Gang Lei was a man amongst men now that he was a young man. A fit, muscular body but not muscular to the point where his shenyi was about to burst from his muscles. Long pink hair that flowed down his back and into the wind when it was windy. A slightly chubby, handsome, but still immature face that could charm any passing woman. Green ethereal chains were wrapped around his waist like a belt for his robes while a camera could be seen in his hands. Inside his robes, lied a golden ocarina.
After being taught everything by his Boss, Lei felt that he was finally strong enough to take revenge for his parents' killers. He didn’t know who they were, how strong they were, or if their group even existed anymore. But he would look for them anyway. Otherwise, it would feel like he’s failed his parents. If he could avenge them then, why wouldn’t he? Wouldn’t he be considered an unfilial son to his loving parents, if he didn’t do everything he could to make up for their wronged deaths? Or at the very least, try and find out why they were killed. This led him to seeking out Her. If there was anyone that could help him find his parents’ killers, it would be her.
But he knew that asking Her for a favor would come at a price and that it did. When asking her to help him with his goal, she gave him an impossible task, knowing how much this meant to him. Her purple swirling sharp eyes seemingly stared straight into his soul. She saw all of his being with just a single look. Just trying to look at her appearance was impossible as it was nothing but a towering mass of darkness that put the wickedness of Bing’s to shame. His Boss helped in convincing her to make it less arduous because of all the good work he’s done for her.
Giving a deep bow to his Boss for his help and an even deeper bow to the Sect Leader for being so kind. Gang was asked to cripple or kill the Nine Swords Sect's most talented disciples instead of the entire sect as a whole. It forced him into a difficult position. He believed that she gave him the first choice of crippling them because of the old guy who was staring at him with a gentle smile along with a few dozen terrifying spirit beasts behind him. That look of his was telling him to only kill those that are irredeemable. What classified a cultivator as irredeemable? How the hell was he supposed to know?! But that fearsome orange blob waving at him on his shoulder was more than enough of a deterrent for Gang. Looks like he was going to cripple everyone as the fear of killing someone innocent and suffering re-education from that orange thing and the old guy was terrifying, to say the least.
No one was allowed to help him but he was given a single talisman in case the Nine Swords Sect’s higher-ups interfered in her task for him. He had the choice of using it to save his life or finishing his task. The usage would be on him and if he messed up and used it at an inappropriate moment, he only had himself to blame. Upon ripping the talisman, numerous swords made out of water qi would form around him and slice at anything around him for 10 seconds. These swords held 30% of the power held by the Sect Leader. To Gang Lei, this meant that he would have only 10 seconds to be completely invincible in both offense and defense.
The Sect Leader was more than benevolent enough to give him what he needed to start his task. She told him the current locations of all the talented disciples that he needed to cripple. Gang quickly moved out to get started before they started to move away from where they were last seen. It would be a pain in the behind if they made their way deep into the Nine Swords Sect where it would be even more difficult to sneak inside to and cripple them.
Gang Lei isn’t an unknown face for the Golden Serpent Sect. Being the Boss’s sole disciple meant that more often than not, he was dragged into whatever trouble he decided to be involved with. Those troubles were usually tasks given by Jing but other times, the Boss just wanted to cause trouble and chaos all on his own. Forcing him to survive by fighting, bluffing, and sometimes killing just to survive in the high-level battles that his Boss fought in.
His first target was located in a well-known city. He frequently visited a highly reputable brothel inside for a certain woman called Liquid Diamond. Upon making it to the establishment, Gang used his heaven-given bloodline to work his way in and convince everyone that he was a friend of Iron Sword. Before waiting behind the VIP door of him having sex with Liquid Diamond, and blowing into his ocarina.
The Silent God’s Ocarina was completely unfair to anyone that wasn’t aware of its capabilities. As this spirit tool allowed him to control sound itself, it didn’t take much effort for Gang to cripple the busy Iron Sword by severing his spinal cord from behind the door. His screams filled the building but by the time anyone could come to investigate, Gang was already on his way to the second target in her home village.
Little Sword was her nickname. When he made it to her small little village in the middle of nowhere, the villagers were more than happy to tell him all about the rising of Little Sword. Coming from a small village and reaching such lofty heights like becoming a prodigy for the righteous Nine Swords Sect. She was basically their pride, joy, and deity. They went on for hours talking all about Little Sword and their experiences with her when she was younger.
