Chương 52: The Mission

Working as the Eldest was hard. It demanded strength, attention, care, and influence. Above all, willpower. Basically, you had to be like a superhero. You couldn't act on emotion, nor afford to be selfish. After all, people relied on you. They believed in you. And belief came with responsibility. You had to bear the lives of countless people, despite the soul-crushing weight of it. Even a single loss was yours to carry— for an eternity. Glory. Praises. Rewards.

None of it meant anything before the guilt you had to bear. Ren often dreamed of being a hero. When he was a child, of course, free of the world's cruel realities and burden of responsibility. What was the worst that could happen after all? He would be cool with his cape, impress any girl he wants, maybe fly around the tiny place he thought of as the whole cosmos, and save people.

Then he could eat all the ice cream he dreamed of, try different kinds of food he saw in the newspapers left behind by forgetful old people, and take his brothers and sisters to have fun. What a fool I was. He forced himself to lean back, the soft cushions thankfully helping, and clasped his hands over his stomach. He relaxed his facial muscles too, getting himself ready for the inevitable as Demoness put up her mask a second later and moved to stand at his back.

"Enter," he said after a moment. A silver-masked enforcer opened the door, his gaze flashing with light as soon as he saw Ren in the chair. He bowed first, then offered a letter.

"Urgent news arrived just now, Leader. There's a matter needing your presence." Ren remained silent as Demoness waved a hand, the letter floating into his hand. His doubtful eyes scanned the seal of a flying sword with no handle. Yan Yuze? Or Grand Elder? It was weird, since they could directly send an envoy instead of a letter. He broke the seal, the slightly metallic, oily smell catching him off guard. It had to be written just this morning, no longer than one or two hours ago.

Only two sentences greeted him when he opened:'Abnormal beast tide forming in the north, Evernight Outpost has around two weeks at most. Need you to do your magic, and protect my little brother's sorry ass— Yan Yuze.'

"Evernight Outpost… isn't that place extending into the beast clan's territory?" Ren rubbed his chin, browsing his memories. Yet his soul brother hadn't gone there since its guardian was Yan Yang, the strongest candidate other than him for the Eldest position. That man was strong, really strong.

"Weird, I thought Nightdweller Clan had strict control over the forest. The place hadn't had a beast tide for centuries," Demoness said, her voice cold and collected.

"Also, there are three Nascent Soul elders stationed there all the time. Why did he specifically want your presence?" Ren didn't answer. He took out a map from one of the drawers, then remembered something and lifted his gaze.

"You may leave. Thank you." The enforcer bowed before turning back. Yet he paused right then.

"It's great to see you back, Leader. I'm glad." Ren smiled softly.

"Yeah, it feels great too." Only then did the enforcer close the door. A second later, Demoness took off her mask.

"Ugh, that damned Yan Yuze. If you have time to write letters, why don't you explain it well? Ohh, I see— there must be a mystery. He needs to get things exciting, right?!"

"Yeah, yeah, he is a bastard, I know," Ren didn't argue, his gaze focused on the map. He had to scrape his memories some more as he had no idea what all those strange symbols meant.

"Can you give me some tea? My throat is parched."

"Wait a second, I forgot about it." Demoness hurried, pressed on a few runes to stop heating, and picked up the lid, getting ready to clean it with her robe. Ren coughed just in time, and only then did she let out a defeated sigh. Still, instead of washing it, she set it aside and poured tea directly into cups.

"Here. Now, tell me what you are planning." Ren couldn't help himself and glared at the teapot, yet this time he was the one sighing.

"I don't have a plan," he said, pointing at the outpost he found at last.

"I need to see the territory and the state of it for that. But I think I figured out why he asked for me."

"Because he trusts you?" Demoness asked.

"After all, he can't entrust his little brother to everyone."

"That's another reason, not the main one," Ren muttered, tapping his temple.

"Evernight Forest doesn't hold much value for most. It's too dangerous for any trade roads, the surrounding beasts aren't precious enough, and the beast clans around there hold a tight grip over the area. Furthermore, being surrounded by Evernight Forest makes it a nightmare to defend."

