"Jian Yu?" Asked the strange man. His eyes locked onto Jian Yu's.
"Y-Yes?" Jian Yu answered while still lying down on the concrete floor.
"What do you know of the Blood Reaches Sect?"
Hearing the question that needed to be answered, he was shocked. As he never ever told anybody of the existence of the old man, he knew that there was absolutely no way for anybody to know of the Blood Reaches Sect. However, this man in front of him knew of it. Those eyes of his seemed even more piercing than before, as if a gaze could uncover his deepest, darkest secrets... If there were any.
"I... don't know much, I met this old man who then gave me a cultivation technique and the location of the sect. I was told that if I reached the peak of qi condensation, I would then meet their requirements to be recruited."
Without fail, Jian Yu engrossed himself with recalling past events while ignoring the man in front of him. It was the only way for him to remain calm in this odd situation.
"And where is the sect located?"
"It's somewhere in the vast Black Beast Forest. That's all I know. C-can I go now?"
"QUIET, I do the questioning here," threatened the man. His voice hoarse from the menacing shout. However, in his eyes bloomed hope.
To him, it seemed like Jian Yu was not of importance at all to the Blood Reaches Sect. A mere ant like him that could be swayed by anybody in their sect was worthy of zero mention. What mattered to him was the given location of the Blood Reaches Sect.
For years, they've searched for the location of the Blood Reaches Sect. Yet, there had only been a few clues that led to dead ends. Now that they had a big lead, it was time to consider taking a risk.
To send an Elder to negotiate terms with the Blood Reaches Sect and risk having one less key defender in the upcoming war or to not. If they pulled in resources of the three Great Sects and Families, they would certainly be able to secure a powerful ally. However, they might not make it in time and end up losing the war much easier.
"Chou Tai, put this boy in a prison cell. Notify the all the other Elders in the other sects and families that another meeting will be held underway immediately. I'll wait here," the tall and slender man
The big and burly man behind Jian Yu bowed deeply and carried Jian Yu up again.
Jian Yu felt as if he was brushing against a plot that was much bigger than himself. These almighty beings all around him look at the Blood Reaches Sect as some big shot that they could request assistance from. However, what was the problem that even the three Great Sects and Families could not resolve on their own? It was a troubling matter indeed.
Considering what he noticed during the flight, there is certainly going to be a large scale battle on the way. All of this was too much for a young boy like Jian Yu so he shoved these thoughts to the back of his mind. All he focused on was a way of life that he had been enlightened on by the old man.
"Power resolves everything."
After flying through the sect for a few minutes, Jian Yu was tossed into a spacious cell made with metal bars. Those metal bars had runic symbols pulsating off of it. Clearly they were precious treasures used for trapping enemies. The insides of the prison cell weren't too shabby. They had a small well and a bucket to collect water for various purposes and a toilet. While those were in one corner, the other had a flat matress. It was all dusty and worn out. Obviously, they took more care making the foundations of the cell than the interior of it.
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Back in the Elder's association...
"The Blood Reaches Sect is somewhere in the Red Span Forest? Although it might not be entirely dangerous, it's far too vast to carry out a quick mission. Furthermore, the mysteries surrounding the forest are far more peculiar."
A old lady voiced out her opinion. Her stand was clear, "don't send for help."
"But old lady Mao, with the attack of the Great Dragon Dynasty coming, I'm afraid we'll need all the help we can get. They have foundations that run too deep and their resources far and wide. They might even have spies in our sects."
This time, a ladylike man had spoken out to respond to the previous woman's comment. His opinion immediately pushed The other men and women in the hall to chatter loudly. With a comment like that, it was certain to instill panic in the audience.
"Impossible... There's no way that we're harboring traitors. But it's the Great Dragon Dynasty so it might be possible..."
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
"SHUT IT! in times like these, it's for the best that we stay calm and address the best options available. Although there might be traitors, it's far too late to sniff them out."
"True, true. But what if..."
As nobody stopped the incessant chatter, the patriarch of the Imperial Family stood up.
"We shall send a batch of young, talented geniuses to the Blood Reaches Sect along with one of the Elders here. We shall hand over our geniuses to them as a bargain for them to help. This will ensure that at least our sects can live on in the junior generation and may also sow good will with the Blood Reaches Sect. Only after their assistance with the war will we hand over our precious treasures."
As the patriarch of the Imperial Family had the highest status in the entire city of Acirema, everybody else had shut themselves up and listened. After much thinking, everybody had to agree that the logic behind the thinking of the patriarch of the Imperial Family was sound.
"But, what if they disagree..."
