Chapter 0047
The duo started walking back to the camp. Xing Zhi Hui silently guards Tempest as she tried to work through the conflict that plagues her.
She never killed before.
Even though she kept saying “Betrayer must die!” she never actually killed the betrayers. She did torture them to the point where living is worse than dying but she never killed another human before.
The sense of crossing a moral divide prevents her from taking the final step.
It was too easy to kill people back on Earth. All she had to do was ask the spirits to kill someone and they will. No fuss, no muss. No proof leading back to her. Nothing to stop her from going crazy with power and become a homicidal maniac.
The manga Death Note best describe her situation back on Earth. She has the book in the form of the spirits, but unlike Light who had L as an adversary to keep his killing in check, Athena can kill without ever getting caught. Life is not a manga. There are no super intelligent officers going around searching for connection to the death of low lives. The American justice system doesn’t work like that.
Once she takes the step, then there will be no turning back for her. She will kill whenever she feels like it. No one can stop her.
The high of killing another human being and getting away with it will spur more killings, until she won’t be satisfied until she’s the last person on Earth.
Those who could have stopped her died.
Hence, she never crossed the line back on Earth, yet she did so without a qualm here.
Why?
Three main reasons why you crossed the line here when you held back on Earth.
“I don’t understand, Ventus.”
We can’t stand watching you mope over a moral issue that really isn’t an issue.
“What do you mean?”
Back on Earth, you were labelled as insane because you were different. Killing was wrong, however there is no one to stop you if you commit a crime. After their death, you could have gotten your revenge right away instead of slowly torturing them. You convinced yourself it is better to make them live a life worse than death, but it isn’t true. The first reason you killed so easily here is because killing isn’t wrong in this world. You subconsciously knew it and accepted it. Second, there are consequences. Unlike back on Earth, there are people here who can stop you if you go too far however their definition of too far is much farther than your line, so you change your line to match theirs. The last reason you loosen your inhibition is that you aren’t considered insane here. Your power is a blessing, not a curse.
“Are you saying I am changing my morals to reflect the morals of this world?”
You are defining your morals.
“Am I no better than a sheep that follows the herd, never questioning the right and wrongs of this world? If I am that easily swayed, then who am I?” Tempest didn’t want to believe she changes herself so easily. Where is her dignity? Her integrity? Her self-esteem?
No. Once you find who Tempest Arashi Kataigita is, you will create a foundation that no outside force can break. You aren’t there yet.
“I don’t understand.”
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Ventus paused a bit, trying a way to phrase the question in a way Tempest would understand. Who are you right now?
“I am Tempest Arashi Kataigita.”
What is the person named Tempest Arashi Kataigita like? Does she like to cultivate? Does she run during adversity? Does she betray her friends? Is she weak? Is she strong?
“Uhh…”
You can answer some of the questions, but those are based on Athena’s preferences, not the person you will become, not the person you want to become. Right now you don’t know what to do. You lack the experience to make the correct judgement suitable for Tempest Arashi Katagaita. You may falter. You may question yourself. You may bend. You will not break. You will not lose your sense of self. You will not quit.
“Thanks for the inspirational words.” Tempest expressed her gratitude even though she doesn’t understand what Ventus is trying to convey in her speech. Tempest was an emotionally stunted woman on Earth, and she’s only been here for six months. Altogether, she lived for a little over 22 years. On Earth, most 22 year old just graduated college or is still in college. They are neither mature nor wise. In the Cardinal Realm, 22 year old have the mental capacity of a teenager. They are expected to make mistakes and need the guidance of an elder. Ventus knew Tempest didn't understand her words. It doesn’t stop Tempest from feeling the loving gentle feelings Ventus expressed as she tried to guide her.
“Have you figured anything out yet?” Tempest jumped at the sound of Xing Zhi Hui’s voice. She forgot Xing Zhi Hui was beside her, so engrossed in her conversation with Ventus.
“Wahh?”
“You looked like you were finding the answer to the meaning of life.”
“Not really.”
“I take it you haven’t found the answers to whatever that is plaguing you.”
“You can say that.” Tempest said quietly.
Xing Zhi Hui gave her one of her rare smiles. She hasn’t sincerely smiled since she met Aria Se Jivock. “Cheer up kid. You’d find the answer soon. Come, eat something.”
“We’re back at camp already.” Tempest was surprise to see tents set up, a campfire going and the mercenaries settling down for dinner.
