Hard eyes glared into Alex’s own. “Because even to enemies with a five thousand crown bounty on their head, I always keep my word!”
Alex couldn’t help blinking at that. “That’s a fortune!”
“It is.”
“So, let me ask, who put that bounty on my head? It wasn’t Bingwen, was it?”
Xiao chuckled coldly, shaking his head. “Of course not. You’re less than nothing to him. Had you been questing in the deep, he would have accessed our library, grabbed what tomes he desired, and I doubt either of you would have ever crossed paths again.”
Alex furrowed his brow. “Then who?”
“Isn’t it obvious? How many infernal cultivators have you managed to rob absolutely blind, seducing the very girls they thought to sell into pristine slavery?”
Alex felt his cheeks flush crimson, earning a bemused smile. “I never seduced her.” Still, the magnitude of what was being said shook him to his core. “Hao Zei was here?”
Xiao nodded. “He has an understanding with our temple. But you need not worry. Once this matter is taken care of, he will be made to understand that all past grudges are to be put aside, and we will truck in Ruidians no further.” Xiao’s eyes flashed. “And he will accept my decree. The survival of our coven means more than his petty vengeance. He might have reached Silver and accrued considerable wealth, but as a pure strength cultivator, he knows better than to cross a master of Earth and Metal!”
Alex gazed for long moments at the man. “I want to believe you. More than you know. I want to believe I’ve taken your measure, just as you’ve no doubt taken mine. So let me ask you a simple question.” Alex locked gazes with the cultivator just inches away from him, both of them separated by little more than the deadly crackling barrier between them.
“Ask.”
“Do you have two Golden tomes on your person?”
The man before him blanched, lurching back. “How did you...?” He paled, shaking his head, but it was too late.
Alex smiled. “Two it is, then. Exactly. How did I know? Simple. I could sense your hunger when you spoke over my corpse. I could feel the hate you had for Bingwen in my vision, once your lackeys threw me in this pit. The loathing you had for the man, even as you oozed simpering deference. And who could blame you? The man’s a psychopath. And he’s dual-aspected in Fire and Wood both. And no matter how damaged his core, his flames could no doubt burn hot enough to take out half a city still.”
Alex smiled at the man’s nonplussed expression. “Yes, I have visions, sometimes, thanks to my Spirit affinity. An affinity you have as well, I think, for all that most cultivators acknowledge only the most concrete of elements. And Bingwen himself revealed that this school was originally the repository of a backup store of knowledge of all of Dragon Academy’s most valued tomes, in a branch academy so reviled that no cultivator of means or connections who truly understands just how tainted this area is would risk his foundation journeying here. No doubt exactly as Bingwen had intended. Only desperate cultivators without resources and, consequently, without any real appreciation of just how precious the secrets contained within the library truly are, would ever come here.”
Alex couldn’t help but feel a certain sharp satisfaction at the begrudging nod the other man gave him. “As to why I had declared there to be two Golden tomes in your possession? Just a guess, really. I know he had bargained with the Jianghu sect for one, and being as he is dual-aspected, I cannot see him daring to risk ascendancy without one tome of each of his affinities in the desperate hope he can fuse them into one synergized whole, assuming he can’t find a Gold tome that has both Fire and Wood. And considering how incredibly rare you all act like Gold tomes are... I bet that was more than unlikely. That being the case, with a library open to all your pawns, pawns who will probably never be ready for Gold, I doubt they’d even dare to ask to borrow them. But what better revenge against your enemy than to squirrel away the two Gold tomes for your own purview when one day you free yourself of this place? Vengeance and a fine fortune you could probably trade at any city far away from this principality for a professorship and immunity for all past... indiscretions.”
Alex swallowed at the last, cheeks blushing, only now realizing how absurd his strung together assumptions sounded in the cold, unforgiving quiet between them.
Really, it had been no more than a shot in the dark, a Hail Mary pass with the goal of squeezing out prizes before he finally took his due. He didn’t actually think...
Alex paled, dizzied by the sight of two Golden tomes solemnly placed on the stone slab, just feet away from the Headmaster of Morning Dew Academy.
