In the wee hours of the morning, the loud voice of the gong spread throughout the outer sect. The outer disciples of Hollow Valley started to wake as usual.
Shu Ren slowly opened his eyes, a familiar ceiling greeting him. Removing the thin blanket from his body, he got off the bed. With practiced movements, he moved to the corner of his small room where the washing water was placed. He observed his reflection in the large jar he had supposedly filled with water yesterday. His face looked the same as he remembered, just his eyes were slightly droopy and seemed completely emotionless.
Using some water to wash his face, he changed into his outer sect robes. Then he picked up the small dagger placed on the table and hid it carefully beside his waist. After a final glance at his small room, he went out the creaky door and made his way toward the sect gate.
Today he had to do an outer sect mission: searching for foreign cultivators in Lige City, at the foot of the sect. A few members of the team had already gathered there, chatting away while waiting for others.
While waiting, Shu Ren's thoughts drifted to his past. He was only able to join the Hollow Valley sect because his father had been an outer disciple, who left the sect due to an injury that crippled his cultivation. His father had passed away five years prior, leaving him to bear the burden of taking care of his mother and little sister.
At first, they operated a small food stall in the city for a living. But the income was too small to satisfy the needs of three people. Shu Ren could not bear to see his frail mother and little sister suffer. So, at the age of twelve, he joined the Hollow Valley sect. From then on, he was able to send back a part of his monthly sect allowance to help his family. For the past three years, he had lived a peaceful life and even cultivated to the Third Layer of Qi Refinement.
In just half an incense stick of time, everyone else had also arrived. This mission was supposed to be led by Senior Sister Zuo, a Foundation Establishment Inner Sect Disciple. After arriving, she gathered everyone together and started to give instructions related to the mission.
Shu Ren blankly listened to the words of the team leader, which went in one ear and out the other. After everything was said, they all started to march down before the early rays of the sun had hit the surface of their sect mountain.
While walking, Senior Sister Zuo looked back at her team members. Most of them were in a merry mood, as if going on a trip. Only Shu Ren, who was trailing at the back, had no reaction. She opened her mouth to say something but after a few moments again closed it without saying a word. Everyone had their own problems; it would be wrong to say something meddlesome without any prior understanding.
Before long, they had already reached the city gates. Senior Sister Zuo showed her sect token, and the group was allowed inside. As per the prior instructions, everybody split up and proceeded to search through their assigned places throughout the city. However, after walking for a dozen steps, Shu Ren changed direction and moved toward his home.
While making his way, he saw that several shop owners had started to open their shops. A few small children were playing along the roadsides, without a worry about their future. Thick smoke was coming from the chimneys along the houses beside the road, indicating the presence of life. The roads kept getting narrower as Shu Ren walked, and the houses more dilapidated.
Lost in his thoughts, Shu Ren soon reached his house. It was situated in a poverty-stricken neighborhood, with all the houses surrounding it being the same. Some had their roofs broken, some had cracked walls, some only had half a window. But somehow, they still managed to hold on, providing shelter to poor families like his.
Slowly moving ahead, Shu Ren caught the handle of the wooden door, his eyes staring straight ahead. His breathing, which had been normal, started to get a little rougher. His eyes, which had shown no reaction all morning, now held a melancholic look. Even his hand had started to tremble a little. Soon, a slight metallic smell reached his nose.
Even before opening the door, he knew what lay inside, and he didn't want to face it once again. Still, steadying his heart and gritting his teeth, Shu Ren opened the door. The early rays of the sun entered the house, and he saw his mother and sister. Both lay in a pool of their own blood, a masked man standing over their corpses. With the clicking sound of the door, he had already attracted the man's attention, whose sharp eyes glinted and looked straight at him.
The next moment, the man had already shot toward Shu Ren, not giving him a chance to react. The dagger held in his right hand was striking straight at Shu Ren's head. But as if anticipating it already, Shu Ren slightly moved his head to the right and punched out. His left hand hit the attacker's stomach, making a loud sound. But the expected reaction did not come; the man only staggered back a little.
The craze in the man's eyes diminished slightly, and he regained his senses. He took two steps back and now, instead of looking at Shu Ren as prey, he raised his guard as if facing an experienced opponent. After observing the boy for a moment, he kicked out with inhuman reflexes. But once again, as if anticipating this, Shu Ren moved quickly to the left and dodged the kick. Even in this dangerous situation, his mind was completely calm, as if going through a practiced motion.
The killer, who was at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement, gave a confused look at the young boy who was easily dodging his attacks. He then started to attack quickly and press ahead without backing down in order to swiftly kill his target. Yet again and again, his plan was thwarted by the boy. No matter how much he tried, he wasn't even able to scrape Shu Ren's clothes, let alone harm him.
Finally, he took out the small black whip dangling from his waist. He started to insert spiritual energy into it, and black flames emerged all over the whip. He threw the whip at Shu Ren, who tried to dodge again. But the whip changed direction midair and caught his left hand. Seeing his target caught, the man pulled hard. Adding to it the physical prowess of a Qi Refinement Ninth Layer cultivator, Shu Ren was flung toward him. Using his other hand, the man held the dagger and pointed it right at the boy's head.
But this time, Shu Ren faced the man directly and, in a split moment, raised his left hand. The dagger pierced his hand, splattering blood everywhere. For a moment, even the cultivator was confused at what had happened. Not giving him a chance, Shu Ren used his right hand to bring out the hidden dagger from his robes and swung it, piercing the cultivator's neck.
But being a higher-level cultivator nearing Foundation Establishment, the man didn't die immediately. He let go of the dagger and the whip and fell to his knees. But just as he was about to pull the dagger embedded in his neck, Shu Ren kicked out with full force, and the dagger pierced his throat completely, killing him on the spot.
Then Shu Ren proceeded to pluck out the black dagger from his left hand and moved toward his mother and sister's corpses. There, falling to his knees, he observed the terrified expressions still present on their faces. Two large stab wounds were easily visible at their waists.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he muttered softly while closing their eyes and cradling their faces. For the first time since morning, he had shown his emotions. Tears were streaming down his reddened eyes, and his breathing was a mix of ragged gasps and choked sobs. He just sat there muttering slowly to his deceased family.
After no more tears would come from his eyes, Shu Ren held up the black dagger and looked at his haggard reflection in it. Its sharpness was evident from the way it had pierced through his hand. He slowly brought the dagger to his neck. He just had to slice once, and he would go back. But his hand was still trembling.
Even after experiencing this several times, the fear of losing himself to the encroaching emptiness and the pain required to bring it about were something he could never grow accustomed to. But looking at his mother and sister's terrified faces, he gritted his teeth and, without a second thought, brought the dagger close to his neck and slashed. Blood started to flow from his neck, and he fell beside them. He could feel the strength in his body slowly dissipating every moment. Life was slowly flowing out of him, and his vision was also getting darker. Soon the darkness engulfed his consciousness, signaling his death.
Shu Ren was once again woken up by the sound of the gong. But this morning, he didn't move leisurely. He quickly got up, took the dagger, put on his clothes, and ran out of his dwelling. Now he just had to kill that bastard before he got to his family. It was a race against time. Gritting his teeth and straining his legs, he raced toward the city below.