Title at the End.
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By the time he reached the entrance to Xiao Lingxi's abode, his breathing was ragged. He walked in and went straight to the tea room, then knocked.
The door was opened by a servant. Xiao Lingxi was sitting there, a fresh cup of tea in hand and another waiting for him. For several seconds, she simply stared at him.
Then her eyes widened. Han Jianyu was covered in dust, his clothes burned away and revealing his upper body. His shoulders were scorched and his face was pale.
Yet, somehow, he still maintained that same calm expression.
"You actually did it," she sipped her tea.
Han Jianyu walked in and leaned against the chair before slowly pulling it out and sitting. "I did."
Xiao Lingxi blinked, "How? Does being a 'sword cultivator' make up for so large a difference in cultivation?"
He nodded. "It helps that both cultivation paths seem to perfectly complement each other."
A brief silence followed, then Han Jianyu straightened himself with considerable effort, his exhausted eyes meeting hers. "So when do I get my mana cores?"
Xiao Lingxi stared at him, then she covered her mouth as a laugh almost died in her throat. "I'll go see the Patriarch as soon as we get you sorted. Drink your tea."
Han Jianyu sunk properly into the chair and brought a shaky hand to the cup, picking it up and sipping it. As he basked in the soft warmth and the rich flavor, he allowed himself to completely relax... and quickly passed out.
The battle was over.
The mysterious servant who had challenged the Xiao Clan's top-ranked young talent had left behind one undeniable fact: His cultivation might be weak, his mana might be scarce, but when Han Jianyu's illusory sword appeared even a Spirit Spring expert had no choice but to respect it.
The next problem, however, was considerably simpler. Han Jianyu needed more mana cores. A lot more.
His path demanded it.
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Days later. . .
After his battle with Xiao Mingyue, Han Jianyu was attended to by Xiao Lingxi's servants and taken to a bedroom to rest. Despite his impatient insistence that he would be fine as long as he got more mana cores, Han Jianyu fell into a deep sleep that lasted a number of days.
In that time, Xiao Lingxi officially declared herself as his supporter, and had him added to the ranks of her core disciples, which now consisted of... just him.
The Xiao Clan Patriarch was intrigued, and summoned Xiao Canghai to give his recount of the battle, as well as Xiao Mingyue who was already back on her feet and about to take up a job request.
At the end of that meeting, Patriarch Xiao approved of Xiao Lingxi supporting the young man, and gave his permission for Han Jianyu to be officially considered as a powerful, young genius disciple of the Xiao Clan- granted he presented himself before the Patriarch at a later date.
Xiao Mingyue promptly left the Patriarch's mansion, leaving only the elders and the Patriarch behind.
"Lingxi," Patriarch Xiao heaved a sigh, "I know you. I know your standards. What aren't you telling me about this lad?"
Xiao Canghai gulped, suddenly feeling as though he was not supposed to be there. It was no secret that Patriarch Xiao and Xiao Lingxi often had private meetings that the other elders weren't usually present for.
Being the First Elder, and also the person closest to the Patriarch in the clan, Xiao Lingxi and the Patriarch had no secrets between them. Fearing that such a secret was about to be discussed, Xiao Canghai started fidgeting and making it clear that he was no longer comfortable.
He didn't wish to be crushed under the weight of such secrets. That was the last thing on his mind when he rose to the rank of Third Elder.
Even as Xiao Canghai fidgeted, gulped and broke into a cold sweat, Xiao Lingxi cleared her throat and started, "Tianyou, you and I both know the truth about the Vermilion Gate Sect and the Nine Hells Monastery."
Xiao Canghai almost choked on his saliva. Instead, his body jerked and he fell backward, coughing and sputtering. "Pfft- I-I-I have to go!"
As he scurried away, Xiao Tianyou shook his head, "I should have known. So what is the boy? A True Demon? Some fiendgod in disguise? Did him and Yellow Hair come here from some one of the Layers of Hell?"
Xiao Lingxi was amused but did not smile. She shook her head, "He is human, as far as I can tell. I suspect that he is a member of the Nine Hells Monastery- likely the last."
There was a subtle change in the Patriarch's expression; he was clearly interested.
"Intelligence suggests that the Monastery was not entirely wiped out by the Vermillion Gate Sect. They merely relocated to the Bedrock- to the true Netherworld. If that is true, then it was only a matter of time before the fiends of Hell happened upon them."
"I fear that in fleeing this world and seeking refuge on the Bedrock- directly atop Hell itself- that they regrettably submitted themselves to ruin at the hands of evil demons."
"Grey Hair- Han Jianyu- and his companion may have escaped the destruction and somehow came here. I think that they are the last disciples of the Nine Hells Monastery. That is why I chose to support him."
Xiao Tianyou took a deep breath and heaved an even deeper sigh. "The strings of fate are proving to be too much. Why does my Xiao Clan have to be tangled in them yet again? Must I lose more than I already have, Lingxi?"
"Tianyou..." Xiao Lingxi could feel the bitterness emanating off of the Patriarch, and her heart ached for him. Her eyes filled with tears that would not overflow, and she balled her fists tight.
"This time, we have but a small part to play. There is no risk."
Xiao Tianyou held his face in his hands as he muttered and shook his head. Something was clearly weighing on him. Something more than what they had already discussed.
