To Wei Long of the glorious Wei clan today was a horrible day. His clan was in dire straits due to war with the lei and the next generation was proving... disappointing. Then in a bittersweet stroke of luck a blood rabbit of the journey happened to be spotted by one of his hunters. After tracking the wild rabbit to its burrow the man had been able to confirm a pregnant mate that was also in the journey stage.

The children of these rabbits would be decent companions for the flagging new generation. The cultivation of mortal beasts was easily guided to fit their masters chosen cultivation.

It irked Wei Long that stealing kits were his only option. Had the clan truly been driven to such lengths? They had once been nobility! To think that they had fallen so far they needed to use damn rabbits as cultivation companions.

Pain lanced through Wei Long like an assassins' knife. He stumbled on the trail up the mountain and his men looked to him in concern.

The party recieved a message.

"Tell grandfather that I have found the beasts and will win glory for the Wei clan!" One of his men relayed to him.

"Go save the fool before he gets himself killed." He said through the pain. The men hesitated, "GO!. I'll be fine you fools. It is just the wound acting up."

The men hurried to obey. Once the men were out of his sight Wei slumped to one knee. Wei Long was being unfair to his juniors. His clan was still growing and the newest generation were not disappointments, they were merely doing their best with the resources they had. His clan might be cornered in a sense, but it was in the manner a lion is cornered. Their foes refrained from closing in for fear of the lions jaws.

Wei Long stood tall and with his movement technique, caught up to his men. They were doing battle with the blood rabbit and seemed to have everything well under control. They seemed to have the stage one beast contained and were slowly and safely wearing it down, exactly as he had taught them. That was good, no one in the clan was as strong as Wei Long so his clansmen needed good tactics to stay up to standard and not crumple when Wei Long died from old age.

Of course they wouldn't be able to stand up to the new generation once the children had grown. The spirit companions that they were acquiring today may not be of the best possible quality, but there was still an exceptional difference between a cultivator with a spirit companion and one without.

Wei Long used his spirit to extend his sight underground. The mother, a wood-aspected rabbit was currently digging an escape tunnel for her kits.

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That could not be allowed.

Wei Long laughed as he advanced and his men, understanding their place, retreated behind him.

Wei long looked down his nose at this beast that opposed him. He knew how this would end, but there was an order to these things. He activated a qi technique to allow the beast to understand him and spoke,

"Submit."

Foolishly the beast leapt at him and Wei Long had to resist the urge to snort. Clearly its eyes could not comprehend the gulf between earth and heaven.

His fist snapped out and the gap between the two was made clear in an instant as his fist snapped the creatures spine and sent its corpse careening into the forest.

Wei long suppressed a smile as the beasts mate charged from the tunnel with a wail of grief. Just as he had been hoping for. His fist snapped out again and the rabbits body impacted the nearby cliff. Apparently he had held back enough for the beast to survive his blow with armor. Wei long quietly approached the shattered body of the mother rabbit as his men cheered on his strength. As his men cheered on Wei Long beating a mother and father to death.

Suddenly victory tasted bitter on Wei Longs tongue.

The mother struggled to her feet and Wei Long allowed it. He had taken everything from her and he would not deny her a proper death as well. Her eyes raised to meet his and Wei long did not see resignation, acceptance or hate. He saw determination.

The rabbits mouth opened and from it released a scream infused with passion and rage and love. It was infused with her very soul, her very essence. Startled and suspecting some kind of death curse Wei long struck her down where she stood.

Yet as his men set about to dragging the corpse of the mother away and extracting the kits a seed of doubt wriggles its way into Wei Longs mind.

"Sir, we can't find the blood rabbits body." One man reports to him.

But Wei Long has greater mysteries upon his mind, "Just focus on extracting the kits from the burrow. Don't let a single one escape."

What could that scream have been? An attempt to communicate perhaps? But if so why would it have seemed so determined. One who would beg for their life would not be so resolute. It was unlikely to be a curse as was his intial thought. The creature had been one of wood and life and such creatures did not often employ such things. He is still mulling this over when one of his men accidentally kills a kit in a bout of clumsiness.

Wei Longs face darkened and he turn to berate the idiot when he heard a small terrified squeak.

Immediately he whipped around and saw a kit hiding in a hole in the wall. He rushes to the wall, but he is not fast enough. The very tips of his fingers brush over the delicate things pure white fur, but even so it escapes his grasp. He has many techniques he could use to bring the kit back to him, but as young and fragile as the kit is and as degraded as his control is thanks to his... injury. He can not risk it. Wei Longs hand retracts and he looks out with his spirit as it flees down the tunnel. It is a pretty thing, with thick white fur and sapphire eyes. A smile slowly plants itself on his face as he activates one of his tracking techniques he used to use for hunting, placing a small mark of blue light upon the young kit.

Then he stands up quickly and flies into a half-fake rage, "You utter FOOL! You scared that kit away as I was sneaking up on it. Did your maggot riddled brain not hear me when I said we are not to let ANY OF THEM ESCAPE? Not only do you do that, but you kill another!"

The man, shocked, stutters," I-I-I am s-sorry honored elder Long. I will do whatever I can to rectify this grave mistake."

Wei Longs smile is cold as he fishes out a tracking talisman for the man, "Then hunt it down and bring it to me. Fail and I will strip you of your rank. Understood?"

The man stuttered as he hurried to obey. Wei Long however, was hiding his joy. That kit had been quite the pretty specimen and not only that, he had finally realized what the scream the mother had done was. It had named its child in its final moments. When a beast names another, it erodes the beasts foundation and increases the potential and intelligence of the one named. It is a very rare occurrence as most beasts are rather selfish and would not ever weaken themselves like that. Wei Long laughed to himself. His granddaughter was about to reach the age she could start cultivating. Oh how she would love him if he could gift her not only a cute and adorable bunny, but a named one besides. The heavens truly smiled upon him.

Today was a good day.