" Disciple Wei Jian, how did you come to obtain such a dangerous pill as the [ Berserker Pill ]?" With a serious tone, Duan Xialan was suspicious of him.
" Five weeks ago, disciple Ren Xiaoli returned to me a list of ingredients that I needed to concoct a cure for her poisoned state. Unfortunately, two major ingredients were harder o attain than we both thought. So I promised her, to take care of it personally out of my own pocket."
"mmmm.." Duan Xialan contemplated, " Then what happened next?"
" Well, I paid a visit to the Pill Hall, but unfortunately Elder Dong Aiguo was not available. So I decided instead to visit the Commission Hall. There I would ask for a four-day permit so that I could go gather the remaining ingredients."
Duan Xialan, without moving her body or head. Send a telepathic message to Elder Dong Aiguo. An advanced technique taught to most disciples of any sect. ' Is what he said true? Elder Dong Aiguo?'
' Yes, matriarch. On that day I was occupied by the patriarch's personal submission for a pill.'
Having confirmed the information, her body loosens and her eyes became softer. Wiping away, residuals of sweat, she tells Wei Jian to continue.
" On my first day outside the sect, I went straight into the city below. There I would rent a room in the "Blooming Cherry Inn". That would be my residence for the four days that I was allocated.", taking a sip of the tea, the matriarch provided, before going back to tell them the events.
" After securing a residence, I went straight to the merchant guild that. There I tried to find the ingredients, but I was not graced with luck. Leaving the merchants guild, I decided I might as well collect them in the forest."
" For the three days for me to attain the first ingredient. The last one was the essence of a Trihorn's golden horn. Same as you, I thought it would be the easiest to obtain. But the more I searched, the danger that I was in increased."
" Blood trails from many Trihorn led me to a cave. By then I had already passed the safeguarded portion of the forest. Going down the cave, what greeted me was piles and piles of bones, that belonged to Trihorns. What shocked me more than anything was, below me there was a chimera.."
' Chimera! Did you see what it was comprised of?!", the matriarch stood up leaning on the table.
" Well if I call, it had wings of a Drakken, a human's torso, and the rest were parts are from a werewolf."
" What did you do next disciple Wei Jian?", Elder Dong Aiguo asked the question instead, since the matriarch was still aghast.
" Before I left, I had carefully picked up the golden horn from the pile of bones, retreating quietly as to not alert the chimera."
" Matriarch Duan Xialan, if what disciple Wei Jian said is true, and we were to ignore it. The city below and hundred of our disciples will perish." Both Elder Dong Aiguo and Matriarch were sweating buckets.
" Elder Dong Aiguo, summon all of the core disciples, elders, and the patriarch." Having received his order, Elder Dong Aiguo left to fulfill it.
" Disciple Wei Jian your case is dismissed, we are now in more danger. And from what I can tell, you are definitely not a spy from the Cheonmu cult."
From the beginning the tea hat Wei Jian was drinking contained [ Truth Seeker Pill ]. A pill that would force the victim to release a distinct aroma, when they are caught lying. Wei Jian knew this from the beginning since he could smell that something was off about the tea that he was solely drinking, even though all of them had a cupful.
Wei Jian was dismissed at returned back to his quarters when the core disciples and elders arrived. All of the core disciples questioned each other about why they were summoned. But all of them quieted down when Patriarch Shen TingFeng yelled at them.
" Core disciples and Elders of the Golden Cicada Sect! A grave danger has befallen us, a fairly powerful chimera is resting in our territory! I have called you all here so that we can get it first before it gets us!"
The news shocked everyone present. ' A chimera?!' Everyone thought. A powerful unnatural abomination, a creation by immortal cultivators because true essence was needed. All of them dreading the thought of fighting it.
" We don't know what we've done, or whom we've angered! But that matter will be dealt with after this! I shall contact Pan's family to inform them of our situation. The expedition is officially postponed!?
Everyone was dismissed and headed back to their quarters. Bang! Bang! Bang! Early in the morning, who exactly was disturbing his slumber? Outside of Wei Jian's house was Elder Ma Li. He was ordered to bring Wei Jian to join the extermination squad. Joining Matriarch Duan Xiali's side, he could see that the party consisted of two Earth Tempering realms, seventeen at the peak of the true spirit realm; the sect Elders, and sixteen at the late stages of the true spirit realm; core disciples.
Many core disciples questioned why would Matriarch Duan Xialan would bring a weakling along with them. They feared he would become a nuisance when in the battle against the chimera. But remained silent as it was Matriarch Duan Xialan's orders. Descending down the sect, they were greeted by blossom trees dancing with the wind blowing from the west.
Far away in the distance, a figure gets closer and closer. A woman, based on her looks, is around her twenties. Bleeding from the head and looked delusional. She fell into the embrace of Elder Ma Li.
" Please! Please help! My father... Mother... Please help them!", feeling sorry for the lass, Elder Ma Li puts her to sleep.
" It seems we were too late," Wei Jian says softly staring to the east, smoke reaching the sky.
TBC…