Chapter 505: Six Months
By all rights, Kai should have been happy and content, yet he found himself shifting unhappily in their bed. For a long time he had been focused on Zae Zin Nim and Omilaena's concerns, especially when she was facing down her past. Now that such conflicts were behind them, there was nothing distracting him from the inexorable deadline.
Six months.
Where could all the time have gone? Sometimes Kai felt like it was just yesterday when he had been a young man starting the Hunter Trials, yet somehow it had been over six years since the previous incursion. Then again... when he thought about the revolution in Krysal, all his travels across Rosemount, the battles in Cloudspire, the fact that he was married... how could it have only been a few years?
Zae Zin Nim murmured in her sleep and shifted against his chest, so he instinctively shifted toward her. But for once she didn't seem unhappy, in fact she was smiling in contentment. Ever since she had defeated her father, she had been floating in this good mood. Currently she was curled between them, with Omilaena wrapped around her back, an arm stretched across her to Kai's chest. Both of them were still sound asleep and Kai found himself smiling fondly.
Even his wives couldn't distract him forever, though. Six months.
He actually couldn't be sure about the timing, which was part of why they were flying east as fast as the Clanless could take them. Though in the long term, monster incursions struck Deadwaste every seven years, each individual incursion varied slightly in timing. It was possible that they had seven or more months... but it could also be as few as four, and once it had even come three months early. He couldn't forgive himself if he delayed and wasn't there when the incursion hit.
All his old studies before his mana had developed were actually relevant again, after so long being trivia of Deadwaste. The expert hunters didn't see any pattern in the incursion timing: the fact that it had come a little early last time didn't mean this one was guaranteed to be particularly early or late. Then again, he'd been learning from regional experts in Monskon City - the Frontier elites might know more.
When he'd spent time with them and explored into the abyss at the center of the continent, they'd intimated that human actions could have an impact. It sounded like most of them just made things worse, otherwise they'd have taken more actions to blunt incursions. He abruptly remembered the southern Goralians pushing into the Frontier with their conspiracy theories, when he had been sent out to stop them. Supposedly it was just keeping everything in order, but it had ended up leading him to witness the battle of the gods above the abyss.
That reminded him of the other variation: the level of threat fluctuated wildly as well. An unusually intense incursion had been what killed his parents when he was just a baby, but that had paled in comparison to the apocalyptic attack. Even the dregs of it had nearly overcome many areas and knocked holes in the Frontier wall, which was part of why their help was so desperately necessary.
His old mentor, Gunjin Granfian, had been working on a theory about all those variations. So far, each time Kai returned to Deadwaste, he avoided actually speaking with Gunjin at length. This time he had a feeling that wouldn't be avoidable. Thinking back to Gunjin brought back long-buried memories of Monskon City and emotions he'd thought were gone.
Strange how he could have come so far, maybe even changed significantly, and still think back to those old slights. Being rejected by his own society didn't burn the way it once had, and it had led him to this life, but thinking back to Fhazi or Hannagan Lantrian...
Those thoughts were interrupted by Omilaena's hand stirring against his chest. He glanced over and saw that she was awake, blue eyes almost glowing in the shadows of their bedroom.
"You are lying in bed with two beautiful woman," she said in a softly mocking tone, "why are you looking so disgruntled?"
"Just thinking about the incursion," he whispered back. "We have six months, maybe. It could be more or less depen-"
"Yes, you explained the timing variation to me years ago. But we're already heading back to Deadwaste at the maximum possible speed, unless we can find another teleporting patriarch and beat them until they send us. Shouldn't you be taking this time to relax?"
"We relaxed after the battle, but now I can't help but think about the next one..."
"But isn't now your last chance? I have a feeling that once we get back to Deadwaste, you're going to be all serious, all the time." Omilaena's lips played with a teasing smile and her hand began caressing down from his chest to his stomach. "Maybe I should help you relax, hmm?"
A soft sigh emanated from between them. "Do you ever stop?" Zae Zin Nim asked. She was blinking sleepily as she woke up, but there was no venom in her tone. After grasping Omilaena's hand and interlacing their fingers, she gave a luxuriant stretch between them, which Kai had to admit was very distracting.
"How can I, when you're teasing me like this?" Omilaena embraced the other woman from behind and kissed at her neck until Zae Zin Nim giggled.
