Third party PoV
Somewhere, further to the east of Fengshou town stood a large mountain, alone at the edge of the verdant plain. To many, it was a place of respite. Of calm and understanding, of peace and contemplation.
It is here that one of the Great Five Sects was established. Mount Hua sect was a group of people whose values were derived from the very land they inhabited, and as such: these values reflected in their arts, be it with the blade, palm, movement or even cultivation. For them, listening to the flow and moving alongside it was key to everything Mount Hua was, is and forever will be.
So it is no wonder when the flow of the world turns and changes that they are amongst the first to notice it. The hints, traces and other such inflection upon the world they lived in, and grew with.
“Elder! Elder Wenrou! Did yo-” A young man came running, panic and distress in his voice and demeanor bare for everyone to see.
“Indeed. I did witness it, the change that’s disturbing you so much. But not only I, but the rest of the elders and even the sect leaders did. But, perhaps you should have stayed in contemplation for a while more: this panic of yours would have resolved itself on its own.” Said an old woman, her body still, her legs crossed underneath her as she looked over the valley extending downward. The skies filled with pink petals flowing freely in the winds. Each of them filled with mystical energy of the land, showing her the links between her people and the mountain they lived on.
“I-Is that so? I guess you are right, my apologies for disturbing you elder Wenrou… But what is to be done? Shouldn’t we at least investigate the cause?” The young man cupped his hand and bowed to the older woman.
She smiled softly, her body covered in petals the winds brought, the energy within seeping into her body before another gust of wind took them away. The silence grew as the two looked upon the rest of the world, the young man having joined her.
“In time, perhaps. Yet, with the tournament of sword arts coming in the following week. I am sure whoever is responsible will be there.” Her voice carried a sense of certainty and serenity that the disciple couldn’t comprehend. He had felt it, a touch upon the mystical energy between Heaven and Earth. One heavy and rough, yet gentle and natural: as if the heavens and earth itself acted of their own will. This was the very reason for his distress.
“But how? How can you be so sure?”
“For the same reason why I am an elder and you are a disciple. Experience, in time you’ll see. Stay with me for a while and meditate upon what happened. And how that made you feel.” Wenrou chuckled, her gaze extending far to the west for a moment as a soft smile graced her lips. ‘In time, things will be resolved.’
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Meanwhile, on the opposite end of the verdant plains. At the very top of the Siwang Mountain range was stood the illustrious Wudang sect, who prided themselves in the study of reality. Of the Taiji and its components: the Liangyi, the Yin and Yang. Of their major and minor derivative as well as the eight phases their are expressed through. Within the grand halls of the most supreme Wudang sect, discord and confusion erupted. In the meeting chamber, where all top elders and peak leaders would usually sit with grace and serenity to listen to their sect leader, was now spectacles to a schism in their belief.
“How could that be?! We have all felt it, right? Something older and grander than what we thought was the Taiji itself touched our world. Were we wrong all this time?” A horrified elderly looking man asked the question all who were present thought of, yet none dared to ask. That earned him the attention of everyone around.
“We do not know. There’s much to learn, to ponder and observe still. I will admit that perhaps we might have wrongly assumed things. Yet our way still exists, we are all still able to use the bagua and each formation and technique derived from it, don’t we? We can still use the techniques we derived from our knowledge of the taiji itself too. That only means that we must look farther out into the world.”
“But how can that be?! The Wudang sect existed for thousands of years, why now? Why not sooner? Were we blind all this time?!” An older man asked. Everyone knew him as the archivist, one of the oldest cultivators of the Wudang sect, who after reaching a seemingly impossible bottleneck, decided to retire and serve the next generations. Yet, to see him: a person of calm and experience beyond all gathered here, beyond even that of the current sect leader, who was no different than a teen in the man’s eyes, panicking like so . It brought little comfort to the rest of the elders and members of the sect.
“How can that be?”
“Even The archivist is frightened?”
“How could that be possible?”
“Were our seniors just as blind as we are?”
“Enough.” A calm voice filled with power echoed through the chamber, rocking the very walls carved inside the mountain. All chatters ceased as all eyes turned to face the sect leader once more. All waited, hoping for comfort, for directions.
