The Sun was warm on Hao’s face, and the smell of berries lingered in the area.

But that voice—Its tone was unpleasant.

“You could have stayed hidden, but you gave out food to those mortal fools,” Axe said.

“We haven’t seen each other in months. What do you want from me? I am not so interesting that you would spend your time searching for me, am I?” Hao said.

Does this fool hold a grudge still?

“I was surprised when Young Master Mo mentioned a mixed-haired Islander in servant’s clothing. I couldn’t help but smile when he said that the half-breed cheated his way into the Sect.” Axe said.

Three days? Mo? Hao lifted his head.

To Hao, nothing that Axe said made any sense. He did not know anyone named Mo, but it seemed like the man was not here for just his grudge.

Axe was standing there looking at Hao, his donkey-faced follower just behind him. Hao would say he was donkey-faced now, more rabbit-eyed.

“Young Master Mo’s eager for your head based on how he spoke of you. I bet the reward would be good.” Hao heard the voice of the rabbit-eyed man for the first time.

It was not what he was expecting. It was squeaking but vibrating like a mouse that got stepped on.

It was a shame they had seen him use the bag. Hao himself was not sure what to do about it.

“Listen, I don’t know who Young Master Mo is. I’ve never met him. I don’t want too much trouble either.” Hao said.

Axe threw his head back and made a loud laugh; “Ha. Trouble, there is no trouble here. But you offend the First Elder and his new disciple. Both lost face because of you.” Axe said.

“Young Master Mo was punished for mentioning you at his discipleship ceremony. That wasn’t the last time he mentioned you. The whole sect knows he would collect your head if he got the chance, hehe.” Rabbit-eyes said.

The arrogant expression on Axe’s face grew more, his face up towards the sky.

“That’s right, while you were hiding for three days, playing with mortals and servants, Young Master Mo finally accepted me as his retainer.”

“So what, you’re here to carry my corpse back up the mountain? For a couple of spirit stones from your ‘Young Master Mo’ after you dug the stones out of the mine yourself?”

The situation was becoming more clear to Hao — He could guess what was not said at this point.

It seems the news was suppressed for the acceptance ceremony. But that idiot mentioned me during his ceremony. The First Elder looks like a fool for accepting a weaker disciple and the Fourth Elder’s bloodlines inferior to a servant.

Hao rubbed his forehead.

Does someone else’s mistake warrant me being punished? Is it my fault he took the normal trial?

He did know why this thing called Mo had a grudge; Hao had done nothing to him. Hao didn’t even know his name—this Mo doesn’t know my name either.

The two, lit by light from the sun’s rays, made a mockery of Hao while he stood there naked as the day he was born, water dripping and drying off his skin.

“Ewho, I don’t want trouble…” Axe said, pulling his hands up to his face and rabbit-eyes would laugh along.

They were acting like children despite the fact they were both older than Hao, Axe was around Hao’s father’s age, and the other one was older.

Axe pointed at Hao. “We don’t need the whole corpse, just the head. The rest of the little body can go into that pond.”

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Both laughed, talking about how they would kill and hide Hao afterward.

Hao stood and listened, half in and out of the thought.

The idea of murder was not foreign, neither was his death. Killing someone while laughing for a possible reward. How?

“Boss Axe, perhaps we should visit and grab a servant or two before we head back. If they were hiding this kid, we could give them a quick lesson, a few of ‘em missing, no one will notice.”

The words pulled Hao from his thoughts; he looked up at the rabbit-eyed man, wondering if he was completely mad.

“Ha, there should be at least one good woman down in the servant’s quarters too. Good for after killing.” Axe said. Both stared at Hao, pushing each other on the shoulder as they talked.

Hao stared back at both of them; his mood for anything thinking had gone.

His hair was still slightly wet, slapping him as he turned his head, an annoyance that helped worsen his mood.

Axe didn’t like Hao’s expression, he was expecting fear and panic on Hao’s face, perhaps sorrow, anything, something more than the blank stare Hao wore.

It made his laughter sour.

Axe’s hand spent most of its time pointing at Hao, and it did again.

“Put on your clothing while you wait to die. If they find your body, we can tell them you attacked first.”

Hao started doing so, his bag was strapped onto his chest and looked like water skin except for the red gem on its neck.

His clothing was inside, and he was waiting for an opportunity to take them out.

The two started talking to each other again. Hao took his robes out at that moment. He placed one foot at the bottom of the Sect uniform.

“Boss Axe, you mentioned women. Rumor is this boy was given two servants in Sect by the servant Hall Leader. Maybe we should go visit them; they should be better than normal servants.”

A smile that couldn’t clean filth grew on his face.

Hao froze with his pants just to his waist. Blood rushed to his head, it suddenly got hot; the morning was still a little cold.

