Falling into darkness, Hui kept a tight hold on Tseng Caihong. The portal closed behind them, and they tumbled into a dark, dank cave. Lumpy calcium deposits formed pale shapes around them.
Rather than a portal, it’s more of an alternate opening to the assassin’s secret realm. One that I had a clone open for me a few days back.
Tseng Caihong wrenched free. Whirling around, she turned back to the portal, but it was already gone. She looked around her, then scoffed and went to fly back to the battle.
All around them, the lumpy shapes came to life. White arms reached for Tseng Caihong from all directions.
She jerked back. Nearly as quickly, the resentment demons followed. They chased Tseng Caihong, hammering at her with all their many arms. She vanished under a rain of blows.
One of the resentment demons drew up alongside Hui. Practically vibrating with excitement, it turned to Hui. “Yes. Yes. Yes! Kill! Kill! Kill!”
“Here, try this.” Hui tossed the demon one of the potential-burning pills.
The demon tipped itself back and snapped up the pill. It swallowed, then stuck its tongue out. “Bitter.”
Hui quickly scanned it with his divine sense, only to sigh. As I expected. It has no potential left to burn.
With a shout, Tseng Caihong sent the resentment demons flying. She looked at Hui and laughed. “Is this your plan? Your grand plan?”
Hui backed away. “Elder Sister, spare me!”
“It’s too late to cry for forgiveness. Die!” She slammed her palm at his face.
A smile crawled over Hui’s face. Using his compressed body, his barrier, and his full strength, he caught Tseng Caihong’s hand.
“Elder Sister, what did I tell you about small bugs?”
Darkness swirled around his ankles. Black mist filled the room. The chill of death crept through the air. Tseng Caihong pulled away, but Hui held on tight. Experimentally, he tried injecting death qi into her hand, but her cultivation power repressed his attack without her trying.
Ah, that’s fine. I didn’t think it would be that easy.
From underneath him, a skeletal hand thrust forth. It slammed onto the floor and hauled up, revealing an enormous skeleton with one eye between its two sockets. A pale woman with black eyes and burn scars all over her body wound around Tseng Caihong’s legs like a snake, dragging her down into the black smoke. Wispy and slender, a starved ghost latched on to Tseng Caihong’s shoulders.
Tseng Caihong scowled. She clenched her fists and exploded out with her cultivation power. All the ghosts went flying. “This is the extent of your attack?”
A black muzzle poked out of the hole, sporting magnificent pale whiskers and a small beard. Two black, dead eyes stared from the depths, gazing deep into Tseng Caihong’s soul.
Stolen story; please report.
“A flood dragon?” Tseng Caihong scoffed.
Black Dragon scoffed in return. “A mere human?”
All at once, she burst out of the Underworld, slamming Tseng Caihong back with her body. She whirled around Hui, forming a loose loop with her long body. Here and there, scales had fallen free, revealing rotten flesh and bare bone. Her whole body emitted a chill aura of death and a faint, rotten odor. Finishing her loop, she lowered her head to Hui. Her head pressed against his entire body, and her eyes opened, pure black pools gazing at all of him at once. “My child. My son. How is he?”
Involuntarily, Hui trembled. He yanked his gaze away from Black Dragon’s eyes. I shouldn’t look at those too long. No wonder she keeps them shut. Hui pulled his robes open, showing her the snake snuggled between the inner and outer layer of his clothes. “He’s alive, but barely.”
“And the villain that did this?” she asked, more than a hint of growl in her voice.
Hui swallowed. Even though I did no wrong, I’m still terrified! Between Senior and Tseng Caihong, I’d rather fight Tseng Caihong!
Lifting a hand, he pointed. “Right there, Senior.”
Black Dragon turned. She bared her fangs at Tseng Caihong.
Tseng Caihong frowned. Squinting at Black Dragon, she asked, “You… you’ve used up your time, too. How are you still alive?”
Black Dragon snorted. Hot air blew against Hui so hard he nearly fell over. He hugged his robes to himself, afraid they’d blow up like some movie starlet’s.
Amused, Black Dragon shook her head. “Ha! Blame it on heavens, and two foolish Kings of Hell.”
Hui cleared his throat. “Senior, I’m only the landlord.”
Tseng Caihong blinked, startled. “You’re… what?”
“Ah, that’s right.” Hui opened his bag. “Senior, would you like one?”
Black Dragon sniffed the pills. She laughed. “Now is the time, isn’t it? Boys, girls, everyone! Our friend brought sweets!”
Snagging the bag in her claw, she threw the pills into the air. Flying up, she snatched one and darted at Tseng Caihong. All around her, the other ghosts and ghouls snatched up pills. “Hey, I saw that first!” “Don’t steal mine!” “Sweets, overworld sweets!”
“It—it burns your potential… whatever’s left of it,” Hui called as a warning.
“That’s right. Burn everything you have left.” Black Dragon pulled alongside Hui again, peeking at Zhubi one last time. “We’re remnants of a bygone era, the trash the previous King couldn’t get rid of. Let’s clear ourselves out. Cleanse the burnable rubbish, and give you a clean slate, O Future King.”
“S-still just the landlord, Senior,” Hui said, ducking his head a little.
Her tail whacked him on the shoulder. Even with his strength, compression, and everything, Hui still nearly fell flat on his face. “Stop playing the pig for a moment, won’t you?”
Tseng Caihong backed away. She pointed at Hui. “How do you know a Wandering Immortal flood dragon? Why… where…?”
Hui stepped forward. He bowed. “Sincerely, Senior, that small snake of mine you stole… did you never think he might be someone’s precious egg?”
Dark energy swirled around Black Dragon. Her power surged, shooting up to the peak of Wandering Immortal stage as the pill took effect. She pointed her head toward Tseng Caihong, her dark, flat eyes suddenly burning with bloodlust. “Daring to harm my child… you have guts, human!”
The other ghosts reared up, circling and twining around her. All of them swirled around Hui, creating an extremely bizarre scene, enough to send shivers down any cultivator’s spine.
Tseng Caihong clicked her tongue. She spread her palms, her eyes glittering, her side ponytail flowing on the wind. “Then come.”
Without another word, the two sides rushed at each other. On one side, an undead flood dragon and dozens of bizarre and mysterious ghosts and ghouls; on the other side, Tseng Caihong alone, standing against the flood.
Hui stood back, watching the two clash. He put a hand on his chin. This isn’t very protagonist-like of me, is it? Having someone else fight my battles.
Ah, well, thank goodness I’m not a protagonist! Think about the burden I’d have to bear, carrying the weight of the whole battle on my shoulders all the time, never able to hand it down. I’ll fight like the side character I am! By using all the power I can find, no matter where it comes from!
Though… I suppose some might call it a two-bit villain’s fighting style…
A hand still on his chin, Hui cleared his throat a little bit self-consciously. Pressing his lips together, he smirked, just a little.
…in any case, as long as the job gets done, who’s going to question the method?