I opened my eyes, the sunlight shining through the window as I snapped out of my meditation. I stood up, stretching my back and arms, inhaling the sparse spiritual qi in the air. I turned around, Jiě jie now gone, the bed she was sleeping in empty and neatly made. I checked the window, the sun hanging high in the clear sky. It should be around the late si hour. Jiě jie must've left without me. I can't blame her, I never wake up early.
I scanned the room, it empty of Jiě jie's stuff and the talismans pasted on the door. I let out a sigh. I should start heading out too. If I fail another mission, even the hag won't spare me. I took the concealing robe out of my storage bag, pulling the hood over my head before leaving the inn.
I activated the robe as I walked through the streets, quietly going through the crowd without being noticed. I soon reached the town gate, strolling past the guards. Once I was on the road, I circulated demonic energy through my body, and surged forward, speeding towards the next town ahead.
With my cultivation, it took only a blink, arriving at my destination in an instant. I stopped at the entrance to adjust my hood, before strolling through the gate unnoticed. The moment I stepped past the entrance, I spread my demonic qi through the town, easily sensing Jiě jie's familiar aura eastward. Once I sensed her, I quickly walked through the crowd of people towards Jiě jie's location.
I arrived in the eastern area of the town, turning the corner to a poverty-stricken street. After a minute of walking, I saw a black-cloaked figure standing near a rundown temple on the outskirts of the town. I quickened my steps, stopping in front of them as I put on my mask. The figure turned around, revealing Jiě jie's face under the hood. She smiled as she saw me, waving.
"Good morning Jiě jie."
"Morning," she greeted back, taking out a new mask mirroring my own, with the character sān on its forehead.
I looked around, seeing no one else but beggars around. I turned to Jiě jie, tilting my head slightly.
"Where are the rats?"
"Oh?"
Jiě jie crossed her arms, taking a step closer to me.
"I thought you didn't care about them?"
I frowned, explaining, "I'm just curious. Our mission will be more difficult without their numbers, I'd rather not work harder than I have to to make up for some rats that can't follow orders."
"Right, I see," she nodded, turning to the eastern gate ahead.
"Well, if you're curious, they should be nearing Dōng province by now."
So they're ahead of us? That's unexpected. Jiě jie should've woken up at the same time as them. She must've waited for me before heading out. Suddenly, an odd warmth welled up in my chest. It wasn't bad, it actually felt kind of nice. But the next moment, I stopped myself. I started walking towards the east, stepping past Jiě jie.
"We should get going, I doubt that they're that far."
She followed after me, shrugging.
"Alright, let's go then."
----------
With our cultivation, even if I'm suppressing mine, we easily caught up with the rats ahead of us and past them. Then, in that short time, we arrived in Dōng province's outskirts.
As we approached the eastern gate of the state, I narrowed my eyes as I sensed a large group of guards stationed ahead and throughout the district beyond the gate. So fast. Looks like getting in will be harder than we hoped. I exhaled a tired sigh, my back slouching slightly. Harder mission, the harder I'll have to work. I really should've killed that brat sooner.
Yes, I would have gone against orders, but it would've been worth it. At best, I would've gotten a light punishment from the hag and maybe a scolding, but nothing too serious. Well, there's no point in regretting it now. Regretting the past will only create heart demons that will stagnate my cultivation. Actually, ever since I let that brat live, I've been thinking about the past more than usual. Maybe he used some type of technique on me when he escaped. That must be it. Once I kill him, it'll probably stop. All the more reason to end that brat.
I threw a glance at Jiě jie, suppressing my cultivation to the qi refining realm as she did the same. She took off her mask, handing me a disguise talisman as she held another in her other hand. I took the talisman, activating it as I took off my own mask, placing it into my storage bag. We stopped at the gate, easily passing through into the market district of Dōng province.
Never mind, I shouldn't worry so much around Dao cultivators. If they can't see through a yellow grade concealment artifact and a disguise talisman, what I should be worrying about is how they haven't been invaded by now. But on second thought, why am I worrying about dead people?
As we walked through the crowded marketplace, I glanced at Jiě jie again, watching her expression. It was tense, her eyes constantly darting around. I did the same, spreading out a thin layer of demonic energy to scan the surrounding area. So far, other than normal early qi refining cultivators, there were a few foundation establishment cultivators in hiding, though they haven't noticed us yet.
So they're smarter than I thought. Even if it's not a threat to me or Jiě jie, this is more than enough to deal with the others. It seems only the top five will be able to carry on with the second phase of the plan.
We stopped by an inn, paying two mid-grade spirit stones for a single room. Everything in the righteous faction is overpriced. I guess that's another reason to hate them. Greedy bastards, two mid-grade spirit stones for one room is just blindly accepted extortion.
Anyway, we settled down in our room, Jiě jie setting up concealing arrays with silencing talismans for caution's sake. I dropped onto the bed, still scanning the area around the room for any threats. Thankfully, there were none, but I can't be sure if the Boshài sect sent a golden core to guard the place. I doubt that though.
I watched Jiě jie put the finishing touches on the array. After, she stood, walking over to sit next to me on the edge of the bed. She took out a communication plaque from the spatial ring on her finger.
Oh, she's using the ring I gave her. Good, hopefully, she'll use that sword as well.