Despite all his concerns, Kai found himself smiling as well. He shifted onto his side and threw his arm over both women, grasping Omilaena's back to pull them together. That sandwiched Zae Zin Nim between them, pressed against his chest with Omilaena layered behind her. Normally she might have squirmed, but she relaxed with another peaceful sigh.
For his entire life, Kai had seen himself as a defender, standing between threats and the world he cared about. That had changed in a way he hadn't expected: he was still fighting threats, but what he was defending had become more personal. And, despite everything, he had managed to help free Zae Zin Nim from her past, opening up a new world for the three of them.
Was it possible that they could actually overcome the incursion and other enemies, then just live in peace? He would have liked to believe it, if not for what he'd glimpsed at the abyss. It seemed certain that there were terrible mysteries outside the known world and he didn't think it was his destiny to simply hold the line against the unknown, not when the answers might destroy everything.
Then again, perhaps he shouldn't rely on destiny at all. It hadn't worked out well for him this far. Maybe he'd find out in six months...
"We do need to discuss our path." Zae Zin Nim spoke in a more serious voice, even as she patted his chest affectionately. "Like we said, we're going to help you now. But the best way to do that isn't as simple as rushing east."
"I still agree that minimizing our travel time is best," Omilaena said. "I have a lot of new ideas for Krysal and Irun, but I probably need a few months to put them into motion. Despite what I may have said, I'm looking forward to that."
"But the path will involve at least one stop. We're going to pick up all the Deadwasters on Darkmist Island, right? They've been training for months, and letting them use our island would be pointless if we didn't bring them back for the incursion."
"Agreed." Kai glanced down at Zae Zin Nim, suspecting she had more in mind. "But that was obvious, so what are you really getting at?"
"I think we should... stop one other time." She lowered her head against his chest. "I want to stop in the Eastern Plains. I know it might delay us a little, but we can pick up resources from the Brightwind Sect. We could bring new sources of qi to Deadwaste, and more importantly we can use them to fuel the ship so we can spend more time training."
"It's basically on our way, I suppose, but what are the chances we get embroiled in another vendetta somehow? We don't have time for Cloudspire politics."
"I am not trying to convince us to get involved in the Brightwind affairs. They can all die, as far as I'm concerned. But we should take their resources first."
"It's true that their position is greatly weakened, without their patriarch," Omilaena agreed. "I doubt they have much of a future, but we're their only chance, so they might still be willing to hand us things in the hope that we'll help. No drama, no fuss."
Despite everything, despite his disgust with Cloudspire, part of Kai still felt like that was unjust. Not everyone in the Brightwind Sect could be cruel and backstabbing, and no doubt they had peasants and lesser cultivators who would suffer as rivals took vengeance. But could he actually protect all of them, and was he willing to fight his wives over it?
Thinking about it that way, the answers seemed obvious.
"Alright," Kai said. "We'll head more northeast and stop in the Eastern Plains. A few days one way or another won't make a huge difference, especially if they give us useful resources. But we can't afford to get tied up in another conflict."
"Thank you, you won't regret it." Zae Zin Nim kissed his chest happily, night-black lips briefly sticking against his skin.
"All it takes is a little affection to get her in the mood." Omilaena chuckled and slid her hand from Kai's chest to tease Zae Zin Nim instead. "Oh, you poor dear..."
"Not all affection is amorous!" Zae Zin Nim spoke crossly, but the corners of her eyes were smiling and she didn't pull away.
The two of them might tease, but Kai didn't think anything was going to happen, not in his current mood. He leaned over Zae Zin Nim to kiss Omilaena briefly, then as he began to crawl out of bed, kissed Zae Zin Nim as well. Once he left the bed, the Beggar King's Robes automatically slithered out around his waist and he walked out onto the deck of the Clanless.
It was early morning and no one else was awake except for their pilot and guard. At some point, he needed to talk to Inafay and his other allies, but for now Kai felt like he was alone in the world. Sailing through the heavens with Cloudspire rapidly disappearing underneath them.
So far they hadn't been attacked, not like the others had been, because their reputation cleared the way before them. He was still cautious about potentially running into some sort of ambush, some new entanglement that would keep them on the continent. Part of him had been hoping to head straight east and get over the ocean, but his wife was right, a slight detour wouldn't really increase their travel time in a meaningful sense.
