

Zane's eyes fluttered in and out of consciousness, narrowly catching a person leaning over him and grabbing a swab.

So… someone was here?

Zane closed his eyes, clutching whatever he was holding tighter, not for comfort, but to grip onto reality. 

—

When Zane awoke, he woke up with a disgusting memory replaying in his mind. Much to his disdain, he could smell antiseptic. He rubbed his eyes till they slowly adjusted to the sight of wooden planks, hanging plants and bright lights.

"Agh."

"Will you quit with the flailing?" someone grumbled, snatching their hand away from Zane's grip. Zane sat up and winced, unsure if to clutch his stomach or back as he gawked at Rhian. Why the hell was he there?

"You..." Rhian paused mid-sentence. 

Zane settled on his stomach.

'Hmn?' He decided to stop using his eyes to stare at Rhian and skimmed the surroundings. It was a spacious room with three door-like openings and many shuttered windows. Purple and blue flowers grew on the walls, decorating the place. Lavenders bloomed outside the window and bees seemed to be flying over there. 

Zane scrunched his eyes, gazing out the open area. It was... morning?

He then looked down at himself, wearing the white-lavender robes as the four disciples, only the tan of his skin seemed amplified because of the ethereal white. Wisteria was on his ring finger and for some reason seemed to be emitting quite less aura. 

As he continued staring at his hands, he realized that most of the injuries were healed, and not only that, he was clean. "Wait… who washed me?" he asked, snapping to see Rhian. 

Rhian looked at him as if it was no big deal and stretched. "Some of the servants… why?"

It was weird, that's why. Zane wondered if he was acting like a maiden by being this weirdly protective of what was below his clothes. He took in a deep breath and noticed a few things on Rhian again. His hair appeared as if it was washed and trimmed, with his fringes just above his eyes instead of falling into his vision, and the rest was long… reaching his shoulders.

Zane's eyes softened.

'So...'

Sudden rationalization hit him, and he threw aside the blanket with orchid embroidery and stood up, just to fall back down on the mattress, startling Rhian, who was going to grab a teacup. 

"Hey! Are you stupid?" Rhian bent down and reached to help Zane.

Zane swatted his hands away. It was as if something dawned over him. Memories of what happened in the forest began returning to him. 'I'm alive?'

"Where are we?" Zane asked, his voice parched.

"Calm down first." Rhian smoothly requested.

"No? I don't remember when these bastards treated foreigners so well. They tried to fucking murder me?" Zane coughed at the end, he immediately clasped his mouth. Metal filled his tongue.

"Is it right to feel offended?" A sliding door opened.

Wisteria crackled on Zane's finger before he even looked up. Then he paused. A woman, wearing similar robes entered the room with a tray of food. Black hair and a fair complexion, her face looked like Rhian's.

"Wh..." Zane coughed again, covering his mouth. He threw an urgent look at Rhian, but the man seemed calm… rather expectant. Zane glanced back at the woman.

"The wounds are still fresh. Quit bickering," she said sternly, placing the food tray on a small wooden table in the center of the room. The woman walked over to Zane and crouched down to meet his eyes, like a mirror, she scowled back. After a moment of scrutinizing Zane, she rested one hand on Zane's hand, sighing. "Remove your hand." 

Zane kept his hand pressed against his lips. 'What did she want? Information?'

"You should know how to listen," she smiled bitterly, pulling Zane's hand away with much force. "Stop wasting time on futile matters." His hand was easily pulled away with the lack of strength in him. 

Zane had the urge to say something else but ended up lurching ahead and coughing blood on the floor.

"I'm Hua Yi, an instructor in medical nomenclature," she smiled. "You're in the Hua Recesses."

—

Zane felt reluctant to eat. The memories from his past life kept flashing back to him… disgusting memories… He pushed away the simple bowl of rice and glowered at Rhian. "Mind explaining?"

Rhian scratched the back of his head. "Hua Yi is my little sister."

'Sorry, what?' Zane dropped the two wooden sticks he was trying to make use of. 'Hah?! How? This guy… His last name is Amren? Hua?'

"I..." Rhian scowled at him. "I haven't introduced myself. I'm Rhian Amren."

Zane narrowed his eyes. 'Sister? Step-sister? Half-sister?'

Before he could speak, the stained door slid open, and Hua Yi stepped into the room with a tray of a teapot and tea cups. "So, Bull," she said, addressing Zane. "How did you find this bastard?"

'Celestium?' That place was too high to be labeled as a mere prison as it was brutal. 'One could call it an eternal banishment, but never compare it to a prison.'

Zane narrowly glanced at Rhian, only to see the man very slowly shaking his head. "Coincidence," he said quietly.

