The pressure prevented me from moving, but I still struggled against it. Even as the sceptre crushed Mr. Collins, I wanted to go out and take the blow myself.

If only I had warned him in time. If only I had told him what I saw at the top of the cliff face, I could have stopped all this from happening.

I could have told him about the sect that undoubtedly lived near us.

“NO!” I shouted in vain.

Suddenly, the pressure enveloping me released like a dream. Oh, how I wished this was all one big dream. I nearly rushed out from the crowd, but a sob from behind pulled me back. When I turned around, Abby sat there, crying and looking ahead at her father's remains.

She was behind me the whole time.

I looked at Abby, then back to the three sect leaders. I saw all three of them scanning the crowd, and my eyes widened with realization.

One of the cultivation world rules was always to cut loose ends of potential problems.

Often that was done by making sure the loose ends were dead.

I stared back at Abby and rushed over to stop her legs from taking her closer to her father. When I took her into my arms, she crumbled in, imprinting into her mind the sight of the man looming over her father’s remains.

I ducked out of view alongside Abby, hiding in the crowd. If they knew that Abby was related to the previous village chief, Mr. Collins, she’d likely be killed too.

“Abby, listen. Where’s Arden? Where’s your mom?”

I tried to get a handle on the situation, but Abby's only reply was more choked-down sobs.

BANG!

“AGGHH!” I heard Mr. Robinson’s scream and assumed the worst. Then, I heard Gou Jia speak again over the shuffling noises.

“Your chief is DEAD! Your weapons are useless. Surrender, now.”

There was shuffling as some of the people closest to the back of the crowd got ready to run, and the sound of guns being unslung made it to my ears. I shifted to keep an eye on Gou Jia and watched as he levied his gaze at the crowd. He clicked his tongue at our petty resistance.

Tsk, tsk, tsk.

“I don’t know why I waste time talking with mortals.” Gou Jia spoke while flipping his hand out, about to snap and chime his bracelet bell.

The hand drew up, his fingers pressed together, about to make the motion that would spell out the demise of our neighbourhood. I could practically see how the demonic beasts would all rush out in attacks, and the cultivators would bathe their robes in the same crimson colour that spelled blood.

Just one snap.

“STOP!”

A woman pushed through the crowd and rushed to Gou Jia, who waved a hand behind him at Gou Da, who was readying his sceptre. The school nurse dropped to her knees in front of Gou Jia and pleaded with her hands clasped.

“Please! I’ll do anything. Just let me live! I will—”

“Enough!” Gou Jia commanded. He paused for a second, and then his harsh words turned soft and business-like as he stared at the woman like he was formulating a plan. Suddenly, he looked to the crowd with a gleam in his eye.

“Mortals! Your leader is dead. He was weak! So weak that any of the demonic creatures you encountered tonight would have killed him off. Then, they would have killed all of you.” Gou Jia’s hand landed on the shoulder of the school nurse.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“But you all have a choice to survive now. As this mortal woman here has chosen, you can all live!”

Gou Jia turned to look into the school nurse’s eyes.

“What is your name, mortal woman?”

The school nurse stuttered her name as she stared at Gou Jia like he was a saviour.

“My… my name is Megan Anderson.”

Gou Jia’s face looked like it passed over a speed bump but quickly regained its business-like smile. “What a unique name…” he muttered, then resumed talking to the crowd.

“Mei Gan has chosen to join the Bloodthorne Sect! In doing so, she will not just survive but thrive instead. I personally guarantee her future.” At Gou Jia’s words, mutterings rang throughout the neighbourhood people and the crimson-robed cultivators. After all, with a sect leader guaranteeing your future, there would be little resistance you could face, at least within the sect.

I watched as the grips attached to guns loosened, and a series of conflicted words floated around the neighbourhood. At that moment, Gou Jia's voice drove in the last nail needed to complete his persuasion.

“You are faced with a decision. Join Mei Gan in becoming a member of the Bloodthorne Sect. Or, come face to face with an unfortunate event.”