Kai walked to the front of the ship, set his hands on the railing, and leaned forward into the wind. He stared out as if he could see Deadwaste, even though it was far beyond the horizon.
Six months. Less.
Chapter 506: Into the Eastern Plains
Kai cultivated at the prow of the Clanless, glowering purposefully.
On a handful of occasions their trip had been interrupted, which he'd accepted was just part of Cloudspire, but he didn't want to waste time on weak sects. Just how much he disliked the delays must have come through in his face, because one group fled in terror when he walked up. Omilaena had said that was a good tactic and installed him in front like a prow ornament.
They'd been passing over the Eastern Plains for several days now... they weren't as plains-like as he'd expected. The flattest parts were actually the farmed terraces they passed near every community, while the rest was rolling with hills and forests. On Deadwaste, this region wouldn't have been considered flat or plains-like at all, even before considering the rich qi in the environment.
That was the part that struck him strongest. Every time he took a breath, he drank in the qi like dew. Not only was it unusually intense for atmospheric qi, it was purer than he'd expected. When he'd asked Zae Zin Nim about it, she had mostly shrugged, but it seemed obvious that this was the source of the Brightwind Sect's pristine techniques. Far from the days when all Earth Soul cultivators had been dangerous to him, now he determined which could be any threat at all, and the Brightwind Sect was unusually good at producing those.
Did it all ultimately come down to the unfair advantage of the level of energy in the environment? It was certain that no cultivator, no matter how hard-working or brilliant, could have developed like this on Deadwaste. And if it was possible for an environment to be this much richer, what would even more powerful regions produce?
As if summoned by his thoughts, Inafay Corinin walked up behind him. She hadn't been that far behind him, even something like a rival at one point, yet the fact that so much of her training had been on Deadwaste meant that she was far behind him in total strength.
"It's scary how many Earth Souls we're passing," she said as she leaned against the prow. "Orotaisin and I would have a rough time fighting most of those groups, even before they started using formations."
"Heh, I was thinking similar things." Kai left off glowering duty and turned around to face her.
"What? No way you were thinking that you couldn't take them."
"Not that, I mean about how Cloudspire can produce so many Earth Souls. If we could just recruit some of them, it would make a huge difference in the next incursion."
"Given what I've seen from local politics, I'm not sure I'd trust them." Inafay's head first shook, then tilted thoughtfully. "But could we bring a whole group of people from home over here, maybe Krysali? With qi like this, they could grow substantially. In the past it's been too much of a risk, but isn't your wife pretty much the matriarch of a sect now?"
"Even if we risked the travel time, a group wouldn't have enough time to cultivate here. We're better off taking sources of qi back to Deadwaste."
"I don't mean for this incursion, but we should have seven years before the next one."
"Ah." Kai gazed over at her for a time, pondering the differences. Inafay had been training with the Frontier elites and it seemed like she had absorbed their long term planning as well, unlike his mad rush through multiple continents. "That might be a good idea, but let's make sure we survive this incursion first. Not to repeat the conversation, but I'm worried."
"Bah, you're just paranoid." Inafay punched him in the arm playfully. "We're bringing back an absurd amount of power this time, so we should be able to match any surprises."
Not if they had another apocalyptic incursion like the previous one. Kai kept that thought to himself, hating the unknowns. It would have been great if he could be sure that the incursion would be evenly matched to his strength, providing a challenge that would help him grow, but the world wasn't so convenient for him that he could just charge forward thoughtlessly.
Sensing his discontent, Inafay turned around and leaned against the prow beside him. She tilted back and closed her eyes, apparently enjoying the wind. Her spirit wove together so much wind essence now, he wondered just what she could feel. Even though she was weaker than him, he felt as though she'd tapped into something pure and potent, if only there was a way to unlock it...
"Was Rosemount this dangerous?" she asked after a time.
"Depends on how you count." Kai glanced over, checking her Power again - not quite 600. "Right now, you're stronger than most Earth Souls, but you couldn't fight Sky Souls. On Rosemount, they have a lot more people with 700, 800, even 1000 Power, but not so many at the top."
"And what about those at the very top?"
"That's hard to say." Kai had often thought about what it would be like to see the phase-using great powers of Rosemount fight sect leaders from Cloudspire, because he wasn't sure how it would fall out. Cultivators used a sort of omni-phase that could be quite potent, but he was confident the focused phases of the great powers were more individually dangerous.