"Then why?"

"Because he knows others wouldn't hesitate to abandon the outpost if things turn grim, yet he can't abandon the place no matter what. That's the main reason."

"You're speaking as if he's acting out of self-interest." Demoness looked troubled for a second, then shook her head.

"He's a freaking Master, Ren. He wouldn't do something like that over a puny outpost."

"That puny outpost," Ren paused, took a sip, and pushed the map towards her, one finger on the grass symbol in a forest, "produces half of the Flying Sword Peak's entire sword-grass supply. Tell me— master or not, which sword cultivator could dare to cast it aside?" Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Half…?" she mumbled.

"It also explains why he sent a letter. Elders wouldn't consider sending you there if they knew the reason was something only one peak needs. But if you leave on your own, they can't say anything. But you know, it might be dangerous. You just got back on your feet—""The curse, I'm aware," Ren said, taking out a fresh parchment.

"It plays with the mind. Shows your worst fears in the worst moments, then leads you into its depths until it devours you whole. But it also doesn't distinguish between human and beast. They need to watch out, too; their willpowers are weaker, after all."

"And that's the edge you want."

"Exactly." Ren nodded, a grin settling on his lips. Truth to be told, the curse was one of his least worries. With the Tyrant's Art of Slaughter, he could purge his negative emotions, and Primordial Lifeform's mind protection gave him the necessary confidence and a fallback line. Although he might not have total immunity when all is considered, he also didn't need to fear losing himself in it, while his opponents needed to spend most of their effort resisting the curse and staying on tenterhooks.

It's actually not bad for my first mission. So he began to write, his quill flowing on the parchment with ease and elegance. Thankfully, unlike modern Ren, whose handwriting looked like chicken scratch, his soul brother had an extensive education in terms of calligraphy. A few minutes later, he put his seal and finished. Stretching his arms wide, he raised a brow at the frowning Demoness.

"Still worried?"

"For you?" she snorted softly, clasping her hands over her chest.

"In your dreams."

"Sure— the one with ten imps involved?" He smirked in triumph when she stood speechless. Rising to his feet, Ren rolled the map, put it back in the drawer, and pushed the parchment toward her.

"Don't forget to send it this time, and that teapot… I hope to see it clean and in one piece." It seemed the winner was him, once again. However, just as he closed the door, he heard a loud crash, followed by her cheeky snarl.

"Oops, I dropped it." Fine, it's just a teapot anyway… …

"Did you pack your healing pills? Formation flags? Ah, there they are. What about teleportation discs? Don't pretend you did, I can tell when you lie." Baozhai asked without lifting her head, checking the bags one by one.

"Thick clothes, also, I heard it's pretty chilly at this time." Leaning against the door frame, Ren smiled slightly.

"Of course I did, Baozhai. You don't have to stress over it so much." He wore a dark, form-fitting jacket over his shoulders, only embroidered with silver lines. Its high, red-lined collar loosely framed his neck. Beneath it, he chose a simple black shirt, while a mix of leather and metallic pockets ensured he had options if his ring failed him. Or he failed it, spending his energy to the last drop. I hope it's damn well worth the price. He exhaled deeply.

"Double-double check, then! What if we forget something?" snapped Baozhai, her messy hair coming to light for a flickering second before she let out a deep breath.

"Ugh, I'm being ridiculous." Ren chuckled, remembering the time he had to leave for the university. His mother had been exactly the same— in a whirlwind of panic and fear, she had rummaged through his bags again and again, cramming anything she could find into the suitcase. At some point, Ren had found himself wondering whether he should hire a moving company or not just to handle his luggage. Women, they are always the same no matter the world.

"What?! Why are you standing there and not checking?" However, that chuckle proved to be a mistake, as all her calm crumbled instantly. Always the still one takes the aggro.

"I already got everything covered. And yes, I double-checked. Also, yes, I triple-checked, so you can—""You don't expect me to believe a certain reckless man who forgot his divine sword in his first fight, do you?" Ren scratched his nape.

