The grand chamber of the Wei Family was bathed in the soft glow of lamplights. The ancient furnishings and mahogany furniture that were polished to a mirror seemed to carry a long history.
In the center of the room, upon a bed draped in expensive silk, lay the old patriarch Wei with his frail body barely visible beneath the layers of blankets. His granddaughter, Wei Jing, stood at the foot of the bed, her expression a mix of concern and defiance.
"Grandfather," she began apologetically, "I did go to the Zhang Family but I only asked for what I believe was correct. It was a great deal if you carefully think about it and it could have made the Zhangs under our thumbs."
The old man's eyes, though clouded with age, seemed to pierce through the darkness. "Did you truly believe that the Zhang Family would yield so easily?" he asked, his voice a rasp.
"Did you think that mere demands would be enough to sway them?"
Wei Jing was taken aback. Her grandfather had always been a man of action, a great businessman along with a Cultivator who had performed countless such negotiations to elevate the Wei family to their current status. Yet now, he seemed almost given up on the Zhangs. No matter how you look at it, it was the best time to pull the Zhangs under their palm. Still, some doubts lingered in her mind.
The Zhangs were measly three people and only one of them had some cultivation. They will not pose any threats if things get serious. The old man sighed.
"Jing'er, you must understand. The world is not as simple as it seems. There are forces at play that we cannot fathom. Forces that can shape our fates with just a wave of their hands and we will not even see it coming."
Wei Jing's confusion deepened. "What are you talking about, Grandfather?"
The old man's eyes held a faraway look. "Immortals, child. Immortals."
"Do you believe Immortals exist in this world Jing'er? Immortals that are akin to Gods who can decide your fate on their whims? Immortals who even the great Emperor Qin has to bow to?"
Wei Jing's brow furrowed. "Grandfather," she began, her voice laced with confusion, "Why are you asking such strange questions? Of course, immortals exist. Cultivators are often referred to as immortals, aren't they? Their longevity and extraordinary abilities make them seem almost divine to mortals."
The old man shook his head, a wry smile playing on his lips. "You're right, Jing'er. But there's a difference between the cultivators we know and the immortals that descended on that day."
The old man leaned forward, "The true immortals, the ones who can shape the world to their will, are far more powerful than any cultivator you've ever encountered."
Wei Jing was sceptic. "But Grandfather, I've heard stories of cultivators reaching the Golden Core Realm. Isn't that the pinnacle of human cultivation?"
The old man's eyes held a knowing glint. "The Golden Core Realm is a significant milestone to us, it is true. But there are realms beyond it, realms that only a selected few have ever the opportunity to glimpse."
He paused, his gaze drifting off into the distance.
"It was nearly fifty years ago when a group of mysterious cultivators arrived in the imperial city."
The old man continued. "Those cultivators were unlike any people had ever seen. They were powerful, incredibly powerful. Some said they had surpassed even the legendary Golden Core Realm."
Wei Jing's eyes widened. "That's impossible."
The old man smiled sadly. "It may seem impossible to you, but I assure you, it is true. They were all female cultivators."
Wei Jing's confusion deepened. "Women? I've never heard of such a sect of female cultivators."
The old man nodded. "That's what makes them so mysterious. No one knows where they came from or what their purpose was."
He paused for a moment, then continued. "Do you know of the Soaring Sky Sect?"
Wei Jing shook her head. "I don't think I've heard of them. Is there any sect of that name?"
The old man continued, his voice low and filled with a sense of dread, "There was a time when the Soaring Sky Sect was one of the most powerful sects in the land. They ruled over a vast territory and their influence was felt far and wide."
Wei Jing's eyes widened. "And what happened to them?"
The old man sighed. "Tragedy, child. A terrible tragedy."
He paused, his gaze fixed on a distant point. "It all began with the young master of the sect. He was a spoiled brat, arrogant and entitled. One day, he took a fancy to the leader of that particular group of cultivators."
"The young master, blinded by lust, attempted to force himself upon the leader of the group. But she was no ordinary woman. She was a powerful cultivator, with abilities that even surpassed our common sense."
Wei Jing's eyes widened in disbelief.
The old man's voice was filled with awe. "It is said that the leader of the group simply waved her hand, and the young master was engulfed in flames. He was burned alive, right there in the Silver Moon Market, in front of countless witnesses."
Wei Jing gasped. "That's terrible."
The old man nodded. "It was. But that was just the beginning. The next day, the Soaring Sky Sect was destroyed without any traces. The entire mountain on which their sect was built was engulfed in a raging inferno. Flames that burned with an intensity that defied reason, a crimson blaze that reached up to the heavens and consumed everything in its path."
Wei Jing's eyes filled with horror. "Impossible!"
The old man shook his head. "No one knows for sure. Some say it was a punishment from the heavens. Others believe it was the work of the leader of that group, or perhaps someone even more powerful."
He paused, his voice filled with a sense of loss. "The once-mighty Soaring Sky Sect was reduced to ashes. The land where their sect stood was forever changed, scarred by the flames. Now it has become known as the Western Wastelands, a desolate and barren place where no one dared to venture."
"Even today," the old man continued, his voice filled with a sense of dread, "if you visit the Western Wastelands, you can still feel the lingering effects of the catastrophe. The place is marked by a sense of desolation as if the heavens themselves have cursed it."
Wei Jing shuddered.
"The land is barren, the air is heavy with the scent of death. It's a place that few dare to venture.
"He paused, his eyes filled with a mixture of fear and admiration. "In the aftermath of the disaster, the previous Emperor himself issued a decree that shook the Empire to its core."
Wei Jing's curiosity was piqued. "What did the decree say?"
The old man's voice grew hushed. "It forbade any mention of the Soaring Sky Sect. The Emperor declared that their name should be erased from history and that their fate was a warning to all. Anyone who dared to speak of the sect or its destruction was to be punished by death."
"The decree was absolute. Books, scrolls, and artifacts related to the sect were seized or destroyed. Even those who remembered the sect dared not speak of it for fear of retribution."
He paused, his eyes filled with an unknown glow. "There were rumors, that even the Emperor was powerless against those who destroyed the Soaring Sky Sect. And would you believe it? That brat Zhang Xuan, despite his youth, managed to make some connections with them."
Wei Jing's eyes widened in disbelief. The old man continued, his voice filled with a hint of nostalgia, "Right here in the Gale City, they came to the Zhang household."
"Soon after the group left, everything seemed to return to normal. But then, almost a decade later, a mysterious man appeared again in our Gale City and with him, there was Lady Mehuli."
Wei Jing's eyes widened. "Lady Mehuli? Isn't that the old Zhang Matriarch's name?"
The old man nodded. "Exactly. She was with those mysterious cultivators who punished the young master of the Soaring Sky Sect."
Wei Jing choked in her throat. "You mean... she was one of them?"
"Yes. She was the leader of the group that caused such devastation."
Wei Jing's mind raced. "But how could she? She was just a old lady from the Zhang family."
The old man shrugged. "Sometimes, people can be very deceptive."
He paused, his eyes filled with a mixture of fear and admiration. "Lady Mehuli was a powerful figure, a force to be reckoned with and she was capable of great cruelty."
Wei Jing's confusion deepened. "So, why did she return to Gale City?"
The old man shook his head. "That is a mystery that has never been fully answered. Some say she was here for Zhang Xuan, others believe she had unfinished business."
***
I won't give any excuses, but a lot happened in the last two months. I even gave up on this but I really enjoy writing this...so here are some chapters.