Yet the infernal Hao Zei was out of vengeance's reach.
But this monster was not.
A moment's pity turned to darkest fury.
"Why don't you save your pleas for Princess Cui Chan's mercy, you son of a bitch? Oh, that's right! You already defiled her body and poisoned her soul. Guess she's going to have to sit this one out, asshole!" Alex roared.
Right before tearing free his enemy's ghostly heart and devouring the prize within.
Spirit Crane Strike successfully tears free Rank 4 Golden Soul Stone!
Warning! Qi Perception detects at least one previous life free of predatory malice.
Warning disregarded.
Soul Stone claimed!
You have dared the forbidden! Your soul blackens with the karmic weight of golden potential torn free of its rightful host for all time!
You have disregarded your internal code of only harvesting the most corrupted souls!
Your own corruption is now absolute.
Candidacy for Honorable Hellion has been revoked!
You are now considered one of the Fallen, the wings of your soul now so blackened with karmic debt that purgatory can be your only reward.
Cleaved Fates card in effect!
All karmic ties have been severed.
Your karmic virtue has been reset to zero!
Then Alex laughed. Laughed so loud and hard that tears streamed from his eyes as he fell to his knees in a mausoleum of death and betrayal and incalculable horror, a sacred sanctum once dedicated to the highest ideals of cultivation and enlightenment become the most violent of killing fields as the creme of the capital city, perhaps the entire region, corrupted by the wiles of powerful ruthless men, were then ground to paste under the heels of a player more ruthless still.
Alex gazed down at the shriveled corpse of the headmaster, rotting to nothing before his eyes. All that was left of a man who had once ruled the greatest academy in all of CuiJing Principality, a principality with a surface area rivaling that of the continental united states of his childhood.
Destroyed. Utterly. In this life and every other.
For daring to cross the blue-eyed monster who would slay even gods in his pursuit of power.
Alex clenched tight fists now infused with the strength of a Silver Giant, trembling with exultation and shame, furious triumph, and absolute self-loathing. It was a horrid mixture that left him shaken to his core, hardly aware of the words he howled in the vast circular chamber as the last of the headmaster's retributive lightning faded to nothing, and Alex's golden barriers faded at last.
"It didn't have to be this way!" Alex screamed. "All I wanted was a chance to prove myself. To better myself. To learn from a master who actually gave a damn. A chance to finally ascend!"
Alex gave a bitter shake of his head, a trembling hand wiping away the sting in his eyes. "All I wanted was for the promise of those golden steps to actually be true!"
"Then make it true."
Words that froze Alex where he stood, hunched over, face wet with bitter tears.
Spinning around as fast as he ever had before.
To behold gazes filled with horror, vindication, and gravest concern.
Two princes and a princess, cloaked in the protective shadows of a kitsune staring at him as would a girl entranced by the terrible majesty of a dragon, no matter that it might tear out her throat as quick as blink.
Which Alex never would.
"So that's what it means to witness the gods' champions in play," breathed Caojin softly, the newly risen Gold visibly shuddering as he stepped in one of the pulpified puddles of the many, many cultivators who had followed Sudong to their doom. "I knew there was a reason why I detested religious studies. Far, far too perilous a subject for any sane man to dare."
Xun Hu flashed a bemused smile, seemingly not at all bothered by the carnage about her. "My hero is beyond terrible, covered in the blood of all who would dare to cross WiFu's will. And I will follow him to the ends of hell, as would my eternal sire, did he but ask."
Cui Chan choked back a sob. "You actually killed him. That inhuman monster! After all his lies, his mockery, all the things he did to me... he's finally dead!" She seemed ready to crumple, and strangely enough, it was Caojin who caught her, steadying her steps.
Her red-rimmed eyes bored into Alex's own with a terrible intensity. "Please tell me that bastard is never coming back. I've seen him turn to lightning before. I know..." She choked back awful wracking sobs. "I know exactly what he's cable of!"
Alex gently held her gaze. "He will never be a threat to you again, Cui Chan, I can promise you that. Not in this life, or any other."
