Chương 42: Approaching Storm

The dancers faltered mid-step, the music frozen in an instant. Dozens of eyes shifted, hungry for spectacle. Baozhai flinched subtly, though instead of shock, she lifted her golden eyes in amusement and met with a pair of green beads glimmering intensely.

"It looks fine enough from here, Eldest of Azure," she said, her tone smooth, then lifted her cup.

"That's a fine weapon you got there, so I couldn't help myself. But if my staring offended you, I hereby apologize." Yue Yanling's thunder rolled faintly beneath her smile. She brushed a finger across the rim of her cup, her tone lazy.

"Relax, Storm Princess. I'm not the type to care about such insignificant things." Her eyes flicked to the hammers at her waist.

"After all, the heavens don't deliver blessings often. Curiosity is only natural." A few chuckles rose from nearby seats, whispers rolling around. Baozhai ignored them, leaning forward with interest.

"Curiosity, yes," she answered softly.

"Because if the heavens have truly spoken…" she let her words trail for a moment, as if tasting them before spitting, "…then why is our Judgment Sect not included among those acknowledged by such a favor while our Eldest still stands?" Her words choked all the whispers. Even the huge fire seemed to crackle more quietly. Eyes turned, wide and expectant, but no one dared to interrupt.

"Perhaps you misunderstand," Yue Yanling said lightly, leaning forward, her smile unfading, though the edge beneath her words was clear.

"Heaven's gaze is not a thing to be measured by mere juniors like us. They favor whoever they wish." Baozhai's eyes sharpened.

"Then are you saying our sect has fallen out of favor?" Yue Yanling laughed once, her melodic voice somehow carried across the feast ground.

"Oh, heavens forbid. Your sect is grand, righteous, and… mighty. Heh, who doesn't even know the great name of Judgment in this world?" She tilted her head, the firelight glinting off her scaled armor.

"But sometimes, Storm Princess, the heavens have complex ideas. Just like how the sole Stormblooded in the last five centuries turned out a concubine's child… instead of the main wife's dragon son. I guess the fate is cruel, huh." Gasps rose as a ripple spread through the audience. Hundreds of pairs of eyes shifted, some with glee, some with fake anger. Baozhai's face remained nonchalant, yet her fingers on the glass tightened, a tiny crack spreading all over it.

Little Cloud whined in a shrill tone, its thunder trembling. You little—"Ah, I just remembered," Yue Yanling continued, lifting a finger and putting it beside her lip, sensually leaning a tiny bit forward.

"Your big brother got a sword. They say it gleams like pure sunlight, with Storm Qilin for a handle. Word has it that it was one of the finest pieces granted. A sword only worthy of an illustrious ruler or a mighty emperor. Even your father, the king himself, left his closed-door cultivation just to witness it," she paused, her eyes narrowing as a faint smile planted itself on her lips.

"So tell me, Storm Princess— does fate not weave curious threads?" You went too far, junior. That's a mistake.

"Curious threads, indeed," Baozhai said slowly, her voice unwavering, holding back a triumphant smile. Her golden gaze watched her every move like a hawk.

"But such matters… aren't fit for talking out in the open. Not all gifts are blessings after all— some might turn out burdens, some tests." She lifted the cracked glass, let out an elegant chuckle, and drained it in one smooth motion. The broken rim shattered with a soft clink as soon as she set it on the table. The sound carried strangely far in the hushed feast.

"Heh, why would I hide something known to everyone?" Yue Yanling asked, rubbing her hammers fondly.

"If I were you," Baozhai refuted, her tone absolute.

"I'd not gloat too early. After all, arrogance creates enmity, and enmity brings calamity. We all know what happened to your predecessor. You don't want to have the same curious fate, I presume." Yue Yanling's lips twitched, her stance stiffening under the weight of her gaze. Her thunder spiked in a raw sound, resembling a cornered beast. A strange light flashed through her gaze, but right then, the silent Master Xue put his glass on the table. Tink.

Every thunder wavered at the same time, as if even their melody flinched with the simple movement. Yue Yanling froze, but Master Xue didn't even look at her. She snorted, the noise soft, and turned aside. Disciples shifted in their seats, some letting out deep breaths, some snorting, probably disappointed that blood hadn't been spilled. Baozhai leaned back, a wide smile threatening to surface, her posture relaxed.

Even though this little girl had a sharp tongue, she was nothing but a pup when it came to provoking others. Even Ruolan was better than her, let alone Baozhai, who grew up enduring Ren's mouth running a mile a minute. You should never forget who has the home turf in your arrogance, little girl. This brief episode faded swiftly into memory, as music and dances resumed soon after. The laughters returned, cups clinked, servants bustled with wine and sweets.

Even Little Cloud's whines quietened, sulking in small static snaps. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Baozhai's gaze wandered lazily across the crowd. Finding nothing of worth, she considered another drink, then decided otherwise. This much action was enough for one night, and she also needed to check upon her little disciples. Even though they are far from troublesome, you never know what kind of foolish stunt newbies might pull, she thought, rising.

She patted the nonexistent dust from her dress, gave Yue Yanling one last disdainful glance, and— Baozhai's ears twitched, her legs rooted on the spot. There was no noise. Not any kind of others could hear, but she felt it deep in her soul: a low booming. Approaching. Fast. Fierce. Growing louder and louder until it became an all-devouring storm. Little Cloud whimpered deeply as she lifted her gaze, her heart skipping a beat. There he was. Clad in his half-armor and… the mask.

Standing right above the stage, the full moon shining on his back, his shadow blanketed the ground like a behemoth. The mask sealed his face, letting only a deep crimson hue in his gaze, piercing even against the flame's flicker. Ren… Baozhai shivered, ears ringing. That alien growl… it had overlapped. Again. … Ren didn't move. He just stood there, his armor carrying him in the air, his mind serene. That head of his… that messed-up, damned head had finally stopped, leaving nothing but a vast void behind.

