“A Cultivator attacked you and defiled your daughter?”
He shook his head for dramatic effect, drawing on old farmer’s need to be heard, to be understood. Of course, it was all a ruse, but they didn’t need to know that. All they needed to know was that he was someone to be trusted, an ear that was willing to listen to their plight. Still, the rage and anguish that radiated from the man were simply delightful, like seasoning for his soul.
Jin placed a placating hand on the old farmer’s shoulder and inwardly grinned when the man did not react aversely.
“The bastard broke into my house in the dead of night,” Tears fell from the aged man’s eyes as he recounted his tale. They sat at the edge of Jin’s cart, by the various cookwares that were in his inventory to be sold in the nearby city of Choza. Jin had been traveling for an entire week when he caught the scent of a very powerful rage and despair. It was too good to pass up, which was how he found the old farmer. “He told me that I disrespected him by not prostrating before him when he passed by me in Choza; but I told him that I couldn’t do that, because my back hurts too much! The bastard didn’t listen. He attacked me, broke my arm, and took my daughter!”
Jin almost shuddered with excitement. The scent of his soul, marinated by his grief and torment, was too good. The old man was close; all Jin had to do now was to add fuel to the fire. “And you ran to the authorities, did you not? But what did they tell you?”
The farmer’s eyes blazed with inner-fury as he sat up and spat on the ground. “They told me that they weren’t about to mess with a young master of the Blade Wind Sect! They’re all cowards, the lot of them! They told me to just forget about my daughter, because there’s nothing I can do for her!”
True enough, local government units in far-flung cities had a tendency to shy away from Cultivator business. It usually wasn’t because of cowardice, but because they simply could not deal with Cultivators, no matter how many guardsmen they send to apprehend one. Sure, the Capital City and its sister-cities had teams of cultivators, who acted as enforcers, but those didn’t exist in places like Choza. Here, people lived and cowered underneath the shadow of the dominant sect.
It was even worse when Mages were involved, but the scholarly folk rarely ever included themselves in the business of the common man, preferring to study and linger in their towers – alone. And, when they did include themselves with mortals, however, people died as a result. And, like Cultivators, local governments were quick to turn a blind eye to their crimes.
The simple truth was that such abuses of power were all too common in this world, where the disparity of power between the common man and those who stood at the top was too great.
But, the old man didn’t need to know that.
And, really, Jin didn’t care either way. In fact, he liked it that way. It made it easier for him to eat his preferred food.
“What are you planning to do?” Jin prompted.
“I’ll march right up to that blasted Wind Blade Sect, demand an audience with their grandmaster, and then I’ll…” the old man trailed off, his shoulders slumping and his strength fading. And there it was, the moment when the weak faced the inevitability of their place in the world. An ant could complain and protest all it wanted, but it could do nothing to stop the boot that was coming to crush it. Jin watched and waited as the old farmer’s rage simmered down. “I’ll….”
“You’ll do what?” Jin pushed.
“I’ll….” More tears streamed from the old farmer’s eyes as he finally realized his place on the pecking order. He was a farmer, not even a successful one at that. If he died, the local community was unlikely to feel his loss. The mayor of Choza would simply reclaim the man’s farmland and assign someone else to run it, and life would stay the same. He wasn’t important. His daughter wasn’t important. He was nothing and no one. “I don’t know….”
And there it was!
He didn’t have to wait for long. Jin stood up and placed a hand on the old man’s weary shoulders. “My friend, what are you willing to sacrifice in exchange for your vengeance? What are you willing to sacrifice in exchange for your daughter’s health and honor?”
“Everything!” The old farmer answered, crying. He was desperate and it was reflected on his soul. “I would give everything I own to have my vengeance and to save my daughter.”
Jin smiled. “Well, then, perhaps we can strike a deal. I will give you your vengeance; by midday, tomorrow, the young master who assaulted you and stole away your daughter shall be dead. As for your little girl… well… I’ll make sure she returns.”
The old man’s eyes narrowed and his white eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Traces of doubt lingered in his heart and mind, but those were easily fixed or buried. “You can do that? How? You are just a traveling merchant; the cultivators would kill you within a heartbeat.”
“Oh, don’t worry about me, friend,” Jin assured. “I may look like a humble and simple merchant, but even I have my ways. Besides, I won’t ask for payment until after I’ve delivered on my end of the deal. What have you got to lose, really? Is there anyone else who’s willing to help you in your plight, friend?”
“There’s… no one….” The old farmer sighed. “And what is your price… friend?”
Jin let out a meek smile, even as his insides blazed, briefly reflecting on his eyes, like a pale and flickering flame. “All I want in exchange, my good man… is your soul.”
