Yu Baozhai, enveloped in the lavish drapery of his dark pavilion, seemed almost to swell with pride as he addressed his select gathering of sect leaders and corrupted nobles. His voice, though tinged with the venom of his ambitions, carried a kind of charismatic malice as he wove his poisonous philosophy into the fabric of the assembly.
"True darkness," he began, his eyes glinting with a cruel sort of wisdom, "is the ink with which the most powerful narratives are written. It is not merely the absence of light but the presence of a profound power—the power to bend wills, to shape destinies. Where there is control, there is triumph. Like a puppeteer commands the strings of his marionettes, so too must a sect control its influence, its adversaries, its very fate."
Yu Baozhai paused, letting his words sink into the minds of his audience, his smile broadening as he noticed the rapt attention he commanded.
"Consider the ancient cedar and the creeping vine," Yu Baozhai continued, his voice now a hypnotic drawl. "The vine does not struggle against the mighty cedar; instead, it embraces it, encircles it, until it reaches the very pinnacle. That is power through control, through embracing the darkness that lies within us all."
His gaze shifted slightly, sharpening as he addressed a more immediate threat, one he had been aware of all along. "And yet, there are those who defy the natural order, who claim to act as agents of justice—like the notorious Blood Sect assassins. They dare to challenge the supremacy that we have fostered."
With a calculated flourish of his hand, Yu Baozhai snapped his fingers, his expression darkening with triumph. "Like the misguided ones among us today."
Joon, Caelan, Elara, Yuna, Yeonhee, Kang, and Zephyr gasped under their breaths, all thinking the same thing:
'How did he know..?!'
At his signal, a group of monks with eerily pure white eyes floated gently into the space above the crowd. They began to perform an intricate series of movements, their limbs flowing through ancient, powerful dance forms laced with qi manipulation. As they danced, a palpable pressure filled the air, pressing down on Joon and his disguised squad with overwhelming force.
Caught unaware, Joon and his team stumbled, their knees buckling under the invisible weight forcing them downwards. The robes they had donned could no longer hide their true identities as the sect around them gasped and murmured.
'They're controlling us?!' Joon thought.
Elara, scared, thought, 'It was going well…! No wonder it felt too easy! We have to escape!'
Yu Baozhai's laughter echoed around the pavilion, rich and full of malice. "You see? Even those who skulk in the shadows can be brought to kneel with proper control. The game, my friends, is all about who holds the strings."
As the white-eyed monks continued their sinister dance, locking Joon and his squad in a crippling stasis, Yu Baozhai leaned forward, his gaze sweeping over his prey.
"Welcome, assassins, to a game of true control—a game where every move you have planned is but a predictable step in my grand design."
His words hung heavy in the air as the scene drew to a close, the fate of Joon and his companions suspended in a grim tableau, under the dark puppeteer's gleeful watch. "Allow me to explain the situation at hand. I've always wanted to meet you guys, hell, maybe we could work something out."
As the eerie silence hung heavy over the gathering, Yu Baozhai's eyes shimmered with dark glee. His voice echoed deliberately across the air as he issued an ancient command that twisted the air itself, "𐎶𐏑𐎢𐎽𐎟𐏂 𐎱𐎠𐎬𐎪𐎬𐎢𐏐!" These words, unrecognizable to the uninitiated, flowed from his lips in a sinister hiss.
Reacting instantly, the airborne monks began their chant, a low, haunting melody that seemed to seep right into the soul. Their movements grew sharper, more pronounced, as they wove through the air, their feet barely touching the ground as they traced patterns that pulsated with dark energy.
Meanwhile, Joon and his team, caught in an invisible lattice of control, found their bodies responding against their will. Each motion dictated by the monks' dance forced them into a grotesque parody of the monks' fluid steps. Joon felt his limbs jerk spasmodically, his face contorting in agony as his eyes began to bleed a thick, black substance.
Caelan scoffed to himself, "This feels too similar to what I don't want: being taken advantage of…something Shen Wei went through. I don't wanna be like him…"
Lining up with Joon, Zephyr gasped as dark rivulets ran down his cheeks, his breathing labored with every forced step. Beside her, Caelan fought fiercely against the invisible forces, grunting in frustration and pain, but his resistance only led to more black tears staining his face.
'Black fluids coming out of us…..if he's using lust to control the women, he must be using lust to control the monks…means there's a deity here.'
