"Master Cai. Would you mind telling me how this Essence Disturbing Toll is activated?"
"Well, it is easy really" he got up from the stool and stashed away his tools. "You focus your qi into your hand and slam your chest, where the bell is located."
"I see. Well thank you master Cai for your help" I got up in turn too and gave a thankful bow, "I have nothing else to ask so I'll be on my way."
I went down the stairs and joined Yun and Ling who had just finished another cup of tea with the other master. When they saw me get down, they stood up, bowed to Shui Jie and excused themselves after thanking him.
We left the artefact tower and headed out.
Meanwhile, back on the second floor of the tower, Shui Cai had another of his artefacts in hand. Before he activated it, he made sure no disturbance would be made.
"Brother?" he called out to Jie.
"Hm? Yes?" Jie answered back down from the first floor.
"Did the young lady and her friends leave already?"
"En, they did."
"Very well. I'm working on something sensitive, so please don't go up until I tell you it's done."
Shui Jie understood and stayed down to work the bellows anyway. He had a delivery coming up and he wouldn't want to be late in forging the artefact requested of him.
Shui Cai, now certain that his actions would go uninterrupted, held a piece of jade encased in a golden box. He raised it to his mouth and spoke to it.
"This is Shui Cai. Can you all hear me?"
There were a few seconds of silence before several people answered.
"Master Cai!" "Yes, we can hear you!" "Sorry for the wait, had to find a discrete spot!" …
"Okay, calm down everyone. I've got a new job for you all and I'll pay top money if you succeed."
They celebrated for it had been a long time since Shui Cai had sent them on a "job".
"There's a kid called Ke Lei Ba here in the clans' grounds. He will be leaving eventually, so I want you to rob him of the artefact that resides in his body."
"How high is the kid's cultivation?" one of them asked, making sure.
"Hehe, no need to be worried. He has not stepped into the first layer yet and can't use qi."
Sniggering emerged on their behalf and some even sounded disturbed over the communication device, that Cai looked rather disgusted. But he was forced to work with such hoodlums in order to obtain artefacts and the likes…that was how he always worked until now.
"Here's what he looks like…"
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After leaving the refinery, the three of us went around the Shui clan and toured the whole place until it was time for me to go back. The sun had not yet begun to set, but I wanted to return home on foot so I could familiarize myself with the route.
Ling and Yun escorted me to the gates and begged me to be sent back in a carriage or be accompanied by someone as the roads were dangerous. But I refused.
"I'll see you guys later then. Thank you for everything you've done for me today!"
"I did nothing in particular" Yun smirked. "It was Ling. You should thank her alone."
"I-I-I…it's nothing" she steered her gaze away and her cheeks blushed of rose.
I turned away and left, waving them goodbye.
"Next time, I'll take you around the Feng clan!" Yun screamed before I disappeared behind the trees ahead.
Today was a fruitful day. I managed to learn more about the bell Kun gave me and I also got to watch a fight between martial artists. If that wasn't a win, then I wonder what could be considered so.
On my way back, the lush forest separating TianJin city from my father's farm grew gloomy and unsettling. There was a road dug through its length, but nonetheless, the feeling of uneasiness would still creep up on you when walking on a desolate route such as this.
I was warned by my parents that this forest housed a few magical beasts of the lower ranks, but to me a beginner in cultivation, the risk was still there.
Even with the Temporal Bell in my possession, under the pressure and imminent danger, who knew how my uncultivated body would react.
I heard rustling in the bushes behind me and I ceased to walk.
I didn't turn around.
"You know" I raised my voice high enough for my pursuers to hear, "considering I'm a child, you people are shit at sneaking up!"
Upon my words, dozens pounced out of their hiding places and encircled me. If my eyes were true, a total of 26 men had forced me in their pincer formation.
Not a minute ago, I was thinking about the dangers of the forest when it came to beasts but it didn't occur to me that I would be facing people so early on in the game. Not to mention I have yet to practise any kind of technique or weapon. The Temporal Bell is pretty much useless now since I've yet to master the condensation of qi into specific parts of my body.
What should I do?
Even if I screamed right now, if there wasn't anyone around these parts, none could effectively hear me so far out. That was also if I was disregarding the fact that they could take on two dozen armed men by themselves.
"Hehe, little brat. Looks like even though you noticed us, there is no way for you to run" one of them licked his lips and flailed his weapon.
I circled my sight around them and indeed, I could not escape while they were positioned like so. With my meagre speed, one could intercept me easily as I attempted to slip between the gaps of their formation.
This wasn't the first time they've done this.
What were they anyway? Highwaymen? Murderers?
"Look kid, if you hand over your precious artefact without a fuss, then we'll let you go with only your tongue cut and your eyes plucked out."
"Well said, brother!" they talked between themselves and laughed manically like pigs.
So they are highwaymen and mean to rob me of my artefact…which means…
"So, let me guess. Shui Cai has sent you after me?" I quickly surmised, my expression pivoting to discontent.
