Chương 91: Chapter 71: Ashes

~~~ Awareness returns to Liu Jin gradually. He does not know where he is or how much time has passed. His mind is sluggish, so much that he can barely remember his own name. Someone is carrying him, yet it takes a while for Liu Jin to grasp this simple fact. It is as if his mind is far away from his body. For a brief moment, Liu Jin even manages to fool himself into thinking his father is carrying him home. Then he remembers what happened to his father. Memories of fire and blood hit him all at once.

"Careful. If you make sudden movements, you might fall." That voice. That is not his father's voice. This is not his father's back. Red eyes snap into focus, the haze blown away from his mind. Liu Jin kicks away the arms holding his legs and leaps back. He expects some sort of resistance from his captor, yet there is none. Even so, Liu Jin assumes a fighting stance the moment his feet touch the ground, eyes darting in all directions. He is in the middle of a grassy plain, and there are no people in sight.

None other than the man who had been carrying him.

"You!" Liu Jin knows him. He knows his eyes and his face. And the armor! How could Liu Jin ever fail to recognize that black armor after that dreadful night? The image is already burned into his retina, never to fade away. More importantly, Liu Jin knows this man's name. Liu Jin knows him to be Lei Kong, the dying soldier from the Storm Dragon Empire he encountered in Poison Fang Canyon. The man whose life he saved the day his master passed away.

A most curious sense of peace takes hold of Liu Jin, almost as if he has taken a step outside himself. Liu Jin watches, like a stranger, as his mind pieces everything together with mechanical efficiency. Liu Jin had suspected. Of course, he had. He hadn't failed to recognize the armor the invaders were wearing. However, his mind had been far too busy with far more immediate concerns to focus on the implications. No. That is a lie. Liu Jin hadn't been too busy. He just hadn't wanted to think about the implications.

He hadn't wanted to acknowledge the truth.

"It was you," Liu Jin says, his voice as lifeless, his eyes devoid of any warmth.

"You led those men to Eastern Port City, didn't you?" Lei Kong lowers his eyes, then his head. Shame radiates from his every pore, yet Liu Jin is unmoved.

"I asked you a question." Lei Kong's knees hit the ground. His hands and forehead follow as the man kowtows before Liu Jin.

"It is as you say. There are no words to express the depths of my shame. Nothing I say can explain away my ingratitude. Even if I were to live a thousand years, I could not repay this debt. Even if my descendants were to dedicate themselves to removing this stain for up to five generations, it wouldn't be enough."

"Spare me the theatrics." Despite the situation, Liu Jin doesn't raise his voice. He should be raging, yet Liu Jin can only feel detached. Numb. It is not that he is not angry. Liu Jin can feel the rage swirling within him. Yet it all feels so far away.

"Purple-Veined Empyrean Crystals. You saw the deposit inside Poison Fang Canyon, didn't you?" Lei Kong says nothing. He does not dare raise his head.

"Once again, I have asked a question of you. Once again, you remain silent. Is there no end to your rudeness?" Normally, it would be unthinkable for Liu Jin to address someone like Lei Kong this way. While Liu Jin is stronger than his level of cultivation would suggest, he is still far below someone in the True Realm. If he wanted to, Lei Kong could easily kill Liu Jin. Yet Lei Kong does not dare challenge the boy before him.

"It is as you say," Lei Kong says, his voice the very definition of remorse.

"The day we met, I was able to reach the center of the canyon. There, I found a large deposit of Purple-Veined Empyrean Crystal, the likes of which I had never seen before."

"How?" Liu Jin asks. Before Lei Kong can reply, Liu Jin elaborates.

"How could you possibly have made it all the way there? I have felt your Qi. I have healed your wounds and taken in the state of your meridians. You are only in the True Realm. Of that, there is no doubt." Certainly, the toxicity of Poison Fang Canyon has decreased ever since Nine-Headed Snake God passed away. In fact, the last time he was there, Liu Jin noticed that the canyon's toxicity was declining at a much faster pace than he and his master had anticipated.

However, that does not mean the toxicity of Poison Fang Canyon still isn't lethal. At the very least, it should not be on the level where it could be endured by a cultivator in the True Realm!

"This one used his clan's movement technique, Thousand Steps of the Thunder God. Thanks to it, this Lei Kong was able to reach the center of the canyon before the poison took hold of me. However, my steps were not fast enough to retreat in time." A clan technique. Lei Kong just happened to have a technique that allowed him to perform a feat a cultivator of his level shouldn't be capable of. Liu Jin snorts.