A breathless pause fell as Alex was pinned by four very intent stares.
"Because you tore free that monster's Core! Not even in death will our foes escape your vengeance!" Xun Hu's gaze was alight with fiercest satisfaction.
"Correct," Alex said, his bleak expression free of apology or regret, no matter the sudden pallor upon both Cui Chan and Caojin's features.
"Far too perilous a game for any sane man to play," Caojin whispered again, turning to gaze at Cheng Lei. "Are you sure about this, cousin?"
Cheng Lei's gentle smile seemed to be all the answer a suddenly defeated looking Caojin was going to get.
"I knew there was something special about you from the moment we first met," Cheng Lei said, fearlessly approaching his friend and completely ignoring the glowing blade Alex still held as he clapped Alex on the shoulder, bowing his head. "From the moment you saved Yingpei Lin from certain death, I knew you were the catalyst for change I had been chasing down amongst too many documents, treatises, and rumors. And with every single noble act committed, every single one of Dongfang Hong's moves thwarted, I grew ever more certain."
He flashed a smile so warm and sincere, it almost pained Alex to see in this dark, jaded world. "And when I thought all was lost, suffering absolute betrayal, poisoned and drowning, in the moment you brought me back from certain death to guide my footsteps to the Hall of Emperors, my sense of your worth became absolute."
Alex felt his cheeks blaze. "So... you knew."
Cheng Lei laughed. "That a hero saved me from death's caress twice over in a single night? The imperial blood running through my veins would be thin indeed if I was truly that blind to the currents of power and destiny flowing all around us."
"Cousin!" hissed a suddenly intent Caojin.
Cheng Lei shot his cousin an almost pitying smile. "We walk beside a champion of the gods. One whom I have sworn myself to, as a kung fu brother. Of course he realizes who we are."
Xun Hu furrowed her brow, before turning ghost white and falling into a trembling kowtow.
The girl’s descent was instantly halted by a tutting Caojin, definitely faster and stronger than the typical wujen, even one who had achieved Gold. "None of that, child. You've proven your worth in the crucible of battle, and in this moment, we are a war band in the heart of our foe's power."
Cheng Lei laughed at that. "The heart of our foe's power, soon to become our own!"
Alex blinked, gazing intently at his friend. "So. You're not absolutely horrified by what I... um... did?" he said, slowly sheathing his no longer glowing blade, both relieved and troubled to see that the sheath and belt now showed no signs of having been absolutely shredded by the artifact in his hand.
As if those sword sheaths were now unquestionably a part of his eternal outfit.
And for all he knew... always had been.
"Of course we are!" Caojin snorted. "There's a puddle of luminescent water ten steps away, with the same damned glow as the Sovereign Princess's insane barrier that my agents warned would mean my death, if I were to so much as touch it. Water which I'm increasingly certain that you yourself pulled from the realm of the dead! But the fact remains that when death came banging on our door, it was you, the ultimate agent of chaos and destruction, who secured our exit and assured me the best damned meal I've had in a decade!"
&nb
sp; "After everything I was forced to endure, I know pain's caress as well as anyone," Cui Chan said softly, gazing up at him with a look that was almost adoration. "No matter how awful it was, to catch sight of dozens of cultivators being shredded to oblivion, to sense their screams resonating through even Jade wards... it doesn't matter. It won't ever change the fact that it was you who freed me from my enemy's chains. It was you that removed the blackest of curses from my soul and healed the shame scarring my body, releasing me from a nightmare without end."
Fierce eyes filled with chilling devotion burned into his own. "Save for the emperor himself, there is no man more deserving of the title than you."
Alex felt a strange foreboding with those words, as if his piece had been unexpectedly moved forward in directions alien to any before, no matter the furious howls and protests echoing through dimensions unseen.
A part of him wanted nothing more than to disappear at that very moment, jumping through the nearest gate.
But after tearing free a Soul Stone and plunging a divine hammer right into the River of Souls, he wasn't going anywhere until first light.
"Cui Chan?"
"Yes, hero?"
"What title are you talking about?"
Her eyes widened. "You mean you don't know?"