What was he feeling? He wasn't sure. Anger? Grief? Uselessness? Murmurs buzzed under him, disciples pointing at him. Xue Tian arched a brow, though he remained silent. A girl in scaled armor glared, her identity clear. And lastly, Ren felt the golden eyes burning holes in him. He didn't budge. He didn't turn, remaining as still as a statue. He remembered what he had thought in the Council. The resolution he had decided on. The promise he made. The titan he was fated to be. But what had he done?

I chose to hide behind the shadow of others. Why? Because it was easier that way. What did he say to Master Shu? As the bearer, I won't— no, I can't lay low for long. The thing he feared had happened. Yet looking at it now, he didn't feel the expected dread. Truth be told, he felt nothing at all. As if what he was experiencing at that moment wasn't related to him. So why was he here? Why had he moved without thought, without hesitation? Because he always said 'fake it till you make it'? Was that the reason?

Because his soul brother would do this? No. I chose it myself. I can't throw every 'disastrous' decision to him. Just like that day, in that alley, when I chose to end it once and for all.

"Eldest Brother, what a great surprise to see you here," said Xue Tian at last, a low chuckle escaping, his resonant voice calm as ever.

"What wind blew you here?" The words stirred something in him. Perhaps a warning of his cautious side, or maybe just the fear that comes with always reading into things. Still, it was so faint that Ren didn't even register it.

"You killed him." Three simple words spilled out of his lips. The flame bent as if under his weight.

"Ohh, and whom, pray tell, have I killed?" Xue Tian asked. Ren stared as if answering such a question was beneath him. Instead, he threw something that landed on the main table with a thud. A rope. Coarse, frayed, and shaped into a noose— leaving nothing to the imagination. Silence followed, the kind that scraped at the ears, as if every breath strangled in that very rope.

"Slayer of Hopes… what a fitting name. Not even sparing a mortal." Ren murmured, his voice coming out calmer than expected. They didn't drip with venom, no, he was just stating an obvious fact.

"I really hate that name." Yet these simple words finally stirred Xue Tian enough for him to rise. He took one simple step, and the distance vanished. In the next breath, he stood before Ren, their gazes meeting at the same height.

"They might call me that, and they are right in certain ways," he continued, his tone absolute.

"I killed thousands of humans, slaughtered millions of beasts. Rivers of blood have marked every step I took. Yet never once have I laid a hand on a mortal. I'm a slayer, boy, not a monster." Ren nodded his head; the movement felt almost mechanical, and a rusty one at that.

"I didn't know you were a hypocrite too." Sharp gasps came from beneath, but neither Ren nor Xue Tian cared. The sparks emerging between their gazes were much sharper than them.

"You're too young," Xue Tian said, a faint smile settling on his lips.

"So I can understand—""What a load of bullshit," Ren cut in with no hesitation.

"I'm not here for advice, nor do I care what you are, Xue Tian." he paused, feeling just a tiny bit of the man's aura slip before he reined it back in an instant— probably an almost unconscious reflex like a wolf baring its teeth. It made Ren smile instead of being pressured. That's the game you want to play, huh?

"I only ask for an explanation," he said, pressing on, "Why the old man, a mere mortal, hanged himself after your visit?"

"Always the same, will you ever learn how to listen before accusing?" Xue Tian let out a chuckle, clasping his hands behind his back.

"Never mind, let me satisfy your curiosity, our dearest Young Master." His gaze turned heavy without a trace of aura.

"That man had seen too much. So when justice delivered, his revenge completed— there was nothing left for him to cling to," stopping for a beat, he clicked his tongue, savoring his upcoming words, "That's why he begged me. Said he couldn't endure anymore. Asked for release. And I only granted him that mercy. What? You think he wouldn't do it if I didn't give him that rope? Heh. Don't lie to yourself, boy. Not even a deity could save a soul that had already chosen death." A stifling silence followed his words.

Instead of refuting him, Ren lowered his head to look at his hands. They were steady. And bloody. What a familiar sight. It was even… soothing.

"You're right." To be honest, he had realized he couldn't stop the old man from taking his own life the moment he saw that serene smile. Death was a release for the man's broken soul, not an end. Even if Ren had come earlier, it would only have changed his slight regret if he had erased the brand. Still, he had wondered what Xue Tian was going to say. And now that he heard it, he didn't need his mask anymore. He took it off, his hands trembling the moment it came off.

"Nobody could stop him…"

"Satisfied?" Xue Tian asked right then. Ren feigned a smile as he watched the tension in the air seem to ease and people let out the breaths they'd been holding. However, only one person remained stiff, her legs buckling all of a sudden. All eyes, including Xue Tian's, turned to Baozhai as she grabbed the table with a thud.

"If the justice had truly been served." A whisper strangely echoed in their ears. At the same time, the moon's silvery light disappeared behind a huge cloud.

"But it hadn't. It hadn't… because of you." Ren whispered as if in a trance, his voice cracked. He found himself in that cursed alley for a split second. Xue Tian turned his gaze back to him, arching a brow.

"Because you're a hypocrite." The very air rippled.

"Because you betrayed the values that made this sect." An alien pressure emerged, a silver scale and a dragon following it.

"Because you sold the criminals…" Ren raised his gaze at last, crimson hue dyeing his pupils whole. But a moment later, darkness washed it over and swallowed it whole. Not even a hint of whiteness remained.

"Because you sold the Miracle Sect just for your benefit." [Skill: Primordial's Wrath activated.]"That's why you killed him, Xue Tian!" The string holding him together… snipped at last.