Book 2: Chapter 39: Pan to Pot |
Zhong Da gave Wu Xui a long look as he considered the thought. It would not be an easy task to change his hardheaded wife even with ample time and resources. Changing a Demonic Cultivator’s Dao to something more neutral was like trying to reverse the currents of a raging river, a practice in futility. Not unless he had extraordinary abilities and potential weight to his words that she would consider.
Which he did. Being a husband came with a few benefits.
She huffed and sheathed her blades, core stopped rumbling, and blood Dao returned to its extended slumber.
The old ghost let out a deep sigh before floating off in a hurry toward the Hu Ancestor. Likely already preparing himself for another session of tea sipping, relaxed sighing, and nature watching while everyone else either trained themselves to the ground or tried not to be seen lest he smite them from the world. All while acting like he never noticed any of it happening around him.
Zhong Da and Wu Xui felt a shiver run down their backs as they felt the telltale signs of the Spiritual Demonic Tree being summoned.
“Best I hurry up,” Zhong Da said to Wu Xui.
She hugged him without saying anything at all. Still burning from the chance at killing something and satisfying her angry Dao. It didn’t help that the forest seemed empty of all monsters or beasts. Vacant stretches without even a songbird.
They both knew why well enough considering they would be equally as absent as well had they not been forced into this position.
“We can run at any moment. Just got to time it right,” Zhong Da pulled her in closer. “The tracking spell is ready to be destroyed. Our essence will turn into ash within Zi Zhen’s hands–”
Zhong Da smiled.
Superstitious as always.
“Worry not, Xu Xu. I have everything planned out.”
“I know you do–”
Come to the Spirit Communicator now!
Her breath caught, and so did Zhong Da’s. Both felt the skin crawling feeling of being called that was emphasized by the ancient voice of the Patriarch of the Dark Gate Palace. His words were an order to rush back toward their tent and report back to him immediately.
Another shiver ran down his spine as he considered Zi Zhen calling for them.
What happened? Why? God I hope it isn’t anything.
“H-He heard you,” Wu Xui whispered. “Don’t ever fucking do that again.”
He could only nod as they turned stiffly. They walked back into the camp doing their best to act like nothing untoward was happening. As though they weren’t about to speak to the most terrifying figure that existed on the planet right now. The only reason they were still in the damnable camp.
Zhong Da blinked as he saw the silver sheen of the Hu Clan’s Spiritual Demonic Tree. A leaf dipped into a cup of tea just as he expected, feasting upon a resource that even kings and emperors would kill for. He took a deep breath, just the aroma was strong enough to stir his core and make his cultivation meditations as easy as breathing for a span of time.
Yin Hu waved at them from his table, lounging under the Spiritual Demonic Tree’s canopy.
He waved back awkwardly and then entered their little tent after Wu Xui.
By the time his eyes focused, she was already pulling out the black stone from their pack. It pulsed in a deep dark red as its signal that someone was waiting for them on the other side. All they had to do was accept the summons and they would see an image of Zi Zhen addressing them.
They locked eyes and nodded at each other.
Wu Xui activated the Spiritual Device and watched as a dark image appeared before them. A figure sat in the shadows, covered in long robes and winding ribbons that stretched around the room. Zi Zhen sat upon his discus and studied them for what felt like an eternity.
Zhong Da felt sweat beading down his back as his thoughts began to spiral.
D-Did he find out about my final step in destroying his tracking? Or maybe he knows about our escape plan in its entirety? Why isn’t he speaking?
He never looked up after the first second, but rather waited patiently. Hoping his body would not betray any signs of his thoughts.
“You’ve been with this Hu Ancestor for some time,” Zi Zhen’s raspy, old voice echoed in their minds as not to alert Yin Hu. Many more procedures had taken place just for this meeting Zhong Da knew. “What have you learned?”
Zhong Da cleared his throat. He was parched. “The Hu Ancestor is as guarded with information as he is about his motives, Lord Zi Zhen.”