Yu Baozhai watched with fervent delight, narrating his twisted motivations amid the chaotic display. "You see, the martial world is a cesspool of so-called righteous leaders, hiding behind their lofty ideals!" His voice boomed across the room, powerful and resonant. "Take the Hangyang Sect, leaders Hanuel and Ji-Woo, whose façade of sanctity disgusts me!"
Joon gasped, saying silently, "Hanuel…Ji-Woo.."
He remembered them, he remembered how they admitted to killing his parents, how they despised him for having red eyes.
He swept his hand dramatically to the other side as he continued. "And the Baihu Sect under Master Liang, with their pretentious honor. Or the Zhuque Sect, led by Elder Mingxia, all proclaiming to guard against darkness, but in truth, they fear the power it grants!"
Joon continued to think, 'The Baihu sect…master Liang..Elder Mingxia…the Zhuque sect…'
He remembered them as well on that fateful day when all hell broke loose.
With malice dripping from every word, he spat out, "Not to forget the Xuanwu Sect, with Protector Zhen at their helm. They play at guardianship, but their spirits are as corruptible as any!"
Joon remembers Protector Zhen as well, thinking, 'He's mentioning all those bastards…why?!'
Caelan said to Joom silently, "What is this bastard trying to say…"
"I don't know….but I can't move on my own…"
Joon looked at Elara, and he saw that she as about to cry, but he also saw her struggling to keep her tears in.
"Elara…" Joon whispered.
Elara heard him, but ignored him.
Elara thought, 'The higher ups planned everything for us…how did we still get caught?! How did they know…unless…'
Yu Baozhai's face contorted in a vicious smile. "All of them, unwitting pawns in the grand design, drawn into a cult that has nudged open the gates to hell itself. They blame the demons, yet they invited them in, meddling with energies they didn't understand!"
'Those sect leaders I want to kill…they're in a cult now…? Why…'
Back in the controlled chaos, Yuna tried to steady her breathing, feeling each movement chip away at her control, tears of black blood streaming unbidden down her face. Nearby, Yeonhee's whispered curses filled the air, her own face a mask of anguish as the macabre dance continued.
Yuna said, "We have to run.."
Yeonhee agreed, "It's the only way…but we can't…"
Kang added, "We can…we have…to try.."
Kang, with grim determination, managed a strained look towards Joon. His eyes, filled with the same dark tears, conveyed a silent message of defiance. They wouldn't give in, not while a shred of strength remained.
Elara, despite the torturous dance, kept her gaze locked on Yu Baozhai, her mind racing for any potential escape or counter to their dire situation. This emotional and physical torment forged a new level of resolve in her.
Yu Baozhai's monologue carried on, filled with his dark visions of conquest and control. "This festival, bathed in the malignant grace of the Lust Deity, marks not an end but a glorious beginning. With the demonic energies harnessed, we will not just survive the chaos; we dominate it, reshape it in our dark image."
As the monks' dance reached a feverish crescendo, Joon and his squad felt the compulsion intensify, their bodies bending and twisting in ways that defied natural physiology. Each fiber of their being screamed in silent agony, fighting an internal battle against the malevolent forces puppeteering their forms.
"This world," Yu Baozhai roared, over the sound of strained gasps and the rhythmic chanting of the monks, "needs a true master, one unafraid to embrace the darkness within and wield it as a weapon to cleanse, to control, to conquer!"
His laughter, dark and triumphant, filled the chamber as the controlled dance drove Joon and his team deeper into despair, their hopes dimming with every manipulated step. The pain was not just physical but a deep, piercing wound to their spirits as they danced helplessly on the string of Yu Baozhai's dark intentions.
Yu Baozhai explained, "I will allow you to come work for me…if you tell me where your leader is. I've heard rumors of him—or her. Saying no one knows their real name, they're relentless, people only saw him in the shadows…if I can control someone like him, I can control that demonic cult that's been running around…and the other sects. The demon's plague in this world is in the way of me truly achieving true dominance, which will eventually bring true happiness. Now if you do not expose the location of your leader, all of you will die."
Immediately, Yuna exclaimed, "I know where he lives!"
Yeonhee added, "I do too!"
Kang agreed, "Yeah! We can take you to him!"
Joom screamed to them, "What the fuck are yog thinking?!"
Caelan scoffed, "Dirty bastards!"
Elara said nothing, she was shaking.
'This is going wrong…this is going wrong…this is going wrong…'
Zephyr said, "They're doing this to live….do you blame them..?"
They all continued to be controlled with the monks' movements, and Joon said, "It doesn't matter ... .we can't give up.."
