Chapter 27: Killing Intent (2)

Chapter 27: Killing Intent (2)

Sen was both fascinated and a little shocked by the display before him. Uncle Kho was shouting at Master Feng. He had never so much as heard Uncle Kho raise his voice, let alone descend into full-throated shouting. Yet, there it was. The kindly old cultivator who patiently taught Sen to read, who had guided Sen after his disastrous first attempts at writing, who had shown him the essentials of cooking... that man was just gone. This Uncle Kho looked the way that Sen had always imagined powerful cultivators would look. Qi was radiating off the man in nearly tangible waves of blue-white. Lightning crackled up and down his arms. His eyes burned with a fury so pure that Sen was certain he had never felt anything so deeply. This Uncle Kho looked like he could face down an army and win.

“I won’t allow it, Ming!” Uncle Kho shouted, stabbing a lightning-wreathed finger at Master Feng as though he meant to skewer the other man with it. “Take the boy to some city if you must. Let him teach some sect brats a lesson. The heavens know most of them probably deserve it.”This creation is firmly rooted in the depths of Nøv€lß¡n★

“And he won’t learn anything!” Master Feng shouted back. “Tell me honestly, Jaw-Long. What outer sect disciple could actually stand up to him after more than a year of jian training with me?”

“Then find him an inner sect disciple,” growled Uncle Kho through clenched teeth. “Sending him out onto the mountain alone isn’t teaching. It’s practically murder!”

“Alone?” Master Feng scoffed. “Please. He won’t get five hundred steps without that cat shadowing his every move.”

Those words seemed to cool a bit of Uncle Kho’s ire. “I suppose that much is true. She always has kept a suspiciously close watch over him. Still, Ming, he’s not ready for what you’re proposing. Even with the cat watching over him, he’s still more likely to die than survive. It’s a pointless exercise.”

At that, Master Feng sighed. “Is it? Do you really think there’s a better way than mortal peril to teach him this? Do you really think pitting him against some poor inner sect disciple will do the job as it needs to be done? How many would he have to fight to half learn what this mountain will burn into his soul in a day or two?”

“A better way? Ming, assuming he survives, he’ll have a killing intent like a hundred-year-old expert. He could literally scare people at his own level to death! What’s the advantage in that?”

“I’m not worried about people at his own level. You know what it’s like for a wandering cultivator. You were one for long enough. I’m thinking about those people above his level who will see him as easy prey. How eager do you imagine they’ll be to fight when he unleashes a killing intent that turns their bowels to water? They’ll think they’ve stumbled across a hidden master.”

Uncle Kho made what looked like an almost physical effort to reign in his anger. “You aren’t wrong about any of that, but the risks.”

“I know. If we had thirty years, I’d do it another way. You know we don’t have that kind of time.”

Uncle Kho looked over at Sen. The young man felt like he was standing on a scale, but he had no idea what he was being balanced against. The bearded cultivator frowned, and then his shoulders slumped. The qi and lighting that had cast the man in an otherworldly glow faded away.

“I know,” admitted Uncle Kho. “It’s written all over him. Another, what, two years do you think?”

“I’m hoping for three,” said Master Feng.

“I see we have guests,” she said, shooting an amused smile at Sen.

“We do. You know Ming, of course,” said Uncle Kho. “This young man is Lu Sen. He’s proven himself rather helpful for the last year or two.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Lu Sen. I am Ma Caihong.”

“I am honored to meet you, Ma Caihong.”

“So,” she said looking back at her husband. “I have questions. First question, what kind of labor have you been imposing on this young man?”

Uncle Kho smiled and tossed her a ring like Master Feng’s storage ring. She caught it, frowned down at it for a moment, and then lifted an eyebrow.

“The boy put in most of the labor if I’m being honest. I’d planned to do it myself, but he took to the work right away. I thought it would be a nice surprise for you.”

Ma Caihong gave her husband a bright smile which she turned to Sen. “Thank you both. I wasn’t relishing the thought of replacing all of those plants and herbs myself. Now, second question. Why in the world are you two fools playing at being old?”

“I am old,” said Feng, shrugging.

“We both are,” said Kho.

“Of course, you are, but why do you look old?”

Feng and Kho traded a look before Kho spoke. “I just wondered what it was like.”

Ma Caihong rolled her eyes. “Final question, what’s this suicide mission?”

Uncle Kho gave Master Feng a decidedly smug look that said, "Go on. Tell her." So, Feng explained his plan. Then, Sen watched as Ma Caihong started shouting at his master.