'The next day, day after day, the interrogation towards Wu Chen finally relented.
He was ruled not guilty for the death of five students, under the excerpt of Grandmaster and Ten Grandmaster he is excused on the part of righteous self-defense, though he had to be given 20 Demerit points for being too excessive.
The highest single Demerit point ever received excluding the instant execution of… some creepy students under the guise of being a pedophile I don't know.'
"Ruen, you were supposed to read the letter"
Wu Yincang said, expressing his discontent towards Ruen who read news out loud from a piece of paper.
"The name was scribbled off Boss, the guy who wrote it seems to really hate whoever was written there"
Ruen said with apparent apathy, just doing his job as far as he was concerned. The paper that he held comes from an informant which Wu Yincang hired to keep an eye out on the happening of the Academy.
"…Hahh, why is no one capable of differentiating between personal life and professional one?"
And it seems that Wu Yincang might be keen on not hiring them again.
"Beat me…"
"What?"
"It's a slang"
Their banter continued, and before long Wu Yincang finds himself completely distracted from whatever topic he was on just a few minutes ago.
"Slang… how uncouth, yet the young seems to prefer using it"
Wu Yincang curiously mused, in his mind using such unsophisticated word seems to hurt his dignity, but then it might come in handy should he prefer the words he spoke to remain puzzling, like speaking in riddle, which is one of the very few things he is bad at.
"Aren't you young yourself boss?"
Ruen asked, but Wu Yincang responded by tapping his temple with his index finger.
"My body is, my mind is not"
Wu Yincang seems awfully proud in saying that.
"Sure thing boss"
Ruen replied which caused some reaction from Wu Yincang.
"Are you mocking me, Ruen?"
"A mere jest, boss"
Their back and forth continued for a while, before Wu Yincang decided that enough is enough and ordered Ruen to leave him alone, which he did without much complain.
"…I'm tired"
Wu Yincang mused, swinging his arm around to alleviate some of the lethargy that has been building up.
Seeing that there was no work to be done, he decided to take a walk towards some garden. As he walks past Ruen, before he could even ask, Wu Yincang already presents his reason.
"I'm taking a walk"
'…Boss? Slacking off? Has this World reached its end?'
Ruen thought, careful not to make any funny face as he nods and regards Wu Yincang departure. Wondering about the reason as to why he did so, perhaps Wu Yincang own monstrosity had finally consumed him.
Wu Yincang savored his walk, it was night and as always, the ambient was overcrowded by Ghost. Ghost here, Ghost there, Ghost everywhere. But Wu Yincang paid this voice with no mind, since as far as he concerned, he is a lot scarier than most Ghost.
And as he approached a garden he frequents, finding it fancy and calming since no one went here due to the fact that its surrounded by woods, he still remembered the day he stumbled upon this garden, finding it as he chased down… hmm, perhaps he had forgotten the name, but it was a particularly annoying guy who bullied Ruen.
He slit his throat here, right in the garden and left his body there.
In between his rumination, a sound happens to reel him back into reality. A female voice, perhaps another Ghost.
"Hmm~ hmm~"
A song, no, perhaps it's more of a melody was hummed by a girl that was about his age, 18. She had striking orange hair, reminiscent of dusk. Its line is lustrous and wavy and long enough to cover her entire form that is crouching, caressing a flower as she did.
"…"
Wu Yincang felt annoyed, someone had beat him to this spot. And as he planned to leave, the girl called out.
"Ohh? W-Who are you?"
She stuttered, her voice is small and plump… somehow, in any case she looks like a mouse. And what he presumes to be a tall figure crouching was in fact a small body about as tall as his chest should she tiptoed, and that if he was being generous.
In other words, she is small. And Wu Yincang didn't recognize her. And she didn't recognize him.
"…My name is Wu Yincang"
"Wu Yincang? M, My name is Arus"
She said in a small squeaky voice.
"I didn't ask for your name, nor did I implore you to reciprocate my introduction"
Wu Yincang coldly answer, having no sense in him to being well regarded towards her.
"-?"
But Arus tilts her head, as if confused.
"I-Implore?"
"…Great, an uneducated peasant"
"M-My name is Arus!"
Now she becomes forceful, no, why is she even responding to his insult? Wu Yincang wonders if this small girl had a few screws loose inside her head.
"Yes, I heard you the first time"
Wu Yincang said.
"O-Okay…"
Arus said as she fiddled with her little finger, her skin is golden soft in a way that reflects the glow of moonlight, glowing and shining like a gemstone under some light. After a while, and finding that Wu Yincang hasn't move an inch, she decided to speak.
"C-Could it be that I… stole your favorite spot?"
"Yes"
Wu Yincang bluntly said, again, he felt no need to be well regarded in front of her. She is, as far as he is concerned, a mere peasant and he didn't feel like she has any talent.
"I-I see, c-can you share it a bit with me?"