She activated the plaque, the small array on it glowing a blood red as a familiar voice rang out.
"Hellooo!"
I subconsciously rolled my eyes, rolling over to my side, my back to Jiě jie and the plaque. I heard Jiě jie's laugh as she patted my back, coming back to the plaque to answer that snake of a man. I turned my head slightly, watching her from the corner of my eye.
"Disciple Feng Sān greets Senior disciple Feng Yī."
"Ah, so polite as always. I assume you and Xiǎosì'er arrived in Dōng province already?"
I cringed at the name. Does every old person always have to pretend to be so nice to me? On the other hand, Jiě jie nodded, a small smile on her face.
"We have. From where we are, there are only qi refining and foundation cultivators stationed here. Getting in was also surprisingly easy," she explained, her smile turning into a frown as her expression turned grave.
"With that prodigy's spiritual cauldron body, he'll be able to sense our demonic energy. I advise Senior to be careful."
"I appreciate the advise," the snake agreed before sighing.
"If only that person had been killed much earlier, things wouldn't be so complicated."
My brow twitched. That comment was so clearly pointed at me. It seems this snake has forgotten how to respect those who are stronger than him.
"Yes, if only someone had killed that brat sooner," I chimed in.
The plaque instantly fell silent for a long while.
"S-senior! I wasn't aware you were here, please don't take any offense to what I said before. Please forgive me, I truly didn't mean it!" he babbled on, fear driving him to talk further.
I stifled a laugh as I turned back, not bothering to say anymore. Jiě jie smiled at me, lightly flicking the side of my head as she shook her head. She turned back to the communication plaque, clearing her throat.
"Ahem, Senior brother."
"Senior, please show this Junior some mer- ah, right, ahem. Again, I will take your advice to heart and tread carefully," he said, a slight quake still in his voice before returning to his normal calm demeanor.
"I will report your arrival to Elder Zhang and start on the preparations. Stay hidden for now and await for further orders. Till we meet again."
Jiě jie said goodbye as well before deactivating the communication plaque, the red glow of the array fading until it disappeared. She exhaled a breath, placing the plaque back into her spatial ring. She leaned back, lying on the bed, and turned her head to me.
"You know, you shouldn't scare him so much."
I scoffed, "He's at the peak of the golden core realm, and older, if he's scared of someone younger than him with less cultivation, then he's not a cultivator. What he is is a coward."
I turned to lie on my back, my gazes staring at the ceiling of this overpriced room.
"He's just as pathetic as the rest of them. I don't understand why you care about them so much."
Jiě jie gave a low hum of thought, turning to her side to face me.
"I suppose it's just a sense of responsibility for them."
"Feng Yī is the oldest, he can take responsibility for them," I argued, turning my back to her.
She was speechless for a moment, then sighed. I felt her hand on my head, ruffling through my hair as I sensed her getting closer.
"Always so stubborn. You know, burning the city kills the fish in the moat. No matter what happens, they are still your junior and senior siblings. Like it or not, you will care about them eventually," she scolded, getting up as I felt a weight disappear from behind me on the bed.
I rolled my eyes, still not turning around. I doubt that. Even if I had to go through Mahayana tribulation, it will never change my opinion of them. I heard another sigh from Jiě jie, her footsteps approaching the door of the room, a frustrated complaint under her breath.
"Twenty years old, yet the stubbornness of a child."
I remained silent, hearing the door open as Jiě jie took a step past the threshold.
"Where are you going?" I suddenly asked, a small voice crack at the end that made me pause in shock.
She stopped, a long silence following as a knot slowly tangled itself in my stomach.
"Just going to explore the market. It's our first time in Dōng province. It'd be a waste to sit around and do nothing."
She paused for a moment that felt too long before saying, "You can come with me if you want."
The instant I heard it, I immediately got up from the bed, pulling up my hood before walking past the door. I kept walking for a bit before stopping, turning back to see Jiě jie still standing at the door. I put on my mask, suppressing my cultivation to a mortal.
"Well? Let's go."
I turned back, hearing the door close the next moment, before she caught up, walking beside me. I noticed her smile, warm as always, almost blinding sometimes. After seeing it, the knot in my stomach untangled, but it was replaced with a deep pit.
She doesn't deserve to be here.
She should be happy, well-fed, wealthy, and surrounded by people who love her. Even after going through the hell that was that hag's training, she's still a good person, still caring for people who don't deserve it, still taking care of me...
I deserve to be here. Why did I have to drag her with me?
"Yā'er?"
I returned from my thoughts, suddenly realizing that I was in the marketplace. It was noisy, and bright, but it didn't bother me like usual. I turned to Jiě jie, her mask now on, her face unreadable. She connected to my spiritual sea, her voice having a hint of concern.
Are you okay?
After registering her words, I shook my head, answering.
I'm fine
Are you sure?
I nodded.
I watched her body relax, patting my head.
Good.
I smiled under my mask, looking around the market. Other than it being noisy and bright, I could sense multiple spiritual trails in various junk stalls. My smile widened.
It's been a while since I went bargaining.
A/N
The next chapter will be a lighter one. It's been a while since I wrote one of those.
Also, changed the description again. Only the ending part with the dynamics though, as the characters aren't going to perfectly fit that mold. And of course, they're going to grow past their current selfs. So I thought that ending part would be inaccurate.