Utensils clanked against plates; the scent of fresh roasted peppercorns filled the air. The young waiter of the Second Home Inn kept the dishes coming, even though it was well into midnight.
Vera, Zhuge Jin, and Aspartese sat in a booth at the corner, quietly munching down on their dishes. On the other hand, Chun and Sword Dog slept against Vera's shoulders. Unbothered by this, Vera continued eating.
Aspartese passed him a glass of water. He looked at him with surprise. "This is your fifteenth plate of noodles. How has your stomach not burst open yet?"
Vera lifted his head out of his bowl and took a sip of the water. "I don't know. I've been really hungry since I woke up."
While the reason was plausible, Aspartese and Jin stared at Vera with a dumbfounded expression.
Jin tapped his utensil against his plate as he observed Vera. "Maybe he's going through a late puberty?"
"Hmm", Aspartese scratched his bearded chin as he considered the possibility. "Last I remember, puberty only makes you grow a bit taller. Not change the colour of your eyes."
He extended his arm outward and pried Vera's head away from his bowl.
"Boy, have those weird marks over your body disappeared yet?"
Vera smacked Aspartese's elbow, loosening his grip. Ignoring Aspartese's pained yelp, he rolled up his sleeves. Pale imprints of fire climbed down all the way from his shoulders down to his palms.
"If anything, they seem to be growing. When I woke up, it was a single mark over my shoulders."
Jin took over as Aspartese rubbed his elbow while pouting. "Has it been doing anything to you?"
Vera held his bowl out and called out for the young attendant. His eyes latched on the sixteenth bowl of noodles that was being brought out for him; he responded halfheartedly. "As far as I know, it seems to be regulating my body temperature. Just two days ago I trained my body; the heat that usually builds up dissipated into the marks."
Unfortunately, he revealed something he shouldn't have. This time Aspartese gripped his head with both arms; the veins over Aspartese's neck bulged through his skin.
"You did what?"
Jin shook his head in disappointment and snaked Vera's food.
Aspartese stood up and lifted Vera along with him. "Not even a week has passed since you woke up, and you're already training?! I should throw you into the sect—"
Aspartese's eyes widened; he shook Vera's head around, only to find he was still on his feet.
"... Did you grow?"
Jin, having already finished Vera's bowl of noodles, chimed in. "I told you it's puberty."
Just then, two dull thuds shook the table. Both Chun and Sword Dog were resting on Vera's shoulder, now that he stood up…
Aspartese hurriedly let go of Vera's head. Vera bent down and picked the two up. "Branch master, I think it's best if I put these two to sleep for now. We can talk more about this tomorrow."
Both Jin and Aspartese nodded silently as Vera hurried up to his house; a subtle smirk curled onto his lips. An awkward silence passed; now that Vera's incessant chewing was gone, the two actually had to talk to each other.
Aspartese's eyes drifted over the table; as the mounds of bowls caught his attention, his breath hitched.
From the corner of his eye he saw the young attendant approaching the table with a receipt in hand.
"OH NO! Young Jin, I completely forgot about an important meeting I have tomorrow morning. I must leave immediately!"
Without giving Jin a breath to respond, Aspartese dashed out of the inn. The ground shook and the wind whistled at the speed of his escape.
Jin stared at his trail blankly. The young attendant tapped his shoulder. "Esteemed guest, I need to close up shop for the night. Could you please close the tab?"
Jin let out an exasperated sigh as he fished for a few coppers in his pocket. He bowed his head to the attendant. "Thanks for accommodating us so late in the night. I've left a little extra as a tip."
A bright smile appeared on the attendant's face as he picked up the copper from the table. Hollow patters echoed through the dining room's floorboards as Jin took his leave.
Standing outside the inn, he looked to the night sky.
"Both master and disciple are so cheap."
***
At the southern boundary of the Blade Master domain, a confrontation between two Seventh Synergy masters was taking place.
Deep in the forest, the Blade Master Sect vice-master Tong Xuan stood in front of an unknown master. His voice ran thick with rage.
