The group cautiously advanced forward but with the zeal of a group on a righteous mission.
"There!" a villager shouted, pointing at the cabin. "I told you! The monster is hiding here! I saw them several weeks ago when I was out hunting here. He has bewitched the girl!"
Bavork and Lina rushed out of the cabin. Lina had her crossbow and Bavork held his axe.
"Stay back!" Bavork roared. He stepped in front of Lina to protect her from anything that might co.
"Abomination!" the cultivator leader shouted while drawing his sword. "You defile this mountain with your presence! You hold a human woman captive!"
"I am not a captive!" Lina scread with her crossbow held up and ready to use it. "I am his woman, his wife! Leave us alone!" Li Yu knew that she wasn’t really his wife but it looks like she was saying so to deter the people that had co.
"She is under a spell," the cultivator sneered. "Demons possess the mind. Do not worry, girl. We will slay the beast and cleanse your spirit."
"We are doing the work of the divine!" a villager yelled. He then threw a rock in his anger. It struck Bavork on the shoulder. He didn't flinch but his eyes burned with rage. A demon’s pride was not sothing to be trampled on.
"Leave!" Bavork warned, his voice and body shaking with rage. "I fought in the war! I killed Xylarri to save your lands! Is this how you repay us?"
"The war is over," the cultivator spat. "Now we clean up the trash."
The mob surged forward. The cultivators began to channel Qi, their swords glowing. Bavork braced himself. He knew he could kill the villagers easily but the cultivators... if he fought he would prove them right. They would then just get more people and it would be endless. If he didn't fight, they would kill him.
He looked at Lina. Run! His eyes said to her. Never! her eyes replied. Just as the cultivator leader prepared to launch a wind blade he heard a sound and stopped.
Li Yu had stepped out from behind the newly built hut, he had enough of what he saw. It wasn’t really his business but he was disgusted by the sight. He walked out calmly and his bamboo staff was tapping against the stones.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The sound was actually extrely quiet but it echoed like a thunderclap in the ears of the mob.
"Who are you?" the cultivator leader demanded while halting his attack. "Another thrall?"
Li Yu stopped between the couple and the mob. He looked at the angry faces of everyone here. It was easy to see that there was hatred in their eyes but Li Yu didn’t understand.
"Why?" Li Yu asked softly.
"Why what?" the cultivator snapped. "Step aside you beggar!"
"Why is it so wrong?" Li Yu asked, his voice rising slightly as he went on. "They are alone out here. They are in a valley miles from your village doing you no harm at all. There are only so herbs, flowers and the lives of two people in love here. They built a simple ho. They are not harming anyone! Why is their happiness such an offense to you?" Li Yu’s rage began to increase as he spoke.
"It is unnatural!" the cultivator shouted. "Demons and humans do not mix! It is a violation of the Order!"
"Order?" Li Yu laughed but it was a cold and humorless sound. "I have seen the world nearly break. Seen the sky turn colors you wouldn’t believe and the ground blighted. I have seen humans betray each other and I have seen demons die to save human lives. And you stand here, in the peace they fought for and talk about Order?!"
"You speak of treason!" the cultivator yelled. "Kill him too! He is a sympathizer!"
The cultivators rushed forward with righteous fury. Li Yu sighed. "I gave you a chance to listen."
Li Yu didn't even need to move and he simply used his soul force.
BOOM.
A crushing and suffocating weight descended on the valley. It was the pressure of the Abyss. It was the weight of a leviathan staring down at a minnow and it was enraged.
The birds stopped singing. The wind stopped blowing. The stream seed to freeze in place. The villagers dropped to their knees, gasping for air and clutching their chests.
The cultivators froze mid-stride. Their swords rattled in their hands. They felt a primal, instinctual terror that turned their blood to ice. They looked at the young man in simple robes and suddenly they didn't see a beggar. They saw a monster, death. They saw a vast dark ocean that could swallow the world and the endless red of rage and fury.
Li Yu took one step forward towards them. The cultivator leader had already collapsed with his legs giving out. He wet himself.
"L-Lord..." the leader stamred, his face pale as death. "S-Senior..."
"You talk of monsters," Li Yu said. "But I look at you and I see the only monsters in this valley."
He pointed his staff at the path from which they ca from. Li Yu wanted to kill them all right here and now but his inner voice, the one that has been guiding his actions when it ca to right and wrong, told him not to.
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"Leave." It was a simple command but it carried the force of an imperial edict.
"Leave and never return. If I hear that you have co back... if I hear that you have thrown one more rock at those that are simply trying to live their lives, I will hunt you all down and kill you."
The cultivators scread in fear, realizing that they were facing soone they didn’t even have the right to ever even look at in the eyes. They scrambled to their feet, dropping their weapons and tripping over each other in their haste to escape. The villagers followed them, wailing in terror.
“WAIT!” Li Yu suddenly roared. Whatever that inner voice was, Li Yu didn’t care for its decision today. ‘It might have been right all those tis before but not THIS ti. I saw these people, what they said, did and their words. Even if that feeling within
is right 99.9% of the ti, today it is wrong. Because I deem it so!” Li Yu's thoughts were quickly processed and he made his decision.
“Perish…” Li Yu whispered and the instant the words said the cultivators and the villagers all dropped dead where they stood. They were simply too weak to face any kind of force that Li Yu used.