He remembered when he gave up against Xiahou Anara, but then stood up to fight again. Even though he lost, he remembered how happy he was to even last against her for so long without dying so fast.
Joon said to Zephyr, "We won't give up here! This man needs to die. And he's familiar with the ones I want revenge against. Now I see why I want to stay with the Blood Sect…I'm closer to my true targets…"
"Joon…"
"Even if they lead him to the Head…they'll all die."
Zephyr sighed, "My apologies—."
"No…you're right too. I don't wanna die, or lose. I'm scared right now. Truly…I wanna reach happiness again, the same one I felt with the puppies and Hana…and I'll be damned if I lose before I lose this early in the fight. And plus, Elara is a new friend I made, I don't wanna lose that so fast either…"
"You are truly humble, Joon."
'I hope Torin is alright..' Zephyr thought.
Elara had overheard Joon, and she gritted her teeth, thinking, 'Joon you idiot, don't make me feel this way during this time…'
Yu Baozhai stepped down from his seat, the monks still controlling Joon and the assassins with their dance and movements.
Yu Baozhai smiled, "Then, take me to them."
Yuna grinned, releasing a sigh of relief, "Thank you…"
Yeonhee agreed, "We're gonna live!"
Kang grinned, with tears in his eyes, "We're gonna make it!"
Elara almost tried to run forward, but she stopped herself, even though she couldn't really move, her consciousness wanted her to go and join them.
'No…no. I hate this fat bastard…he's the one…who manipulated my mother. She has to be here.'
Joom clenched his fists, and an unexpected resilience sparked within Joon and Caelan as they, side by side, began to push back against Yu Baozhai's dark influence. Black blood flowed freely from their eyes, noses, and mouths, painting their faces with the marks of their torment. Yet, determined willpower glowed in their eyes, driving them forward.
Joon said, "The Deity of Lust…"
Yu Baozhai said, "How the hell are they able to withstand the control…"
Caelan scoffed, "You're fucking dead.."
The system window appeared in front of Joon, and Joon repeated what was being read, saying:
I Yu Baozhai, entrenched in the dark realms of ancient mysticism, has harnessed the malevolent energies of an entity referred to as the Lust Deity. This being is a figure woven from the raw, primal forces of desire and excess. Traditionally viewed among the pantheon of darker spirits, the Lust Deity epitomizes the unchecked pursuit of pleasure, manipulating human desires to the point of self-destruction. The deity's power is intoxicating, pervasive, and by its nature, insidiously corruptive. It infiltrates the psyche, distorting natural cravings into obsessions that unbalance the mind and spirit. Those who fall under its influence often find their moral barriers eroded, driven to fulfill their deepest desires without regard for consequence]
[Yu Baozhai's manipulation of this power is both strategic and sinister. He uses the deity's energy to infuse the air around the monastery, creating an atmosphere thick with invisible tendrils of lustful energy. The monks, committed to paths of spiritual discipline and denial, find themselves particularly vulnerable. Their normally suppressed desires, once stirred, rage with an intensity that leaves them disoriented and susceptible By channeling the deity's power, Yu Baozhai can enhance and twist these desires. He weaves a complex spell that not only awakens the monks' deepest yearnings but also binds these awakened desires to his will. Thus, what the monks crave becomes a weapon against them; their spiraling lust leaves them desperate, their minds malleable to Yu Baozhai's commands]
[In this corrupted state, the monks perceive Yu Baozhai not just as a leader but as the embodiment of the fulfillment of their dark, newly amplified cravings. This illusion compels them to follow his orders with a blend of manic zeal and spiritual confusion, believing falsely that through him, their desires will be sated]
[Additionally, Yu Baozhai extends this manipulative influence to include the vulnerable, naked females brought under his domain—another demonstration of the deity's power. These individuals, stripped of their autonomy, become mere extensions of Yu Baozhai's will, mirroring the monks' manipulated desires and serving as both bait and reinforcement for the monks' conditioned lust]
[Their presence further intensifies the hedonistic energy within the monastery, creating a feedback loop of desire that Yu Baozhai cleverly orchestrates. This manipulation not only ensures the monks' subservience but also binds them tighter to the Lust Deity's influence, driving them deeper into a cycle of craving and dependence controlled by Yu Baozhai. His mastery over this dark power shows his willingness to plunge into the depths of spiritual corruption, using sacred desires as chains to bind and command his followers, amplifying his own dark agenda while feeding the deity's need for chaos and degradation]
Yu Baozhai, observing the defiance, narrowed his eyes, his lips curling into a sneer. He resumed his incantations in the ancient, guttural language, "𐎵𐎢𐏂 𐎠𐎼𐎹𐏁 𐎠𐏁𐎢𐎹𐎠!" Each syllable dripped with the weight of dark energy, aimed to bolster the control over the renegade warriors.