Alex felt absurdly proud of the nod of genuine respect his enemy favored him with. “Well played, disciple. Insight as well as power are your strengths, and I have no doubt that you will rise far indeed, under my tutelage. Of course, you were completely wrong in some respects. There were four Golden tomes, and I claimed the two our master is least interested in, being less of a fool than he or you might think.”
His warm smile of approval turned to something impossibly hard and cold. “And now you have the measure of my word and worth. As I have of yours. Come, disciple. Surrender your prize, and I swear no harm will come to you.”
Heart racing, Alex bowed his head.
It was time.
“Then allow me to present you with two possible scenarios. I will present them only as possibilities. Things that might, or might not, be true. But I give you my word as a cultivator that one is the absolute truth. I sense I can do that much without breaking any oaths.”
Alex held the deadly cultivator’s gaze with his own. “Both declarations will sound absurd. So absurd you would strike me dead, did you not think it through. So, I will allow you to consider both, before coming to the obvious conclusion. And I have no doubt, that as a former Dragon Academy instructor, you understand what twisted oaths might force a man to speak only of possibilities, for the universe, ultimately, is nothing but the sum of all countless possibilities.” Alex chuckled ruefully. “And I would rather not be struck instantly dead because instead of speaking of possibilities, I gave a simple, factual account that is unquestionably true, and perhaps, must never be told.”
Alex solemnly held out the prize he had claimed in the blossoming Eden nestled miles under the bedrock below.
Xiao Shen’s eyes widened in impossible wonder, seeing three pristine silverbells entwined together in a ball of moss. Each petal shimmered and glowed with vitality, radiating Earth, Wood, and Water Qi so brilliantly as they fed upon the rich dark miasma all around.
“One possibility is that one of your henchmen was struck by a god’s sudden inspiration and clawed off a small tarnished ring from my finger, sacrificing his soul for seven lucky lives before running off into the woods and getting eaten by a giant spirit wolf, who even now howls with pain at the burning burden stuck in his craw.”
Xian flashed a look of cold fury. “Do not play with me, disciple!”
Alex smiled, raising a placating hand. “The other possibility is that Lai Leng and his disciples finally unlocked the grandest of all mysteries in their cultivation garden, having at last discovered how to successfully grow silverbell blossoms in private, now having the resources to perfect the grandest of all esoteric arts, fusing these precious, fragile blossoms with all the secrets of storage magic.”
Alex held the man’s awe-filled gaze. “Magics so powerful that they are the equal of any Ebony artifact! Yet so fragile, that should the soul-linked cultivator the artifact is bound to die before the items trapped within are retrieved... they are gone forever. And really, Master Xiao, what would please Panheu or Lai Leng more than seeing you disgraced before the world as a priceless library identical to their own is destroyed? Leaving Bingwen a permanent cripple, you squarely in his sights with your death all but guaranteed as the ruined Gold continues to corrode until his Wood Qi has been utterly consumed by his own bitter flames?
“Best of all, most ironic of
all, would be that you yourself would be solely responsible for the destruction of your own library. You truly would have only yourself to blame, destroyed by your own efforts to save yourself, and how sweet an irony would that be for Panheu and Lai Leng both to savor?”
Alex smiled into Xiao Shen’s eyes. “You already know the truth, just as I’m sure you know the name of that darkest of all techniques.”
Xiao Shen’s jaw clenched. “No. Not even Lai Leng would dare...”
Alex’s smile hardened. “Doom Venom was in play the night Panheu challenged Bingwen for mastery over the school entire. The darkest, most forbidden of all alchemical disciplines. I think you can surmise what happened after that as well as anyone.”
For countless seconds, the pair stared at one another.
Until at last, Xiao Shen jerked a nod. “I believe you, Alex. Surrender the storage artifact, and your path to redemption is assured.”
Alex flashed a relieved smile. “Then I guess it’s okay if I let you in on a little secret,” he said, gently placing the priceless silverbell blossom bundle in the palm of his hand and clasping his grip just tightly enough that his palm and fingers had formed a perfect seal. “Don’t worry. I didn’t rupture any Jade-ranked storage space, I promise!”