Cheng Lei chuckled softly, his eyes twinkling with a brother's good-natured mirth. "Why don't you have a good look at your talisman, Alex?"
Alex's heart began to pound, suddenly dreading the thought of summoning forth the warm tile of near translucent pale jade... only to find his talisman as dark as midnight. Dark as when he roared his challenges at foes whose own talismans would turn translucent before his own.
And that wasn't the only change he noted.
A tiny jade crown etched in gold glittered upon the top of his talisman. Almost a mirror of the headmaster's own.
A headmaster whose talisman, much like his remains, was now nowhere to be found.
And the message inscribed upon its surface in perfect English had transformed as well.
Thrice Won is Sacred.
No Living Soul May Refuse Your Challenge.
Alex swallowed, blood roaring in his ears, gazing dumbstruck at companions that he dared to think of as friends.
"Cheng Lei?"
As one, all three royal scions stood ramrod straight, slamming fists to chests.
"Cheng Lei of the Blue recognizes the new headmaster of Rising Phoenix Academy! Long live the headmaster!"
"Caojin of the Yellow recognizes the duel honorably fought between Alex Hammer and former Headmaster Sudong. Long live the new headmaster!"
"Cui Chan, heiress of CuiJing Principality, recognizes the righteous victory of Alex Hammer over the damned infernalist Sudong. May he burn in hell for his crimes. Long live the new headmaster! May he lead Royal Phoenix Academy to untold heights of greatness. May Baidushi prosper under the guiding light of the greatest academy in all the land!"
Alex blinked, absolutely stunned by those words.
Xun Hu's eyes widened with awed disbelief. "Headmaster? Him?"
Cheng Lei nodded. "By ancient precedent and right, Alex is indeed the new headmaster, having defeated his foe in a sanctioned duel." His eyes positively twinkled. "We heard and saw everything through the communication crystals, thanks to you, little fox. A headmaster can never be forced into a match. But he can be goaded, and Alex managed to do so without any limitations or strictures at all. So, when Alex cleaved his unsuspecting foe through a barrier that he alone controlled... even his talisman recognized his victory."
Alex shook his head in disbelief. "I only tapped his talisman to force his focus away from my other hand an eyeblink before I, well..."
"Cut him in half?" Xun Hu offered, scanning the cavernous walls that had been painted a bright shade of arterial red, piles of dismembered bodies sprayed across the room. Then she flashed a wicked smile. "Just this morning, Duo Ku was having fun grinding your bones to paste, and we were just hoping to escape with our lives. And now you're the Headmaster! I'll bet even you didn't see that one coming, Alex."
A flummoxed Alex just gaped at his friends in astonishment. His state of abject perplexity transcended mere confusion.
"Headmaster? Me?"
He ignored the mirthful titters and looks of sudden grave concern.
Cheng Lei flashed an oddly apologetic smile. "Yes. You. And in any other time and place, you would be feted with accolades and honors, never mind the... ahem... cost of your ascension. Only, right now, we have a tiny problem."
"Of course we do."
"Taking advantage of the multiple levels of underground tunnels burrowed by various factions and powers over countless centuries, in addition to intimidating the servants occupying the official tunnels closest to the surface, Dongfang Hong has been using this school as a base for his elite troops to amass for quite some time. I had suspected long before I dared penetrate the school, of course. But only after establishing myself could I verify the rumors—and thank you again for your own timely insights. I would never have suspected that he would have dared his rituals so close to the surface, nor that he would manage to entice Sudong so directly."
Cui Chan flinched visibly. "Enticed him with the promise of my flesh to bind him. And dominion over the city of his choice, save for Baidushi itself, should that bastard Dongfang Hong actually succeed in annexing our lands!"
Caojin furrowed his brow. "But wait, how do you..." His rough features flushed beet red when Cui Chan lowered her head in shame. Xun Hu gathered the princess in her arms and glared daggers at the now embarrassed prince. "Damn, I'm an idiot. My apologies for a foolish, clumsy tongue, Princess Cui Chan."
