Chapter 24 - Chapter no.24 Night Attack

[ A Few Months Ago ]
It was a cold, moonlit night when Xie Dongyi's heart broke irreparably. He had been wandering through the halls of the sect, feeling increasingly isolated and dejected as he noticed the growing distance between him and Chun Jiao. His once vibrant and warm world seemed to have dimmed, and he couldn't shake off the persistent feeling of impending doom.
As he turned the corner, he spotted Chun Jiao walking towards the red-haired boy's room, her graceful steps filled with purpose. His heart raced, and a sinking feeling settled in his stomach. Xie Dongyi couldn't help but follow her, driven by a desperate need to know what was happening between her and the red-haired boy.
Later in the night when Chun Jiao came back into her own room, Xie Dongyi couldn't contain his emotions any longer. He burst through the door, his face flushed with anger and hurt. "Chun Jiao, what were you doing in that bastard's room?" he demanded, his voice wavering before he spotted the wound on her face.
" What happened? Did that bastard inflict the wound on you ?!"
Chun Jiao turned to face him, her expression cold and unforgiving. "Why do you care?" she sneered. "You're just a weak, pathetic excuse for a cultivator. What are you even going to do to him, you're nothing compared to him. Remember how he destroyed your weak fragile body."
Xie Dongyi's heart ached, and tears welled up in his eyes. He couldn't understand how the girl he loved could treat him so cruelly.
"But I thought we had something special," he pleaded, his voice barely a whisper.
Chun Jiao laughed, her voice sharp and mocking. "Special? You really thought you were special to me? That was before I realized what a burden you are. Now leave me alone, and never bother me again."
Crushed, Xie Dongyi stumbled away from the room, his entire world crumbling around him. The cold, empty corridors seemed to echo his pain and despair, as he trudged through them with no destination in mind.
In the days that followed, the other children in the sect seemed to sense Xie Dongyi's vulnerability, and they took every opportunity to torment him. They mocked him for his weak spiritual roots, for losing Chun Jiao, and for his inability to stand up for himself. Their laughter and taunts were like daggers, piercing his already shattered heart.
In his lowest moments, Xie Dongyi couldn't help but blame everything on the red-haired boy. He convinced himself that if it weren't for him, Chun Jiao would still be by his side, and his life would still have meaning. Consumed by anger, resentment, and jealousy, Xie Dongyi vowed to himself that he would find a way to take revenge on the red-haired boy and prove to everyone that he was not as weak as they believed him to be. Little did he know that his desperation for vengeance would only lead him further into darkness and despair.
.....
[ Xie Dongyi's POV ]
I trudged through the halls of the mansion, my head down and my spirit broken. The woman that I served for over a decade now turned her back on me, looking at me with nothing but disgust in their eyes. It was all because of my low-grade spiritual roots. It wasn't my fault, but that didn't seem to matter. I was an outcast, an untouchable in this world
The man was a grand and imposing structure, built with towering pillars and intricate designs etched into the walls. But to me, it was nothing but a prison. A place where I was forced to endure the taunts and jeers of those who were more powerful than me.
Lin Huang, one of the children who bullied me, wore a deep purple robe adorned with intricate golden symbols. He looked down on me from his lofty position, a cruel smirk on his face.
The children of this place were ruthless but it was to be expected since they had problems killing others to survive in that prison. Now, in this place where a hierarchy had been established, the weak would be subjected to the anger of others who envied the strong and looked down on the weak who in their mind didn't deserve the luxury they were living.
I tried to avoid Lin Huang as I walked down the hallway, but I could feel his presence looming behind me. And then, without warning, I felt a sharp slap across my face. The sound echoed off the walls, and I stumbled backwards, clutching my cheek in pain.
"You are a worthless piece of trash," Lin Huang spat, his voice dripping with malice. "Dare to ignore me?"