"Why are you protecting that scum?"
Unlike the enraged Tong Xuan, the unknown master just laughed. He looked toward his left, where a beggar in tattered clothes hid behind a canopy of engravings.
"Vice master Tong Xuan, is it really worth getting so riled up on a mere Fourth Synergy master?"
A dense halo of qi swirled around Tong Xuan as he gripped his blade. "You tell me, is it worth dying over that human scum?"
A shrill cry filled the air as Tong Xuan drew his blade from its scabbard. Even though he hadn't made a single move yet, gashes spanning over 2 li erupted around the forest.
As his intent permeated the air, the unknown master shivered. He extended his arm out, gesturing for him to calm down.
"Master Tong Xuan, as you know, I practise engravings, not fighting. If the two of us were to fight, I would lose. But I could definitely wipe out the nearest sector before you kill me. So let me ask you again, is it really worth it?"
As he spoke, pitch-black engravings embedded themselves into the ground. Despite his threats Tong Xuan simply scoffed and brandished his blade toward the man's neck.
"I'd like to see if you're willing to die for this."
The man hurriedly stepped back with his hands raised; the engravings around the beggar were undone immediately.
"Beggar Gan, it seems that the cost of extracting you is too high. Don't think too much of it; considering we've found another seller, your worth has diminished. Anyways, come here and offer your neck to the vice-master."
Even though beggar Gan was unwilling, the master's qi pulled him close. He gripped beggar Gan's collar and held him in front of Tong Xuan.
"The vice-master is very wise. I was just bluffing. Now could you please sheathe your blade, assuming you want this man alive?"
Tong Xuan's expression tightened at those words. As much as he wanted to kill beggar Gan for attacking the First Sector in his absence, he needed to find out about who was behind it all.
Reluctantly so, Tong Xuan returned his blade to its scabbard. The unknown master let out a breath of relief. His hand ran through his hair as he looked at Tong Xuan.
"Now that this is over. I, Wuque… summon the authority of the Yaoguai!"
The pitch-black engraving beneath the man's feet turned into an abyssal pillar piercing the sky.
Tong Xuan drew his blade and cleaved at the pillar in what could only be understood as an instant.
But only a shrill metallic clang sounded as his blade struck the pillar. The dark qi turned into tendrils wrapping themselves around the blade, climbing toward Tong Xuan's arm.
The ground shattered into a pile of debris as Tong Xuan shot backward; his qi burst through his weapon, barely searing the encroaching energy.
A monolithic figure parted the clouds with their bare hands. Its murky violet visage peered down from the sky, locking onto Tong Xuan immediately.
The air turned to dense folds that contorted the falling moonlight. Its sheer presence let out an abominable intent.
Tong Xuan tumbled backward; his body quivered violently. A reaction that only took place when he met the Blade Master himself.
Unable to move, his eyes glazed over as the figure reached out from the sky. As its hand descended, the greenery of the forests withered away; the acrid scent of burning flesh and stagnant blood engulfed the air.
All of a sudden the hand's advance halted. A figure appeared in front of it; its size at scale could only be considered a speck of dust.
A brilliant white light emerged as the descending arm split open. A pristine clear cut that climbed from the pit of its palm all the way to its shoulder.
The visage grinned from above the clouds; its voice echoed in the air, uprooting trees as it passed.
"You're the brat from the Blood Sea, aren't you? Tao was it? You've grown up splendidly since then."
Thick ropes of violet qi shot out of both ends of its arm, tying the cut back up. Tao waved his hand in the air, dissipating the evil intent the entity exuded. He stared at the figure with a sharpened gaze.
"Immortal or not. You can't beat me with just a projection, descendant of the Yaoguai. Retreat when you still can."
The entity's voice rasped, mimicking the sound of swords grinding against metal. "You've grown enough to talk to me like this even without that evil god of your kind. Very well, I shall retreat for today."
The entity's energy rampaged through its projection. A deafening explosion voided the area of air, overwhelming the moon's grace with the murk of its qi.