"So that's it? You just happened to be uniquely suited to surviving the canyon? Tell me, among those who attacked the city, how many can use that technique?"

"Only one other." Liu Jin's laughing now. He tries to cover his mouth as his shoulders shake, yet he cannot seem to stop himself. And really, why should he? What should he call this if not hilarious? This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. What is this if not a joke?

"So..." Liu Jin says, struggling to breathe.

"Only two people out of so many... and you're the one who happened to be there. And I just… I just happened to be a big enough fool to save you!"

"No!" Lei Kong finally raises his head.

"Your actions… they were not wrong!" The laughter stops, gone as if it had been never there to begin with.

"I healed you, and you brought your army to my home," Liu Jin explains. He speaks slowly as if addressing someone incapable of understanding proper speech.

"The only reason you were even in danger is because you were scouting your next target. Will you deny that?"

"That's not it!" Lei Kong shouts with startling vehemence, still kneeling before Liu Jin.

"It was never like that! Our encounter was completely accidental. I did not lie to you when I said I was flung there." Liu Jin remains silent but motions him to continue.

"I am, or rather I was, a soldier belonging to General Murong's army, one of the Three Heavenly Generals of the Storm Dragon Empire. He is… He is a man addicted to violence. Oftentimes, he will have the troops fight him. Sometimes it will be ten at a time, sometimes one hundred, sometimes more. It doesn't matter. The result is always the same. None can defeat Murong Bang. It was as a result of one of these spars that I ended up on the other side of the border." Liu Jin raises an eyebrow.

"You said it was a beast who tossed you aside."

"I said it was a beast, and my words were true. Murong Bang is a beast in human skin, a savage without equal. I did not lie when we first met. I truly had gone into the canyon intending to harvest cores, so that I could present them to the general to make up for my embarrassing performance. Otherwise, I feared he would kill me." Liu Jin crosses his arms, unimpressed.

"And yet, you returned to him." Lei Kong frowns. His fingers dig into the dirt.

"The Lei Clan only exists in its current form due to General Murong. As such, I was honor-bound to serve him. I will not deny my actions were wrong, but that is what I believed. I told myself it didn't matter how cruel the general was because by serving him, I was honoring my family. Even so, I never intended to tell General Murong about the Purple-Veined Empyrean Crystals. I knew he could not possibly resist a temptation like that. I knew he would visit destruction upon you if he learned of them.

Thus, I resigned myself to my fate. I couldn't allow myself to be away for long, or else the general might believe I was attempting to desert. I would return to General Murong empty-handed and suffer the consequences."

"Obviously, that didn't happen," Liu Jin notes, sarcasm and annoyance seeping into his voice in equal measures. His hands slowly curl into fists, though Lei Kong does not notice.

"Clearly, Murong Bang learned of the Empyrean Crystals hidden in Poison Fang Canyon or else why would he have attacked Eastern Port City!" Certainly, it is possible to enter Poison Fang Canyon without crossing Eastern Port City. A lone person could easily enter the canyon undetected, but an entire army? That is just not possible. Furthermore, mining all the Purple-Veined Empyrean Crystal in the canyon would take far too long.

Even just getting to the center of the canyon would require destroying much of it in order to dissipate the poisonous mists. It is not something the Yun and Xiao Sects had ever dared to try, but that is only because they never learned of the treasure hidden there.

"Somehow, he knew. I cannot explain it, but he knew I had been in the presence of Empyrean Crystals," Lei Kong says, unaware of Liu Jin's thoughts.

"He looked at me, and he knew. He threatened to kill me if I did not tell him. He threatened to kill my family, and I…"

"You caved," Liu Jin finishes for him, making Lei Kong flinch.

"He threatened you, and you caved. That is, of course, assuming I believe a single word you've spoken thus far. And then what? Ashamed of your cravenness, you sought me out? Is that why you knocked me unconscious and carried me away? Is that why we are in the middle of nowhere?" Lei Kong swallows and nods, sweat drips from his face to the ground.

"That is so. For you to die after saving my life... I could not allow that. It is as you say, I am craven. I have repaid your good with evil, so at the very least, I wished for you to survive." Something snaps. Liu Jin grabs Lei Kong by his armor, forcing him to look at him.