"…"
Normally One would be considerate and vacate someone's favorite spot immediately when confronted, what a brazen girl. Despite her awkward stance and nervous way of speaking, she has her own way to stand her ground, something Wu Yincang could respect.
"…What are you doing here anyway?"
Seeing that she had no intention of playing words game with him, or perhaps she lacks the ability to. Wu Yincang abandoned all his decorum and started speaking plainly.
"I-I like the… the… uhh…"
She seems to have trouble finding the right word, was she not a native speaker of the Universal script?
"Atmosphere?"
Wu Yincang finds it pitiful enough that he decided to help her find her words. But Arus shakes her head.
"…Moon?"
Arus shakes her head once more.
"No… its uhh… this colorful thing!"
"Flower?"
Arus seems delighted at those words, given that she is practically beaming with how wide her smile is.
"Yes! Flower…"
"…"
'Such a feminine thing to say, I suppose she is normal'
Wu Yincang thought.
"I-I like how f-flower things bloom, knowing that it would die…"
Perhaps not so normal and seeing her smiling as she said that, makes him convinced that she is indeed crazy.
"..Like, when star appears brighter when it about to die!"
"Pardon?"
'Star could die? What is she talking about?'
Wu Yincang muse, it appears that she is crazier than Wu Yincang gives her credit for.
"Y-You don't know? I-I guess this world can't fly ye— EEP!"
Arus closed her mouth, she then shakes her head left and right and back, swinging her dusk-like hair along with it.
"I-I spoke too much!"
"…"
Arus then runs away, ruffling the grass and flowers as her light step fades into the forest alongside her petite form.
"Crazy… huh?"
Wu Yincang said, considering the peculiar interaction, some thoughts are racing inside his mind.
First, she speaks like she didn't know how to form a word, like a baby, and at times she speaks with surprising ease.
Second, what does she mean by 'spoke too much'? Is she a spy? If she is, she's a really bad one.
And lastly, how comes she looks so odd? Maybe Wu Yincang is just tired and seeing things that aren't supposed to be there. So, he decided to lay down in the bed of grass and observe the stars that decorate the night sky.
Flickering as it did, dimming ever so slightly when it passes. Wondering just how do they die?
.
.
.
In a bamboo grove, somewhere outside the Academy.
"Huff… barely a day since I return and you lots are keen on putting me back huh?"
Wu Chen said, awash in blood as he keenly lobbed one head after another.
Blood rain down, warm ichor showers the ground as a Guan-dao cleaved through the gap in-between the glow of the moon. One after another a figure loses their life.
SLASH
Wu Chen was more rejuvenated than ever. 'Tarnished Gathering' of his absorbs all the blood that was spilled as a cloud of Black Aura emanates from within his form where only his Crimson Eyes shines through.
'Didn't seem like a student…'
He mused as he dodges a cleaver, the figure that wears blue hanfu is breathing heavy, yet his movement remains clear and steadfast given just how short of breadth remain was his cleaver from Wu Chen's throat.
'Too well equipped, too skilled, and he isn't disturbed by the death of his comrade'
Wu Chen tried to rationalize the peculiarity of his situation, but finding the figure attempt to take his life quite distracting, he opted to sink his Guan-dao inside of his chest.
Spray of blood rain forth as his Blade goes through his torso and escapes to his back, he vomits blood and it covers Wu Chen's face, though he lacks any emotion, it's clear that he didn't appreciate the sudden downpour.
"Speak, the rest of you whom I spare…"
He regards the remaining one who are either hesitating to advance or are too injured to even move. As Wu Chen cleans his Guan-dao of any blood that remains, and that includes the blood splattered in his face.
"What is your allegiance?"
His question was met with exhaustion-filled breath as the figure refused to answer, one of them even begins to retreat much to the dismay of his own comrades.
"…"
Wu Chen react by gathering the wind with his Energy to his Guan-dao,
'Black Blade: Chase'
before a burst of wind propels him and his Guan-dao that comes down in a cleaving motion straight towards the body of the fleeting figure.
SLASH
It quite literally dismantled the figure body in two from between his shoulders down to his hip, separating anything in-between before the momentum of his own running motion send both of what remains of his body away.
"Now…"
Wu Chen watches apathetically towards the split cadaver as he regards the one remaining figure that remains, he stands his ground as he holds the blade in his hand in trembling grip, and as Wu Chen approaches him, the figure shrieks before he lets out a fighting spirit.
"YAHH!"
His speed is by no means slow; in fact, it is fast enough to distort the air around him as he dashed closer to Chen. Blade ready to pierce his chest as his entire body is in a low position to complicate Wu Chen counter-offense.
But the figure seems to forget that Wu Chen held a Guan-dao,
KLANG
Even its handle was enough to stop his blade in its track. As realization settles in like a paste of soy sauce underneath a bowl, the figure started sweating bullet when he felt like the Spirit of Death Haralg has pressed her blade down his nape.
Wu Chen spare no time in beheading him all the same, and off it goes, his head joins the other in a garden of headless corpses.
