Book 2: Chapter 54: Judgement

Book 2: Chapter 54: Judgement

For all my nerves making the ride feel longer, it barely took a few minutes before we’d arrived. The poison had already started working the moment we’d left Taizhou and I’d promptly taken the pill granny Lang had given me, taking it within the carriage. I could feel the working, the poison now swirling in my Dantian, slowed down to a crawl for its effects.

Without much fanfare or word, I stepped outside alongside Zhang and Yan Yun. The carriage moved past us, as the three of us walked into the Lord’s chamber. The Lord was waiting for us, which made me concerned. Almost every time I had walked into his chamber, he had been working on something or other, but now he simply stood at the window, looking outside.

“Greeting, Lord Zhou,” I said, bowing my head. Yan Yun and Zhang followed.

“Raise your head,” Lord Zhou replied, regarding me. “We have been hearing reports from Qiao Ying. It seems your work has been showing results.”

“Yes, the initial steps at least. Although we definitely can’t do a lot before the Qi crystals have started selling, which as you know...” I trailed off.

The Lord gave me a nod. “Indeed. The situation is unpleasant, and the interception has happened a lot quicker than anticipated, but it is nothing we had not expected to handle. What concerns us more is what Elder Yan may have whispered in the Alchemy Hall’s ears.”

“It won’t matter what they’ve said. As long as we win,” I replied.

“Confidence is good, but you should not underestimate your opponent. Elder Yan will surely bring the strongest disciples from within the sect, with every resource given to them that they can gather.”

“If I may, Lord,” Yan Yun said, getting the Lord’s attention. “My grandfather will be forced to pick from the inner sect, and having seen Lu Jie... There are very few who can match up to him. Him or Zhang.”

“For their age, I agree that the strength all three of you children possess is unprecedented for the Seventh Peak. In just a decade we can see all of you surpassing us. But right now, as things stand, you are still young children. My concerns extend beyond this duel here, and into what challenges you may have in the future,” the Lord said.

“In my home, ages ago, we used to fight wars with blades and bows, when the strength of the men fighting in the war could shift tides. Then we learned that weapons could do what a single man could never even hope to,” I said, looking at the Lord smiling.

Claps echoed from somewhere, and I turned feeling a presence standing behind me as my heart jumped in my chest.

A man was standing behind me, a smile set on his face as he slowly clapped his hands. “That was quite the story! Your homeland sounds like one fascinating place!”

I stared dumbly at the man, heart pounding in my chest at his sudden presence. How had I not sensed him at all? Or the Lord? He had light brown hair and wore simple robes. He couldn’t have been older than thirty at best, but my senses failed to pick up at his cultivation whatsoever. Even with the Lord I could feel something. A giant mountain the top of which I couldn’t see, but I could still tell it was here. But with this man... It felt like trying to look at the sky to see the size of the universe.

Zhang moved in front of me immediately, standing between the man and me.

“Ah, my apologies. I forgot to introduce myself, I am Sheng Yuan, the elder from the Alchemy Halls, here to judge some naughty children for doing things they shouldn’t be doing,” the man said, glancing my way with an amused grin.

“Elder Sheng, have you arrived alone?” Lord Zhou asked.

I looked at the Lord, and noted even he had felt unsettled at the man’s sudden arrival, almost as if he had teleported straight in.

“Oh I have not, Elder Yan should be on the way, but you see, they move so slowly. So I figured I’d skip ahead a little, and now I’m glad! I get to have a chat with all of you before they arrive.”

Zhang’s grip tightened in his spear, though obviously he knew better than to point it at the man. But I understood the desire. The elder was... strange. A perpetual smile was present on his face. It unnerved me more than I wanted to admit.

“I believe it will be best that we wait ‘til they have arrived before discussing things further,” the Lord said, walking closer until he was between us and the Elder as well.

I put my hand on Zhang’s shoulder, and after a glance back, he stepped aside.

“Oh please, I’m not here to talk about the duel, no not at all. I’m just curious to meet these children, I’ve heard some fascinating things about them,” he said, glancing at us, but the Lord didn’t move away.