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Walking into the Blade Wind Sect proved easy. All Jin had to do was disguise himself as one of the many disciples. Specifically, he wore the skin of a Cultivator, who’d achieved the peak of Qi Condensation – not too weak as to be denied access to the more esoteric places within the Sect, but not too strong as to be immediately recognized. The glamour he placed over himself helped greatly in turning away curious looks and questioning gazes from himself; for all intents and purposes, he was just another disciple, no one special and no one of particular note or interest.
The Blade Wind Sect itself was located atop Mount Senjin, which overlooked much of the local region, the City of Choza and the tributary villages that surrounded it. To reach it, one must brave the Hundred-Thousand Steps, which was often impossible for normal humans to do, since the stairway went straight up, having no room for rest. Therefore, only Cultivators could ever reach the actual Sect and, even then, an Early Stage Qi Condensation Cultivator would be exhausted by the time they reached the main gate.
Jin, of course, did not need to follow all these banal physical rules. Now, he wasn’t omnipresent, per se, but traversing vast distances in an instant was something he could do quite easily. And that’s exactly how he entered the Sect.
Once inside, Jin almost salivated at the pain, suffering, and anguish that radiated from the Outer Disciples, who were little more than glorified janitors, waiters, and cooks. Oh, he’d be eating at least a few of them soon enough. Ah, what glorious scents to behold! Jealousy, anger, envy and good old regret; a pity I won’t get to eat all of them. But, I’ll have to make do.
Finding his target was easier than he expected. Jin had the young master’s face from the old farmer’s memories, including his overall height and build and his Cultivation Level, which really wasn’t all that high in the grand scheme of things. All he had to do to actually find the lad was to follow trail of chaotic commotion, students gathering around a fight between said young master and some poor sod who was getting his face beaten in due to… a misunderstanding.
Ah, Cultivators were such a violent bunch. Most of the souls he’d eaten were victims of their brutish and aggressive methods.
Jin looked on as an Outer Disciple was beaten to within an inch of his life. As beatings went, it wasn’t terrible, but certainly wasn’t good either; he’d rate it seven out of ten, just because the young master couldn’t go any further, even if he wanted to.
“Did you forget the reason why you’re here, Outer Disciple?” Ren, the young master who also beat the crap out of the old farmer, sneered as he laid his foot flat upon the chest of the downed and beaten disciple. “You’re here to clean up like a good little servant. Your existence is tolerated, because you might just ascend your station.”
“Now,” Ren continued. “Apologize to me and beg for my forgiveness!”
Jin grinned as the Outer Disciple did just that, crying and begging for forgiveness, even as fury festered in his soul, like a black blotch that quickly spread outwards until it consumed his very being. Oh, he was going to be delicious; the indignation of having to apologize for something that definitely wasn’t his fault was… delectable. More importantly, the bloodied and beaten child would be a useful pawn for later.
Now, where’s the girl? The old farmer’s daughter was a part of the deal he’d made, but he never agreed to bring her back safely or even alive, just that he’d bring her back. Jin walked away from the crowd. All who saw him would quickly forget that he was ever there. Everyone else hardly even noticed his presence. A quick glance into the young master’s mind confirmed the girl’s final location.
And a quick glance across time and space confirmed everything else.
She was dead, throat sliced open, cold and stiff in some nameless patch of woods on the foothills of Mount Senjin. At the very least, the wolves still hadn’t devoured what’s left of her.
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The old man was right, however, in the fact that she’d been defiled.
Jin waited for the crowd to disperse, before approaching the downed Outer Disciple and extending a hand towards the child. “That was impressive, young one.”
The Outer Disciple did not take his head. Instead, he lingered on the ground for a moment as scoffed and coughed blood. “Impressive? I got my shit handed to me on a silver platter.”
Tears begun falling from his eyes as he looked up at the sky, defeated. Jin grinned inwardly; the boy was desperate for attention and validation. All he needed was the right push. “Mom was right; I never should’ve come here.”
“Nonsense,” Jin smiled. The form he’d taken on looked older and cleaner than his usual ‘merchant’ persona. It was also taller and more muscular, with a face that was halfway intimidating and welcoming, an older brother figure who was scary, but also full of wisdom. That was the sort of figure the Outer Disciple needed to see. “You stood your ground, even if you had no chance. Sure, you were soundly beaten, but you showed courage and strength in the face of such a great threat. Such qualities are inherent in powerful Cultivators; I believe you will do great things… under my guidance, of course.”
The young man’s eyes widened. And Jin’s smile could only turn into a grin – hook, line, and sinker. Anger and desperation made for a highly unstable, but beautiful mixture that made a mortal oh so predictable and delicious.
