The fanfare that followed the boy’s victory was long and drawn out, and no doubt that many in the sect would want to befriend him, but fame wasn’t the main reason he participated in the tournament.
Jun expertly weaved through the crowd, running to Chen Hao’s side as he tried to shake hands with Wu Qiang. The other looked at him like he was the devil himself before quickly scrambling away, disregarding his own dignity. The boy expertly turned the failed handshake into a head scratch, looking as if he intended to do that all along.
“Oh, there you are! Did you enjoy your morning sunbath?” he said, kneeling to pet Jun.
“You know how it is. I’m a high-maintenance dog. What can I do about it?”
The two quickly vanished from view before they got swarmed by female disciples. Instead, they made their way over to the beautiful announcer, who was all smiles once she saw Chen Hao.
“That was quite the technique, but it could use some work. If you ever need any help, I’d be willing to give you a few lessons.”
“I’ll reach out when I get the chance,” he said, gracefully deflecting her invitation. Jun once again thanked God that Chen Hao was ensnared by Li Xia. Otherwise, he would be a menace to society with his looks and his peeping technique.
“Right. The winnings,” she tilted her head as if suddenly remembering. “Five Essence Elixirs, two hundred contribution points, and the Azure Sky Brooch. Here you go.”
This was the main reason why the boy had fought so intensely. The elixirs would further propel his cultivation. With the contribution points, he could afford various resources and magical techniques. The Azure Sky Brooch was also a powerful defensive artifact, which he solely lacked. And to top it all off, the boy himself had wanted a chance to fight various opponents and test the results of his training.
After some more general pleasantries and vague promises, they went back to watch the finals between two disciples in the Grand Circle of Qi Refining. It was a battle on a completely different scale compared to theirs. Volcanic eruptions countered dragons made from ice as both fought mid-air, unleashing technique after technique. In the end, the ice-wielding disciple won when she encased her opponent in a glacier, and as a reward, she received a Foundation Establishment Pill. If she succeeded, and if she was below the age of twenty, the inner sect would be receiving another disciple soon enough.
‘The inner sect… What kind of wonders lie there? I guess we’ll see soon enough,’ Jun wistfully thought.
As the crowd began to disperse and the duo began to leave, they were suddenly struck blind by a ray of sunlight reflecting off a powerful baldy. A slightly pudgy monk, jingling his khakkhara staff, smiled as he saw them, looking like Buddha himself. It was none other than Zhao Bin.
“Amitabha. It was a superb fight, Chen Hao, but you should not use those devilish techniques.”
“The devil is not someone who will appear before you in a hellish visage. Instead, he is in the everyday temptations, slowly leading your mind astray,” he thumped his staff on the ground as he loudly and righteously proclaimed.
“I am trying, brother Zhao. This was but an exception,” Chen Hao wryly smiled, trying not to think of all the evil things he had done in the past.
“Good, good. Unfortunately, I am here to bid you farewell. I shall be heading to the Demon Prince’s Ravine in the next few days.”
“Wait. Why? What did you do?” the boy asked in surprise.
“It’s a long story, Brother Chen,” he said, but his eyes twinkled like he wanted to tell it regardless. And when the boy nodded, the buddhist began his tale.
“I’ve been working hard to expand our temple, recruiting more and more disciples, but the merciful Buddha must have decided to test my resolution. Brother Yun, a kind and passionate soul, recently joined our temple, and at first, I thought nothing of it. But as it turned out, he had a troubled past.
“The very next morning, an elder stormed into the temple, demanding us to hand his son back to him. We loudly proclaimed that no one was holding him there and that he joined of his own free will. Even Brother Yun said the same thing.
“But the elder began yelling, saying that a proper cultivator only uses a sword and that no son of his shall be a ‘damn monk.’ Then, as punishment, he decided to send the entire temple to the Demon Prince’s Ravine, so that we may ‘gain proper battle experience,’ and ‘become real men, hardened by blood and steel.’”
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Zhao Bin ended the story with a sigh, holding his hands together in a prayer.
“I’ve come to offer you an invitation. If your path is unclear and darkness muddles your heart, then come and join us along our journey,’ he said, bowing deeply towards Chen Hao.
“I’m sorry,” was all that he said in response.