"Now, is when I ask the question to you, Tianyou." Xiao Lingxi blinked the tears away as she sniffled. "What aren't you telling me?"
The Patriarch slowly removed his hands from his face and gazed at the First Elder with reddened eyes. "Do you want to know... the real reason why my son died?"
Xiao Lingxi gasped, never expecting that such a thing was still kept from her. Even so, she set aside her feelings and nodded.
After some time, Xiao Tianyou finally opened up, letting out something that had eaten at him for quite some time. And so, with the utterance of his final secret, the Xiao Clan Patriarch unknowingly set in motion the events that would lead something terrible.
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At the same time...
Xiao Yun, who was laying in bed tossing a small metal ball up and down, suddenly felt something that immediately made his hairs stand on end. As his heart began to pound on the walls, and his lungs seemed to run out of space for sufficient air, a sense of panic overcame him.
With wide and fearful eyes, Xiao Yun's body came to life with the aura of powerful mana, and he all but flew through the window of his bedroom, straightaway leaving his abode and violating his confinement order.
The young man vanished into the air, and reappeared above the walls of the Manor, looking out toward the mountains to the east. Still breathing erratically, Xiao Yun leapt from the walls and vanished again, his body becoming one with the intangible winds.
Long Ding and Long Dong did not even notice him for an instant.
Xiao Yun went further, darting through trees as he raced toward a particular location in the forest, his thoughts impossible to organize.
"I... There... Can it.... I have to... !!!"
Xiao Yun was less than a blur, crashing into and decimating entire groves before righting himself and shaking it off as though the impact was nothing. His mana surged even more powerfully, and he merged with the winds once more.
It was not long before he arrived at a familiar spot. The same place where he had found Jin Huang and Han Jianyu. Only, this time, he found one person.
Or, perhaps, it would be wrong to say that he found a person.
Xiao Yun froze. His breath caught in his throat.
She stood completely motionless beneath the canopy, her crimson skin stark against the greenery surrounding her. Two thick, curved horns rose from her head, framing a face that was beautiful in a manner that immediately set off every instinct in Xiao Yun's body.
Ivory fangs protruded slightly from between her lips.
A dark tint surrounded her eyes, extending outward in patterns that almost resembled war paint. The same black pigment stained her lips, while several intricate markings ran across her cheeks and forehead.
They weren't random. They seemed deliberate, ancient- almost ritualistic. More black lines could be seen trailing down the exposed portions of her body, disappearing beneath a strange suit of armor fashioned from pale bone.
The armor was light and fitted closely to her frame, leaving portions of her crimson skin exposed while protecting her vital areas. Carved into the ivory-colored material were elaborate dragon designs, their serpentine bodies winding across the breastplate and shoulder guards as though they were alive.
Xiao Yun's pupils shrank. He knew what she was.
A demon.
But there was a stark difference between her and the last demon he had unknowingly brought to the clan. She made no efforts to conceal her identity, and there was a stench of death on her that seemed far more dangerous than anything Xiao Yun had felt before.
She was something else. Something far more dangerous.
The woman's head slowly turned, her darkened eyes settling upon him before she grinned. "At least your instincts are sharp enough... for an impure one. I guess I'lll give you a passing grade."
Xiao Yun felt the fear that had taken hold of him all this time suddenly subside, and he began to wonder what had possessed him to make him react the way he did.
"Who... are you?" He asked as the demon woman slowly stretched and adjusted to her surroundings.
"K'yalia," She stated as she cracked her neck. "If you're wondering why you suddenly feel safe again- ahh, that was a good one."
"It's because," her inhuman eyes settled on him, "I'm masking my intent now. Not that any of the humans around here could pick up on it. I just don't want you pissing yourself. I'd hate to have to carry you while you reek of piss."
"Carry? I-" Xiao Yun could barely wrap his head around what he heard before K'yalia cut him off.
"I have to say, I thought there'd be at least one person here who would have picked up on it. Was Sheraad right to suspect that those humans from before were the only ones sensitive to our slaughter intent? How boring!"
Xiao Yun blinked rapidly, his face a mask of confusion, "Hold on a second-"
"No matter. Even if you guys have such dull senses, someone here did kill Amis. I guess that counts for something," K'yalia yawned.
At this point, Xiao Yun was extremely uneasy. He recognized that name. Amis.
That was the name of the demon that he had found and brought into the Xiao Clan's walls. The Sea Expansion stage demon that had gone on a rampage... and killed his father.
"What do you want with me... ?" Xiao Yun took a few steps backward. At this time, he stopped wondering what had came over him when he decided to leave the Clan and come here. He focused his mind on only one thing.
Escaping.
"I don't want anything with you," K'yalia pretended to ponder.
Xiao Yun had only just decided to run when her figure blurred, leaving behind an afterimage. The real her was already upon him, a sharp claw pressing into his neck.
"I'm here for you."
In that moment, Xiao Yun had the closest thing to an epiphany that he had ever gotten in his life. He understood what he had felt just before was overcome with fear and panic. He understood why, in that moment, he felt as though he had no choice but to rush into the mountain forest.
Somehow, he had sensed K'yalia's arrival. Somehow, his body knew that she was there for him... and that she would have slaughtered every single person in the Xiao Clan if he did not go to her.
That same day... Xiao Yun silently vanished from the Xiao Clan.
The Vanishing of Xiao Yun.