“We will all meditate on the nature of this event. And we will enter in contact with our brethren in the other sects. I am sure our fellows of Mount Hua will have a hypothesis on what's going on, and as fellow Taoist, they will offer their guidance in this time of need. Just like we would have done for them. For now, I want all of you to disperse, calm down the disciples of both outer, inner and core court. We cannot afford losing our future generations like this. I will also send for a squad of second and third level disciples with a nascent soul stage elder to search for information. That will be all until further notice, farewell.” The sect leader, an imposing man of calm disposition and scholarly demeanour said. Looking into the eyes of each of his elders, peaks and pavilion leaders, reassuring each of them at a time.
‘This is going to be a great tribulation for our Wudang sect, one I can only pray we succeed.’ He thought as he rose from his seat, his mind going through every possible alternative at hand as he sent mental orders to his most trusted colleagues.
‘Only time will tell’.
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Deep within the earth, underneath the Siwang mountain lies the dominion of the Blood Demon cult. A place of vile cruelty where only strength and cunning reign supreme and uncontested. There, at the deepest parts of the mountain's bowel, just above the lake of cursed blood was the audience chamber of the Blood Demon.
Inside laid prostrated all the greater and lower demons serving the cult. And on the opposite end, upon a lavish throne of calcified blood stone and bones sat a man, nay. The Blood Demon themselves.
Every era had their own evil, their own shadows creeping at the edge of the light. Yet there was, and always has been only one Blood Demon. For he stood supreme at the end of his path. For as long as his name existed, he would return. From the blood lake they would emerge every time they fell in battle, for their will is blood itself.
“Chaos abounds, and I wish to rise once more. To make another mark upon this world, it has been nearly a century since the last one. We can’t let those so-called righteous men and women bask in their stolen merits, now can we?”
“NO, SOVEREIGN.” The voices of all the demons echoed at once. Their will and desire united. Many had once trembled in fear, yet the intoxicating aura of strength coming from the being above them had robbed them of their emotions.
“Perfect. So much will and dedication. Yet, before we begin, I wish to tell you. There is a traitor amongst us. A simple fool thinking themselves above my will. I want all of you to search and hunt them. Pry their plans from their mind, peel the names of their cohorts as you do their skin off their flesh. And offer me their blood in my name. In return I will grant whoever offers the most fervent sacrifice, a boon.” They smiled, their corpse-like visage creased with an eerie beauty, captivating the hearts of the demonic cultivators beneath.
“Happy hunting, my precious demons. For after we cleanse our rank, the world will remember once again my name.” They laughed, showing their pearly white teeth: jagged, sharp and beast-like as the madness in their eyes pulsed, a red glow flashing through the minds of the people beneath. Forcing laughter out of their throat like knives through skins. Filling the room with pain filled laughs, just as their leader wished. And so they will obey, again and again. Until their Blood Demon was satisfied.
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Huan’s PoV
My heart was beating hard. At one point, I was fighting for my life. Enduring the perverse and maddening pain of my inner demon. Losing contact with everything else, from my sensation, to my emotions and even my memories. To later be saved by something I still don’t know what it is: some sort of rodent tree man made of touchable light. To then be berated by Iulia and kissed before I even realised what she was saying.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
I don’t even know where we are right now, and I don’t even care. Iulia is in my lap, her arms wrapped around me as my own do the same around her. Her warm and soft and gentle lips on mine as she holds me tight. It is only when I feel something wet going down her face that I pull away, gasping.
She was crying. There were tears in her eyes. Then it hit me like a lightning bolt. The things I’ve said, what I’ve done when under the influence of my inner demon…
“Iulia, I’m-.”
“If you are about to apologise, I will whoop your ass, Huan. Like it has never been before. Don’t you dare say what I think you are about to say. That was that Inner demon thing’s influence. Not you. The simple fact that you want to apologise is enough to let me know that you didn’t want to say and do what you said and did. Or nearly did. I am happy you doof.” Her face is flowing through so many emotions at once, from anger to annoyance to acceptance and finally joy. She was doing so effortlessly. While I can barely smile when I want to…
“Hey, chin up darling. I can see what’s going on in that hard head of yours. So calm down, and stop being so harsh on yourself.” I am about to retort only for her to press her index on my lips. With a sigh, I let go of her, my hands now resting between us as she does the same, taking mine in hers.
