Even though Chi Yan was fast, I was faster.
Thanks to the techniques of the Black Shadow Sect, I knew how to circumvent Chi Yan's incredible speed. Taking a deep breath, I disappeared into the shadows and emerged from those at the peak, reaching the True Fire before Chi Yan could.
The True Fire blazed in front of my eyes, the fiery corona that ringed it surrounding me. Now that the Fire Drake was slain, there was no other major threats that would prevent me from approaching the True Fire. With its guardian gone, the True Fire was ripe for the taking.
I was about to reach for it when I realized that I wasn't alone.
Of course. The person who was actually an authentic master of the Black Shadow Sect from which I had self-learned Shadow Step from would obviously be far better at executing it than I was. I had only practiced Shadow Step for a little over a month. In contrast, Hui Ying had probably used it for years, if not almost his entire life.
He and Huang Qian Jin materialized from the shadows behind me, stepping out to the platform that bore the True Fire. I realized they had chosen to appear there – they could have emerged between me and the True Fire, but they didn't. As a show of grace, I stopped and turned toward them.
Before I could say anything, Huang Qian Jin spoke up.
"Do you mind…giving the True Fire to us? We'll compensate you as best as we can, but we really need the True Fire."
"You know that's impossible," I replied with a frown. My hand was drifting toward my spatial pouch, ready to draw my sword. Even though I had considered these two as friends, I was not above fighting them for the True Fire. I didn't come all the way here to go home empty-handed. Also, Lan Bei Er was waiting for me…and I needed a way to gain the recognition of the White Herb Sect. And I was aware that everyone had their own reasons for wanting the True Fire. Surely Huang Qian Jin wasn't that naïve? "We're all here for it."
"Yes, but…Hui Ying needs the True Fire more than anyone else." Huang Qian Jin took a deep, shaky breath. He nodded to his bodyguard. There was a slight pause, and then Hui Ying took off his hood.
I gasped.
Where there should be a human face, there was nothing. A head that appeared to be made of nothing but a lattice of black crystals, as if it was a permanent mask welded onto flesh. A mannequin of obsidian come to life. Blank, without any features, Hui Ying resembled an automata more than human.
"Hui Ying is cursed," Huang Qian Jin explained sadly. "In order to serve the Huang family, he attempted to modify and experiment with the original Black Shadow Sect techniques and improve them. He did it in order to fight on par with assassins and other enemies who were sent after our family. But his power came at a cost, and he ended up suffering from demonic possession or qi deviation (Zou Huo Ru Mo). His body was ravaged by yin qi and underwent this mutation. If we don't treat him soon, his meridians will rupture and his body will tear itself apart."
"You need the True Fire to cleanse the yin qi from his body, negate the demonic possession/qi deviation and restore his body to normal," I said, understanding. Huang Qian Jin nodded somberly.
"Yes."
I swallowed and stepped aside, my head bowed. I didn't like it, but it was the right thing to do. My goal to grow stronger and earn the recognition of the White Herb Sect could be fulfilled by other means. There were always other opportunities. In fact, I could continue developing the new Black Shadow Sect techniques that Hui Ying had taught me. I realized that I had massively benefited off his braving the experimentations and suffering from demonic possession. He had taken all the risks and suffered all of the dangers, and I simply reaped the rewards by behind his disciple and not having to put myself in any danger. I felt like I owed him.
Furthermore, Hui Ying couldn't wait for an alternative cure. His body was on the verge of collapse, his willpower being the only thing that kept the devastating yin qi at bay and barely under control. It was a miracle that he could still wield those amazing techniques, which undoubtedly hastened the rate of his demise, but he had no choice. He had to gamble on this. I wondered what sort of predicament the Huang family had fallen into that would force him into taking such an immense risk and ending up in such a condition, but I did know that Huang Qian Jin was telling the truth. I could see the sincerity in his eyes…the lack of deceit.
Being a demonic cultivator, I recognized the signs of demonic possession or qi deviation, a process gone wrong. I had seen many demonic cultivators suffer from the same condition – by its nature, demonic cultivation was a shortcut, making use of sacrifices and eschewing the orthodox methods for a quick, meteoric rise to power. Such processes were not without its risks, and I had seen fellow demonic cultivators pay for their impatient and reckless ambition with their health…and in some cases, even their lives.
"Thank you very much." When I stepped aside, Huang Qian Jin bowed gratefully. He raised a hand. "I swear on the honor of the Huang family that we will compensate you for this."
"That's fine," I replied, watching Hui Ying approach the True Fire.
Chi Yan chose that moment to appear, his body a blazing contrail of fire. He landed on the peak, his sharp red eyes swerving toward the True Fire.
"Stand aside," he growled, pointing his sword at Hui Ying. "I was the one who did the most work and killed the most spirit beasts. The one who delivered the killing blow to the Fire Drake was me. The True Fire is mine."
"I'm sorry, but he needs it more than you or I do," I said, standing between them. "He's suffering from qi deviation or demonic possession. I don't know your reasons for wanting the True Fire, but you're not suffering from a life-threatening condition, are you?"
"Demonic possession?" Chi Yan repeated, and then he caught sight of the blank surface that made up Hui Ying's face. The featureless dome that served as his head. Unlike me, he didn't gasp in shock. Instead, he narrowed his eyes.
