February 5, 2023
"How's your body."
"Body?"
"Does anything still hurt anywhere?"
Sizhu shook his head. "Nothing."
"Ara. That's good."
The two walked along the long dirt slab stair. Surrounded by black bamboo trees. The morning breeze blew a few strands of their hair. Luxia walked one step ahead of Sizhu.
Luxia wore a sleeveless white Chinese dress with a floral pattern. Showing some of white skin of Luxia's shoulders. The bottom of her dress was split to make it easier for Luxia to walk and to show her beautiful bare legs without socks or stockings.
"How's your feel."
"Feel?"
"Do you feel something in your heart?"
Sizhu shook his head. "I don't know what feelings are."
"Ara. That's good. We are very similar."
Smiling slightly. Luxia continued walking, passing dozens of stairs leading upwards. At the end, a single point of light was their destination.
"How's your purpose."
"Purpose?"
"Do you want to know why you are here?"
Sizhu shook his head. "I don't know what my purpose is here."
"Ara. That's good. You don't need to know."
"Luxia." Sizhu stopped walking. A few bamboo leaves fell to the ground, blown by the wind.
Luxia stopped. She turned around.
"Who am I, really?"
Sizhu asked with a serious gaze. His head was filled with many questions but he couldn't get a single answer.
Luxia chuckled.
"Who are you? Sizhu? I'm also curious about who you really are. Sometimes the only way to know who we really are is to ask ourselves who we really are. Am I a human? Am I just a pretty girl? Am I a leader in the seven nations? As we walk, we will find the answers to these questions."
Luxia pulled Sizhu's hand to keep walking with her.
"Come Sizhu, keep walking. I will accompany you every step of the way."
They both walked side by side, with hands intertwined.
For some reason, Sizhu felt a strange feeling arise in his heart. A feeling where, when he saw Luxia's slightly smiling face, his heart beat faster.
Sizhu was very innocent, but he was still a teenage boy who had just entered adulthood.
His cheeks flushed slightly as his thoughts were mixed with the current situation.
Who is Luxia, really? Why is she approaching me like this? Why is she holding my hand tightly and saying strange things just now? What does she want from me? What do I want from her?
"We're here."
It was the edge of a cliff. The view of Qincheng Academy and the entire city below was visible from there. The wuthering wave clouds from a few minutes ago thinned, revealing the small city at the foot of the mountain.
Tiered pagodas soaring into the sky, various ancient Chinese royal architectural buildings used as the headquarters of the Hunter Agency. The color of plum blossoms blooming in spring fill the pallete.
It was a sight that made one's eyes widen in awe of its beauty.
Flying animals, some of which were normal birds and some Sizhu knew were not ordinary birds, flew in the sky. From a distance, Sizhu could also see magical creatures that seemed friendly to humans roaming around the academy and Hunter headquarters.
Luxia stood beside Sizhu, looking at the same view. Although Sizhu showed no expression, his green eyes said that it was the first time he had seen such an impressive human creation.
A view that would make someone say, "So this is Qincheng. The place master told me to look for."
Sizhu felt a strange calm accompanied by a slight sense of relief because he had successfully fulfilled one of his teacher's last wishes. Even so, there are still many unanswered questions, and he will find out here.
"Humans are beautiful creatures. They are capable of working hard to achieve their goals. And they can dream of creating something beautiful in a world filled with ugliness."
Luxia said with a disappointed expression. Then she smiled. A very strange smile.
"But humans are also the ones who create ugliness in this world filled with beauty. That's because we are given reason and feelings. Making every human able to choose which side they will live on. In darkness, or light. All of that is a choice."
"..."
Sizhu was silent, digesting every word Luxia uttered. He wasn't smart enough to understand her convoluted words, so he chose to just listen quietly.
"Tell me, Sizhu. What do you think is the purpose of life?"
Sizhu shook his head slightly. "I don't know."
Luxia chuckled, "Ara~ of course you know."
Sizhu still shook his head. "I don't know. The only thing I know is that if I keep walking, I will know someday."
Luxia smiled, looking at Sizhu's face beside her. "You really do know. You will know. Until you know, I will be here. Waiting for you to give the answer to that question."
Sizhu looked back at Luxia who was looking at him.
They both stared into each other's eyes in silence. The pair of green and purple pupils silently saw the beauty behind them.
Until finally, Sizhu's stomach growl ended the confusing morning conversation.
Growl...
"Ara!" Luxia covered her mouth with her slender hand. "I forgot to offer you breakfast first."
Sizhu turned his face away. His shoulders slumped because from the beginning he followed Luxia, he hoped he would be given a delicious breakfast. The strange conversation earlier drained half of his remaining body energy.
"If you're that hungry, how about you just eat me, Sizhu?" Luxia smiled teasingly.
"Eat you?" Sizhu tilted his head. Asking innocently.
"Just kidding."
Smiling mischievously, Luxia pulled Sizhu's hand to walk back down the stairs.
***
"Excuse me sir Jianying. We received a message via magic transmission." Bethanie delivered important news in the morning to Jianying, who was talking privately with the former head of the China division, Lang Zen.
They were enjoying warm tea on the balcony of the highest pagoda.
Seeing Lang Zen as interlocutor, the female assistant bowed, but Lang Zen raised his hand. Telling the woman with long purplish-black hair to raise her head.
"Explain the content of the message." Jianying said while sipping tea from his cup.