“Listen to me. I’ve told you that we are going to move things up ahead of schedule, and I mean it. Right now, you might not even realise it, but you’ve cracked open your Inkwell. That’s a good thing, but we aren’t in the right place to deal with that at the moment. Remember that haggard looking man that pulled us away from those horny cretins?” My mind is a bit foggy, but I do recall the moment. The man's appearance soon cropped up in my mind. As well as why I was so angry…
“ Did I… Did I kill him?” I can’t shake the doubt that I ended him. I can’t seem to remember anything past him saying he was there nine years ago.
Iulia’s face contorts into amusement as she pokes my ribs. “No silly. I’ve stopped you before you did. Which is also where we are at. That’s his home, he led us here after you started losing yourself. I’ve talked to him, and all I can say is that you need to do the same. He is not whoever you think he is. Can you at least hear him out?”
‘NO! He needs to die!’... Wow, alright. That’s new.
‘Not all that new I am afraid.’ … Are you… That? ‘If you mean your deepest wish and regrets? Yes, that’s me. And I wish to end that man. Kill him? For me? Please?’
… Are you serious? ‘Why yes, I am. Why the question?’
I do not know. You seemed more… Imposing back then. Dangerous, you know?
‘First, that’s rude. I am trying my best. Second of all, you can thank Cutie on your lap for that. Ruining my best chance at taking over.’
[Cutie? My~ thanks, feels good to know that even evil Huan likes me too.] A soft voice echoed in my head, yet another one. But this one I recognise from the start unlike the others.
Shaking my head, my sight focuses back on Iulia who gives me a coy smile, a small string of energy connecting the two of us: alternating between yellow and orange. Ilusion and divination, Huh?
“What are you doing in my head?” ‘Yes, what are you doing in my head?’ Shush, demon.
“Just want to keep tabs on this new guest of yours, and also make sure they do not try something stupid. Right, miss Inner Demon? Can I call you that? What am I asking, after all the trouble you’ve caused us, I will call you whatever I want. No trouble, no taking over? Understood? And maybe I will find a way to extract you peacefully.” The sorceress looked at me, her hair puffed up as she began glaring at something beyond me, her eyes cold and sharp as she did so.
‘Sure, whatever. Not lik-AH! Stop that! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME?! STOP IT, I WILL BEHAVE! I PROMISE.’ The demon's voice spiked in my head, causing no small amount of pain as I winced. Feeling as if my forehead’s about to explode for a moment, before everything stops. I can feel the Demon’s presence much more clearly than before too. As if someone had dumped a bucket of red paint on her.
“There. A fear you know and see is one lesser than an unknown one.” Iulia nods to herself, proud of whatever she had done to it. I couldn’t complain, it was now really easy to spot it inside my mind. As if a small sun followed it in my mind, lighting her up. Making it impossible for it to sneak around in there.
“So? Now that Miss Demon isn’t an immediate danger to all of us anymore. Do you feel ready to speak with him?” She asks again. Her eyes this time looking at me, present me which she is sitting on. Her head tilted at an angle, her triangular ears flopped sideways with it.
“I do not know. But I have to, don’t I?” She nods, standing off of my lap and offering her hand to me.
I can feel myself doubting, anxious. That didn’t used to happen before, I can feel myself reading my body and self much better than before, too. And with that came the awareness that I am still angry, and afraid. To meet him, to hear him. To listen to whatever he has to say, what excuses he will come up with. I want to hate him, to punish him, and take my revenge. But I also know that I do not want to understand him, to give him the benefit of the doubt. That scares me.
I take her hand, and she pulls me up effortlessly. “What happened to you? I do not remember you being this strong before?” I ask, my hands going to her arms. And indeed, I feel tight and powerful muscles there. Taut with hidden might.
She looks at me, a bit annoyed as she creases her brows. “You, and That guest of yours happened. I had to pick you up from the streets, and didn’t want to cause more of a ruckus than was already going on. So I enhanced myself, quite the rushed job as you can see, but I will work out the kinks over the next few days. Consequences can be damned all I want, I still have to deal with them sooner or later.” She chuckles dryly, her eyes going into that thousand Li zone before returning with a tired sigh.
All I can guess is that her now tampered form isn’t the one she had envisioned in her mind; that much she had told me before. That the way her body looked was really important to her. And seeing her like this really made me feel bad about it.
I pulled her close, patting her head for a moment. Her tail wagged behind her after a while.
“Come let’s go. I don’t want to impose on you anymore than I’ve already done tonight. Let’s talk with that man and take our leave.”
“Yeah. Let’s.”
