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墨書 Inktalez
Human Sacrifice
I opened my eyes to a room split between light and darkness. Outside the window, explosions echoed, and the sparks of fireworks fell like stars, reflecting in the lake below.
I climbed out the window, scaling the wall of the inn until I reached the platform above. There stood a group of young men and women, all dressed in identical attire, watching the dazzling fireworks with smiles. My arrival caused some to frown; if I guessed correctly, these were disciples from a sect that had reserved the third floor.
"You really are quite self-aware. Didn't anyone tell you that our Kongtong Sect has taken over the third floor of this inn?" one young man said.
The shop assistant had informed me that another sect had reserved the third floor, but didn’t mention who occupied the platform above it. However, I wasn't one to start a quarrel over a momentary embarrassment. As an outsider, I felt somewhat guilty for interrupting their fun, so I clasped my hands together and said, "Sorry for the disturbance."
I began to walk back down towards the inn, but the young man persisted, "You're just going to leave like that?"
I stood on the platform without turning around and asked, "What else should I do?"
He chuckled mockingly and replied, "You've ruined our poetic gathering. You’ve seen our fireworks and disrupted my mood; how do you plan to compensate for that?"
"Compensate for what?" I asked.
"For emotional distress," he said.
"What do you want as compensation?" I inquired.
The young man casually replied, "I'm asking you; why do you keep asking me? Are you stupid?"
I shook my head and said, "I just don’t know what you want."
He pressed on, "What do you have?"
I answered, "Money, treasure, cultivation methods—anything you could want. Just not sure which one you're after."
He said, "I want them all."
I replied, "Haven't you heard the saying: 'A greedy heart can swallow an elephant'?"
My words immediately sparked laughter among the crowd. One young man chimed in, "Shut up! I think you're just looking for trouble. Let my second senior brother have a word with you!"
The young boy's face was filled with a mischievous grin as he kicked my ankle. I was standing at the edge of the platform, nearly ten meters high. A fall from this height would surely be fatal for an ordinary person. However, after kicking me, the boy stumbled backward and fell to the ground, while I remained perfectly still.
"Damn it, how dare you hit me!" he shouted.
The other disciples of the Kongtong Sect rushed forward, attempting to shove me off the edge, but I stood my ground without moving an inch.
A female disciple cheered, "Hit him! Kill him!"
The Daoist World was just like the mundane world, filled with violent gang fights. Even in the most prestigious high schools, when a fight broke out, everyone would join in without regard for right or wrong. Factory workers, construction site migrant workers, and street thugs all acted similarly; a single word could spark a collective attack regardless of justice.
The Daoist World was no different. Just because one practiced the Dao did not mean they were peaceful or virtuous. Respect and humility were not guaranteed to be reciprocated. Philosophers could emerge from slums, while corrupt individuals could rise among the elite. The Buddhist Sect could harbor failures, and even cults could have good people forced into their ranks.
After several of them took turns kicking me without success, I said, "If you're tired, it's my turn now."
I moved like the wind among the Kongtong disciples, each one screaming as they fell to the ground, unable to even touch my clothing in their attempts to fight back. In a matter of moments, all the male disciples lay on the ground, each with a broken ankle.
The leader stood frozen in shock as he realized he had provoked someone formidable. He turned to flee, but I called out, "If I were you, I wouldn’t leave just yet. Before you go down there, I have plenty of time to rearrange your head."
Terrified, he halted at the edge of the platform and said, "I don’t know which sect this esteemed Brother belongs to. I was rude just now; please forgive me."
Ignoring him, I walked over to a group of frightened female disciples and dragged one out from the crowd. With a swift kick, I shattered her ankle. She lay on the ground screaming in agony. One male disciple shouted angrily from nearby, "You beast! How dare you hit a woman? Let her go! If you have any guts, come at me!"
"Oh? Quite noble of you," I replied as I stomped down on his ankle, crushing his bones beneath my foot. "If I break all your joints, I'll let this girl go because she was the only one who came over here laughing and kicking me while the others stayed back. Wasn't that fun?"
The male disciple screamed but didn’t answer my question. I stomped down again, causing him to cry out in pain. Gathering his Dao Qi, his palm glowed red as he struck at my ankle. I lifted my foot and pinned his hand down before twisting it lightly until his skin split open.
"It seems you've decided to sacrifice yourself for your beloved; how touching," I nodded in acknowledgment.
"Wait! Don’t ruin me!" he pleaded, drenched in sweat.
"Then does that mean you'll let this girl go? Nod your head and I'll release you," I said.
He quickly nodded and replied, "Her matters have nothing to do with me! Please don’t ruin me!"
I let out a hum, calmly looking at the terrified female disciple on the ground. I chose not to harm her further; the friendships and emotions of these people have always been fragile under even the slightest test.