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Until the woman herself came outside her home. She came over to figure out what was going on and it seemed like she didn’t recognize him or was just acting as if she didn’t. Gang wasn’t the type of person to use everything and anything to his advantage like Bing would unless he needed to. So, he didn’t consider using the villagers as a bargaining chip to convince Little Sword to let him cripple her. He just decided to play a little song with his Ocarina. Right now, his strength was restrained to the Qi Gathering realm so that he wouldn’t frighten her.
“For showing me such kindness, why don’t I play you all a nice song as thanks? It’s the first time I've been treated so well by a group of strangers that I'd feel offended if you refused.”
The villagers looked forward to hearing his song. It turns out that they weren’t so happy when near the end of his song, Little Sword suddenly took out her sword and stabbed herself once in each thigh. Rendering her legs useless unless treated by a miraculous doctor or ingesting a miracle pill. Both of which would be impossible out here in this remote village. It looks like she wasn’t too talented in qi if she couldn’t recognize that he was hypnotizing her with his music. Gang took no time sticking around as he finished the job for her and severed her legs from her upper body before disappearing from the village.
Now it was time for the final talented disciple of the Nine Swords Sect who Gang figured would be the most difficult. As he was in the middle of training on a deadly mountain filled with strong Spirit Beasts. Gang doubted he would be able to deal with him while saving his strength. So, he didn’t bother being secretive and sneaky. This was his last target so, why not finish it quickly?
Gang ripped the talisman the Sect Leader gave to him upon confronting Heavy Sword and easily sliced him to pieces despite the numerous life-saving spirit tools he had on hand. They were cut, crushed, and severed all too easily with the water blades. Unfortunately, he had no real control over the swords themselves and when he tried, his connection was forcefully broken, damaging himself instead. Meaning, he couldn’t choose to cripple Heavy Sword even if he tried but this was much easier than fighting him in a straight-up fight while trying not to kill him.
After completing his task, Gang returned to the sect eager to receive his rewards. However, the rewards he was expecting weren’t as great as they usually were. The Sect Leader told him the answer to the question he wanted to know. But this answer wasn’t exactly what he was expecting.
“Your parents’ killers are dead.” She told him upfront. “The noble family they were a part of has been destroyed by a rival noble family and any continuation of their existence was wiped out in that fight.”
“Thank you...” Gang bowed his head in gratitude despite the swelling of his chest and confusion in his heart.
The people that killed his parents were dead. Not even a sliver of their lineage remained. Meaning that the past several years of his life have been entirely meaningless regarding his parent’s death. He had no goal. He had no direction. What was he to do with his life now? Just survive, like he’s always done till now? Tears streamed down his face as he was lost in thought. Jie wrapped her arms around him during this time.
“Have you forgotten what your father has told you, idiot son?” A familiar pink-haired woman spoke to him from the sky.
“We never wished for you to take revenge... I remember telling you to not bother with doing that at all...” His father rubbed the back of his head.
Both were in ghostly forms floating in front of him.
“His exact words were ‘You don't have to do anything like taking revenge for us. All we wish is for you to become someone strong and start a family of your own that you can protect... Don't become weaklings like me and your mother. The weak only serve as food and playthings for the strong.’” His mother perfectly mimicked his father’s voice.
“So just... live my own life...?” That was what Gang understood.
“Exactly, boy... I want you to have a nice life. Well, as nice of a life that a cultivator can get.” His father shrugged.
“Most cultivators have tragic lives. Just look at us! Having to leave our poor baby on his own just because we were weak!”
“Continue to become strong Gang Lei. Meet a nice girl. Fall in love. Have children of your own. Live a life better than we had.” His father gently rubbed his hair as even more tears fell from his eyes.
“Yes! I will do my best!” He yelled to the ghostly figures.
Then Runt reappeared at the top of the steps with Hu Tao frowning at him and Jie looking concerned.
“I passed?” Runt questioned, wiping the tears from his eyes.
“Looks like you’re better than thousands of other people. Take a look at all the losers that failed while you made it.” Hu Tao turned him around to see the distraught, disappointed, and pissed faces of those below the steps.
“Are you okay, Runt?” She remembered that he was crying earlier.
“Yeah, I'm fine now.” He wiped his tears. “It’s nothing.” A gentle and determined smile soon started to form.