Wang hurried to grab the ring, hidden under the straw he used to sleep and placed it on his finger.
“So you are about to face your tribulations,” the man stood at the door. It was the same man that took Chu when he had his tribulations.
“Don’t know where you-”
“Don’t bother with the excuses,” the man walked in, “we are here to remove you from the village.”
Wang looked around, watching the rest of the group surround the place, he wouldn’t be able to flee from them, not alone.
But…
He took a deep breath and trusted in his new found strength, the Iron Body was a cultivation technique that was said to rival gods once cultivated to its peak. One of the thugs approached him and Wang waited until he was close. He punched, with every tiny bit of power he could muster.
The punch landed with a quiet thud into the man’s stomach, and the man dropped on the ground, unmoving.
“You dare!?” the leader snapped. “Capture him, now!” he pointed and the others moved.
He tried to use the Legendary Twin Tailed Rat King’s Maw, but they seemed to resist it. The leader was emitting his chi so hard that it was disturbing everything else, and he was sure he would have fainted if he did not refine his dantian to a shiny orb earlier.
“That’s not how you use the Legendary Twin Tailed Rat King’s Maw,” the squeaky voice interrupted, making the enemies freeze. “This is how you use the Legendary Twin tailed Rat King’s Maw!” the Rat King said as he jumped on the leader before unleashing the attack.
The man dropped on the ground in an instant, and his followers moved away, and were in a dazed state.
Wang took the chance to run.
“Get back here!”
“Get him!”
“Run, my boy, run!”
The voices followed as he Tried to run across Bedlam. He saw Xiu and Len standing in his way, near Chu’s house.
“Are you going to stop me?” Wang stopped in front of them, his voice shuddered as he spoke.
“We have had our issues, we and you,” Xiu crossed his arms, “I never really liked you, and I still don’t.”
LEn was looking at his hand, at the ring.
Wang froze as they both took a fighting stance. “Please don’t,” he said meekly.
“Do what?” Len smiled, as he moved slightly to the side.
Wang blinked in surprise as Xiu did the same, he too noticed the ring.
“We’ll stop them,” Xiu said, “go and defeat the tribulations that got Chu.”
Wang nodded and passed by, he heard surprised yelps and felt a familiar tug on his robes. The Rat King climbed and sat on his shoulders. “These spring chickens thought they could ward off my vicious attacks,” it scoffed.
He chanced a look back, where the group of people were now fighting viciously with Xiu and Len. the blows were sending so much chi into the air, he could almost taste it.
“Where should I go?” Wang huffed, running in circles around Bedlam. He couldn’t face his tribulations while those guys were chasing him.
“Start by heading towards the forest,” It pointed.
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Medical Observations: Josh (501)
The squirrel jumped on the chief nurse, producing scratchy, noisy, single tones, and the chief dropped on the ground.
“I really think you should’ve let Olga handle this,” David told peter. He took a bite out of his warm biscuit and washed it down with the bitter dark coffee.
“These guys can handle it,” Peter waved. David did not understand the man’s adamant decision about not using Olga for these confrontations. She would’ve made the ideal choice to keep them calm, especially since the guys seemed to respect her.
Ah, Josh ran out in the confusion of the staff, the squirrel chasing behind him. William and Daniel blocked Josh’s path for a moment, exchanging a few words before they let him through.
The duo blocked the path of the staff instead, allowing Josh to flee.
“Move,” the chief nurse grumbled.
“On our dead bodies,” William snapped and jumped to hug the staff. Daniel mimicked. They turned into a large ball of human limbs as everyone toppled over and fell to the ground.
“Excuse me,” David rose with his meal and went towards the garden, leaving Peter to grumble something about the incompetence of his staff.
David was beginning to think this entire place was incompetent, across his stay. He might have to give an anonymous report about this institution later.
He was against interacting directly with the environment he was studying, to try and keep his studies as neutral as possible, but the human element was ever so curious, so nosy. So he moved to where he thought Josh would go, the fountain.
Surely, he found the man there, sitting on the fountain in a meditative pose. The squirrel was watching by his side. It turned towards him and chittered angrily as he approached.
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“Easy there, little fella,” David smiled at the critter, handing over the biscuit. “Peace offering?”
The squirrel perked up and took the bribe, leaving him in front of a meditating Josh.
Now, how should he handle this?
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Wang
“Easy there,” the ethereal voice said, “you are just a small critter.”
Wang froze and kept his eyes closed as he heard the exchange.
“Are you trying to ruin this young man’s cultivation?” the Rat King chittered.
Something must’ve changed during the silence that followed, because he felt the oppressive chi vanish.
“A peace offering,” the voice placed something beside them.
“Oh, you are a good man, good man,” the Rat King said, surprised and jubilant.
Wang opened his eyes and saw two things.
The Rat King betraying him for a piece of sweet bread, and the man with the ethereal voice.
The man was tall, with long flowing hair and beautiful black robes that swayed in the gentle breeze. He had a serene air about him, and most importantly, he knew this man.