Perhaps that was why the continents were reluctant to fight one another at large scale. Even if either side won, their apparent invincibility would be damaged and rivals would undercut them. Either Rosemount or Cloudspire could have destroyed Deadwaste, but the conquest wouldn't be worth it, and the Frontier elites were dangerous enough to add some real risk.
He wasn't sure how the elites would fare against the strongest on other continents. And he truly hoped he would never find out.
"I'm actually not looking forward to getting back, in a way," Inafay continued. "Here, we can all train together. But as soon as we go home, we're going to have to deal with a lot of split loyalties."
"Split?" Kai frowned at her. "We're all fighting the incursion, aren't we?"
"Yes, but where? I want to help defend Goralia, while Orotaisin wants to defend the Wind Union. And we're both elite trainees, so there's an argument we shouldn't fight in our homes when we'd be more useful elsewhere."
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"Ah, I see what you mean. I think we'll probably be moved around a lot, because we should be worth spending teleportation resources. Omilaena has plenty of ideas for Krysal and Irun, and of course there are a lot of places I need to help out."
"What about Zae Zin Nim?"
"She's not so attached, so she's a bit of a reserve card."
"Any chance you could loan her out to the Wind Union?"
"I am not going to loan out my wife."
They laughed and discussed potential strategies and challenges for the incursion. It was technically strategic and in practice useless - they didn't have enough information about the relevant variables, so they were basically just shooting the shit on a comfortable subject. Strange that a continent-wide flood of monsters could bring people together, but despite what Inafay said, it unified them all.
Unfortunately, the cheerful conversation couldn't continue forever. They were joined by Zae Zin Nim, who gave them both a polite nod before putting her hands in her sleeves formally.
"We are drawing very close to Brightwind lands," she told them. "If we have not attracted attention from rivals this far, they are unlikely to attack now, but the Brightwind cultivators may be a threat, so remain cautious."
"Are any of you loyal?" Inafay asked.
Kai waved that aside while he asked his own question. "How much do we need to worry about those rivals?"
"I deemed them not worthy of your concern," Zae Zin Nim said. "At worst, we will need to make a show of force. Even combined they did not dare fight my father, and as we have defeated him, it would be foolish of them to attack." Even now, her happiness leaked out in a tight smile.
"Hey." The call came from the side of the ship, where Omilaena was wearing a new pair of goggles. She didn't seem particularly alarmed, but Kai recognized that stiff stance, lacking any of her sensuous grace, and immediately began moving in her direction. "We have company."
By the time Kai and Zae Zin Nim joined her, they could sense the hidden sources of qi that Omilaena had spotted first. There was a group of eight Earth Souls on flying swords moving to intercept, secretly at first, then directly when it was clear they were spotted. Not obviously attacking, and wearing Brightwind robes, but still...
"Are those sect members?" Kai asked.
"I believe so." Zae Zin Nim's eyes grew even narrower as she observed them. "Let me lead."
The Clanless could probably have swept past them all, but they slowed down to meet the group of cultivators. They immediately moved up beside the ship, taking a formation that looked more ceremonial than combative to Kai. When Zae Zin Nim stepped forward, he saw that several of them stared at her or winced, but the leader spoke smoothly.
"Matriarch Zae, we are honored by your presence. We would be overjoyed to host you and your companions in one of the great pagodas. We did not expect your presence, so we will need some time to prepare an appropriate-"
"Unnecessary." Zae Zin Nim swept them aside with the flick of one sleeve. "We do not intend to remain long. Take us to the vaults."
"I... I see. Of course that is your right. We can prepare a place for your vessel, and meanwhile we will open everything we can."
Zae Zin Nim basically ignored them, instead ordering the group to pull back to one of the nearest bases, a fortress-like pagoda. She also ordered the Clanless and the others to remain in the air, as if to signal that they didn't intend to stay long. Kai didn't like this side of her, but it seemed more like an act than it once would have, and he assumed her methods would be best here.
They left the Clanless to go visit the fortress and its vaults, scorning the offered flying swords. Zae Zin Nim could somehow fly with her new Physique and Kai had no trouble keeping up with a qi-focused use of Thunderbird's Wings. Omilaena was the only one without a real flight technique, but she hung off him instead, using her position to take liberties.