Bethanie seemed hesitant because Lang Zen was also listening. "But—"
"Just explain." Jianying put down his teacup. Bethanie nodded stiffly.
"A golden ladybug from a monk named Wuxing Gui carried a message at the end of his life. A group of people with inverted cross tattoos have successfully infiltrated and disrupted the Zhan Dou tournament. Among those who infiltrated have the magical ability to create countless clones. And his disciple, who was assigned to kill contestants as the tournament continued, has doppelganger magic, the first stage of high-level clone magic."
"Clones?" Lang Zen asked, almost in disbelief. "Was last night's incident are their doing? Out of almost 600 participants, only 450 managed to return and 97 managed to bring flags. 150 fewer people have been declared dead from the reports of the Hunters who were tasked with sweeping the mountains this morning."
Lang Zen stroked his rather long and thick dark pink beard.
"Moreover, Jianying. Your report regarding the Arch Witch and someone from Shengxiao has betrayed us. Now the inverted cross group you mentioned the other day has appeared. What exactly are their plans?"
Jianying nodded at Bethanie, who immediately bowed respectfully and walked backward, leaving Jianying and Lang Zen alone.
"Chairman Lang Zen. What do you remember about history of the Goujian sword?" Jianying asked seriously. He rested both hands on the table.
"The Goujian sword? The war between two great kings during the Zhou dynasty fighting for territory and ending in mutual betrayal?" Lang Zen asked back, unsure of his memory. He had studied a little history but not in detail. He prioritized power over knowledge.
Jianying nodded slightly, "The Goujian sword is the key to uncovering the whereabouts of King Fuchai, who is believed to possess the magic of immortality and the ability to raise the dead. He is an Arch Witch whom King Goujian failed to kill, and he has become a threat throughout the ages. During the Qin Shi Huang dynasty, Fuchai, an ancient immortal Arch Witch who seemed to be at the highest level of all the Arch Witches we have encountered and defeated, managed to escape his soul seal. Qin Shi Huang had to fight him for seven days and seven nights at the Great Wall border and ended up sealing that cursed creature for longer."
"So... King Fuchai, that ancient Arch Witch, is immortal and cannot die? How is that possible?" Lang Zen asked skeptically, his logic immediately refuting it. Basically, every living creature must experience death; if a living creature is immortal, then what is it really? An embodiment of death itself?
However, his thoughts were immediately slapped by the reality that the Grand Witch, who had lived for thousands of years, was still alive and roaming, spreading dark magic practices.
Dark magic is something strange; all natural laws and logic cannot explain it. But one thing is certain: dark magic is evil. No matter who uses it, even angels or gods.
Jianying nodded once. "He learned ancient dark magic that made his body eternal. However, his soul can still be sealed. That is his weakness; he has been defeated many times by the Goujian sword, which can seal his soul and imprison the creature in a place we do not know."
"So..." Lang Zen stroked his beard. "You mean the enemy's goal is to steal that sword from here? The main headquarters of the Hunter Agency, heavily guarded by thousands of mid and high-level Hunters? Guarded by me and you? Heh, even if that inverted cross group had balls, even they spend thousand years trying, they wouldn't be able to sneak a single mouse in here." Lang Zen laughed loudly, mocking the enemy's seemingly reckless and foolish plan.
"I came here for one purpose. Let them steal the sword."
CRASH!
The table separating Jianying and Lang Zen split in two with just one large slap from Lang. The teacup and teapot shattered after falling to the floor. His laughter died, and he now looked at Jianying with a serious gaze.
"Where did you put your brain? Jianying? Letting a relic that could lead the enemy to an immortal ally. What do you mean?"
Jianying adjusted his loose square glasses.
"I repeat, let them steal the sword. Trust me, former Taurus zodiac. I will expose the traitor among our round table and corner the inverted cross group in one fell swoop."
"No. I cannot let you do that. If they manage to get the Goujian sword and succeed in resurrecting the ancient Arch Witch who has the power to raise the dead and immortality, I fear we will suffer the same fate as the red continent in the west." Lang Zen stood from his chair and tapped his sheathed large machete on the floor. He firmly rejected Jianying's plan, which he considered rash.
Jianying shook his head. "The great tragedy of the blood moon will not happen again."
"You don't know how terrifying that tragedy was, Jianying. Because you didn't see it with your own eyes. Millions of lives vanished in an instant, leaving only a dozen of us, high-star Hunters saved by a father who sacrificed his grace."
Jianying closed his eyes. "You are right, Elder Lang. But, I will say it again. Let the sword be stolen." Jianying also stood up and looked into Lang Zen's eyes very seriously.
Lang Zen, feeling that Jianying would not stop saying such things, could only let out a heavy sigh.
"Alright, alright, I will let you. In return, you must take responsibility if the enemy manages to resurrect the ancient immortal Arch Witch."
Jianying nodded firmly. "Of course, I will kill every Witch or human behind all of this. Without leaving a single one."
Lang Zen grinned, seeing Jianying's serious face, as if he was seeing a reflection of himself when he was young.
"You better live up to your words. Shengxiao Dragon. The strongest branch head."
Lang Zen stood facing the balcony view. Meanwhile, Jianying walked out towards the entrance inside the pagoda.
"I'll take my leave."
The sound of the door opening then closing tightly.
Lang Zen glanced at the split wooden table and the broken cup and teapot scattered on the floor.
"I should have controlled my anger earlier."
Letting out a heavy sigh.
***