Blade Master Tao swiftly unsheathed his weapon. His movements blurred into a single stroke. In that instant, his brilliant white qi formed a sword net around the explosion. Veins bulged over his arm as his hand clasped over the sword net's surface.
"Compress."
The imperious violet qi pressed at the seams of the net as it compressed. Soon the moonlight returned, and the violent qi was compressed to the size of an orb in the Blade Master's palm.
His hand trembled as he raised the orb to the sky.
"Blade's edge."
The sword net that enveloped the explosion melted into its entirety. The compressed orb transformed into the tip of a sword and hurtled into the sky.
Even though it was released for only a moment, the sheer energy it contained set the sky ablaze.
A viscous layer of purple-blue light trailed behind the strike's path, soon dissipating into an ambient heat.
Tao descended from the sky and rested his palm over Tong Xuan. A gentle stream of qi seeped into his body, easing the shock he had just faced.
"Tong Xuan, are you okay?"
Still dazed, he looked around the forest with a blank expression. After taking a few moments to recover, he knelt in front of Tao.
"Master Tao, I have failed to capture the criminal who attacked the first sector in our absence."
Tao gazed at Tong Xuan with a calm expression; he handed him a flask of Lay Mou. "Don't dwell on that. We have bigger problems now."
At this statement, the vice-master's eyes widened.
"What do you mean lord Tao?"
The Blade Master gestured for Tong Xuan to drink first. He turned back and started walking away.
"Contact all the major sects and inform them of what just happened. I'll head to meet the Ascender and his son now. Quote my words in your message—the demons have breached the peace treaty; they will move soon."
Before Tong Xuan could utter a word in response, Tao's body disappeared. Not even the wind could point to where he had gone.
His fingers dug into the mud beneath him. Images of the ten arduous years of war filled his mind.
Shores lined with the mangled corpses of peak Synergy masters and demons alike. The blood sea engulfing the shoreline.
"If the demons are to move again, will those days plague us all again? How many will die if the Ascender makes his move again?"
***
Under the covers of the cloudy night sky, a man drifted along Tianchi lake on his boat. He looked towards the parting clouds as a woman draped in tunics made of Samadhi True Fire descended.
"How ostentatious. You know that we are supposed to be meeting in secret."
The air around the woman burnt into nebulous particles, swirling beneath her feet. "Do you really think your father doesn't know what you're doing?"
At these words the man let out a faint laugh. He took hold of the paddles and rowed the boat towards her.
"I may not be stronger than him, but I'm smarter."
A single ripple ran from the boat as the woman stepped on. The man, Long Tian, offered her his hand.
"I apologise for my delayed greetings, lady Yan, the Divine Qilin."
Lady Yan gently accepted his palm and took a seat in front of him. Choosing not to beat around the bush, she asked, "Were you the reason an immortal of the Yaoguai used their power within the planet?"
Long Tian poured two glasses of wine and handed one over to Lady Yan.
"Yes. War can't be waged without justification."
The Divine Qilin took a sip of the wine with a satisfied expression. "At least you're not lying tonight. Tell me what is there to gain from this war."
Long Tian's lips curled into a smile.
"Talents must be soaked in blood to become more than just talents. And it's best we rid ourselves of any dissidents before those things finally arrive."
Lady Yan set her cup aside; she rested her chin over her palm. "What did you give the lord of the Yaoguai for him to be willing to make a move? Last I remember they hid themselves away, in fear of your father."
Long Tian recoiled at this question. He raised his arms and feigned ignorance. "You make it sound as though I gave it to them by hand. By some turn of events, they just happened to find the preserved body of the late Zhuge lord."
A dull scoff permeated the air. Lady Yan pointed at Long Tian, her expression lined with exasperation.
"A bloodthirsty father and a son more evil than the worst of the demons. I can't tell if the world is blessed or cursed to have you two."
Long Tian's eyes turned cold even though he was laughing at the Lady's remark. As he caught his breath, he looked her in the eyes.
"If we are all alive in the next thousand years, then I would say the two of us are blessings."