Zhong Da sat in the middle of the clearing, to the left of the campfire, near the ancient ancestor of the Hu clan. Darkness had arrived quicker than anyone had expected. This night had longer shadows and deeper blackness than any before it, though he suspected it was more to do with who was in the clearing rather than the night itself. The longer he stayed with this group, the more impossible things occurred around him.
His eyes shifted back towards the two figures sitting next him.
They were in a deep discussion, detailing things he never thought he would've ever heard if a mythical figure appeared before him.
How is this even possible?
As long as I turned back towards what he had come to learn was Rong, the Devil. The Blade Storm. An ancient Creature of the spirit realm that had wandered this planet for thousands of years before his existence. Old enough to have experienced the FirstCalamity and fought it as well. One of the few creatures to have stood strong and were an integral part in the saving of the very world they were in. Many had speculated that it had caused the final lethal blow to finally bring down the First Calamity.
Others speculate they may have existed even longer than that.
Zhong Da closed his eyes as he saw it bow low before Yin Hu. He could see that slight tremble within its limbs and the shaking of its ethereal form hidden from the sight of the ancient being before it. He had a mind to think that it was terrified of Yin Hu, not that it made sense. But what did when it dealt with him and the Hu clan? Everything seemed to be flipped on its head when he was involved.
Yin Hu patted its head. “Good. We have much work to accomplish. There's a lot that I need to fix and clean up with your cultivation and everything else in between–”
Zhong Da refused to open his eyes. The words he was hearing made his head spin and his heart beat faster than he thought was healthy, even for a cultivator. Out of everything that he could have met and experienced, finding the Blade Storm and someone telling it that its cultivation needed to be cleansed was the epitome of what he would have considered madness.
Yet, here he was, actually believing the words spewing from the Hu clan Ancestor.
“–foundations are very weak and impure–”
If its foundations are weak, then every foundation in existence is worthless and pathetic.
“–body needs thorough purification–”
Its a fucking spirit! How the fuck do you cleanse a spirits body?!
“–and your Spiritual Roots and potential need to be evolved and advanced into something worthwhile. I don’t think where you are at is any good.”
“Yes, master!” Hu Rong shouted like an obedient disciple. “I am excited to be shown Mount Tai!”
Yin Hu laughed and patted the Blade Storm’s head like it was a little child. “Good! Your eagerness and desire to grow will help you advance further than you can imagine. Potential alone is worthless without hard work, dedication, and discipline. Having one of the three gets you started, two and you have a proper foundation and capacity for great things. All three and you shall be remembered as a legend for generations.”
It already is!
Zhong Da was getting tired of having to deal with the craziness of this group. He and his wife, Wu Xui, would've already escaped this madness had his life not been threatened by one of the most terrifying people to ever exist on this cultivation world. Zi Zhen had screwed them over. Zhong Da could not think of a single place where he could escape to and not be found by the ancient Demonic Patriarch.
He couldn't even hide his cultivation and face anymore now that he had been discovered.
Zi Zhen had taken a bit of his and his wife's blood. Forever locking onto their location, no matter how far or how long they continued to run.
I’m tired. So very tired of having to deal with these peoples. When am I going to get a break?
He let out a sigh and opened his eyes.
Rong had moved closer to Yin Hu, they studied a large ornate book that reeked of vast treasures and fortune. The same book he had caught the ancient ancestor pouring his attention over for entire days on end ever since he had walked into the clearing the very first time. Yin Hu was detailing their ‘plan of action’ as he called it. The process by which he had two little girls go through and would make the ancient DevilSpirit experience as well.
Worse yet was that Hu Rong was excited?
Zhong Da didn’t know how to explain the bubbling energy that the Spirit had.
He sighed again, getting a break was nothing but a distant dream that will likely never occur. At the very least, they were stuck with Yin Hu, his girls, and the AncientSpirit Rong for a few months at minimum. Then, it was very likely Zi Zhen would approach them for new orders to fulfill. He was doomed to a life without comfort and peace. Likely enslaved by the Demonic Patriarch after fulfilling his tasks to completion or killed.
Wu Xui was sitting with the girls around their little tent, compared to the gargantuan pavilion that was Yin Hu's. Shui and Jun were playing some clapping and hand smacking game that had the little girl causing waves within the ether without knowing it. Her intensity to win the game made the Qi shiver around them. Jun, on the other hand, had been using her endless supply of Liquid Qi to continuously and mercilessly beat the younger girl at the game.
His poor wife gave him a look.
Zhong Da could only share her helplessness.
“–and then sparring. Lots of sparring to make sure you understand the very basics of my Grand Hidden Technique of Ultimate Badassery–”
Yin Hu gave him a look, daring him to comment on the naming scheme of this technique he had supposedly created from nothing. Zhong Da would not have done such a thing in a hundred thousand years. He did not have a death wish–
“–testing and getting comfortable with it by sparring with Zhong Da.”
“Wait, what?! No!” Zhong Da shouted without realizing it. He would die fighting Rong. There was no question about the outcome of their harmless little sparring session. Shui maybe, Jun was already stretching it now that she seemed to never run out of Liquid Qi. Rong would tear him to pieces without meaning to. “Err… I mean. Forgive me, Senior. I seem to have back spasms and leg cramps lately. Very bad for my health. Can’t spar for some time.”
Yin Hu rubbed his chin. “I see. How long?”
“W-What?”
“How long until you can spar with Rong? How about Shui and Jun? Are you saying you can’t fulfill your end of the bargain anymore?”
Yin Hu blinked and the world shifted. Everything faded to black and only him and the ancient being existed as he towered over him with his presence alone. Zhong Da gulped, this wasn’t an attempt to shatter his core like every time before. This was nothing but a gentle warning of the possibility of no longer existing in the matter of seconds if he said the wrong thing.
Zhong Da chuckled nervously. “Just a few weeks! Nothing more! Nothing more, I promise.”
“Fair enough. That should give us enough time to get a better look at how much Rong needs in the purification processes before I can move him to the next stages.” Yin Hu said as he stood back up. He gave Zhong Da a nod and left back toward his pavilion.
The girls jumped up and ran after him. Rong only hesitated for a second, not knowing what to do, before just copying Shui’s footsteps, literally.
Leaving him in the clearing alone with his haggard wife.