~~~
No one would ever accuse Lord Feng Shang of being a nervous man. Even as a baby, he possessed a calm temperament, rarely crying or making trouble for his parents. The birth of his overly emotional brother only further accentuated these qualities in him. Cautious, responsible Feng Shang and his foolish, rambunctious younger brother. That was how people viewed them.
Were he not an Emperor, thus wholly in control of every single cell in his body, Feng Shang would be sweating right now.
It comes as no surprise that his father is why he is so nervous. That has often been the case for as long as Feng Shang can remember. Of course, when he was a child, he feared small, inconsequential things like how his father would react to learning he had made a small crack on the statue of the First Ancestor during his training.
The stakes are higher now.
The first disciple to return from the Dead Plains was one of his. It was an underwhelming conclusion to a feud that had been brewing for many years, but it was one better than he’d dared to hope. Feng Shang felt elated when his father ordered the disciple to be brought before him so that he may deliver the stone.
However, that was all that happened.
His father made no announcements and no choices. He and Feng Gui were left staring at him, waiting for several seconds before being dismissed from his presence. Feng Shang later questioned the disciple but could not gain any insight into his father’s actions.
Two of Feng Gui’s disciples arrived merely a day later. Just like before, his father ordered the disciples brought to him so that they may deliver the stone and nothing else.
It has been weeks since then, and the pattern has repeated without an end in sight. Their father seems to have no intention of declaring a winner, something that, unfortunately, isn’t entirely unexpected. Things rarely go the way Feng Shang wants them to when dealing with his father. This is simply another one of those times.
But the stakes are higher now.
Having to wait here while his future and that of the entire Eternal Flame Clan is decided beyond his sight is maddening. However, what other alternatives are there? Feng Shang considered sending men out to the Dead Plains for merely five seconds before he felt his father’s gaze on him from two miles away.
Just seriously contemplating the choice was enough to create an ignition point for his father to sense. With their father out of seclusion, Feng Shang can do nothing. It doesn’t matter that he is an Emperor. He can only wait in the compound until his father makes a choice using whatever arbitrary metric he has settled on this time.
Wait… and hope his brother hasn’t decided to kill his own son in pursuit of power.
His foolish, irresponsible, reckless brother.
His brother who has more illegitimate children than there are stars in the sky and cares for them as much as he cares for the ants crawling under the ground.
His brother who has always wanted the position of Patriarch and often loudly proclaimed he would stop at nothing to achieve it.
Then there is the matter of Xun Huwen. Just the name alone makes Feng Shang’s face sour. He should have never listened to that suggestion. Putting aside that Xun Huwen could easily ruin the contest, sending someone like him to the Eye... They might as well be begging him to step into the true Dead Plains.
For the first time in a long time, Feng Shang feels nervous.
~~~
Liu Jin and Lu Mei move to Liu Jin’s room after Bei Hong and Bei Duyi have been stabilized. The doors have been sealed off with talismans to prevent anyone from eavesdropping.
“You propose something dangerous.”
“I know,” Liu Jin says. His frustration is easy to see in the creasing of his brow. “I have been trying to figure out another way to find Feng Hao, but the Dead Plains are too big.”
Even though Liu Jin has enough disciples at his command to organize a few search parties, there is no point in doing so. Even assuming Feng Zhi has hidden Feng Hao in the Eye, that still leaves far too much territory to cover. In the worst-case scenario, Liu Jin would just be sending people out to die.
“You are the only one I can rely on for this.”
Lu Mei humphs and crosses her arms. “I am so relieved you think of me as a reliable Feng locator.”
Liu Jin narrows his eyes. “You have felt my feelings. You know that is not fair.”
Still, it is not as if he doesn’t understand Lu Mei’s frustration. He’d be worried if she wasn’t at least a little apprehensive about what he has suggested.
The idea came to him after remembering what Elder Xun told them. All the users of the Eternal Flame are connected through the Eternal Flame, and Feng Hao…
“My tutors all say the same thing! They said it won’t be long until I can c-use the Eternal Flame.”
Feng Hao was about to be introduced to the Eternal Flame before this all began. There is a high chance he has already started tapping into it. If nothing else, Liu Jin can rely on Feng Hao’s staggering talent. And if not him, then Feng Zhi undoubtedly has it. Considering the situation, he might have even started instructing Feng Hao in its use.
Lu Mei’s gaze softens.
“Fair enough. However, there is no guarantee you are right. Elder Xun could detect I held the Eternal Flame, but he was mere yards away from me during the trial. Meanwhile, Lord Feng Shang has no idea who I am. You, however, expect me to use the Eternal Flame Clan to track Feng Hao across hundreds of miles.”