“Haha, if we get Young Master Mo to think this was a great battle, he may give us a little extra reward. We could get a mission off the Sect’s mountain. I heard all the women from the Island have golden hair, plus, they’re just barbarians without cultivator clans. We can do as we please down there.” Axe said, grasping his hands out like he was taking something.

The heat in Hao’s body left, and he turned cold, putting his pants on. His heart made slow, melodious bangs in his chest. World Energy flowed with each pump. For the moment, he did not care.

Hao released the many restraints holding him back when he heard those words.

It was a refreshing feeling, scarily refreshing; he felt free to do as he pleased. Finally, finding a piece of himself long lost.

He was a single whole. One, with the world, the way he was supposed to feel, but free enough from it to do as he wished.

He was water in a stream, a thread frayed from the string. He felt the ferocity of nature — it was the same as the mercy of human love.

His heart was a pond of seven emotions, five desires, and hindrances he did not yet know.

Seven colors drowned the world. He threw the rest of his robe to the side.

It took two steps to reach Axe, one more to place his foot.

Axe saw a robe floating in the air and a streak of black and gold, the flutter of Hao’s hair.

That was the last thing he saw.

Hao’s body was a wave, fluttering faster as the World Energy rushed through his flesh and bone—he placed his left foot behind Axe, and his body was twisted away.

His right palm was back.

Swoon! Pock!

Hao’s palm slammed into Axe’s face. A pop of air exploded out. Axe’s skull was hard as the stone in the mine, if not better, but his feet were not steady. Axe flipped backward in the air. His head was the first part of his to meet the ground.

Axe did not even know the last sound his body made.

Hao did not want to stand from his palming position; The feeling of World Energy rushing was nearly addictive.

Hao leaped from his position, turning to the scream of the rabbit-eyed man.

The sound rippled through the forest, echoing off the dozens of trees nearby.

The air was still crisp, and the golden rays of morning were still plenty.

The shouting of the man was ruining the mood. Nearly pulling Hao from his state of new found freedom.

Rabbit-eyes started running.

He must not have reached the Third of Reclamation. Is it fair to call that slow?

Hao started his chase. A hunt, the man screaming for help, not shying from the ironic word of murder. It only annoyed Hao all the more.

Rabbit-eyes pace was good; if he was given another few minutes, he would make it out of the forest, but Hao was twice his speed and knew the forest well.

Hao was listening to man’s claims and calls, remembering his attitude and eagerness to slaughter, or worse, and the smile he had while talking of it.

Even now, in Hao’s current state, a smile did not cross his face. He would not hide his emotion while killing, but he would not enjoy it.

Would I? Hao thought. It was hard to deny the exhilaration in the chase he was experiencing.

The man staggered, falling back and laying his eyes on Hao.

Hao who appeared in front of him.

Rabbit eyes crawled forward to his knees, reaching for a string around his neck.

He held out a blue pearl towards Hao, hunching forward towards the ground.

“Oh, Lord of Water, I know you must be watching. Don’t you see the beast in front of me? A shirtless pirate, a golden-haired beast from the ocean! Murder his joy, destroy the demon creatures from the ocean as you once had… Please.”

Tears started rolling down from his eyes, striking the dry leaves crushed beneath his hands.

Hao wondered how he could act so differently from the high-pitched voice that spoke of wanton rape and slaughter just moments ago.

“Please,” he said again.

Hao walked forward, standing in front of the creature on the ground.

Rabbit-eyes dropped the pearl; it struck his chest before lowered himself more. The pearl dragged across the dirt.

“I can serve you—how about that? I will help you in any way I can.” The man touched his chest and belly to the ground.

His forehead gathered marks from sticks and stones before he looked back up at Hao.

To Hao, he seemed helpless, as helpless as a rabbit already dead, the same as the one he had to drain.

Hao knew how to drain a small animal.

The sun was the only one watching. Hao was happy the moons did not have to see.

He tapped his chest, and a tiny golden droplet appeared in his hand. Hao bent down and swiped a painless wound.

The gold drop broke and disappeared back into the back as blood in a stream poured from the man.

Rabbit-eyes didn’t notice until he bowed and lifted his head again; his knees were in a pool of red blood, his own.

The man was surprisingly swift in trying to stop the bleeding. He was soundless in action, except for the crushing of leaves and squelching of red mud.

He held onto the small hold on his neck, but it poured endlessly.

A look of hate stared up at Hao; Hao did not mind. Rabbit-eyes had every right to hate him.

Hao wondered if he looked at the First Elder that day in the same way.

As the body went still, Hao paced back and forth in the forest.

He had suppressed many emotions since arriving on this mountain but surpassed none.

Hao looked down at the bodies as the Sun’s round shape was coming into the sky, light reflected off his bloodless hands.

He still did not know which story it was. A tale of Immortals, Fairy, and Heros, or a Horror Story that inspires madness.