Xing Zhi Hui walked towards one of the pits and picked up a grilled Iron Clawed Wolf leg and gave it to Tempest. “Here little carnivore, have a taste of what it meant to live.”
They say 80% of a human’s taste comes from smell. Tempest can wholehearted agree. Before Xing Zhi Hui handed her the roast meat, she can smell a slightly tangy fragrance mixed with a hint of hickory and a touch of peppers and garlic. Intertwined with the other smells was an earthy scent Tempest can’t describe but brought up a nostalgic memory of a lakeside summer barbecue.
She was already drooling from the scent alone!
Then she took a bite.
An explosion of flavor and textured cause her to moan in pleasure.
The skin of the meat is a crispy texture that dazzles her taste buds when she bit into it, amplifying the already exotic seasoning. The slight burnt quality didn’t detract from the taste at all, instead it added to the taste by giving the meat an extra texture which blend splendidly with the juice.
Ah the juice.
It acts like a sauce, giving the already rich meat an extra flavoring that gets better and better as one continues to chew.
Then there is the meat itself. Crispy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside. The meat is soft it literally melts in your mouth.
Squish.
Squish.
The flavor of the meat coats her tongue, making whimper in pleasure as the flavor assaults her mind.
This is heaven!
“OOOOOhhhhh lord. This tastes good. No, better than good. This taste divine. I’ve never eaten anything as good as this in my whole life.” Tempest said before taking another bite of her heaven.
Another burst of flavor mixed in with the residue of her previous mouthful, adding a hint of heat, changing the mild spicy flavor to a prevailing taste while enhancing the garlic/onion/cumin/ sage flavor, making the already divine flavor become beyond heavenly.
“So juicy.” Tempest thought as she continued to chew the meat. The once subdue flavor of the juice made itself known once again as she crunched on the fatty portion of the scrumptious offering.
Another bite, another change in the taste and texture of her meal as the seasoning change the taste…..(Sorry, this author decided to delete the rest of the three thousand adjectives used to describe the food porn occurring in Tempest’s mouth. On a side note, Tempest! This is a cultivation story, not a cooking platform for you to rhapsodize about your meal. Get on with the story! Shaking a fist at the main character who went off course.)
Xing Zhi Hui laugh good heartedly while everyone looked at Tempest as if she was a mountain villager who never set foot out of her hometown. Everyone eats this fare. There nothing special to rhapsodize about. The fact that she was enraptured over a tidbit marked her as an ignoramus in the eyes of the other mercenaries.
“This is the meat of a level 2 magical beast. Because a magical beast can take qi into their bodies, it makes their meat fresher, tastier than a regular beast.”
Tempest eyed Xing Zhi Hui beseechingly. If this was the taste of level 2 magical beast cooked with basic seasoning, then how does the meat of a level 3 magical beast take like?
Xing Zhi Hui continue to smile while shaking her head, “No, I won’t take out the Alpha Iron Clawed Wolf. Level 3 magical beast and above has formed a magical core inside their bodies. They store the qi they gathered into the magical core. While cultivators can absorb the energy of the magical core, they can’t eat the meat of a magical beast that has a magical core. Because qi is stored in the core instead of circulating around the body, it doesn’t flush out the impurities in the body. These impurities don’t harm the magical beast. Some beast even uses these impurities as an energy source for their cultivation. However, these impurities are basically poison to a cultivator.”
Tempest glared at Xing Zhi Hui like she was denied her just reward after a hard day of killing beasts. Of course her eating speed never slowed down. In fact it sped up.
Impurities are like poisons.
Ha.
“If it is poison, I’ll create the antidote. If the impurities aren’t flushed out when they are alive, then I’ll flush it out when they are dead.”
On this day, the seed of the ‘Great Calamity’ as intelligent magical beast name it was planted in the heart of one of the greatest foodies that ever graced the Cardinal Realm, the Devouring Devil. Intelligent magical beasts everywhere curse her name in their hearts. They’d never say it out loud. Who knows if the spirit of the wind will tattle on them to the Devouring Devil leading a foodie to knock on their door.
Xing Zhi Hui will always smirk whenever anyone mentions the Devouring Devil. It was Aria Se Jivock who sent her to talk to Tempest, therefore the karma for creating the Devouring Devil cancels out the karma she owed Aria Se Jivock. The karma she feared she’d never be able to repay in 10 lifetimes was cleared out in this one. The greatest point, Xing Zhi Hui didn’t even suffer much for it!