On the ground, they were escorted through an empty courtyard to a large gate. He sensed some sort of heavy defensive magic in the fortress ahead, but Zae Zin Nim didn't seem concerned. If anything, she looked eager to finally get at the vault, which must have been secured below.
Then, when they stepped inside the fortress, the walls lit up with power. Kai realized that the Earth Souls, who had been bowing and scraping, had managed to shift into a formation around them.
"Patriarch-slayer." One of the Earth Souls spat onto the ground, then they all raised their palms. "By coming back, you have sealed your doom!"
Chapter 507: The Redstorm Sect
Before Kai could act, Zae Zin Nim stepped forward and thrust out her arm. Her Coldfire Palm slammed into the side of the energy surrounding them.
One of the Earth Souls was consumed in flame, the formation tore apart, and multiple cultivators began coughing up blood.
In an instant, the domineering overconfidence of the group broke and they began to scatter. A single cultivator somehow had the insane self-confidence to attack Zae Zin Nim, receiving a physical palm to the chest that caused more blood to erupt from his lips. Others more sensibly fled, though they were struck in the back by Omilaena's needles.
That left two who dissolved into light, attempting to escape via a higher flight technique - and that was where Kai stepped in. He could have killed the cultivators as his wives had, but he assumed they might need some to interrogate. So as he launched after the streaks of light, he activated Famished World. His power swept past the two fleeing men and he reached into the light, grasping their robes and pulling them back. They looked so stunned that when he dropped them back in the courtyard, they just remained on their knees.
"Please don't kill us!" one of them begged. "They forced us, we would h-"
"Who forced you?" Zae Zin Nim asked. She was hovering slightly, apparently not consciously. Even though she was the shortest one in the courtyard, she loomed like a dark god, her eyes completely black.
"The other sect, and the loyalists, and-"
"This one is talking." Omilaena dragged an old woman, who was clutching a needle in her shoulder, to the center. "Apparently your father still had allies."
"Betrayer." The old woman spat out blood, but it evaporated in the air before reaching Zae Zin Nim's cheek. "You embarrassed your father, but he still gave you endless chances. And that kindness killed him in the end. We'll never follow you, you wanton bitch, you-"
"Okay." Zae Zin Nim struck the woman on the forehead and she crumpled soundlessly.
That set off more wailing from the surviving cultivators, some of whom trembled on the ground while others begged. They didn't dare touch Zae Zin Nim, and Omilaena kicked one away, which left two grasping at Kai's legs desperately.
"Please, I'm not with them, we had-"
"Calm down." Kai grabbed them both by their robes and lifted them into the air so they'd stop pawing at him. He couldn't promise them their lives, but he was sick enough of this that he didn't care. "Explain exactly what happened and why you chose to attack. What was that about another sect?"
Zae Zin Nim folded her hands in her sleeves and glowered, which silenced the babbling. After an uncomfortable pause, a middle-aged man spoke up.
"It's the Redstorm Sect," he explained. "With the patriarch gone, and so many of our Earth Souls dead, we can't stand against them. They said they would kill all of us and our families if we didn't ambush you. And... Zae Clen Ban had enough loyal followers that some of them jumped at the chance. But it isn't all of us, please, believe u-"
"They can't have believed you'd kill us," Zae Zin Nim said. "What is their real plan?"
"I-I don't know, they thought if they w-weakened you..."
"Then are more coming?" Omilaena asked.
"No," the other prisoner said, "I think they're headed for the grand vault. They want to take all of the Brightwind Sect's greatest treasures, to make themselves the new preeminent sect in the Eastern Plains. I can show you, tell you their plans, just-"
Zae Zin Nim silenced them with a glare, then turned away as if the prisoners ceased to exist. Kai instinctively stepped in close along with Omilaena, not to hide what they were saying, simply to exclude everyone else from the conversation.
"The Redstorm Sect is reasonably powerful," Zae Zin Nim explained. "A significant sect, just always in the shadow of my father. Given time, they might be able to break into the vault, so we can't let that happen."
"How much of a threat are they?" Omilaena asked.
"I believe their matriarch is a Sky Soul, and their shadow branch might have one as well. I know they sent my father a proposal for my hand, but he hated them too much. Given our present strength... I don't think they can defeat us if we're careful. The fact that they attempted this feeble ambush shows how much they underestimate us."