"Continue lying." Hua Yi rolled her eyes and sat down on her forelegs, resting her hands on top of her thighs. "He went missing for a year and a half and decided to drive the whole sect into a panic."

"Anhe jiejie was willing to search for you herself." Hua Yi flicked a ribbon on her robes. "Trust me, there's a high chance Anhe jie will kill you herself."

'Who even is that?' Zane thought, but when he glanced at Rhian, the other was pursing his lips. 'So someone he's acquainted with, perhaps.'

"The Sect Leader confidently told us you'd be fine." Hua Yi added, she seemed a little apprehensive about approaching that topic and Zane let her be.

"The Sect Leader?" Zane asked.

"Yes." Hua Yi murmured. "This clan's main leader."

The three of them dove into silence.

Each of the clans had a leader. However, their functioning wasn't like the forcefully imposed monarchy that was rampant in Silver Moon. All clan heads were those who'd proved their strength, and typically the only reason the next heir to the throne had to be blood-related was because of nature's affinity. 

One had to be selected by the [Ring of Judgement] to rule. Once a leader of a clan decided that they were no longer leading it, then the other clan leaders would also have to be summoned for an intervention. This was because the 'leader' was protected by special powers by nature. 'Actually… I shouldn't even call it nature, should I?' 

They were external beings that 'followed' good and chose the rulers and granted them certain powers. Thus when a new leader was being elected, the previous one would have to give up their powers. Regardless, their system was set on following the [Divine Nature]. 

That meant that almost every individual here had the power of expressing their individual opinion, and depending on the judgment of the Sect Leader, which would then go through the external beings, and would come to a conclusion. It was a lot… tame compared to how Zane had typically seen things go. 

'If the Sect Leader was that guy…'

He quickly shook his thoughts away and averted his attention to the people in front of him. "How the heck do you move or sit in these?" Zane asked, trying to switch the way he was seated, but the robes caught his movements.

Rhian and Hua Yi snorted, and Zane had to groan inwardly. As much as the weird linen he was made to wear was bothersome, at least it didn't restrict his movements. However, the clothes that he was made to wear were much softer than the ones he'd ever owned. The delicate belt around his waist was fitting and wasn't excruciating as the… corset he was forced to wear. 

But only time would fix his predicament. He gave up on trying to cross his legs and just sat the way he was prior. 

"Yi, what are the disciples doing?" Rhian asked. Zane mentally sneered at the tone of respect the man beside him was suddenly showing.

"I don't know," she replied. 

Zane fidgeted with his fingers as the two… Siblings caught up, staring at the silver embroidered cuffs of his robes that seemed to blend into a shade of lavender as they reached his shoulder. There was also a large belt that covered most of his torso, another smaller one securing it together in the middle. It was far too elegant.

His finger traced the delicate floral embroidery as if it too, were lined with glass powder. He still detested these people for what they had done to him in the past of his prior life. But for some reason, things were flowing rather easily this time. Was it because of what <Lvl 5> had caused?

Zane swallowed, feeling his throat still parched but he didn't feel like drinking any water as it would only lead to make him hungry. 

"Are you not gonna have the food?" Rhian's voice interrupted his trail of thoughts. He looked to his side to meet Rhian's eyes. 

"I feel nauseous," he replied.

"Do you not like the cuisine?" Hua Yi asked.

"It's not that." Zane shook his head. "How long are we going to be stuck here?" he asked, not minding the carelessness of his tone. Hua Yi narrowed her eyes but kept quiet.

The sliding door opened again, and Zane flinched a bit, ready to counter any attack.

It was the two sibling-disciples he had encountered—or, the ones who participated in almost killing him. Their faces were seen more clearly in the daylight, a floral tattoo on both of their necks. Maybe they were part of some noble family in the sect. Rather than bothering with Zane and Rhian, they looked at Hua Yi first, an urgency present in their gold eyes.

"What's the problem?" Hua Yi asked, standing up and bowing lightly.

"Lady Hua, Sect Leader has called for the…'' his gaze landed on Zane. Shen Zhiyuan flushed in embarrassment before continuing. "Sect Leader wishes to see the foreigner and Rhian."

Zane stiffened as he recalled the details from the past. Was the sect leader Hua HuiLiang? Was he still present?

"Yi?" Rhian asked his younger sister.

Hua Yi let out a soft breath and made a gesture for the both of them to follow as she wordlessly began stepping out of the chamber. Shen Chaoxiang flashed the two of them a sorry look before following his brother behind the woman.

Zane looked at Rhian, who looked out the chamber. He put down his teacup and stood up, glancing at Zane—telling him to follow.