"Yeah. I'm sorry, but if you still intend to take the True Fire from them, then I'll be your opponent." I planted myself firmly between him and the Huang family pair. It was true that Chi Yan was stronger than me if I didn't use the Heaven and Earth techniques, but that didn't necessarily meant I couldn't defeat him without resorting to my demonic skills. I had my own strategies and experience that would allow me to make up for the discrepancy in strength. Worst case scenario, I would just use Heaven and Earth Formula. The Huang family owed me, so I doubted they would turn on me just because I revealed myself to be a demonic cultivator.
Chi Yan clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, but he didn't say anything for a while. He was quivering, but he didn't attack. Instead, he finally turned away.
"…fine."
I lowered my head and glanced to the side when I noticed a tear or two that threatened to spill from his eyes. I understood. I felt the same frustration as him, the same reluctance. To have come this far after overcoming so many difficulties, so many dangers and challenges…and to leave this mountain emptyhanded…it simply wasn't fair.
The world just wasn't fair. I understood that, but even so…
Neither Chi Yan nor I contested Hui Ying's claim to the True Fire. We both knew it was the right thing to do. It was called being human. Perhaps some people might condemn us for being stupid, but I would rather be stupid and selfless than selfish and greedy. If that made me a failure of a villain, then so be it. I couldn't care less what other people thought, as long as I had a clear conscience.
Also, what rule stated that villains couldn't be human and do the right thing? We were simply villains because of circumstances – my choice to cultivate in a demonic sect, and my killing of enemies who attacked me. That didn't mean I had to be selfish, arrogant or ruthless. A person was made of many different facets. No one was completely good or completely evil.
I thought about the cultivator stories that I had read. They were usually so simplistic. The protagonists had it easy because they never had to make difficult choices. Every treasure they were after, or every heroine they added to the harem were pursued by the foulest examples of humanity, robbers, murderers, scheming backstabbers and betrayers who existed solely for the protagonist to kill so that he was justified in seizing the treasures or women for himself. They never had to make any difficult choices and choose between their own ambitions and sacrificing them to do the right thing. Everything just fell into place for them, as if the world revolved around them alone.
Finding my voice, I turned to Huang Qian Jin. "The compensation you were promising me…give it to Chi Yan instead."
"No." Huang Qian Jin shook his head. I opened my mouth to argue, but he continued. "Without either of you, we wouldn't have made it this far. So the Huang family will definitely compensate the both of you equally."
I chuckled. "It doesn't have to be equal. Chi Yan deserves more. He contributed more than I did."
"Shut up. I didn't ask for your pity."
Chi Yan folded his arms and looked away, but there was no anger in his voice. Just forced banter, to distract himself away from his tears of frustration. He then turned toward the edge and before hopping off, spared Huang Qian Jin one last glance.
"I'll hold you to that promise, kid. You know how to contact me. Transfer me the money and we'll call this even. I won't be satisfied unless you pay me an amount equal to the cost of a spirit artifact."
"Yes. The Huang family will pay you at least a hundred thousand spirit stones."
"Two hundred thousand. No less."
"Deal."
Chi Yan gave Huang Qian Jin a look over his shoulder, then he turned back and dropped off from the edge, disappearing from sight. I watched him, and then glanced below at the other surviving cultivators who were pulling themselves together and continuing to climb up onto the plateau. They scattered when Chi Yan landed in their midst. None of them was contesting for the True Fire. After witnessing the battle against the Fire Drake, they were keenly aware that they were no match for Chi Yan, Hui Ying and me.
"I don't need a hundred thousand spirit stones," I told Huang Qian Jin. That amount of money would make me a target. It would draw unfavorable attention from sects and other cultivators. I wouldn't know how to explain how I suddenly had so much money to the Lan family. Questions would be asked, and I wanted to keep a low profile for now.
"I'm still going to give them to you." Huang Qian Jin chuckled. "I might be able to even give you two hundred thousand spirit stones like Chi Yan asked for, but I'll have to discuss the matter with my father first. Even with my family's wealth, that already exceeds the purview of what I'm allowed to give you. But don't worry, my father will agree."
Just who was this kid's father? I knew the Huang family was a major clan in the Tian Xuan Continent, but for a kid to casually give away three hundred thousand spirit stones…that spoke about unimaginable wealth.
Huang Qian Jin glanced at Hui Ying, who was absorbing the True Fire. The black lattice crystal that made up his head was melting away, reforming into flesh and human features. I watched, enticed by the arcane process. Vaguely, I noticed that Hui Ying was originally a very handsome guy with long, dark hair. He reminded me of bishounen characters from a shoujo manga or manhua.
I felt jealous. This guy was definitely popular with girls. I wished I was as handsome as him. Perhaps Lan Bei Er would fall for me if I looked just as good as he did. On the other hand, I also felt vindicated by my decision. It would be a waste for him to remain cursed with that stupid obsidian mask of his.
If he could return to normal after claiming the True Fire, then that was all the reward I needed. Well, obviously not. If I could get a hundred thousand spirit stones on top of that, then I might as well accept them. This trip wasn't a total waste, after all.
I continued to study Hui Ying. I was half-expecting him to turn out to be a beautiful girl because that was the kind of trope that ran in popular web fiction and web comics these days. A mysterious, masked person who everyone thought was a guy revealing herself to be a beautiful girl (often so that the protagonist could add her to his harem). Fortunately, reality was never that convenient or contrived.
Huang Qian Jin must have caught my thoughtful expression, for he spoke up again.
"Thank you." He bowed his head deeply. "Earlier, you even stood up for us and challenged Chi Yan. I really can't thank you enough. This debt of gratitude…the Huang family will definitely repay you one day."
"No need for that," I assured him, raising both of my hands frantically and feeling awkward. "I was only doing the right thing."