Kai could see their logic: they knew that Zae Clen Ban had died, but rumors would leave unclear how it had happened, and there had been a lot of patriarchs involved in that battle. Presumably they thought their opponents could only barely reach the Sky Soul tier, so a formation of Earth Souls might be able to wear them down. He was less concerned about the battle than about whether or not it would lead to yet another group forming a vendetta against them.
"Then let's go there and take care of it," Omilaena said with a shrug. "We can leave this place to our allies, right?"
"For the most part." Zae Zin Nim glanced to Kai, then at the prisoners. Asking if he was going to make an issue of their lives, he presumed.
After a moment, Kai shook his head. Even if they were telling the truth, he wasn't sure they had enough moral fiber for the truth to matter.
He turned away to let the others finish off the ambushing cultivators, instead flying up to the Clanless. There he found Inafay and Orotaisin watching at the edge, so he quickly explained what was happening. Orotaisin remained at the edge, frowning silently, while Inafay nodded.
"We'll handle things here," she said. "Even if they have more Earth Souls, that shouldn't be a problem. If another Sky Soul shows up, though..."
"Don't engage," Kai agreed. "Just take everything that might be useful to Deadwaste. We're not looting them, exactly, but take any cultivation resources we can use in the local vault. Leave enough room for what we get from the grand vault, because those will be the best we get from the whole region. And... we probably took out the loyalists, so don't be harsh on everyone else."
"Steal everything, bathe in the blood of the innocent, got it."
Kai rolled his eyes and leapt off the deck of the Clanless. He'd planned to return to the courtyard, but before he arrived, he saw Zae Zin Nim rise into the air to intercept him. She was carrying Omilaena with one hand, though she tossed her over to Kai when they met in midair.
"We have the details of the attack," Omilaena said as she wrapped herself around Kai's side. "We might as well go fight them now."
"The Deadwasters understand what to do here?" Zae Zin Nim asked.
"Yeah, I told them," Kai said. He wasn't sure if Zae Zin Nim meant any scorn with that term, but she nodded and seemed to set the issue aside entirely.
"Good, let's go stop the Redstorm Sect."
They both threw themselves through the air at top speed, Kai limited only by letting his wife take the lead. She had given them a little information about the Brightwind Sect's domain, but she knew the geography better than he did. From what he remembered, the Redstorm Sect must be one of the threats from the southeast, so presumably the grand vault was somewhere in between their current position and the border.
He wasn't sure exactly what to expect from the fight. After taking on so many of the factions in the Southern Rivers, he didn't think that a single sect could prove a lethal threat, but that didn't mean he could take things lightly. Just like he'd successfully struck up against opponents with higher Power, slightly weaker opponents could still be a real threat to him.
On their own and burning stamina, they flew faster than the Clanless, leaving countryside streaking underneath them. Kai tried to think about all the farms and small villages, wondering about the lives of those who lived there, but soon enough he saw a storm on the horizon.
Red lightning crackled within it, leaving little doubt as to the source.
There was a small city wreathing an enormous building like it was a mere ornament, so that must be the Brightwind Pagoda. Part of the city had been damaged in a battle that seemed to have ended, leaving corpses in both red and green robes. A large number of Brightwind cultivators were being suppressed in a cage of red qi instead of executed, so perhaps the Redstorm Sect intended to recruit them to bolster their own numbers.
All the remaining fighting was taking place around the pagoda. A wall of wind surrounded it, transparent and yet immensely powerful, tearing apart the red stormclouds that drew close. But the contest was not an equal one: the Brightwind cultivators within were struggling, no doubt coughing up blood, while the Redstorm cultivators formed a large ring to keep up the assault. It seemed inevitable that they would eventually break through.
"At last!" An old woman in bright crimson robes stood on a hovering wheel, separate from the circle of cultivators. There were two others at her side, a middle-aged woman and a young man. "The errant daughter of the Brightwind Sect returns to try to stand in for her father."
Ignoring the words, Kai instead focused on the power of the army. They had around two dozen Earth Souls, but none of them were particularly strong, just in the range of 500 Power. Only the three on the wheel merited a closer examination, and the old woman was strongest at almost 1300 Power.