We moved to a room adjacent to the one we were in. Inside was the man in question, pacing back and forth, a distressed look on his face as he turned to face us when we opened the door.
That room was lit by a candle put on near a stove. A Kettle was put to boil on it as we entered. The room was small, a large counter top and open kitchen area filled most of it. A table was in the middle with a few chairs, all of them made of cheap and worn down wood.
“Ah, there you are. So that means things went well… I am… Glad? Happy that nothing bad happened. Greetings once more, my ladies… I've put water to boil for some tea. I hope you do mind, I do not have much, and this is all I can think could interest you.” The man was tired, visibly so. And nervous. So very nervous, his hands moving around aimlessly as he started to babble. If before only his cloth made him a ragged mess, now his entire demeanour was doing it too.
[Do not be rude about the man. You would be a mess if you’ve learned that someone was about to brutally kill you in cold blood.] Iulia berates me in my own mind.
Hey, could you leave my head? One guest is already enough, even if it’s you.
[Sure, sorry about that. I just wanted you to know that he really isn’t who you make him to be.] I looked at her, seeing the string of energy recede after a few breaths.
Breathing in deep, I turn to face the man once more.
“It’s alright. Thank you for trying to accommodate us. Iulia, my partner here, told me that you had something to tell me. And while I apologise for losing myself there, I’m sure you understand why it happened, right?” I pulled one one the rickety chair and sat upon it. Iulia is doing the same at my side.
“Y-yes, it is perfectly understandable, madam Lu. And I am deeply sorry about everything.” He bows low and stays as such. I could see him trembling where he stood. Afraid of whatever he thinks I am planning. But Iulia was right, killing someone like that isn’t how I will make the difference.
“Please rise and take a seat. I want you to start explaining how the raid started. And how you came to be there yourself. How old were you then?” I ask, sounding more demanding than I wished. My voice’s harder and sharper than I realised.
He jolts up, his face a mix between relief and dread. Taking a seat just after fumbling around.
“I was seventeen my lady. Barely a man. I don't even know how the raid formed, I was too young and unimportant at the time. As to how I found myself there, I can only say that I was a young man desperate to help his mother and siblings, yet whose luck brought him to the wrong crowds. Back then I was working for a fixer, doing jobs as messenger, cleaner, and whatever else was required of me.” He started his tale. Going on about how hard his life was at the time, trying to help his hard working mother who one day fell sick. Tring to care for 2 smaller siblings while also trying to get enough money for medication for his mother.
That was when I felt my anger and disgust rising. Part of me couldn’t believe him, that he shouldn’t deserve any compassion, or pity or anything. The other, the one that suffered, the one that cared for others only to be burnt. The one that nearly broke when I found Big sis Yanmei in that cell, beaten, used, broken and discarded; that part of me came to life again.
“Do you know the name of the person you worked for? Or the name of whatever association they were part of?” I interrupted him as he was talking about how he had tried to change his life around, caring for the street urchins and other orphans around.
“Ah!... That, yes. I know… But I cannot say. I am afraid that if the word came out that it was me who told you about them. Then I will be punished, and possibly the children too. Use them to make an example, as they did to my siblings… All I can say is that they have a branch in nearly every city and town of import.” His voice dropped, turning glum. Yet both me and Iulia caught onto what he hinted at.
Right, these are the ones I am looking for. ‘That, I can agree.’
The demon, that has been silent until now, made herself known. Do you, though?
‘I am you, lest you forget. What you know, I know as well. As much as I want to cripple the man and make him suffer for what he did. I know I wouldn’t feel the same joy rending his flesh now that I know he is but an unlucky bastard… Which is why I hate what you’re doing, by the way. The less we know, the more we can rampage without a care.’ She said, appearing in my sight, sitting on the table like a miniature version of myself. Bored. So, so bored and spiritless.
What I want is not rampage, but a precise and clean revenge. Taking out only those responsible, those that wanted to be there for themselves. Not anyone else. Is that clear?
‘Are you perhaps trying to make a deal with me? Trying to leverage some sort of things over me? I want your body, girly. I don’t care for the rest. Do whatever you want, but know that if I find a crack in your head, a weakness in your will. You’re mine.’
I know. But I also know that you’ll prove yourself useful, it would be a shame if my body is to be destroyed before you can have a chance to take over, isn’t it?
‘And you call me a demon’ She rolls her eyes at me, grinning with her deformed fangs toward me.