"Um… do you believe me if I said I was too young back then and learned my lessons?"

"No." At the same time she turned her head, Wenhai peeked out from the doorway. His eyes widened immediately, but he couldn't escape in time.

"Are you ready? Did you take everything I told you? What about the girls? Are they ready yet?" she rattled off like a machine gun on full blast.

"Yes, yes, they are ready, yes." Wenhai nodded with no hesitation, causing Ren to slap his forehead.

"You sure?" Baozhai pressed her lips into a fine line.

"Huh, why am I even asking you? Take the bags here, I'll check them too. It's your first mission, and I really don't want to hear another 'childhood' mistake." Ren clicked his tongue when Wenhai gave him puppy eyes, practically begging to escape. He nodded, then placed both hands on Baozhai's shoulders, turning her to face him.

"Calm down," he said, voice tender and steady.

"I'm not going to an extended war, Baozhai. It's just a beast tide. Even if I forget something, I can get it at the outpost."

"What if there's not—""You'll be there yourself in a week anyway," Ren cut her off, gently pressing down on her furrowed brows.

"No need to worry so much, alright?" Baozhai groaned and pushed his hands. She continued to check them, though her frantic movements slowed a beat.

"Can't you wait a little bit?" she mumbled, took out a thick sweater peeking out of the bag, and started folding again.

"My armor and sword should be done soon."

"We talked about this," Ren answered, holding back his sigh. He took a step back and leaned on the wall. Her care felt great; he wasn't refusing that fact, but repeating the same conversation over and over since the morning was exhausting, nevertheless.

"Your disciples need time for their breakthrough, you know that," he said, his tone remaining calm.

"They just got back from their first mission and fulfilled the ritual. You can't leave them behind in such a critical time." She didn't answer. She pushed the sweater, applying force when it didn't fit. But she failed, and ran a hand through her hair.

"I know…"

"We are ready!" The kids barged in, compelling her to put on a strained smile. Ren pushed himself off the wall and waved a hand to store all the suitcases, including the open one, just to put her mind at ease. It didn't work much.

"Let's go then," he said, heading toward the backyard.

"They're already waiting for us." Baozhai heaved another sigh and followed while the kids practically rushed. In the backyard, a ship bearing the emblem of Judgment Hall stood in the air. It wasn't as big as the warships like Dragon of Judgment, yet it still housed a Grand Destruction Cannon on its hull. [First Flash of Judgment] The glowing script along its side shone with pride. Demoness stepped down lightly. She was clad in loose red robes that complemented her crimson hair.

"Took you long enough," she said, jumping to hug Baozhai.

"Ah, my favorite princess, Baozhai! Congratulations on your breakthrough." Baozhai's regal face broke down into a genuine smile, hugging her back.

"You're a little late for that, but I'll be generous considering you had to clean such an idiot's back."

"Thanks for the compliment," Ren said matter-of-factly, snickering. Both girls rolled their eyes at the same time. Demoness stepped back first, sweeping a gaze at his disciples.

"Ah, such a beautiful pair. They really deserve to be their disciples. But where did you find this lost puppy?" Unlike the ever-expressionless Iceberg and the lazy Witch, Wenhai really resembled a lost puppy looking at the wailing mask.

"Umm, hello," he said, his voice trembling slightly as he scratched his nape. I'm Liu Wenhai, nicknamed Lightning Pup. Nice to meet you, Senior Sister." He then gave a proper bow, causing Demoness to burst into laughter.

"How polite," she muttered, but didn't dwell on it much, seeing Ren tapping his foot.

"Fine, fine, let's leave the introductions to later. He isn't a man of patience." Ren waved a hand and sent the kids up to the ship. Giving Baozhai one last nod, he too rose. Demoness followed, ready to fly when Baozhai held her arm.

"Watch his back, alright?" Baozhai whispered, though Ren's ears still twitched faintly.

"I will." End of the First Book: When a Man Drowns