I didn't know what to say. I was too stunned to speak. Lin Huang had always been cruel, but this was a new level of viciousness. He raised his staff and struck me hard on the knees, causing me to cry out in pain. And then again, he struck me in the arms, causing me to scream in agony.
"Huh, say it again!" he shouted, his eyes blazing with anger.
I could feel tears streaming down my face, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of hearing me cry. But then he spat on me, and I felt a surge of rage. Who was he to treat me this way? I may have had low-grade spiritual roots, but that didn't mean I deserved to be treated like dirt.
As Lin Huang turned to leave, I glared at his back, my fists clenched with fury. Just you wait, you bastard, I thought. I'll give this pain back a hundred times over.
....
( ~ Knock ~ )
( ~ Knock ~ )
With a heavy heart and a conflicted mind, Xie Dongyi approached Ye Mo's door. His injuries were still fresh, serving as a painful reminder of the beatings he had received from the other children. He hesitated for a moment, taking a deep breath, before knocking on the door.
A few minutes passed, and the door finally opened, revealing a sweaty and disheveled Ye Mo. His eyes narrowed as he looked Xie Dongyi up and down, a trace of impatience in his voice. "What do you want?"
Xie Dongyi swallowed hard, gathering the remnants of his courage. "I thought about it, and I will do it as long as you keep your end of the bargain."
Ye Mo's lips curled into a sinister smirk, and he clasped Xie Dongyi's shoulder firmly. "I give you my word. Wait for me outside in a few hours. Prepare a dagger to go with it." With that, Ye Mo issued his orders and closed the door, leaving Xie Dongyi standing in the dimly lit hallway, his heart pounding with a mixture of fear and determination.
Inside the room, Ye Mo turned his attention back to the bed, where a blonde-haired servant in skimpy clothing was waiting for him, a playful smile on her lips. "Now, where were we?" he asked, his voice oozing with charm and confidence.
As Xie Dongyi waited outside, he couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding. He knew that what he was about to do was wrong, but the prospect of gaining acceptance and the opportunity to exact revenge on the red-haired boy was too alluring to resist.
••••••••••••
[ The Wailing Isle - Bamboo Forest ]
As I walked through the moonlit bamboo forest, the twin moons cast a mystical glow, creating a picturesque and tranquil setting. Despite the beauty surrounding me, my thoughts were heavy, weighed down by the complex knowledge contained within Alexander's journals and other ancient books. Their contents left me feeling lost and bewildered, struggling to make sense of it all.
Lost in my thoughts, I was startled by the sound of approaching footsteps. I turned to see Xie Dongyi, his delicate, androgynous features bathed in the soft moonlight. "Brother, I need to tell you something," he said urgently, his voice quivering with anxiety. "Ye Mo and his goons are lying in ambush, waiting for you."
I narrowed my eyes as I tried to read Xie Dongyi's expression to see if he was telling the truth or not.
"You might be a little late," I replied with resignation as I sensed people all around me.
As if on cue, Ye Mo and a group of menacing thugs emerged from behind the dense bamboo trees. Each one held a weapon with malicious intent, their eyes filled with a sinister and cruel gleam. Among them were the burly Bai Long, the cunning Lu Fei, and the agile Lei Wu, each eager for a fight and sensing the opportunity for an easy victory.
"You bastard," Ye Mo growled, pointing his spear at me with menace. "I'll show you why you should have never messed with me!"
I raised an eyebrow, feigning nonchalance in the face of danger. "Oh, if I apologize, will you let me go?"
The group laughed mockingly, the sound echoing through the forest, and Ye Mo sneered. "Apologize for all you want, it won't save you now."
Taking a deep breath, I gripped my saber tightly, steeling myself for the inevitable battle.
This could be a great way to exercise my control over my strength.
As Ye Mo lunged at me with his spear, I executed the Crescent Moon technique from the Seven Star Saber Arts.
My blade danced gracefully through the air, deflecting Ye Mo's spear and forcing him to retreat momentarily. The sheer speed and elegance of my movements caught him off guard, and I could see the first flicker of doubt in his eyes.