Somebody muttered under their breath. However, it was still loud enough for most to hear in the silent hall.
"Then, they will just have to accept our geniuses, they won't reject having more outstanding disciples after all. However, the Elder will have to make the journey back alone in time for the war."
The patriarch of the Imperial Family had thought things through thoroughly in the short time given. That showed him ability of problem solving which further elevated the faith of his subordinates seated with him.
"Listen up, every sect and family! Secure a batch of five genius disciples that won't be of any help in the war. If they start here, their future will be cut off. If they live, they might be able to carry on the legacy of our sect!"
A loud uproar sounded out from each of the Elders and patriachs in the hall. The gloomy atmosphere had mostly been replaced with the atmosphere befitting that of hope. Hope that the sects may not perish in the end.
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Meanwhile, Jian Yu was restless in his prison cell. It's been hours and he can't get over the fact that he had been taken captive against his will twice in just two days! Occasionally, the prison guards would hear incessant complaints, then mad laughter, followed by a helpless sigh.
He had sat down a few times to ponder on the few things he had left in his life. His father, his job, and... the bunch of people that hate him with a passion. When he thought about it, he actually had a depressing life. Although it was somehow caused by himself, he couldn't bring himself to accept how his life had turned out. It had become some sort of needle that poked at his heart every now and then, reminding him of his bad decisions.
"But it's just who I am... Why must they hate me..."
"If they hate me, let them hate me. I don't care what they think. Why should I?"
Jian Yu's thoughts were going back and forth between two opposites at this point. One moment, he would just complain and feel helpless about his problems while on the next, he would act domineering and be uncompromising with the other party to push his problems under the rug.
"AHHH, whatever. I need to calm down first. Meditate, I need to start cultivating. Take my mind off all of these."
With that, Jian Yu took out the two qi gathering pills he had left and started a cultivation session in the prison cell.
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To the west of the city, multiple valleys were seen stretching across the plains. Less caravans were seen traveling to Acirema due to rumors of war. The only ones seen were going away from the city. However, a single caravan was spotted moving against the current. Word of this quickly spread to the Elders in the city.
In the caravan was a small group. It consisted of two old men, a middle aged woman and an adolescent boy. It seemed like a normal group of travelers no matter what angle one tried to inspect them with. However, each and every one of them knew that their mission had to succeed.
"How much further is it?" Complained the boy.
"We should be close enough for them to notice, they should take the bait given our location."
The middle aged woman replied to the boy's name calmly, completely confident in knowing the action going to be taken by the city of Acirema.
Indeed, it took only half an hour for a group of cultivators to come flying to them for an investigation. It was a team of seven, the optimal number for a team to cooperate in. It was actually lead by Chou Tai. Although not an Elder, he is in charge of various matters of the city. Beside him were two relatively low-key Elders from two of the Great Families, the Li family and the Tian family. The rest of the team were just normal disciples for the investigation.
"Stop right where you are! Due to the current circumstances of the city, we'll have to conduct a thorough investigation a safe distance from the city."
The group of seven landed beside the carriage and forced it to a stop. The four disciples then opened the carriage doors and carefully carried out their investigation.
*Swish*
"What..."
The upper bodies of the disciples were cut clean from their lower bodies swiftly. Before they could even process what happened, they perished. Blood spurted out of the arteries and accumulated on the soil below, nourishing the plants.
"Don't tell me this is how you treat your expected guests. How disappointing..."
The words of the old man that spoke contained an obvious coldness that chilled one of the Elders stationed outside the carriage. From the opened doors, it could be clearly seen that there was no blood spilt on the inside of the carriage. It was spotlessly clean of blood. Although no signs showed that somebody in the carriage murdered the disciples, Chou Tai and the two Elders clearly saw everything that happened with their cultivation base.
"Chou Tai, Tian Ji, we need to leave. NOW!"
The Elder that spoke felt an inexplicable fear towards those in the carriage. Especially the adolescent boy. When he thought about it, he could recall that the Emperor of the Great Dragon Dynasty's brother roamed through the world in the form of an adolescent boy. Could it be?
However, before the other two could react, a domain of fire spread out. It was the physical manifestation of strength for those who reached the peak of the Elemental Core stage of somebody who cultivated the path of flames.
It took mere minutes before the Elder who called out to the other two to burn to a crisp. It was the ultimate show of power right outside the city walls to crumble morale. Chou Tai and Tian Ji walked out safely then dropped to their knees to kowtow in greeting of the Emperor's brother. Chou Tai raised his head to voice out the situation of Acirema. His voice solemn with every word.
"Preparations are complete, it's time to begin."