(I was pretty messed up, not gonna lie!)
It was obvious that after hours of my artefact being known and people came to rob me of it, then out of the ones who knew, it was either my friends, the patriarch or the refiners.
I would safely go for the latter without a second thought.
"Smart boy" the very first guy who spoke answered. "Since you understand the situation, hand over the bell and get ready to have your eyes and tongue cut out."
The highwaymen closed in on me slowly, their weapons brandished and at the ready. If I tried to move, then I would be struck mercilessly.
Being the tactician that I was, I scanned them for any possible weak links. If by chance I was able to break through one of them and take his weapon, then my survival chances would become higher.
One of them, the skinniest I could find, had a knife to his waist in addition to the sword he was carrying. If I manage to avoid his sword's strike and grab the dagger, I could effectively stand my ground.
Here goes nothing…
With a sweep of my leg, I brushed over dirt into their faces, crouched down, grabbed a rock and threw it at the one I was targeting. He was stunned and rubbed his eyes before the rock hit him when I managed to slip next to him and take away his dagger before the ones behind me caught up to my actions.
I didn't wait for them to regain their senses and went directly for their necks. My arm was backed and I was ready in a millisecond to slit the throat of the bandit I just disarmed.
"GAHHHH!" a mace struck me on the waist and sent me flying in another direction before I could do so.
I was too slow and the rest of the bunch were able to intercept my failed attempt at culling down their numbers.
Blood began to drip down my chin. A few bones must have gotten broken too.
"Gods…I wish I could have my old body…" I writhed in pain, struggling on the forest's floor. "If I had my old body, you pricks would be minced meat right now."
"Still daring to talk back?" the mace wielding guy approached me with a big smile, feeling victorious. "What was it you just said?"
He crouched down beside me, made duck lips and placed his hand near his ear.
I looked for the dagger but it was far from me. With my previous fall, the weapon had been released from my grip and landed somewhere I could not reach in my current state.
"Looking for the dagger are we?" and he stomped my hand at the wrist and kept pushing in order to crush it.
"Ahhhhh" I thrashed the rest of my body even though I was in too much pain.
"I think he said he was going to turn us into minced meat" they kept laughing and joking while I screamed.
Was I really going to die this time? After waiting six years for nothing?
Fuck!
The bandit crushing my hand finally got up and removed his foot off of me. He swung his mace in the air a few times before raising it high above his head.
"I think we've played long enough. Time to finish thi—"
His hairy head tumbled from his neck and landed near me, splattering in a wave of blood. The rest of him followed suit and tumbled to the floor, releasing a massive cloud of dust that obstructed everybody's vision.
Down on the ground, still unable to heave myself from my injury, I watched as every single bandit of that group dropped dead on the floor. Their heads were being cut down with a precise cut, almost unrealistically looking like an execution.
"What is happening?" the bandits floundered in their massacre.
"I don't kno—" his head fell before he could say anything else.
"Help! Help! He—" another one dead.
"Show yourself you bloody coward! I'll kill you with this—"
They screamed to no avail and even when one tried to escape, they were the first to be targeted and killed instantly.
Just who was it that came to my rescue? Did the clans notice my screams and send someone to rescue me?
That's impossible…the city was leagues away from here, let alone the Feng and Shui clans' quarters.
Whoever it was, they were definitely someone unordinary to be able to cause such a scene without even the need to show themselves. It was most probably one person, but the feat they made, it was befit a handful of people.
"Aahh!" one of them burst in anger before deciding to rush at me and perhaps use me as a shield. "I'll kill you. I'll fucking kill you basta—"
The last of them was finished. When his body rested down on the floor, the dust alleviated miraculously and I was able to perceive the slaughter that transpired.
Without exaggeration (and I never do), every single one of them had his head cut the same exact way.
A figure finally revealed itself from beyond the fog in the greens and stepped into the light creeping up from the trees' leaves.
I could not see him due to the blurriness caused by my tears.
"Are you alright? Ke Lei Ba?" his gentle voice worded.
He knew my name but I was too shaken to ask how he came about to know it.
"Are you alright?" he crouched beside me and raised my head. "Bat your eyelids twice if you can hear me."
I did as he asked.
"Good!" he sighed in relief. "I thought I was too late."
From his hand, I could see a ring. A spherical pebble appeared from it.
"Here, consume this pill and recuperate!" he slipped it into my mouth and I struggled to swallow it.
I huffed horribly trying to speak but he stopped me.
"Who was it that did this to you?" he inquired, flames and fury brimming in his eyes. "Tell me the name."
"sh-shui…" I gasped for air desperately, "c-cai…"
He carried me to the stump of a tree and laid me straight on it so I would not choke on my own blood. His fist clenched firmly, the air cracking in their wake.
Where was he going? Don't leave me here…
I reached out my hand to stop him.
"Stay here!" he said in a cold tone. "I'm paying the clans a visit tonight."
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*Check the very first chapters at the very beginning for the Index*