Chapter 73: Shared Secrets

Chapter 73: Shared Secrets

I pushed my senses outwards from the grove, and found two cultivators heading towards this direction, their guards up.

“Senior, we need to run. The formation will deflect them for a while, but its strength will run out soon.” Liuxiang said, his voice clipped. He slipped his hand in his sleeves, as two more needles appeared in them and he threw them swiftly outwards, engraving them in the burst ground as they bolstered the formation.

“Sheldon, quick. Can you take us away?” I called out to Sheldon, pulling on our bond in a rush.

With a tidal wave forming around my feet, I was lifted up in the air and pulled to the side. Labby squeaked in surprise and I quickly pulled her into my dantian. I looked to the side, and saw Liuxiang similarly being washed up as a ball of water formed around us. Sheldon rose from the ground, still carrying Twilight on his back who looked on in confusion at what was happening.

I focused my thoughts, cutting off any sense of distress I may have been projecting through our bond as I reached out to Sheldon once more. “Can you cover the area in fog?”

“Chirp!” Sheldon replied, opening his mouth. The little turtle took a long breath in and then breathed out a fog that sprayed outwards in a tide.

“Senior. We can head to this one’s chambers. It’s already been warded and fairly close by.” Liuxiang spoke to my mind, and I mentally acknowledged his words. I quickly relayed the thoughts over to Sheldon and then with a sudden pull, the little turtle shot forward on his wave of water, carrying us along through the air as if we were rising like little clouds.

The world flew past in a blur as we flew past the area. I vaguely sensed some mystic arts being used by the cultivators, but Sheldon’s fog kept their senses clouded. Within a few seconds, we were flying over the sect, and beyond the grove. In a few moments, we crossed the sect walls, to enter the sect proper and Sheldon quickly dropped us down, as he put Twilight in my arms. The little plant spirit chittered before rushing into my sleeve to hide.

“Thanks Sheldon,” I said while grabbing him. Flaring my Qi, I quickly evaporated all the water from my body and clothes and saw Liuxiang doing the same.

With a nod from both of us, we began to head towards Liuxiang’s place, trying not to appear too agitated or unnerved but still making swift progress as the two of us walked up the hill, and towards the outer sect chambers.

I saw some people murmuring over the earthquake and talks of an attack. I tried not to grimace at the words, feeling foolish to not have anticipated this. In my defense, so far, none of the reactions from Qi and Gu had been this violent.

“This way,” Liuxiang said, taking a left and I followed. I noticed the little home, set with wards on its boundaries that made me want to avert my eyes despite my wishes to head towards it. I guess that’s one way to tell people you’re not accepting guests. An enviable ability, but I suspected if I could force my way through it, then so could most other people.

Liuxiang opened the door as I entered, and the boy quickly closed the doors shut, placing another talisman onto the door that rippled with Qi, as new wards sprung up from the ground.

The boy turned towards me, and I saw his eyes set in a much more serpentine look than I’d seen from him before. “This one believes the formations will be enough. No one should be headed towards this location either, the weapon had left nothing behind. Neither Qi nor Gu.”

“I sure hope so.” I replied, smiling, but the serious look on Liuxiang’s face made my smile slip.

“Please follow this one Senior,” Liuxiang said, turning around as he walked further in.

I stared at his back for a moment, before following him in. The path took me to a little chamber that looked quite similar to Old Man’s place if not for the many diagrams of animals, and human bodies, and thin and sharp needles. That and the many, many books on poison that I saw on the bookshelf.

I stepped around the many bowls and things set upon the floor in a mess that seemed extremely uncharacteristic of the Liuxiang I knew. If anything, I’d expected this place to be squeaky clean. The little notes spread around on the Gu-nade brought a smile to my face.

A sharp hiss reached my ears, carried by a slithering aura that froze my steps in place. I looked up to see Zhi Zhu standing on the table nearby with Liuxiang’s eyes wide in surprise, as if he couldn’t believe he’d just done that.

I awkwardly pretended not to have noticed, and gave him a moment to gather himself.

“Apologies for the unsightly display Senior. This one has been a bit unsettled by our creation,” Liuxiang said and I nodded.

“It was something, yeah. If I’d been a normal person, the shockwave would’ve likely blown apart my eardrums. Good to know that cultivation reinforces those too,” I said with a smile. Liuxiang continued to look at me blankly.