"Now where am I?"
Wu Chen said, more so to himself, being teleported by some strange group of assailants is quite an eventful night, but he kinda had to return to the Academy or else, those who wants him gone will scream like…
"He breaks the rule of the Academy! He had to be expelled!"
Wu Chen could very clearly imagine them saying it, the faction of Wu Yincang, his underling who let their mouth loose like an untrained dog that has yet to be put in their place.
"Who knows what kind of scheme he is running with, given that he escapes the confinement of the Academy walls!"
He giggles as he said those words of imaginative scenario, it's fine. Sooner or later, he must grow accustomed to isolation, building himself from the ground up, that is the making of a great leader, One who had tasted the mud of being the lowest.
"…Let them run their own mouth, sooner or later their words will be their downfall"
Fools who cannot think before they speak risk ruining their entire life worth of effort, that is something he learnt from Wu Yincang, and now he understands very clearly why it's so effective.
But enough of that, Wu Chen really have to find a way back to the Academy, and to find out just who is this assailant of his. Given that they can infiltrate the Academy when they are so vigilant over the repeated case of intrusion, it's clear that whoever sends them has some backing, or someone who is powerful enough to undermine the Sect.
Either an Elder, or a Lord, or one of his half-mothers.
'Lady Myung maybe…'
He never had any favorable views towards her, in fact the very first time he saw her was when she slapped the hell out of Wu Yincang, a great first impression he must say.
Wu Chen walks the bamboo grove without any direction, before he stumbled upon a massive breeze coming from a direction. Towards his southwest, a mighty wind blows like tempest in the sea.
Blowing everything away, and somehow Wu Chen felt enthralled enough to seek its source. As he scours the tall green column of bamboo, he finally managed to locate the source of this wind, it comes from a boulder.
A massive one that is tied to many ropes and talisman, waft of incense follows through with the direction of the wind blowing, filling Wu Chen's nose with ritualistic scent. Clearly a site of placation, but what is it doing here?
"…What's this?"
Wu Chen finds a sign written in Ancient script, he can read some of its characters, but the rest are either smothered out by ages or is something he didn't know.
"Here be… a Site of haunting… One of Eight… Placation… Of.. contempt?"
The moment that last words leave his mouth, the entire scene reacts to him. The wind is becoming more and more restless, and before long a distant chanting can be heard.
"-?"
Wu Chen seeks the source of the chanting, only to find it growing closer.
""Seek the path of the undefined, the many pain it may lead, to may our restless soul finally be put to rest""
Wu Chen grew vigilant, as the chanting grows in its intensity, so too does it grow in its volume, as if a million crowd is marching his way, sounds of mass and harmonized chant grew stronger.
""Fiend of us all, from many keystones burst our blood, from the wind we may not rest and from the thorn of roses we may not find peace""
"…Shit, this is getting creepy"
Like one of those horror stories, where a lone man got caught in a stream of when the Spirit is restless.
And then it dawns on him, as Wu Chen looks towards the night sky, finding a perfect crescent moon hanging above the dark dotted with stars.
'Yesterday is the third last quarter of the moon'
Wu Chen thought as he precariously counts down the lunar cycle, and much to his horror this day, particularly this night marks the 8th cycle of the moon, and during this time the Nether opens.
Calling forth the dead, the restless and those who were swept in the wave of astral Ghost, the mass migration of the Dead.
""Our path defiled, we may not seek nor want respite, we are restless, forever tarnished, our blood flows like river into the bed of the Wicked Flower""
The chanting becomes clear enough for Wu Chen to pick up, and with it a step of the many dead arrived like a flood. As he sees faces of anguished, peace, rage and sorrow forming a line of astral form.
""Damned the Heavenly Demon, damned the Asura of Contempt, which takes what was ours, who besmirch our blood in greed, to which the reason our kin banished us""
Wu Chen felt nervous, he cannot think of a way out as a horde of endless Ghost march his way come, his heart is beating out of turn, terror settling in and before he can even think of a solution, the talisman-filled boulder speak.
-It beckons, the many children of mine…
"-?"
-You too child, seek me, embrace me, I offer you a path… now come
TAKE IT
"…"
What Wu Chen sees inside the boulder is a scape of endless black, before a towering monolith of wailing wind forms a vortex in which everything is uprooted. Trees, mountains, pagoda, people, all were taken in its endless chase.
-Don't you wish for more?
He felt compelled to join in on the tempest, to seek the things that may be inside of that swirl of greed. How satisfying can it be when he finally gains everything? To watch everything in a lens of Contempt.
- You want what they have
-You want what he has
-You want what you have
-All of it belongs to you
And before long, he felt like he was flying, in the eyes of the storm where wealth and power accumulate, it felt so close, this World and everything inside felt so close for him to take.
-You just have…
Wu Chen extends his hand out, to be a part of the endless chase, to become the unrelenting wind.
-…To take it, by any means necessary
To be inside the Endless Tempest.