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483. First Strike
🕑 Added 2023-02-14 16:00:02 +0000 UTCHealer flew to Sectgoer’s peak, Ying Lin at his side. Stopping in midair, he called, “Those who owe me a debt, come to my side!”
From all over the peak, beams of sword light shot to Hui’s side. Looking at the gathered cultivators, Hui crossed his arms. “I’m taking down Gui Delun. Who’s with me?”
The cultivators flinched away as one. A few glanced at one another, uncertain. “Er, openly?” one asked, nervous.
“There will be help. It isn’t only us. Ah, those who don’t join… from this point on, I’ll consider you an enemy,” Hui said, nodding.
The murmuring grew louder. A few cultivators backed away, shaking their heads.
“I’ll go!”
Hui turned. The old man from back on Clouded Pavilion stepped forward, raising his hand. He grinned. “This old man was betrayed by Gui Delun, too. You know, I was the defacto leader of the Inner Peaks once. Then he crippled me… but you were the one who healed the wounds no one else could. I’ll fight Gui Delun ‘til the end!”
A few of the worse-wounded cultivators from the Clouded Pavilion stepped forward as well.
“We owe you our lives.”
“Whether or not that man you handed our debt to agrees… I’m only able to cultivate because of you. I never agreed to transfer my life-debt!”
“To tell the truth, I’ve always seen you as my true Master, since that moment you healed me in the Pavilion!”
“Anyone else?” Hui asked, hands on his hips.
Song Wei stepped forward. A magnificent sword gleamed in his hands. “If not for Master’s guidance… I would have woefully misunderstood my path in life. Is this Master’s will?”
Hui nodded. Sectgoer, send me something! A signal your disciples will recognize!
Huh? Uh… here!
Hui opened his palm, showing the pit of a spirit fruit. “Xing Huang sent me to rally you. As you know, Xing Huang and I are close friends. What I do is his will, and what he does, is mine.”
Song Wei peered at the pit, then nodded. “Then… I stand at your side!”
Internally, Hui frowned slightly. Sectgoer, what on earth were you doing that a spirit fruit pit is your sign, and not only that, but your disciples recognize it?
Sectgoer coughed. Er, bzzt, bzzt, we’re break-bzzt-ing up.
Healer resisted the urge to sigh. He looked around. “Who else?”
A female disciple stepped forward, then another two male disciples, then a trio. Each one held artifacts that Hui recognized, artifacts he’d picked up from healed cultivators… except now, the once damaged and filthy artifacts shone as brilliantly as the day they’d been made.
“Master had faith in me, and look at what I’ve accomplished! Have faith in Master!” the female disciple cheered, holding her seven-colored fan aloft.
“This sword is an artifact I couldn’t dream of holding, but Master trusted me to fix it!” one of the male disciples said, drawing his sword. “I’ll fight according to Master’s will!”
“That’s right!” the leader of the trio agreed. Behind the trio, a massive immortal ship rose up in the air, sparkling riotously in the midday sun.
Hui blinked. Is that… is that the same immortal ship I received? The mast stood straight. Immaculate white sails caught the wind, made of the finest silk. The hull gleamed, every inch of the wood polished. Damn. Sectgoer might not have been busy, but his disciples were!
“The battle isn’t hopeless,” Ying Lin called out. She released some of her pressure, and even Hui flinched at the weight.
He cut her a glance from the corner of his eyes. How high-realm is Ying Lin now? Don’t tell me, is she on the verge of ninth stage?
At that, a few more cultivators stepped forward. Hui nodded. He gestured. “Come with me.”
Across the sect, a burst of spider silk shot through the air. The rot spider danced after it, hideous, bulbous form bobbling through the sky. It came to Hui’s side with a hiss, clicking its mandibles.
Taking a deep breath, Hui circulated his qi into his throat to empower his voice. “Anyone who despises Gui Delun, any true righteous cultivator who detests his tyrannical false righteousness, come to me, now!”
Good thing I’m a clone. I would never be able to say this as the main body! Hui thought, shaking his head. Ah, but this is the endgame. If there’s any time for us clones to become disposable, it’s now.
Fei Hulian burst off Healer’s peak and flew to Hui’s side. “What’s happening? Are we attacking? But I thought you wanted to revive the sect first.”
“I did,” Hui said, beaming at her.
“You… huh?” Fei Hulian tipped her head.
Hui nodded. He turned his eyes to the horizon. “You’ll see.”
On Zhang Minyan’s peak, Rogue stepped back out into the sunlight, shaking his hair out. “Ugh, end-of-the-world dust… gets everywhere.”
Landing on the ground, he walked over to the burning furnace. The heat boiled out from it, and before he reached it, Hui flinched back. Shit. I forgot… it’s too hot for me to approach!