<
Name: Redstorm Matriarch
Total Power: 1316
Cultivation: Sky Soul (900)
Heavenly Cultivation (+100)
Physique: E-0 (80)
Soul Level: 6 (36)
Redstorm Meridians (200)
>
Not so many years ago, that might have been intimidating... now, Kai saw them as just warlords drunk on the rich qi of Cloudspire. Given how overconfident their opponents were, they were about to get a rude awakening. Kai glanced at Omilaena, who just smirked, and then they both turned to Zae Zin Nim.
"Decapitate the sect?" she suggested quietly.
"Decapitation ho," Omilaena agreed.
Kai didn't think his affirmation was even necessary at this point. But before they could launch into their attack, the storm began to ebb away: the circles of cultivators retained their formation, but stopped actively assaulting the wind barrier. Instead the wheel floated closer to them, the matriarch of the sect stepping to the edge to regard them with a smug smile.
"You see how outnumbered you are," she told them. "Violence is pointless at this stage... why don't we settle this as civilized cultivators?"
So it wasn't ending just yet.
Chapter 508: Poisoned Negotiations
The asshole setting up the chairs on the wheel thought he was hot shit, Omilaena could tell.
It wasn't the fact that he had poisoned the cloths he was placing over the chairs, that was just to be expected. What irritated her was the way he brushed the poison against the surface, as if he was being surreptitious. A truly competent poisoner would have had the poison already applied, or better yet woven poison essence into some of the threads. Applying a powder like this was amateur hour.
Of course, he wasn't remotely the most important person there, just the most notable. Omilaena judged that the matriarch was the most dangerous by a fair margin, hiding real strength within those pooling red robes. The woman at her side was extremely plain-looking, likely intentionally: she was likely the leader of the sect's dark branch, dangerous on her own, and more importantly the boss of the asshole poisoner. Finally there was a young man, dressed in way too many layered robes, who was the scion of the clan - Earth Soul, weak jaw, annoying-looking.
"Please, join us," the Redstorm matriarch said. "The Brightwind Sect does not have to perish this day."
Omilaena decided to make a show of it as well, stepping forward first and using a needle to pick up the poisoned cloths and flick them away. She could have tried to make it an issue and ruin negotiations from the beginning, but she judged that this could actually work well for them.
"Forgive me," Omilaena said, "but my companions have certain allergies to silk."
"Of course." The Redstorm matriarch glared at her minion, as if she hadn't ordered the poisoning attempt. "We mean no offense."
"Of course, of course. You would never do anything that might harm us while negotiating."
"Poison is a weapon for cowards, not cultivators."
"I couldn't have said it better myself." Omilaena smiled and took her seat, waiting for the next poisoning attempt.
Zin Nim took the central position as the ostensible matriarch, so the others flanked her. Kai loomed over everyone, appearing practically feral, which was a nice look for him. For her part, Omilaena crossed her legs and watched as they were served tea and pleasantries. The matriarch made a show of drinking it herself, while the actual poison was clearly powdered in the cups on their side of the table.
Shocking, horrifying. While they attempted their poisoning, Omilaena flicked a grain of poison into a cup on the opposite side of the table, brushed a fingernail against the arm of the Earth Soul serving her tea, and breathed out toxic fumes the entire time. With her newly enhanced Heart of Poison, it was easier than ever to create something that the cultivators wouldn't notice until negotiations inevitably broke down.
While Zin Nim handled the empty words, Omilaena checked on her allies and their own condition. Kai appeared to notice something with the first sip, hesitated a moment, then continued drinking. Good, make the enemy overconfident. His monstrous abilities would likely protect him, but Omilaena could assist if necessary. She was more concerned about Zin Nim, who drank briefly and showed no sign of thinking about poison.
She was definitely thinking about their present position, however. The Redstorm Sect must be operating on the assumption that Zin Nim had taken down Zae Clen Ban with allies, thus if she was weakened, she could be eliminated without trouble. They were in for a rude awakening.
"You know, we may even be allies," the Redstorm matriarch said, with a sip of her regrettably unpoisoned tea. "Even in our sect, we heard tales of your conflicts with your father, and it seems they led to a mortal battle. Not exactly filial, but I appreciate your ambition. We want to dismantle what he created, but we would also be willing to hand it over to you."
"Why should I trust you," Zin Nim asked, "when you are currently assaulting our greatest vault?"