“Lord Feng Shang wasn’t trying to sense anything,” Liu Jin argues back. “I’ll admit this is mostly conjecture, but please bear with me. People with the Eternal Flame can sense each other, provided they are skilled enough. However, this is not necessarily just a passive sense. Lord Feng Shang couldn’t detect you because he never once tried to sense anything, and your connection to the Eternal Flame wasn’t developed enough to call his attention. It is also why Feng Zhi seems to have no idea you hold the Eternal Flame as far as we know.”
“By that logic, Lord Feng Shang could find out the location of everyone with the Eternal Flame in the Crimson Cloud Empire if he cared to sense them.”
“That is not as impossible as you make it sound. Think about it. We know there are at least some Elders capable of using the Eternal Flame. The Feng Clan also has several branches all over the Empire. It would not surprise me if there were other Feng Clan members with the ability to use the Eternal Flame.”
To say nothing of illegitimate children like Lu Mei who have managed to tap into it. Liu Jin has heard and overheard enough of Lord Feng Gui’s habits to know there has to be at least some of them out there. He doubts most of them are even half as talented as Lu Mei, but there have to be some of them who can somewhat tap into the Eternal Flame.
“If Lord Feng Shang or Lord Feng Gui were to use their ability to sense everyone with a connection to the Eternal Flame in the Crimson Cloud Empire, there’d be too many of them for it to be useful. However, here in the Dead Plains…”
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
“Here in the Dead Plains, it is only Feng Hao and Feng Zhi,” Lu Mei finishes. “Supposedly, anyway.”
“Even if you can only sense their general direction, it would be a huge help towards our efforts to find them.”
“In effect, you want me to wield an ability that has proven to grow more volatile each time I grow stronger, something I have done during the time we have been apart, to attempt to do something I have never done before which may or may not be possible but will certainly be dangerous. Is that it?”
“That is… yes. I intend to help you, but that is exactly what I am asking you.”
“Help?” Lu Mei wrinkles her brow. “Ah, like what we did in the Medical Pavilion.”
Liu Jin nods. “The least I can do is help you weather the Eternal Flame. Of course, you would be tapping directly into the Eternal Flame this time. I can understand if you do not want to try, and I will not force you to do this.”
“We could both end up burned alive.”
“I am aware.”
Lu Mei purses her lips.
“I want something.”
“Name it.”
“[Ceaselessly Refining Breath]. If we survive this, I want you to teach it to me.”
“Done.”
Lu Mei blinks. “I was not expecting you to accept so easily.”
“The skills my master taught me are for me to do whatever I wish with,” Liu Jin says, echoing Old Jiang’s words. “Besides, you have made known your intention to help me on my path. You will need at least that much.”
“I can’t seem to win against you today.” Lu Mei shakes her head exactly one time. A resolute look appears on her face. “Very well. Let’s try.”
~~~
Pan Qiu is a coward
In the past, he had considered himself brave and bold, a true dragon among men destined to stand above all others. However, life in the Eternal Flame Clan has repeatedly shown him how foolish those thoughts were. He has met those who truly stand above others, trembled under their gaze, and in doing so, came to realize his true strength.
He has a coward’s instinct.
Those words would have incensed him in the past, but not anymore. Survival, not pride, is what is important. Any loss of face can be withstood so long as one lives to see another day. A coward’s instinct lets Pan Qiu know who is strong and who is weak. It tells him when he ought to keep his head down and when to flee. Thus, being a coward is not something to scorn but a necessary quality for those who have not been blessed by the Heavens.
“Senior Brother Guo, wait up!”
For example, it is because he is a coward that Pan Qiu knows he should stick close to Senior Brother Guo.
Being sent to the Dead Plains is far from an ideal scenario. Still, his situation could have been much worse. He could have ended in a group composed entirely of people from Lord Feng Shang’s faction. Instead, he was thrown alongside one of the ten Core Disciples representing Lord Feng Gui. He could not have asked for better protection.
“Please, wait!”
Unfortunately, that protection relies on not being left behind. Pan Qiu grits his teeth as he pushes his Qi to the limit, chaining Blasting Step after Blasting Step. His legs and meridians scream in protest, but he does not let that stop him. Pan Qiu is moving faster than he ever has before, and even that is not enough. The Core Disciple is simply beyond him. Already Senior Brother Guo has a full mile lead on them.
“Cease your prattling.”
Pan Qiu glares at the disciple running alongside him. Their group had been larger than three initially, but Senior Brother Guo ordered them all to return to the Eternal Flame Clan, saying there was no point in them trying to get to the temple. Most had been grateful for the order and complied without hesitation.
Pan Qiu hadn’t. Not due to any sense of duty or desire for glory. He’s long past such trivial concerns. Pan Qiu chose to stay because he knows being as close to the Core Disciple as possible is the safest path for him. However, there are idiots in this world who refused to return simply because their sense of responsibility would not allow them to. Nearly all of them had been left behind already.
All but one.
“If you have enough time to complain, you have enough time to run.”
Pan Qiu glares at Khong Hu.