Li Yu stood still where he was and looked out at the bodies. However, the surprising thing was that he wasn’t questioning his actions just now. He had gone against the inner voice that had been right this entire ti but it was HIS decision to make.
‘At the end of the day, the choice is mine and this to
is correct. I will move forward with MY own decisions.’ Li Yu thought as he waved his hand and several wisps of Void Qi flew out and literally erased everyone from this world.
Unbeknown to Li Yu, within his Ocean of Qi the Fisherman was smiling and nodding his head. Underneath his Ocean of Qi the thread of Fate Law and Karma Law grew longer. Another law began to materialize next to the hook but it was ethereal and tiny.
"You..." Bavork swallowed hard. "You are truly him. The Little Crab."
Li Yu smiled wearily. "Just Li Yu."
He walked over to them. His expression was surprisingly calm.
"You cannot stay here," Li Yu said gently.
Lina wiped tears from her face. "But... you took care of them all."
"More will likely co," Li Yu shook his head. "Not today. Maybe not next week. But fear turns to anger and anger turns to numbers. More people to investigate what happened. Stronger cultivators. I cannot stay here forever to guard you."
Bavork looked at his ho that was just recently created. He looked at the garden Lina had planted. At the half-finished repairs on the roof.
"We have nowhere to go," Bavork whispered. "The humans hate us. My own clans... so would call
a traitor for loving a human just like hers."
"Not all," Li Yu said. He reached into his robe and pulled out the iron dallion Zaltar had given him. "There is a place as you both know. To the East. The Domain of the Xul'Thar."
"Cinder-Rest?" Bavork asked. "I heard of it. But... for a mixed couple?"
"The leader there is General Zaltar as you should also know," Li Yu said. "He is creating sothing new and from what I have seen is broad minded and can adapt to the situations. A place where traditions are being rewritten. He also owes
a favor. Actually, he owes
several."
Li Yu put a hand on Bavork’s shoulder. "Pack your things. I will take you there myself. I will make sure you are welcod."
Lina looked at Bavork. She nodded. "Ho is where we are together."
The journey back to the East was fast. Li Yu didn't walk this ti since he wanted to be quick. He summoned Tempest to take the two.
The massive beast carried the three of them over the mountains and forests. Along the way Li Yu contacted Grand Elder Theron. The conversation was relatively brief after Li Yu explained what had happened.
“The Alliance will send several cultivators out to the surrounding area to find out who was involved and died. We will explain the situation and handle the aftermath.”
Theron also said his condolences to Li Yu for his loss but that conversation was even more brief. News of that scale would certainly be known to soone like Theron but neither of them really knew what to say on the topic.
When Li Yu arrived at Cinder-Rest, the sa guards at the gate that saw him the first ti imdiately opened the way after recognizing him. They had found out later that he was indeed Little Crab.
Li Yu led the nervous couple straight to the Governor's Fortress. Zaltar was in the middle of a eting about the new "Skull-Rail" safety regulations when Li Yu walked in.
"Li Yu?" Zaltar was surprised to see him back already. "You returned? Did you forget sothing? Did you bring the Monkey wine?"
"I brought friends," Li Yu said but he did take a bottle of Monkey Wine since he was going to ask for a favor. He stepped to reveal Bavork and Lina.
Zaltar looked at the scarred demon warrior and then looked at the human woman holding his hand. He looked at the way they stood together, defiant and afraid.
"Demon Lord," Bavork saluted. "I am Bavork. Forrly of one of the Vanguard Battalions."
"I know of the demons in the Vanguard Battalion," Zaltar nodded. "Good fighters and brave. And this is?"
"This is Lina, I love her." Bavork said firmly.
The room went silent and the scribes watched. Zaltar walked down the steps and he stood in front of them. He towered over Lina.
He reached out one of his massive hands. Lina flinched but didn't pull away. Zaltar gently patted her on the head.
"Welco to Cinder-Rest," Zaltar rumbled. "We are short on housing but we have plenty of work. Bavork, surely you can lift heavy things?"
"I can, Demon Lord," Bavork nodded.
"Good. Lina, can you read?"
"I can."
"Even better. We are drowning in paperwork that I hate. You are hired."
Zaltar turned to his scribes. "Find them a place to stay even if it's temporary at first. Ensure they have rations and a permit for non-violent cohabitation."
Bavork and Lina looked at each other, tears welling in their eyes. They didn’t think it would be so easy, no place before seed to accept them. They bowed deeply to Zaltar and then to Li Yu.
"Thank you," Bavork choked out. "Lord Li... thank you."
"Live well, that is enough to repay any debt you think you might have." Li Yu smiled.
Later, as Li Yu prepared to leave again, Zaltar walked him to the gates.
"You brought
strays," Zaltar grunted.
"I brought you a possible future," Li Yu corrected. "If you want to build a new world, Zaltar, it might just start with them."
Zaltar watched the couple walking down the street, hand in hand. A demon child ran past them and Lina didn't flinch at all.
"Perhaps," Zaltar admitted. "You are a soft-hearted fool, Li Yu."
"And you have beco a grumpy bureaucrat," Li Yu retorted.
They shared a laugh together. Li Yu turned West once more. He had walked this path before, not that long ago, but this ti he felt that he had left sothing good behind. He tapped his staff and continued to walk wherever the winds and slls took him.
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