The Outer Disciple took his hand. And Jin pulled him up. “You’re going to take me as an apprentice?!!”
The boy’s excitement was predictable, especially after all the hardship and humiliation he’d likely been forced to endure in this place. His eyes glimmered with anticipation and vindication and, almost immediately, thoughts of revenge entered the young man’s mind. Oh, he was more than a little angry at the young master, who beat him and humiliated him in front of his peers. But he was also aware of the disparity in strength between them. Now, the offer of apprenticeship from a senior disciple changed everything for him.
But, then again, the boy would be dead by tomorrow.
“What’s your name, disciple?” Jin asked him, adopting a stern, but kind aura.
Despite his injuries, the Outer Disciple straightened his back and answered briskly. “My name is, Hideo, my master.”
“Hideo,” Jin nodded and laid a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “I will help you take your revenge. In fact, you can take your revenge tomorrow if you so wish it. You will have power and might, greater than your enemies. In return, I ask only for one tiny thing from you – I will ask for your soul.”
“In fact,” Jin smiled. “I’ll give you something for free.”
He snapped his fingers and Hideo’s injuries faded instantly. The cuts and bruises on his face disappeared, alongside the breaks in his arms and ribs. It was as though he was never injured at all. Jin winced inwardly; that trick took a little more power than he was comfortable with, but it was an investment, after all. Even he needed to take a few risks, going forward. And, most importantly, it enforced the idea that he was more powerful than what met the eyes.
Well, he was powerful, just not nearly as powerful as his elders – not yet, anyway. And that was exactly why he needed more souls.
The Outer Disciple’s eyes widened into saucers as he frantically examined himself and found that, indeed, he was now healed. Hideo did not even hesitate as he prostrated before Jin and agreed.
A pact was made.
“Follow me, apprentice.”
Oh, this was too easy.
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Unfortunately, Jin did not have the ability to strengthen the boy’s Qi or even advance his level of Cultivation. While he could manipulate the bodily energy to some extent, Jin found it tedious and boring, and – really – not worth the time. Besides, there were plenty of ways for him to enhance the boy, without resorting to the usage of Qi.
“What are we going to do, master?”
Hideo lied on the ground, eyes turned towards the stars. Jin stood over him. “Hush now, student; I will be performing a Qi ritual to enhance and strengthen your cultivation level. If successful, you shall receive an ability that will become the instrument of your vengeance. Now, remain quiet, while I continue.”
“Yes, master.” Hideo closed his eyes and entered a meditative trance.
It wasn’t a ritual… not really. He was just… thinking.
Hmmm… how do I make him physically stronger than a Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator? Jin also had a limited budget to work with, which meant he had to be really creative with what he created. As he consumed more and more souls, that budget of power would increase, but – for now – Jin could only work with the power of the three measly souls he’d eaten, since he came to this world. A single, focused ability would work best; I don’t have enough power to give him a multi-purpose power.
Well, it doesn’t have to be complicated; it just has to work against young master Ren. What was a Cultivator’s greatest strength? Qi, of course, was their single greatest weapon, just as the Mages had mana to work with. Unlike mages, however, Cultivators relied on actual physical movement to do anything. They could punch through mountains or break boulders into pebbles, but they needed to actually move to do any of that. At the end of the day, Cultivators, just like normal people, were limited by their natural physical limitations – to a degree.
Therefore, the best weapon against Cultivator – barring another stronger Cultivator – was something that took advantage of the human anatomy, which they were still very much subjected to and limited by.
Jin smiled. Oh, this is going to be absolutely hilarious.
“It’s done,” Jin announced, causing Hideo’s eyes to snap open almost immediately after.
“I don’t feel any different,” Hideo pushed himself up onto a seated position and absently laid a hand on his chest, breathing in. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “My Qi feels the same.”
“I have given you an ability to be used against your enemy, disciple,” Jin smiled. “Your Qi feels the same, because you have not proven yourself to me – not yet. That will come after.”
Hideo frowned. “How do I prove myself, master?”
“Use the ability that I have given you to exact vengeance upon young master Ren,” Jin stated flatly, his eyes narrowing. Hideo gulped in fear, but nodded all the same. The fury, envy, and the anguish in his soul once more returned to the forefront, fueling his need for revenge. “Bring me his head and his heart. Once you do so, you will have taken your revenge and proven yourself to me.”
“What ability have you granted me, my master?”
Jin grinned. His inner fire blazed with excitement and, for a brief moment, crimson embers danced and flickered on the surface of his eyes.
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“Young master Ren has been murdered!”