It is amazing, really, what one person can do if he puts his mind to it. Khong Hu has been pushing himself as much as Pan Qiu has. His legs are equally tired, his face just as pale, and his tongue equally likely to fall off.
And yet, Khong Hu retains a high enough sense of propriety to speak with perfect diction.
Lacking any such sense of propriety, Pan Qiu’s reply comes by way of a fairly rude gesture with his hand.
“There is no need for such childishness,” Khong Hu says, his gaze now considerably cooler, a great feat considering he has been looking at him with all the patience of a disappointed instructor thus far. “Do you really not understand Senior Brother Guo’s kindness? Had he wanted to, he could have left us behind several days ago.”
On a purely intellectual level, Pan Qiu knows Khong Hu is right. Senior Brother Guo is so far beyond them that he can cover ten miles for everyone one of theirs. In fact, Pan Qiu is fairly sure he has done that on a couple of occasions.
Save for the few times they have had to avoid dangerous Spirit Beasts, Pan Qiu and Khong Hu have mostly run in straight lines. There was just one incident where they had felt the aura of Spirit Beast in the Heaven Realm in the distance and circled around it.
However, unlike them, Senior Brother Guo will often blur out of sight to look at the surrounding area. He will go left and right and back again, covering as much terrain as possible and leaving no stone unturned. Were it not for that, they’d have been left behind already.
It is as if he’s looking for something.
It doesn’t matter to Pan Qiu. Not really. If he stays near Senior Brother Guo, he will be safe. If he doesn’t, he will die. It is that simple.
Senior Brother Guo’s Qi suddenly flares up. Khong Hu and Pan Qiu both have to raise their arms to protect themselves from the dust kicked off as he accelerates. Senior Brother Guo moves with such force that the ground breaks under his feet. He moves so swiftly and tirelessly it is hard to believe he is under the curse of the Earth Realm.
A second later, the reason for his acceleration became obvious.
The aura of a Spirit Beast in the Earth Realm rises up in the distance and can be felt clashing against Senior Brother Guo. The sounds of the battle ring across the plains with such force Pan Qiu feels them on the back of his teeth.
When Pan Qiu and Khong Hu reach Senior Brother Guo, it is all over. They find him standing over the body of some sort of draconic Spirit Beast. A whelp judging by its relatively small size. From head to tail, the beast is only about as long as four men.
Senior Brother Guo’s halberd flashes too quickly for them to see it. In an instant, he carves out two chunks of the dragon’s flesh and tosses them at the two.
“Eat.”
The two disciples stare at the offered meat for a couple of seconds. The order given to them is simple, and equally simple is realizing everything wrong with it.
Lacking a finely developed coward’s instinct, Khong Hu is the one who says what Pan Qiu is thinking.
“Senior Brother,” Khong Hu says, his voice only quivering slightly, “this is dragon meat.”
It is all he says because it is all that needs to be said.
Dragonic species of Spirit Beasts are not like the others. Every part of a dragon’s body, be it flesh, blood, or marrow, is unbelievably hard to subdue. Cultivators in the Spirit Realm, and even a few in the Nascent Realm, would not usually not hesitate to taste the flesh of a Spirit Beast in the Earth Realm as the energy within would greatly boost their cultivation.
However, the flesh of a dragon is different. It will fight them every step of the way and resist their bodies’ attempts to absorb it. If they fail, it could cause them serious harm. Death, though highly unlikely, is not entirely out of the realm of possibility.
“I am aware.”
Of course, Senior Brother Guo already knows that.
“Then why…?” Again, Khong Hu is the one who speaks, for once losing his ability to form complete sentences.
“You two insist on following me. That is fine. However, the days pass, and I am not closer to my goal. If you wish to follow me, subdue the meat and gain power. If you can’t do that, leave.”
He doesn’t say there is a high chance they will try and fail anyway. It is not the sort of thing that needs to be said. Faced with such a dilemma, it is natural for someone like Khong Hu to look conflicted.
Pan Qiu has already made up his mind.
He will only survive by remaining close to Senior Brother Guo. Uncertain survival is far better than certain death.
“I have only one question, Senior Brother?”
And yet, for some reason, Pan Qiu raises his hand and speaks up.
“What do you want to know, junior?”
Pan Qiu does not meet his eyes. He never has, and he knows that has probably lowered Senior Brother Guo’s opinion of him quite a bit, but he does not mind.
“What exactly is it that Senior Brother is looking for?
If he is about to put his life in danger once more, Pan Qiu would rather know why. It can’t be that Senior Brother Guo is looking for the temple. If that was the problem, the endless number of maps Khong Hu brought with him would have solved it already.
Pan Qiu feels Senior Brother Guo’s gaze on him for three full seconds. It is about as much time as it took him to kill a Spirit Beast in the Earth Realm, and that comparison only makes him more nervous.
At last, Senior Brother Guo speaks.
“Lord Feng Gui has ordered me to secure Young Master Feng Hao.”
~~~