"Can you blame us for taking such an unguarded treasure? We would be happy to do this formally as well: the Redstorm Sect would be willing to shield Brightwind from other sects, we only require a tribute of your cultivation resources."
"This is a waste of time." Zin Nim started to rise to her feet and Omilaena honestly wasn't sure if it was just a pretense. In Rosemount there could be a lot of theater in negotiations, but cultivators possessed a different sort of theatricality.
"I'm quite sincere." The Redstorm matriarch set down her cup and shook her head. "I was willing to offer you my own grandson's hand in marriage, but I hear-"
"I am married."
"Yes, yes. But what if we pledge to merge our families in the next generation? Our children and yours?"
Zin Nim had no trouble facing down an entire sect and throwing herself into peril, but this suggestion made her shift uncomfortably. Omilaena planned to jump in with a joke, but to her surprise, Zin Nim recovered and sat smoothly. The lapse had been so brief that others might not even have noticed... not that Omilaena wouldn't tease her about it later.
"If you truly wish to negotiate," Zin Nim said evenly, "you should retreat from our lands and approach us respectfully, instead of holding these formations over our head."
"See here, now." The Redstorm matriarch leaned forward, eyes narrowing in displeasure. "I thought I was being more than reasonable, but you need to understand your position. You are vastly outnumbered, you have none of your allies from the Southern Rivers, and your battles have weakened you... do you honestly believe that you can negotiate from a position of power?"
"You are the one who fails to see clearly. All of these attempts to place yourselves in a position of power only demonstrate your weakness. Like these clumsy attempts to poison us... Omilaena, is there any threat?"
"None at all." Omilaena leaned forward as if they'd planned this and dipped one fingernail in her cup, then flicked it away. "The poison isn't much compared to what we saw from the Purple River Sect, but my antidotes would be more than sufficient."
"It had no effect on me," Zin Nim said, pursing her black lips. "I believe my Physique may be immune to some degree of poison."
That was good in absolute terms, but Omilaena couldn't help but be a little bit disappointed. If Zin Nim had simply been enduring the poison, Omilaena had been looking forward to licking out the poison with a tongue in her mouth, which would have flustered her. And it didn't matter if all the people who saw were going to die, right?
"Your poison is taking effect, right?" Kai asked as he looked over at Omilaena. It seemed like he was unaffected too, damn. "Is there any point in continuing these negotiations?"
His statement caused great alarm, which magnified when one of the Earth Soul guards abruptly coughed up blood. Omilaena had actually modulated her poison for weaker effects, intending to leave them with a crippling addiction, but either this one was weak or he just vomited blood because he got too upset. Some of the enemy cried treachery, some let out war cries, some just cried in general.
They broke apart, completely abandoning the pretense of negotiation now that they understood that the poisoning had actually disfavored them. A group of Earth Souls tried to make a formation, but so many of them were struggling with poison that they began to fall off their swords and the formation collapsed.
Another formation at a greater distance unleashed a beam of pure qi, but Zin Nim met it with a flaming palm that neutralized the blow. The Redstorm matriarch unleashed a bolt of red lightning, and to Omilaena's surprise Zin Nim simply caught it. Bolts continued to crackle between them, but they dissipated against Zin Nim's new skin, only blowing back her sleeve.
That surprised everyone left on the wheel, then the young man struck first. He attempted to attack Zin Nim while she was engaged with the lightning, only to be intercepted by Kai. The two of them collided in midair and Kai's greater weight and power knocked him off the side, sending both of them tumbling toward the rings of cultivators below.
A second later, Zin Nim and the enemy matriarch leapt off the wheel, clashing in midair in a series of blows. That might be interesting to watch, but it left Omilaena with her own fight.
Only one of the three leaders remained, the middle-aged woman who had stood on the matriarch's left. There were half a dozen Earth Souls as well... most importantly the asshole poisoner. He didn't even have the grace to look intimidated after being so out-poisoned.
"Your poisons didn't get through the poison division's antidotes either," the middle-aged woman said. She calmly drew a flying sword from a spatial ring, then made it hover across a rag that glowed with green qi. That was actually an interesting poison, very different from anything Omilaena had seen in the Southern Rivers. So this was her fight.
They hadn't planned that part, but it couldn't have turned out better. Omilaena spun needles into her hands, set her feet, and grinned.