Seizing the opportunity to strike, the massive young man charged at me, his axe raised high above his head, ready to deliver a crushing blow.
I swiftly transitioned into the Coulé Tellus technique, using the momentum of my sword to move between low and high strikes with fluid precision. My attacks found their mark, and the young man staggered back, nursing a wound on his shoulder.
Sensing a chance to capitalize on my engagement with the young man, two of the Yue Fei's subordinates closed in from opposite sides, their weapons aimed at my exposed flanks.
In response, I quickly shifted to the Foutte Nebula technique, evading their well-coordinated attacks while simultaneously positioning myself for powerful counterstrikes. With swift, fluid motions, I landed blows on both opponents, sending them stumbling back in shock and disbelief.
Realizing their initial strategy was failing, the group began to coordinate their attacks more closely, desperation driving them to push harder. I knew I needed to change tactics as well, so I shifted into the Song of Stars technique, weaving a symphony of strikes as I seamlessly combined offensive and defensive maneuvers. My sword traced intricate patterns through the air, each strike a dance-like movement that left my opponents struggling to keep up. They began to falter, the elegant and relentless nature of my technique wearing them down.
The clash of swords rang through the bamboo forest as I found myself surrounded by Ye Mo and his goons. I gripped my Saber tightly, focusing on the rhythmic breathing and movements of the Seven Star Saber Art. Despite the overwhelming odds, I was confident in my ability to defend myself.
"Ahhh !" Suddenly Xie Dongyi lunged toward me with a dagger flashing from his cloak.
Ye Mo smirked as his plan of having Xie Dongyi betray the red-haired bastard worked.
My eyes widened as Xie Dongyi's came closer and closer.
There was no time to think, there was no time to form a plan as I instinctively out of my sense of survival performed the first stance of the Thunder hummingbird technique and I let go of my control as I used my full power.
"Thunder Hummingbird Art: First Circle."
Lashing out with my foot onto Xie Dongyi, in a split second I felt my kick hit Xie Dongyi's chest causing it to cave in as the force kicked him into the Bamboo forest while in a quick motion as I sensed Yue Fei charging toward me, I turned my kick into a sweeping motion as it carved out a cresent in the ground followed by an upward slash.
( ~ Sling ~ )
Blood spurted out as my saber slashed through Ye Mo's shoulder cutting off his right arm.
( AHHH )
Dodging Ye Mo's body, I turned towards his goons who gulped at seeing Ye Mo screaming on the ground bloodied up with no right arm.
They quickly threw their weapons onto the ground and ran away.
Ye Mo meanwhile looked at me in fear as he held onto his shoulder which was missing a limb.
Fighting through the mind-numbing pain, Ye Mo ran off.
I rolled my eyes, wondering just what was the objective of these idiots.
I released my saber, glancing at Ye Mo's dismembered limb and feeling a sense of satisfaction.
Good, let's this be a lesson to them.
It was for the best that he wouldn't try to find trouble with me, but what about Yue Fei and the servants?
How would they react?
Would they react?
Personally, I didn't care about the other children and their sad political games.
It wasn't like I had killed anyone, so I should only receive a light punishment if Yue Fei cared to interfere.
But it was too late to worry about that now.
Remembering Xie Dongyi, I looked towards the broken bamboo trees, but instead of more bamboo, I saw a deep ditch.
A sigh escaped my lips as I ran towards the ditch, the two moons in the sky providing me with some light.
As I peered down, I saw Xie Dongyi's lifeless body lying inside the ditch, his skull cracked open and blood pooling beside his head.
"Shit," I muttered to myself.
I wondered what I could do to remedy the situation.
Alexander in his time had killed a lot of people, but he had done so in secret and was never punished.
Should I hide Xie Dongyi's body?
Should I silence Ye Mo and his crew? I wasn't sure, but I knew I needed to act fast before anyone else found out.