Cheng Lei bowed his head in deference and sympathy for what Cui Chan had been forced to endure. "As we can see, an excess of caution has never been Dongfang Hong's weakness. Yet only recently did he attempt to consolidate his power over the entire school so openly."
Alex nodded. Dire complications like this, he expected. Even counted upon.
Now things were starting to make sense again.
"So, I take it that the title is an empty one, as Dongfang Hong has no doubt secured all the keys to power, and our best course—only course—is to flee for our lives before that psychopath can hunt us down and impale us?"
Caojin chuckled, flashing an approving smile. "I like this one, cousin. He doesn't mince words, and he knows the score without us having to sugarcoat anything."
Cheng Lei grinned. "He is refreshing, isn't he? And fear not, Headmaster..."
Alex winced. "Please. Just call me Alex."
His friend laughed. "Very well, Alex. Since we are royalty, and the dear kitsune is clearly your personal assistant, such familiarity is permitted. And your title is by no means an empty one. You have absolute and utter authority within the one sanctuary that matters above all others in this finest of all institutions. A sanctuary that, in fact, none can enter without your express consent!"
Alex grimaced at the state of the carnage around him, stomach suddenly roiling as his numb nose reawakened to the stench of death, now that he was no longer distracted by imminent peril. "Let me guess..."
His friend nodded. "The library."
"Of course it is."
Xun Hu, eyes twinkling, burst out in laughter once more. "The library. Grandfather must be laughing his head off in the heavens, there can be no doubt!"
Alex winced. "You're more right than you know," he said, his patron's laughter most definitely ringing inside his skull in perfect counterpoint to the roars and howls of the rest of his clan.
Cheng Lei's approving gaze turned to a look of concern. "Alex, you do know that the Red Prince will now do absolutely everything in his power to kill you, both to claim this library and consolidate his power, right?"
And now it was Alex laughing perhaps a bit too loudly as the specter of death seemed to settle on the shoulder of his soul like a favorite perch, and he suddenly felt the weight of an entire nation's ire focused squarely on him. Yet fo
r some odd reason, he took strange comfort in the cold dread now flooding his soul.
Like an old friend come home at last.
Alex met Cheng Lei’s eyes with a jaded smile. "Of course he will. And of course he somehow instantly knows that Sudong has perished. How could it possibly be otherwise?"
His kung fu brother blinked, regarding him oddly. "We will take steps, Alex. I promise you that. We are not out of moves quite yet. Perhaps if we play our cards just right, it will be many, many seasons before we have to face his piece."
Cheng Lei's comforting gaze turned to one of alarm as he lurched back, gazing at Alex with sudden concern.
"Alex, your arm!"
Alex chuckled bleakly as he tossed the newly acquired storage pouches and rings of holding to a nonplussed Xun Hu before bending down and plunging his arm into the glowing puddle of water marking where a Gold Titan had fallen and an artifact had vanished. Rivulets ran down his palely glowing arm like mercury, all the gore of countless kills instantly sloughing off as he squeezed his luminous fist and began to wash with the Waters of the Dead, which, despite the ding on his interface, now felt no worse than skinny dipping in the chilly lake beside his family's vacation home of a lifetime ago.
Saving throw versus Oblivion Made! Multiple modifiers are now in effect. You've never been cleaner!
Only when he was done did he turn to stare at his friends, gazing at him with expressions he so didn't want to call horror as WiFu's sacred gifts reformed upon his perfectly clean body once more, once again resheathing his pristine shark-toothed blade that, along with his ring, had survived the water's caress unscathed.
"Dongfang Hong is that eager to claim the title of Headmaster, is he? Good. Let him come. Let him bring his whole damned army! That bastard's running an awfully big tab, and he's made you all pay it for far too long. I think it's about time someone collected on it. Don't you?"
Xun Hu stared at him for long moments. "You just took a bath in the River of Souls. You do know you've gone completely mad, don't you?"
Alex nodded. "But at least I'm clean."
Silver Fox & the Western Hero: Warrior's Path: A LitRPG/Cultivation Novel - Book 6 Page 88