I lifted the leading young man to the edge of the stage and looked down at him, saying, “The Kongtong Sect was once renowned in ancient times. Its founder, Feihongzi, reached a level of cultivation comparable to a Dao Sovereign. What a hero! Who would have thought that in your generation, you would not only have to rely on Wudang Mountain to survive but that every disciple in your sect is a coward, bullying the weak and fearing the strong? As an elder brother, you cannot escape responsibility.”
The young man replied, “It’s all my fault for not being strict enough. Please don’t take it to heart; we will do our best to meet any compensation you desire.”
I shook my head. “You are truly like mud that cannot be molded. I have no interest in your meager compensation. Where are your senior brother or the elders of your sect?”
He answered, “The senior brother and the elders are still on their way. They should arrive soon since it is the day when the Kunlun Mountain barrier opens. If you wish to meet them, I can introduce you when they arrive.”
“No need for an introduction; I’m not interested. I’m not someone who enjoys teaching, but your disciples from Kongtong Sect are truly a ragtag bunch, including you. As the senior brother of your sect, you should read more when you have free time. Cultivating your mind is more important than mere practice; do not bring shame to the Daoist disciples.”
The young man nodded in fear and trepidation. I turned to the boy who had kicked me first and said, “Someone like you cannot even be called a friend; at most, you are just a thug or a dog.”
The boy lowered his head, clutching his ankle, cold sweat dripping down his face as he did not dare to retort.
I patted the shoulder of the young man, causing him to tremble all over. “Don’t worry; I won’t hit you. Just take care of yourself.”
I jumped down from the stage, no longer angry. The Kongtong Sect had once been a glorious sect but had now withered away. During the Daoist Sect War over a hundred years ago, they nearly faced extinction and later had to rely on Wudang Sect for protection to survive; otherwise, they would have disbanded long ago.
From various Daoist historical records, I learned about the decline of Kongtong Sect. I had initially planned to visit their Scripture Repository since the first generation leader of Kongtong was a great master during the Tang Dynasty over a thousand years ago. However, historical records indicated that Kongtong's lineage was lost later on, with each successive leader’s cultivation declining steadily. There were no figures capable of making a name for themselves in the Daoist World among their disciples, and their cultivation methods were rather useless. Thus, whenever I passed by Kongtong, I never entered.
After leaving the tavern's stage, I found myself in a town bustling with lights and decorations, resembling a lively night market. Daoists rarely possessed much wealth while cultivating within their sects but were willing to spend once they entered secular life. The merchants in town spared no expense to create a vibrant atmosphere that would attract many Daoist disciples to spend here.
Once inside the tavern on the first floor, I found a secluded corner to sit down and ordered a pot of fine wine along with some dishes.
In the main hall on the first floor, many people were drinking and chatting. One person said, “Have you heard? The Azure Cloud Sect has been destroyed.”
“The Azure Cloud Sect from Qinling? Isn’t that sect quite strong? How could they be wiped out?” another person asked.
“I heard it was destroyed by people from Serpent Cult. The sect’s leader and elders are dead, yet their disciples on the Dragon-Tiger List managed to escape.”
“How strong can those disciples on the Dragon-Tiger List be? After all, it’s a remote area.”
"The rest of them are whatever, but there's someone from their sect named Song Qianqiu, in his twenties, reportedly at the Core Formation Stage. He's stronger than some sect leaders and could even hold his own against the top disciples from Wudang, Arched Eyebrows, and even the Supreme Sect."
"Being in the Core Formation Stage at such a young age is indeed impressive. The top disciples from Arched Eyebrows and Wudang are at that level too. As for the disciples from the Supreme Sect, no one knows yet, and no one dares to ask."
As I listened to the conversation of a few people not far away, I observed a young man sitting alone at a table in the center of the hall. He looked about eighteen or nineteen years old, but his hair was white. He wore loose purple robes that seemed to belong to no particular sect.
On his back were five long swords arranged neatly: one gold, one blue, one white, one red, and one black. The scabbards were exquisite, each engraved with various inscriptions that seemed to suppress the killing intent within the swords.
His gaze was cold as he drank alone, not even glancing at anyone nearby, seemingly unwilling to listen to others.
Suddenly, a group of people carrying long swords entered the inn. There were about twenty or thirty of them, led by a middle-aged man with a waxy yellow complexion. Seeing that the area was filled with people except for a large space in the middle where the White-Haired Youth sat alone, he knocked on the table and said, "Move aside."
The White-Haired Youth acted as if he hadn't heard and calmly poured himself another drink. The middle-aged man's expression turned to surprise; thinking that the White-Haired Youth might have hearing issues, he pointed to a corner and said, "Sit over there."
Still no response from the White-Haired Youth. Just as he lifted his cup to drink, a young man behind the middle-aged man stepped forward and knocked the cup out of his hand, spilling wine all over the White-Haired Youth's face.
"Are you blind or deaf? Didn't you hear your senior brother calling you?" the young man shouted.
Someone at a nearby table said to his companion, "Those are Wudang Mountain people. Look at their Daoist robes; they must be Outer Sect Disciples. We can't provoke Wudang."
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