“You mean to tell me,” the Patriarch of the Dark Gate Palace frowned, the ribbons trembling to show his ire. “...you’ve done nothing? Gathered nothing? Learned nothing? What reason have I kept you alive then?”
“W-We have information! Just nothing that would be worth your time, Lord Zi Zhen.”
Zi Zhen sneered. “Who are you to decide what is and what isn’t worth my time? Speak everything you’ve learned.”
So, Zhong Da did exactly that. Giving him a long rendition of every single thing they had gone through with the Hu Ancestor until they arrived at this valley. From their first approach, the strange delays in the camp for weeks without moving an inch, finding a Warg, and everything else he could think of that he had seen with his own eyes. Everything except the latest news.
He still needed to keep information for next time in case their escape was delayed. Something to buy him and Wu Xui some time.
“...Rong. A-Are you saying, Rong, the Blade Storm, is now Hu Rong?” Zi Zhen said in an even tone.
Zhong Da questioned if he even heard the hesitation. “Yes, Lord Zi Zhen.”
“That can’t be true. Rong would die before he served a Cala… Tell me, what does he look like? What form does it take?”
“It is a morphing Spirit. Though it takes to the figure of a male child with dirt, blonde, mop hair and a wide innocent smile. I’ve seen it transform into a giant version of that to carry the Hu girls, and its limbs become blades when threatened.”
Zi Zhen opened his mouth then shut it with an audible click. He turned away from them and looked to the side, speaking to figures that he couldn’t see in a voice that they couldn’t hear. Clearly breaking it up so they wouldn’t intrude into whatever conversation they were having. From what Zhong Da saw, it was multiple figures and ones that Zi Zhen respected enough to speak at an equal level to.
Who the hell is in there?
The Patriarch of the Dark Gate Palace raised his hand to placate someone then before turning back toward them. “Do you know why he was angered not even a few days ago. I am sure you felt the tears in the fabric of space. You aren’t complete trash.”
Zhong Da frowned at the insult. “No, Lord Zi Zhen. The Hu Ancestor ordered us to make camp outside of a large crater within the furthest depths of the Bleak Forests. An area filled with Void Qi that suffocates–”
He jumped as a new figure stepped into view.
Zhong Da’s eyes met the woman’s and he lost his ability to stay upright.
Nine tails swished behind her. Anger lined her soft features. Pressure unlike anything he had ever felt slammed into him…
No. He had experienced something like this before.
Pressure almost as powerful as Yin Hu’s nearly crushed him through a Spiritual Communication Device. An impossibility that should not have happened.
Yet it had.
“Void Qi?” her voice was nearly childish, yet the tone of power and maturity itched at his ears. “What the fuck is he doing at a past Calamity’s grave sight? There shouldn’t be anything to plunder.” She turned back toward Zi Zhen–
Zhong Da was left stunned as the ancient gaunt skeleton flinched.
Not that he was going to complain, the pressure that had been strangling him disappeared and seemed to have found him instead.
“Y’all had a Calamity here before him? What happened to it? I can’t imagine you all had anything strong enough to kill anything from an upper realm… Oh!” the nine tailed lady snapped her head back to him. “You two… Servants of the old bag of bones here. Hurry back. I got questions for you. But more importantly, whatever dumb plot this ugly thing had, forget it. Risking the fucking destruction of… of… Well, none of you need to know in detail what it means to fuck up. You aren’t worth the trouble of me speaking directly to you.”
The Spiritual Communication Device lost its luster and the image disappeared. Leaving Zhong Da and Wu Xui sitting there stunned.
“You have a plan for this?” Wu Xui said.
He shook his head. “No. Maybe run as fast as we can? You think we could escape the Hu Ancestor or whatever that lady was?”
“Not a chance.”
Zhong Da laughed at their misery. “Guess we'll find out.”
There was no way in hell would he go from the pan to a boiling pot with another potential monster near the Hu Ancestor’s level. Much less one that had Zi Zhen scared out of his robes. They would risk running and hope for the best.