“That’s him! That’s the murderer! Get him!”
“An Outer Disciple? How could someone like him ever defeat the young master?”
“Oh god, he killed all those people!”
“Hideo, please, just stop!”
“AGHHHH! How is he doing this?!”
“Somebody kill him!”
Jin, unseen, unheard, unperceivable, merely looked on in laughter as Hideo practically slaughtered his way through the Inner Sect. All who stood before him were cut down – sort of. With a bloody cleaver in one hand and Ren’s severed head in the other, Hideo roared as he carved into the head of another senior disciple, whose level of confidence far outstripped his mental capacity.
“Somebody call the fucking elders!”
“Help me, please!”
Jin clapped and cackled. Oh, this was too much fun. Hideo truly outdid himself now! The young man didn’t even bother calling out the young master Ren for a one-on-one duel, the crazy lad sneaked into the Senior Disciple’s room and killed him while he slept. Of course, he couldn’t have done it without the aid of his new power, but that was already a given. The ability, in question, was rather ingenious. So, Jin patted himself on the back for coming up with it. Honestly, it was probably the best ability for dealing with low to mid-level Cultivators.
Jin grinned as Hideo swung down his cleaver at a female Senior Disciple, only for said Senior Disciple to suddenly freeze up just before she could defend or counter. Hideo’s cleaver sliced right through her collar bone, through her lungs, and through her sternum. She died almost instantly. The ability itself was simple, mostly because of Jin’s limited budget; it allowed Hideo, through eye-contact, to temporarily disable a target’s spinal cord for five seconds, rendering them immobilized, but fully conscious for the duration.
“There, we have him!”
“Kill him!”
Eventually, however, Hideo’s rampage had to come to an end. The ability he had was powerful, true enough, but it didn’t make him invincible. So, when a more powerful Senior Disciple came up behind him and sliced off both his legs and both his arms, Hideo could only scream, “MASTER, HAVE I PROVEN MYSELF TO YOU?!”
At that, Jin smiled and snapped his fingers, and time itself seemed to cease, save for Hideo and himself. The pain and suffering, brought forth by Hideo’s rampage, gave him enough power for it. The whole affair was simply delightful and mildly entertaining.
Calmly, Jin approached the downed boy and began clapping; he walked down the air as though there were invisible steps underneath his feet when there were none. Hideo struggled, but his arms and legs were gone; he could do little as he lay on the floor, bleeding out of the stumps of his severed limbs, except writhe like a worm. Jin’s grin couldn’t get any wider as he neared his former disciple. “That was a marvelous performance, dear boy; you have truly proven yourself to me.”
“Master, please, save me!”
“Tsk tsk tsk tsk,” Jin shook his head, calmly stepping over the corpses on the floor as he approached Hideo. “Don’t you remember our little agreement? I would help you with your revenge and I would receive your soul, in exchange.”
“Well,” Jin gestured at the young master Ren’s severed head on the floor. “You’ve had your revenge, haven’t you?”
“But I-”
“Hush,” Jin planted his pointer finger on Hideo’s lips, silencing him. And then, as Jin pulled his hand back, Hideo’s form began flaking into flaming specks of ashes and dust. The boy’s eyes widened and tears streamed from them. And fear overtook what little remained of him.
“You… promised….” He said weakly, just before his flesh faded from his bones.
Jin stood up and licked his lips. The young man’s soul, bathed in torment and rage, was absolutely delicious. He grinned, feeling the sharp increase in power as one more soul was added to his collection. Jin bent down and picked up Ren’s severed head by the hair. He tossed it into the air and caught it.
“I lied.”
Jin smiled, eyes ablaze.
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“You’re alive….” The old farmer choked, teary eyes wide as Jin approached him, carrying a sack over his shoulder. “D-did… did you do it? Did you… kill the bastard?”
Jin smiled and nodded. “Why, of course I killed him. His head is right here.”
He pointed at the sack.
The old farmer nodded calmly, despite the shock that overtook him and the joy that resounded through his very soul. “A-and… w-what about my daughter? Did you find her?”
Jin pointed at the sack again. “Yep, I found her.”
He then tossed it on the ground and kicked it, sending two heads rolling out. One was the young master Ren’s head, eyes closed as though he was still asleep; the other was the head of the farmer’s daughter, eyes bulging out of their sockets and riddled with maggots and flies, tongue swollen and purple, skin sickly green.
The old man’s eyes widened as he lurched forward and vomited his morning meal.
Jin smiled, laid a hand on the old farmer’s back, and made tiny circles. “Just let it all out…."
He licked his lips. "Now, let’s talk about payment, yeah?’