The gate burst open behind the chamber, and I saw Elder Yan walk in and I let out a sigh of relief.

I never thought I’d be happy to see Elder Yan, but here we are.

The man looked to be angry, but he schooled his expression immediately upon entering. My eyes went behind him, as I noticed Li standing behind Elder Yan. A scar covered one side of his face from when he’d faced, as he walked into the chamber.

“As the boy says, we have proof. Perhaps it is Elder Yan who should have to answer for his actions here,” the Lord said, as the weight shifted away from me and I let out the smallest of breaths.

“What do you wish to say, Elder Yan?” the alchemy elder asked.

“I have done what I believe is the right course of action. The boy possesses unexplained abilities that have ties to Gu, and has lured away my granddaughter with his words. Not to mention he somehow managed to get his hands on a divine tree. If not stopped, we could very well be raising a demon amidst ourselves,” Elder Yan said.

I noticed Yan Yun clenching her fists, and I gently touched her hand. She looked at me and I gave her a quick nod. If she wanted to speak, now was the time.

“There have been no lies told to me,” Yan Yun said. “Only truths that break lies we have been told from the beginning.”

“Stay quiet, Yan Yun, and do not disgrace our name any further than you already have by standing with that boy,” Elder Yan said, his aura sweeping over to crush her, but the Lord protected her from the brunt of it.

“I have stayed quiet. For all my childhood I have done as you had wished, grandfather, catered to your whims, and my entire reason for existence revolved around you. And I refuse to live like that anymore,” Yan Yun said, lightning crackling around her body.

“Maybe, just maybe for once. Please listen, and try to understand. There is more to all of this—“

“I had not expected Sister Yan Yun to have grown a mouth. Speaking in a talk of elders, truly you have lost all manners,” Li said, his eyes glowering as he looked at her.

I wanted to rush in and slug the boy for his grin, but I simply clenched my fist.

“Does the girl speak on the Lord’s behalf now?” Elder Yan asked.

Yan Yun looked at her grandfather, and I saw a deep pain in her eyes. But I had expected this, and most likely, she had too.

Lord Zhou continued, not acknowledging the question.

“The boy has swore an oath in front of you upon the very heavens that he is not a demon,” the Lord replied.

“There are ways to fool the heavens too. It has been done before. Need I remind you of the Fire Demon Yang Shen?” Elder Yan said.

“Okay!” the alchemy elder said with a clap. “So, ultimately, the problem boils down to a conflict between the sect and the lord, or rather, the children the lord is harboring. Then, it seems the simplest matter is to proceed with what had been the plan from the beginning. Do both parties agree?”

Lord Zhou glanced at me for the barest of seconds, as if asking me whether this was the way I wanted to proceed. Maybe, maybe not. But it was too late to back down either way.

“We agree,” he said.

Elder Yan huffed, but gave an agreement as well.

“A duel. Of three participants from each side. The victor will be decided when all three participants have lost from either side. The duel will continue ‘til either side is knocked out,” Elder Sheng said, before glancing at Elder Yan. “Though Elder Yan only has two disciples here, has the sect come upon a lack of disciples, Elder?”

“We have disciples aplenty,” Elder Yan said, before glancing at Yan Yun. “ But since the boy has lured our granddaughter, we will be asking for the Lord’s son to take her place in this spar.”

I almost burst out at the man, calling out his crap excuse immediately, but the Lord put a hand on my shoulder, holding me back.

“Zhou Fang,” the lord called. A moment later, the boy came into the chamber, greeting everyone with a bow. “You will duel for Elder Yan.”

The boy looked at his father for a long moment, before he gave a bow, accepting his position. A bitter taste filled my mouth. Zhou Fang was one of the strongest warriors on the seventh peak in the second circle. To have him as an opponent was going to hurt.

“Very well, the participants are all here,” Elder Sheng said, before clapping his hand once. The world around me shifted and now I stood in a wide sparring arena within the Lord’s manor.

“Then, without further ado, let us begin the matches!”