“Master?” Wang rose.
“Hm,” the man frowned.
“Master Fu Kung!” he rose and extended his hands towards the man, “It’s me, Wang.” His hands passed through the man, almost making him trip. “No… where have you been, what were you doing all this time?”
The man kept frowning as he watched Wang. “I know who you are,” he finally replied.
Wang watched the man’s body, it was slightly transparent, almost ghostly. “You really did die,” he said, moisture gathering in the corners of his eyes.
“I am not dead,” the man shook his head. “Most importantly…” he turned, looking towards the distance.
“Not dead?” Wang watched the man, fluttering hair and robes, the regal appearance. He hadn't seen him since he was just a child, and now he was here, ghostly. Why now, why when-
The ring.
“You are inside the ring,” Wang whispered to himself in realization.
“They are coming, Wang,” Master Fu Kung said.
“I’m scared, master,” Wang replied. “The tribulations are coming, they are coming and I am terrified of failing them, and these guys are trying to ruin it for us, too.”
“Let them take you,” his master said.
“What?” Wang blinked.
“Let them take you,” he repeated, “trust me, as I trust that you will pass through this.”
“Master?” Wang frowned. His master just watched him with a look of extreme confidence combined with a gentle smile. “You have faith in me?”
“I’m sure you will come out on top of this,” His master nodded and walked away, vanishing into the thin air.
“Well, I might as well join along,” the Rat King said before hiding in his robes. “Just in case.”
Wang nodded and watched the enemies approach him, he rose to his feet and went with them.
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Medical Observations: Josh (501)
Josh was strapped on the chair and prepared for the shock therapy.
“I don’t know how you talked him down,” Peter said. “But it seems to have worked.”
“If you let Olga do it, you would’ve had the same result,” David tried to keep the disdain from his voice. “She is good at handling them.”
“She annoys me,” Peter waved.
Yeah, David was definitely filing a report.
“We are ready, sir,” the technician said.
“Very well,” Peter turned towards the man.
David watched as the tiny critter in Josh’s garbs fled into the room, and hid somewhere. He would’ve warned them, but he wanted to make a few calls to the medical association before more people were harmed by the careless practices of this establishment.
“Begin.”
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Wang
The tribulations began, in this isolated shack, where no one bothered him.
He could do this, he could finish this.
“You are on your own for now, kid,” The Rat King walked out and watched from a distance. “Make me proud.”
The first lightning struck him, and it made his entire body shudder, but he felt no pain, thanks to all the cultivation and refining he did. Most importantly, he saw the vague specter of his master watching him earlier.
He believed in him.
“I’ll defeat you,” he hissed after the first strike was done, “not even the heavens will stop my path.”
The second one followed, slightly stronger, but still easy.
The third, too.
The real danger was the last one, as he was told.
He grit his teeth and took on the fourth, screaming as his entire body shook under the strength.
“You are doing it kid, you are defeating the tribulations!” The Rat King squeaked.
Wang would’ve answered, but the next strike was already heading his way.
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Medical Observations: Josh (501)
“Yes,” David nodded, “right away please, I called with my concerns before, but this is starting to get people hurt, yes, yes, thank you.”
He put the phone down and went back to the treatment facility.
The police would be on their way, and the association was informed. He should’ve stopped this earlier.
“Where did you go? Having a queasy stomach after last time?” Peter laughed.
“How is he doing?” David ignored the man.
“This is the eighth shock,” Peter said with a grin, “double the voltage for the next one. No, triple it.”
“What?” David blinked. “You can’t, you shouldn’t”
“It has to become stronger-”
“Have you forgotten what happened to James already?”
“You are forgetting yourself, doctor,” the man shot him with a cold glare. “You are a guest here.”
“Sir?” the technician said, waiting for the go.
“Go.”
“Don’t go,” David snarled. “I have called the authorities, I have provided them with info on what you were doing here, how bad the place is run under your command. If you run that device you will be arrested too,” he turned to the technician.
The technician let go of the control panel, clearly not willing to be arrested, or not wanting to send another person to death.
“So that is how it is,” Peter growled before he went to the panel.
“Don’t do-” David approached but Peter smacked him straight in the face and sent him to the ground.
“I’ll do this,” he turned the voltage control up, “By. My. Self.”
He pressed the button, and nothing happened.
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Wang
The last one was taking too long, for some reason, but he wasn’t complaining as it allowed him time to regroup his energy and prepare for it.
He was tired, but he had to do it, he could do it. His master was watching him. He was going to become an immortal daoist. He was going to fulfill his and his friends’ dreams.
“I think I’ll help you with this one…” The Rat King said. “It’s looking to be a rather big one”
He was munching on some black roots. It took a bit, but then electricity crackled around the Rat King. Were those some secret roots to give some rare external skills?
“Thank you for all the food!”
“Don’t do it!” Wang shouted.
“Take care, my boy,” the Rat King smiled at him and then bit deep into the wire.
Whatever it was, the final tribulation shock hit the Rat King instead, and it was sent flying.
It did not move.