Xiao Shen’s horrified gaze softened to a relieved chuckle. “That’s good to hear, disciple.”
Alex nodded. “What would you say if I told you Wu wasn’t dead, after all?”
Xian’s eyes widened. He blinked in surprise.
Alex flashed a truly mischievous grin. “What would you do if I said this barrier wasn’t real at all, merely a suggestion imprinted upon your mind by a true disciple of a lost art, Spirit Qi?”
“But... If that’s the case,” Xian shook his head in confusion. “How? I still don’t see...”
Alex grinned. “Shadow isn’t the only way to hide a sleeping man, Xiao. Spirit Qi works just as well. And as far as illusions go, let me prove it.” His smile growing wide at Xian’s look of wonder, Alex effortlessly slid his ebony-covered hand through the shimmering barrier, holding open his palm, revealing the twined blossoms, completely unharmed.
“You see? Harmless. But as long as I keep up the illusion, no spirit beast will attack me.” Alex’s gaze turned imploring. “Just promise me that you won’t abandon me here! As soon as Bingwen goes, you will show me the secret to preserving my cultivation base, yes?”
Xian eyes positively twinkled with happiness. He nodded his head, claiming Alex’s prize. “My word on it, Alex—”
You have successfully wrist-locked Spiritual Cultivator!
Golden Realms skill check made! Silver Swan finesse check made!
Arm twist and pull aided by Light Qi Storm!
Opponent fails to counter! Opponent is forced off balance!
Xian’s eyes widened in sudden panicked understanding, but it was too late.
Alex exploded into action, his wrist lock used to jerk his opponent off balance as he flowed effortlessly into a hip toss, fearlessly sliding his Dark Qi-sheathed leg outside the barrier to trip his desperately struggling foe even as his Qi reserves began to plummet, with all three limbs now completely covered in Dark Qi. A strain even for Alex, as he abruptly jerked his foe off his feet and into the field that was no illusion at all.
And for all that the Silver had achieved at least Rank 1 Bronze in his physical stats, despite being Spirit focused, Alex’s speed, surprise, and technique meant Xiao was still doomed to topple over, and not even the blinding storm of steel spears tearing into Alex’s Dark Qi-covered limbs could counter the sudden loss of balance, Alex needing only to force a single fingertip to caress crackling death before his foe was consumed by Electricity and Flame, and Xiao’s entire body had been forced through.
And despite the horrific agony of being electrocuted and fried to ash, Xiao Shen somehow managed to survive long enough to howl and shriek like a banshee before he was utterly destroyed.
Gazes locked, Alex knew he wasn’t just seeing the man, already burning to a crisp, but the tormented soul beneath.
“Why? Why did you betray me?”
Absurd as the words were, Alex understood.
No matter the furious hate that had started them on their dark journey, Xiao Shen had been sincere in his admiration of Alex, his commitment to reforge their relationship, his desire to start anew. To become the teacher once more, gently guiding dozens of broken cultivators upon a new path of redemption, twisted as it might be
“I never once broke my word,” Alex whispered. “Two possibilities were before you. You chose the one you hoped to be true. Not what was true. Your disciple really did steal my ring, and your library truly is in the gullet of a massive spirit wolf, who knows how many miles away.” Even as Alex said the words, he knew it was the cheapest of pretexts that allowed him to escape penalty, and were it not for his absurdly strong cultivation base and his patron, who took such strength in clever deceptions, Alex knew there would be consequences even so.
He had deceived in spirit. But it seemed in this, if nothing else in this life, he received a free pass as the chosen disciple of WiFu himself.
Yet, looking upon the dying gaze of a spirit drifting off into the River of Souls, Alex still felt ashamed. And for all that Alex had thought the man would pay a bitter price for the taint upon his soul this incarnation, Alex was filled with wonder as he gazed deeper into the translucent soul even now being carried away, seeing echoes and reflections of so many lives lived before.
He was captivated by flashes of ancient memory. A beloved teacher cared for in his old age by an ancient mountain tribe, grateful to the man who had gone to such lengths to save their dying people. A revered scholar recognized and honored by nobles and fellow scholars alike. A humble farmer who taught his children everything there was to know about growing the most bountiful crops imaginable.