The bracelet on Gou Jia’s wrist gently chimed, and the growls of the viny beasts behind him reminded the neighbourhood of the fate of Mr. Collins and Mr. Robinson. There was an initial silence like everyone was waiting for someone else to make the obvious choice.

Clack!

An old shotgun hit the crowd, drawing everyone’s attention to the first person to walk toward a beaming Gou Jia. From there, it was a gradual flood of hope as people set their weapons down and wandered over to Gou Jia’s welcoming arms.

I was not one of those people. I looked at Mr. Collins' remains and felt a fit of betraying anger well up inside me.

How could they? Why were they giving up?

I felt a heat that wouldn’t pass as my thoughts fumed. I vaguely understood our chances were close to nothing against a man capable of stopping bullets with his hands, but to give up like this was unforgivable.

We had to fight. We couldn’t just surrender like this!

Suddenly, I felt a hand touch my shoulder. I spun around to see Mrs. Collins with Arden slung across her back. She gave me a deep look with her eyes that still had tears roaming inside them and calmed me down with a single word.

“Endure.”

She gulped at the same time I did. Then, I felt Abby's grip tighten as she clenched onto my arms.

“Don’t leave me. Please, don’t leave me. Don’t leave me.” She repeated and quenched my fiery heart. My lips tightened as I tried to take a deep breath, just like Mr. Collins taught me.

“Louie, we have to go with them. We’re going to stand out if we don’t. And that’s exactly what they want.” Mrs. Collins told me.

I hurtfully nodded my head and took Abby on my back. It was like when we were younger; she would hang onto me like a sloth, and I was her grounded tree.

I had to be there for her. I had to be here for Mrs. Collins, who winced as we walked past her former husband. I had to be here for Arden, who was passed out on Mrs. Collins’ back. Despite my feelings telling me otherwise, I couldn’t abandon them for some notion of fighting a battle that I knew I wouldn’t win.

“Endure,” I repeated under my breath.

Endure.

*****

“I can’t believe I only got to kill one person this time.” Gou Hui complained to his eldest brother, who mostly ignored his protests.

“You are well aware of The Matron’s orders. We are to take as many alive as possible. That’s why they are gathered into smaller groups.” Gou Da repeated with fervour in his eyes. Then, he continued. “Besides, they are nothing but mortals. No challenge at all.”

“Maybe for a Gateway Foundation cultivator like you, but for a little Qi Condensation cultivator like me, they still pose a threat with enough of them.” Gou Hui joked, but his older brother, Gou Da, didn’t laugh. Instead, he seemed oddly focused on the second eldest brother, Gou Jia, who talked with the oddly-named mortal, Mei Gan.

“Her figure isn’t too bad.” Gou Hui remarked, earning a dismissive stare from Gou Da.

“Do you think Gou Jia sees her for her beauty? He’s learning information. You know how obsessive he is about the details.” Gou Da spoke.

“Why bother?” Gou Hui inquired. He really couldn’t understand Gou Jia. He’d spout out things like loose ends being tied, which often led to exciting kills, but otherwise, it was just dull facts.

Gou Da shrugged, but the look in his eyes lingered on Gou Jia for a moment longer. Then, he turned his attention to directing the new sect members.

Left alone, Gou Hui quickly grew bored. He spun his dagger on his fingertips and watched as everyone else did the heavy lifting.

“Oh.”

Suddenly, a devilish thought entered Gou Hui’s mind. His brothers had told him not to kill anyone out of boredom, and he wouldn’t.

But that didn’t mean he couldn’t have a little fun.

Gou Hui scanned the mortals for the perfect target. It had to be someone teetering on the edge of an outburst. To break someone like that would give him the most satisfaction. A little bit of pain and some choice words would drive them over the edge, and then… well, if they attacked first, it had to be self-defence, right? His brothers wouldn’t get mad over one dead little mortal; it was just a matter of giving them an excuse to save their face.

“Ah, you.” Gou Hui whispered as he spotted the perfect target.

It was a young man like him, but hideous. His body was filled with impurities, and the tearstains clinging to his cheeks made his hunched figure look like a poor beggar.

Gou Hui smiled.