“Forgive this one for the bluntness Senior, but this one would prefer to have some answers. There have been many things about Senior that haven’t made sense. Your spirit’s names for one, this one does not know what this La Bi means. Neither does this one know about Xiao Dong, or the Gu weapon’s name. The way senior had helped craft it had shown that there had been other similar weapons that Senior knew of. Are there more of these things lying around?”

I sat in silence, unsure of the implication, but from what I knew, the ducal clans were a big deal. So even just being a member of one must be a big deal. I frowned. “If you’re from such a prestigious clan then... what’re you doing on the seventh peak?”

“This one does not belong to the Shie clan. This one- my father had abandoned me. My mother had not been of the ducal clan, and had not possessed the poison bloodline of the family. There had been little chances of the bloodline being inherited by a child birthed by a woman not of the clan... but I did. And I killed my mother, poisoning her from the womb. Despite my father’s wishes to be rid of me, my mother had refused, insistent on giving birth to me, and despite all my father’s effort, he had failed to save her,” Liuxiang said, his fists clenched tight.

I found my voice stuck, as I sat unsure of what to say. Moments passed in silence, when I finally spoke up. “It is not my place to say anything, but, if there’s one thing I know, it is that it was not your fault Liuxiang. And that your mother had loved you very dearly.”

Liuxiang looked up at me, before lowering his head, as he gave a light nod. “I know. Her last words... were my name.”

I moved closer, unsure of what to do, and so I simply sat in silence for a while longer, trying to provide any company that I could.

“Thank you, Lu Jie,” Liuxiang said, looking at me and I nodded.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” I said, trying to change the topic. “Then do you live by yourself? In the sect?”

“My father has abandoned me, but I still possess the bloodline of the Shie. The clan has forced my father to accept me, if I can prove myself within the sect with my own means. The only thing provided to me has been the cultivation arts, to prevent the poison from slowly but surely killing me as well. The result of that cultivation slows my growth down, but provides potent poison with no match. But the poison still wears on my body, resulting in the yang Qi that Lu Jie can sense,” Liuxiang said, with a light smile.

That sounded like a not so great way to cultivate something. Imagine dying from a poison that you were born with, and that which killed your mother as well. I couldn’t imagine what living like that must be like.

“Now, it seems we both know each other’s secrets,” Liuxiang said with a quiet smile. I stared at the boy, before standing up. Liuxiang frowned for a moment, before standing up as well, and I looked at the boy.

“I have something I want to ask of you, Liuxiang,” I said, keeping my back straight. Liuxiang nodded silently.

“I wish to establish a new Path. One of understanding and knowledge. But it seems, the heavens are not too willing to allow me to progress upon my Path. But, we’ve both seen the Gu-nade and that is merely the beginning. I plan to bring cultivation to the mortals, to break the established order of cultivators and bring knowledge so that the world could finally come to know and understand what lies beyond Heaven and Earth, to finally know the world around them. I wish to start an empire of knowledge, of understanding,” I grinned. “I want to start an empire formed on drugs.”

My Qi rustled in my core, as I felt Lu Jie’s spirit shifting in my mind. In this, he agreed with me. We would build our empire together.

I looked towards Liuxiang. “I can help you, Liuxiang. With what I know and what I’ll learn, in exploring the mysteries of this world and unraveling its secrets. And in return, will you help me?”

Liuxiang sighed, clenching his hands, before looking up at me with a smile. “You truly never cease to surprise me,” he replied with a smile. “I will, Lu Jie.”

I laughed, moving in as I swept Liuxiang up in a hug.

“Fiend! Let Liuxiang go! This is inappropriate!” Zhi Zhu crackled, and I heard Liuxiang burst out laughing so mirthfully that I couldn't resist laughing as well.

“Labby too! Labby will help too!” Labby exclaimed. “Chii~” Twilight chimed in agreement from atop Sheldon’s back as the little turtle splashed her with some water.

“Oh and... Labby has a secret too,” Labby said in a tiny whisper, hesitant. I paused, letting go of Liuxiang as I turned to look at Labby.

“What is it Labby?” I asked, curious.

The little rat sniffled, her ears flicking before she squeaked and shouted. “Labby has been learning how to fight from Leiyu without telling Master. Please forgive Labby!”

I saw Labby, trying to mimic a kowtow as she crackled with purple lightning. My eyes rose to meet Liuxiang’s at the display and for some reason, I couldn’t hold back my laughter.

“I think that’s the best secret I’ve learned today,” I replied, feeling strangely content. I’d gained another ally on my Path. Now all that remained was the spirit herb hunt.