"What gave you the right?!" Liu Jin hisses, any semblance of calm gone from his face. He rears his arm back and backhands Lei Kong.

"You wished for me to survive?! What gives you the right to imply everyone else is already dead? What gave you the right to pull me away as I was defending my home!? You want to repay me? Then return me to my home at once! Return it to me!" Pity. The way Lei Kong looks at him radiates nothing but pity. Liu Jin grits his teeth. If his hand wasn't hurting from slapping Lei Kong just now, he'd do so again.

"Master... Eastern Port City was attacked four days ago. You have been unconscious ever since I hit you. Even if you were to return now, the battle would be long over already. Besides... General Murong is in the Fifth Level of the Emperor Realm. There is no way he could have lost. If you were to return right now, the only thing you would find would be General Murong's army destroying everything in the canyon to acquire the Empyrean Crystals."

Liu Jin growls and shoves Lei Kong away, as if the act of pushing him out of his sight would somehow make his words less valid. Fifth Level of the Emperor Realm. Against Patriarch Xiao Zheng, who is only in the Second Level of the Emperor Realm, and Yun Peng, who is in the Ninth Level of the Renegade Realm, the only possible outcome would be…

"Master, I am s-""That is the second time you call me master," Liu Jin says through gritted teeth.

"Why are you calling me that?"

"It is as I said before. Due to my actions, I have incurred a debt that cannot possibly be repaid, Master," Lei Kong says, solemnly.

"Even if I were to give all I have, I would not be able to repay it, so… I must, nevertheless, give you all I have, including my very life. Everything this Lei Kong is now belongs to you, Master. Use me as you would any tool."

"A tool?" Liu Jin lets out a sharp laugh.

"You betray me and bring death to my home, and all you have to offer is yourself? I know the state of your body. Your arm is missing. Your meridians are crushed on your right side. You are in the True Realm and will remain there for the rest of your life. You take so many things from me, and all you have to offer is a broken tool? Do you realize how ridiculous your words are? How shameless you are for speaking them?"

"It is as Master says. Things like face, this Lei Kong no longer has them. I am lower than a dog, for even dogs know better than to bite those who feed them. Still, I give myself to you regardless to use as you see fit."

"And what possible use could I have for you?"

"I am not unskilled in combat, although it is true I will never grow stronger than my current level," Lei Kong says.

"I can sing and play music, though my condition has placed many instruments beyond me. I know many things about the Storm Dragon Empire and about General Murong. No doubt, Master will want to know more about him."

"And why," Liu Jin asks, "would I wish to know more about him?" For the first time, Lei Kong looks confused.

"Well, surely…. Surely, Master is planning to kill General Murong for his many transgressions against your person? Though I believe this path is fruitless, I cannot stop Master and will help with your revenge."

"Revenge?" Liu Jin echoes. Disbelief gives way to hysterical laughter.

"Revenge?"

"Master?"

"Why are you all so stupid?" Liu Jin whispers.

"Tell me, are there a thousand Murong Bangs?"

"What?"

"Are there a thousand Murong Bangs?" Liu Jin repeats, enunciating each word.

"Do you think killing one will satisfy me? Do you think even killing a thousand Murong Bangs will make me feel better?" To kill and kill and find out there are not enough people. So this is how it feels.

"Will that make me happy? Will that make this pain go away?" Liu Jin yells, clutching his heart. Tears spill from his eyes.

"Will that give me my father back?" Silence is the only answer he receives, and silence reigns for minutes after his outburst.

"Master," Lei Kong begins, somewhat hesitantly.

"Are you saying that perhaps… you do not wish to kill Murong Bang."

"... I did not say that."

"Then... what is Master saying?" Liu Jin takes a deep breath.

"I don't know." Liu Jin chuckles and shakes his head.

"Apparently, I don't know anything at all." With that, Liu Jin walks away. Lei Kong is left blinking before he takes off after Liu Jin. His home is gone. His father is gone. His friends are gone. At the age of thirteen, Liu Jin has lost what he most valued to cruelty beyond his imagination. All that is left is the taste of ashes in his mouth. He walks under the bright sun of the Crimson Cloud Empire, miles away from any city or town. He does not know where he is going. He doesn't care.

His boyhood has ended abruptly. His path to adulthood has begun. For Liu Jin, it will be a long road. ~~~