All that he saw in the dying gaze of a soul at last surrendering his desperate will to live, slipping away to mist and dream.
But not before Alex saw a prize like none other.
One that filled him with awe and a sudden fierce hunger.
Like a dying man tormented by thirst, seeing a sparkling flask full of chilled water.
Like a courtesan of the Purple Path, writhing in torment after displeasing her mistress, sobbing desperate tears as she was wracked by cramps and nausea, before at last spotting a coveted silver flask of the tincture that would bring her euphoria and relief in equal measure.
Like a cultivator desperate to ascend at all costs, seeing the most wondrous of prizes before him.
There. Glowing in Xiao Shen’s misty chest, was a brilliantly sparkling core of pristine Silver.
Alex eyes went wide, his mouth agape, heart hammering with sudden furious desperation, eager to reach out and claim the wondrous prize before him. And in a profound flash of intuition, Alex immediately understood what he must do, sheathing his arm in a shimmering matrix of Dark and Light Qi as his hand snaked out to claim the most glorious prize imaginable.
Dark Qi Projection is now Rank 4!
Soul Sight is now Rank 5! Adept status achieved! Specialization chosen! You may now measure the karmic merit of any soul’s past lives, no matter how powerful, even if you are otherwise unable to pierce their Qi defenses!
Congratulations! You have discovered a new technique! Dark and Light Qi disciplines have fused into Spirit Crane Strike: Rank 1!
Congratulations! You can now harvest the unlimited potential of your enemies for yourself!
Warning! To claim the cultivation essence of your target will permanently relegate them to mortal status for countless future lives!
And Alex’s hand froze upon that soul stone, unable to deny what came along with the caress of power in his hand.
True awareness of the price that would be paid as his soul temporarily became one with his target’s.
He gazed into the eyes not of one desperate corrupt man, but the lives of countless scholars, healers, and warriors before him.
Men who had devoted lifetimes to causes noble and just.
Only once in half a dozen lives had the soul most recently named Xiao Shen fallen so low.
Even now, his karmic balance was so high that far from damnation, Xiao’s spirit was readying for rebirth into a vessel both innocent and pure.
Alex found his powerful fist resting not upon the chest of a fallen cultivator, but upon an innocent baby girl, gazing at him with a child’s wonder.
Alex sobbed and stepped back, realizing there were some lines not even he was willing to cross.
You have declined to claim Eternal Silver Core!
You have achieved Pristine Karmic Accord with the soul once known as Xiao Shen, now known as Little Bi! You may expect warm bonds of friendship or love to form, should your souls ever reconnect in this or any future life!
A heartbeat later the beautiful little girl’s ghostly image faded away as the gloomy cavern once more crashed into Alex’s awareness.
He took a shuddering breath, quickly orienting himself, the wonder and horror of just moments ago quickly replaced by the awe of seeing two brilliant Golden tomes glowing softly upon a pedestal just feet away.
Before the entire grand cavern roared with the cry of a presence so fearsome, so terrible, it would have frozen Alex to deathly stillness or blind panic, if he had heard it just a year ago.
But he had finally conditioned himself to act in the moment most people froze.
Prismatic Ward has been successfully lowered with Dark Qi-infused blood.
Lowering the barrier in a heartbeat, racing for the pair of Golden tomes just feet away.
Finesse check made!
Just barely avoiding slipping upon an absolute fortune in gold, beast cores, and spirit pearls absolutely littering the ground.
And for all that he was momentarily stunned by the wondrous find, he instantly understood. Whatever limitations or vulnerabilities arcane artifacts normally had, Alex’s foes’ entire bodies being all but disintegrated when Alex forced them into the barrier, it appeared inter-dimensional storage devices simply ruptured, spilling their contents all around like a burst shopping bag as opposed to, say, the compressed pressure locked within a thermonuclear bomb.
Silver Fox & The Western Hero: Warrior's Oath: A LitRPG/Wuxia Novel - Book 4 Page 43