Servant’s Cottage, South East gate, Black Sakura Sect
The ragged breaths of Lu Shimming's group echoed through the dust as they reached the ramshackle cottage at the edge of the Black Sakura Sect's southeast gate. Fatty Bao, panting beside Lu Shimming, had explained the situation. Their friend, Jin Ho, had gone to meet Mei Ah of the South gate, but had gotten himself into a brawl with Tie Niu.
Their gates had always been at odds, a simmering feud fueled by unknown animosity. Tie Niu, a brute of a man, seemed to take particular pleasure in tormenting them. He had provoked them on several occasions.
Their side had always been on the weaker end and hence suffered. But, being the part of the unorthodox faction, they had no choice but to suck it up in frustration. Strength was the only thing that spoke in the sect.
The latest incident, however, was a brutal escalation. This time limits seemed to have been crossed.
Inside the dimly lit cottage, Jin Ho lay groaning on his bed. His face was a grotesque mask of purple and red bruises, but it was his left hand that sent a wave of fury through the group. A makeshift splint held it rigid, the skin stretched tight and turning an ominous purple. It was a broken bone, a clear sign of a merciless beating.
“Senior Lu..” Jin Ho noticed the arrival of Lu Shimming and the rest of the group. His face hung in shame, he tried to get up, but the pain forced him back to the bed. His eyes slowly turned moist, helplessness and self loathing began to drown him.
“We will talk later, rest for now..” Sensing the atmosphere, they tactically retreated from his cottage, giving him time to calm down.
"Damn him! That bastard has gone too far!" Lang Jun, the strongest among them, close to entering into Qi Refinement, slammed his fist against the wall. The raw rage in his eyes promised retribution. He, being the strongest around, felt responsible for everyone’s protection.
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Lu Shimming, their leader, understood their anger. However, blind rage wouldn't solve anything. "Calm down," he said, his voice firm despite the turmoil within. "We can't just charge in blindly."
Lang Jun bristled, frustrated, battling with respect for his leader. "So we just take this lying down?"
"No," Lu Shimming assured them, his gaze sweeping over the group. "We won't let this go unpunished. But let's think before we act."
The others, though skeptical of Lu Shimming's strength, knew his intelligence. They reluctantly dispersed, leaving Jin Ho to rest.
Alone after their departure, Lu Shimming stood outside the cottage, gazing out at the desolate landscape. The southeast gate was the dregs of the sect, plagued by a constant stench emanating from the forbidden Rotten Valley behind it. Even the flies seemed more plentiful here.
The Rotten Valley, infamous across the Profound Myriad continent, was a graveyard of an ancient war. Legend spoke of a mountain of corpses dumped there, forever tainting the land with its putrid odor. Even today, the sect used it as a dumping ground for traitors, prisoners, and the unknown dead.
Lu Shimming, used to the stench, was more concerned with finding a way to deal with Tie Niu. Should he seek help from Lei Xing, one of his few acquaintances in the outer sect? Shame tugged at him, but the situation demanded action.
"Saved their hides this time, didn't you?" A voice broke into his thoughts. Mu Han, the young boy who lived with them, stood beside him.
Lu Shimming raised an eyebrow. "Saved them?"
"Of course," Mu Han declared, puffing out his chest. "If we'd fought back, we'd be black and blue. And with the inspection coming next week, injured like that, we'd be punished for sure."
A small smile tugged at Lu Shimming's lips. This little one was sharper than he seemed. And, his bearing and behaviour didn't suggest him to be a part of the unorthodox world at all.
"You're a clever one, Mu Han. Are you from a Noble Clan by any chance?"
Mu Han winked. "Maybe. I'll tell you after I get into the outer sect." With a mischievous grin, he dashed away, leaving Lu Shimming with a lingering question. Why would a Noble Clan child be stuck in this backwater sect, especially not one associated with the Orthodox faction?
Night was falling, casting long shadows across the squalid landscape. Lu Shimming had somewhere to be, somewhere the setting sun wouldn't follow.
...
The Yin Forest, a dark and brooding expanse that bordered the Rotten Valley, loomed before him. As he stepped through the eastern gate of the sect and into the forest, the oppressive atmosphere intensified. The dying sunlight barely penetrated the dense canopy, casting long, grotesque shadows. Whispers of a different kind filled the air here, rumors of Yin energy emanating from the valley, creating a haven for dark flora and fauna. Some even whispered of ghostly sightings, though those were dismissed as mere superstition.
Suddenly, a flicker of movement caught Lu Shimming's attention. A smile played on his lips. "Come out, Senior Brother," he called, his voice a low murmur. "After all, I can't see you, remember?"
A figure materialized from the gloom, shrouded in a black cloak. As the figure lowered the hood, a face that would make anyone gasp in surprise in the sect was revealed.