Everyone knew that getting sent there was practically a death certificate, or better yet, it resembled a grindstone. One out of ten would emerge from it all as polished swords, ready for anything life had to throw at them. The rest either weathered the storm or became a part of the grindstone.
Yet, the two were still friends, so they spent the afternoon walking around the sect and telling stories of everyday life, only bidding each other farewell when night arrived. Normally, Jun would head back with Chen Hao to their house, but not today.
You see, today was a special day. All he needed to do was set the trap, and then, the prey would willingly get trapped.
---
It was a cloudy night in the upper reaches of the sect. Alcohol flowed like water, especially when the disciples who had lost in the tournament decided to drink their sorrows away. Thousands of spirit stones exchanged hands in minutes just to keep the entertainment going.
Of all the places in the sect, there was one particular alley a cat with black and white fur liked to visit. The owner would leave her wine on the windowsill as a favour, and Fei could overhear a great many secrets if she sat still and listened. They would become her weapons for tomorrow, and it was oh so funny to see the lesser and inferior disciples squirm as she revealed their darkest desires.
Tonight, there was a special surprise waiting for her at her favourite spot. Spiritual Salmon, fresh and raw, glistening in its juices, was plated and decorated and sitting in the middle of the street. Fei cautiously sniffed around, looking from side to side, but upon not seeing anyone, she slowly approached the salmon. Then, with lightning-fast movements, she broke the formation on the ground and snatched the fish!
“Your mother has insulted the heavens by giving birth to you! It is a tragedy that someone like you breathes the same air as me. Phui!” she yelled at the air, spitting on the floor nearby.
“Woof woof woof, woof!” the dog angrily responded, standing up from behind the corner. It was truly stupid if it thought she wouldn’t notice something so simple.
Then, just like always, the poor mutt began to run. It had been trying to catch her for months on end with these unoriginal traps, but she was always one step ahead of it. She easily followed right behind it, just out of its striking distance. The dumb thing often liked to lash out.
“Woof woof.”
“Dogs can’t change their way of eating shit. Do the world a favour and stop breathing.”
Once again, it was too stupid to realise it was running into a dead end. It desperately ran faster and faster until it ended up ramming into the wall and collapsing on the floor, concussed.
“Thinking about it, the heavens truly are fair. To counterbalance me being born, they gave life to someone like you. It is only right that I am majestic, agile, and beautiful, while you have worms for eyes, the body of a fat toad, and the brain of a snail.”
She approached closer and closer, and that’s when the dog opened its eyes and impishly smiled. From its storage bag, a small, purple flag emerged, engraved with the image of a turtle. Desperately leaping back, she noticed far too late that three other flags were hidden throughout the alley—she was in the middle of it all!
As it placed down the final formation flag, a hexagonal green barrier sprung up all around her, trapping her in the narrow alley. The dog before her gloated, sticking out its tongue and barking some more.
“Stupid,” she said. Coiling her body, Fei launched herself through the air with the speed of an arrow.
“First Sin - Gluttony,” she murmured, swiping her claws against the barrier. The entire thing shattered as if a massive beast had suddenly taken a bite out of it.
The stupid mutt looked surprised, but it was still smiling. Why was it still smiling!?
Unhurriedly, it placed down another flag, and the entire area transformed. The buildings all around her disappeared, and instead, she began to wander through a field of endless fog, passing by ghostly trees and immaterial lakes.
“A simple trapping formation. I just need to find the life and death gate,” she murmured, making haste.
She was the Grand Phoenix Immortal of Seven Sins—this kind of thing was nothing but a joke to her. It was only her stupid memory stopping her, always failing her when she needed it the most. If only she was more than a thousandth of a shattered will…
“Any minute now, my memory will come back. Then, not even the heavens will be able to stop my wrath. You shall never get a moment alone! All your secrets will be exposed!” she roared towards the fog, but no one responded.
The fog deepened the more she walked, and every minute, her eyes desperately wanted to take a rest. More and more of some stupid purple powder kept appearing from the outside, and the more she breathed it in, the sleepier she became. Half-muddled, she collapsed down on the soft grass by the lake, curling up in a ball.
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to take a break after all.
---
“Got you now, bitch! Now, let’s bring you to Chen Hao and see what that elder is like!”
A dog laughed alone in an alleyway, standing before a sleeping cat, striking a victory pose.