“Need a hand?”
Startled, Hui turned. Zhang Minyan stood behind him, as tiny as ever. She cocked her head at him and grinned. “Did you free him?”
“Fen Long? Ah… yes,” Hui said.
“And let me guess, you’re in league with that guy who’s shouting about Gui Delun right now,” she continued.
“Er…” Hui licked his lips. A little more than just ‘in league.’
“This old lady’s smarter than she looks. You’ve been after Gui Delun from the start, no? I saw your face when I told you about this old furnace.” Zhang Minyan chuckled deep in her throat, the sound uncomfortable coming from a child’s face. She nodded. “I don’t care what you’re after. As long as you give that old coot hell, I’m on your side.”
“Ah, that is, we, we might be trying to destroy All-Heavens Sect,” Hui confessed.
Zhang Minyan laughed. “Good! Good. Place needed a good refresh. We’ve gotten too big for our own good lately. If you act a tyrant, eventually, someone else will play the revolutionary. Leave this furnace to me. Once we’ve taken down Gui Delun, you and I can have a nice, long chat about reforms.”
Hui stared.
“What, did you think you were the only one who disagreed with him? You’ve raised a whole army of people who disagree with him, haven’t you? …You have raised an army, no?”
Hui nodded quickly. “Yes, yes. I have, indeed.”
“So what’s so startling about an old lady taking your side?” Zhang Minyan said, tutting. She rushed over and shoved him. “Go, go. There’s battles for you young children to fight. I’ll handle the furnace.”
“R-right,” Hui said, nodding. He nodded at Zhang Minyan and hopped into the air.
Zhang Minyan shook her head at him. Under her breath, she laughed, just once. “Yeah, that’s right. Revolutions are for you idealistic children. Run headlong into war, boy! Leave the cleanup to the old foxes like me.”
As Rogue flew toward Healer, a bolt of gray fur shot in his direction. He braced himself, but luckily, it stopped before striking him. The Mountain Lord stood before him, her eyes narrowed. “You didn’t come back.”
Rogue coughed. “Er, I, I was busy!” You’re too scary, ma’am! I don’t want to be eaten! What kind of fool would willingly go to your peak?
“Just like my husband,” she continued, a growl creeping into her throat. She sniffed. “I smell him… near…”
Shit, does she smell him all the way through the node that I used to send Fen Long to Starbound Sect? I can’t underestimate Senior’s nose! Rogue nodded. “I was busy… bringing your husband here! Senior, he’s on the way. If I’m telling a lie, Senior can eat me!”
She frowned. “This Mountain Lord is rather hungry. I won’t wait much longer.”
“That’s fine, that’s fine! He’s on his way!” Hui ensured her, nodding vigorously. Sectgoer, you’d better bring that damn wolf with you!
He’s coming, he’s coming! Sectgoer replied.
“This is your last chance,” the Mountain Lord warned him.
“Yes, of course. Mountain Lord, Senior, please follow me closely. He’ll be here any moment now!” Rogue said, rushing toward Healer once more.
Healer glanced to the side as Rogue joined him and tossed him a nod. Rogue nodded back. Together, the two turned forward.
“Gui Delun!” Healer roared. “Show your face!”
“I’m here. What’s all this ruckus?” Gui Delun asked, his voice low and calm. He descended before Hui, his hands tucked behind his back. A heavy pressure weighed down on Hui and everyone around him. Everyone except Ying Lin and the Mountain Lord, Hui included, prostrated, unable to stand up to his pressure.
Ying Lin touched Healer gently on his shoulder, relieving the pressure on him. With some effort, Healer stood up beside her.
“So?” Gui Delun asked. He looked over the group slowly, his eyes roaming the massed cultivators. “What do you have to say for yourself? Before I kill you all.”
Comments
Noah
Elder: “You did bring an army didn’t you?” Weiheng Wu: “Actually, I brought 4 (Starbound Sect, Li Xiang’s Followers, Half of All-Heavens Disciples, and an Army of Revenants. I am a little worried I should have found a fifth though…” Elder: “Well that’s good I guess. I hope you aren’t hoping you can overwhelm Gui Delun with a bunch of weaklings though” Weiheng Wu: “Well, I brought Ying Lin, Fen Long, Chen Wuya, the Mountain Lord, and her husband Mr Wolf who are all about the same stage as him. Do you think I screwed up by not recruiting my Mother-in-Law and my friend the Grim Reaper? I tried to get my Master, but he was too busy distracting my acquaintance, the God of Death…” Elder: “I’ll just stay here with the Crucible then 🤦♀️”
Refined Spark
God the hype!