Yet, as the corrupted words spilled from Yu Baozhai's mouth, Joon and Caelan, shoulders heaving from their exertion, continued their relentless advance. They locked eyes for a fleeting moment, their silent agreement evident—they would not be broken, not today.
"Stop them!" Yu Baozhai thundered, spittle flying from his enraged mouth. "Do not let them advance!"
Elara said, "Joon…Caelan!"
Zephyr said, "We have to follow.."
Yuna said to Joon, "Stop! This is the only way he can survive!"
Joon replied, "Shut up. I'm only 11 years old, and have more common sense than you. He's gonna take the rest of you to our leader…and he's gonna deal with the rest of us."
At his command, shadows twisted and writhed at the edges of the room, coalescing into two formidable figures: Hajen and Kage, Yu Baozhai's most lethal assassins. At that moment, Torin's dead body dropped in front of everyone.
Hajen and Kage smiling, saying at the same time, "Ohhh…these must be the others! I wonder which person is the strongest! Too bad this kid died before telling us, he wasn't able to stop trying to fight us."
Elara was stunned, and Joon clenched his fists to the point where they bled.
Zephyr exclaimed, "Torin….Torin!!!!"
Hajen said, "You might be the one he was talking about then!"
With lethal grace, they dashed towards Zephyr, but Joon and Caelan dashed in front of Zephyr, and connected with Hajen and Kage, their blades gleaming ominously in the dim light. The assassins moved like specters, swift and deadly, but Joon and Caelan, driven by something beyond mere survival, met their charge with equally fierce resolve. The air crackled with the impending clash.
Kage said, "Hey hey…what's with these two…this power…"
Joon and Caelan, side by side, scoffed, "Shut up…and fight us."
Meanwhile, amidst the chaos, Elara struggled against the spectral chains that bound her will and movements. She kept thinking about her mother, the times they shared, and even seeing her get taken by Black Lotus members in the darkness of the night.
'Stop being scared…maybe I was too weak to stop them…it wouldn't have happened…stop blaming yourself Elara! Stop it…fucking stop…break free from it all…this control too…'
A deep, frosty energy built within her, culminating in the sigil of a large frost crest that materialized before her shaking form. With a guttural scream that echoed her torment and fury, she thrust her fists forward on the crest, shattering the crest.
A massive beam of frost blasted forth, speeding across the room towards a shocked Yu Baozhai. His eyes widened a fraction before he thrust out his hand, revealing a dark, gaping maw that absorbed the icy attack with a grotesque slurp.
"Tch! They're breaking free from the control…just off of willpower…"
'One of the scriptures for a qi-rune weapon of the lust deity…is: For the ones whose willpower can conquer their desires and lust can be a nuisance, but those who even control those who are strong willed have achieved true dominance…..it's influencing the others…I can feel the binds weakening. These two in the front…it's not just willpower, it's pure power of their qi…like they're using it to fight against the control!'
The impact of Elara's frost beam, aided by the raw power of her desperation, rippled through the area, breaking the mystical bindings that held Joon and his team captive. As if waking from a nightmarish sleep, the remaining members of the team—Zephyr shook free from their imposed stasis, their eyes flaring with renewed fire.
Yu Baozhai staggered back, fury contorting his features. "Impossible!" he roared, his voice a tempest of rage and disbelief. "Your petty tricks will not defy my will!"
Everything exploded into motion.
Yu Baozhai ordered some of his members to snag Yuna, Yeonhee, and Kang away to lead Yu Baozhai to The Head.
Yu Baozhai, Yuna, Yeonhee, and Kang, and some other members ran off, ready to take down the Head.
Jiho, from a distance, said, "They're actually leading him to the Head…"
At that moment, The Head was right behind Jiho, smirking, "Let them lead him to us."
"Is that a good idea?"
"Yes. It's a perfect idea. Stay here and watch the prospects win. Do not interfere, just watch."
"Okay."
"Good boy."
FWIP!
The Head vanished.
Down below, Joon and Caelan were fighting Kage and Hajen. Elara, Zephyr, and some of the other assassins were fighting the incoming monks, the naked females, and the allied sect leaders.