The world heaves as its pulled out from under my feet, a rude awakening if there ever was one.
But not half as rude as peering out from under leaden eyelids and coming face to face with a red-eyed bull-headed Demon.
Panic and adrenaline shatter my muddled exhaustion as my boots connect firmly with my minotaurian assailant, sending a jolt of pain lancing through my legs as if I just tried to drop kick a fucking mountain. Bones fracture and joints dislodge as the scene shifts around , my rescuer hurling away from the Demon to what I presu is relative safety. Never one to take anything for granted, I tuck and roll to turn and face the creature even as gravity takes hold and sends plumting back down to the earth below, my numbed hands reaching for weapons I cannot for the life of find. Overwhelming despair forces to abandon the fight, and I settle for trying to make sense of things around . Darting my eyes about to take in the situation, I see chaos in all directions as Grandpa Du unleashes a powerful blow at his Demonic foe, the sa quick-draw strike Ive seen Song use thousands of tis before, but one which strikes with a thunderclap of fury that she could never match. To my right, Kuang Biao drives his sword into a second Demons torso while its taloned hands rend his flesh and expose bone underneath, but the stoic Death Corps Guard only grits his teeth and follows through with his killing blow without a care for consequence or reprisal. On my left, Binesi whirls his spear about and fends off two more Demons, bestial creatures Cloud-Stepping about on all fours while gnashing fangs and slashing claws, yet no matter how they duck and weave, they are unable to make their way past the Immovables flawless defence. Thats how he got his reputation after all, by being much better at defending than his opponents are at attacking, a rare reversal of strengths in a Martial Warrior of his calibre.
Naaran, Kanri, Gao Changgong, Situ Jia Yang, and more, familiar faces one and all surround on all sides as they fight for their lives while fleeing from the veritable horde of Demons chasing them through the skies. Our Enemy is not here for them however, for their Demonic gazes are all affixed on , their murderous intent made clear without the need for Aura, facial expression, or even recognizable body language. The threat they present is clear, and as I right myself in the air to face my foes, I allow myself a small smile of dark satisfaction, for these Demons think themselves the predator, when in fact, they are rely prey.
Sword and shield appearing in hand, I right myself in the air and open my Core to the Energy of the Heavens -
Only to be struck down by a bolt of lightning delivered from on high.
No, not lightning, nor was I attacked, which I only realize after long seconds once the throes of agony clear away to leave a haze of constant but lesser tornt in its place. Pain and suffering are all I feel, but I am nothing if not enduring, so I grit my teeth and wrack my mind for answers to the questions plaguing . My Chi system is borked, which is about as much as I can understand, the searing pangs a result of pushing myself too far too fast. Its akin to a muscle tearing from being pushed far beyond its limits, nothing I wont recover from, but not soon enough to fight off this formidable force of Demons intent on claiming my life. All I can do is watch as other Peak Warriors fight to keep alive, but their foes are fearless and determined to drag as many of my guards down with as they can.
Naaran is first to fall, gored from behind by the Minotaur while fighting off two more Demons in front. In his final monts, his amber eyes turn to et mine and his bloody lips part in a gasp, his gaze so full of pain and regret. Then the light fades away as his life cos to an end, and Naaran is dead and gone, but I lack even the luxury of grief as Grandpa Du appears at my side and pulls away to relative safety. The deafening rush of air mutes out the sounds of battle, but my mind fills them in as I watch the carnage unfold. Kuang Biao topples over not from a new attack, but from sheer blood loss as he passes out mid-attack, his Oaths pushing him to his limits and now his inescapable death. Kanri has long since been out of his depth, a naive young Aspirant who was fresh to the cause when the Confessor betrayed the Empire and toppled the poor youths world views. He shouldnt even be here, having taken over from Gunan at Luo-Luos side after his friend died protecting her in District Seventy-Eight, but there he is, fresh faced and grim gazed as he fights tooth and nail against a feline Demon that is clearly playing with its prey. Bleeding from dozens of lacerations, his slow, sluggish movents make it painfully clear how he is no match for his foe, and he knows it too but refuses to give up. Alas, determination alone is no shield against claw and fang, and after unlatching its jaw in an almost impossible fashion, the cat-demon swallows the poor youth whole, his legs kicking and lungs screaming all the way down.
Three Peak Experts dead without even ti to blink between them, but they are not the first, nor will they be the last. Bereft of stable ground beneath his feet, Jia Yangs ring of whirling defence is easily broken through overwhelming force alone, and his broken body drops out of the sky in a most disheartening end to this one-ti foe who has since beco a staunch and dependable ally. Immovable Binesi blocks a blow that sends him tumbling through the air, only to slam face first into the fist of a six-ard ape that smashes his head into a bloody pulp before taking a fanged bite out of his still-warm flesh. Gao Changgong weeps as his countryn die around him, a fate he consigned them to when he sought shelter under my banner, his grief and anguish almost as difficult to take in as his inevitable death. Guts torn open and entrails spilling out, the Siegebreaker continues to fight the good fight until the bitter end, one which cos both all too soon and not soon enough as two Demons latch onto his body and drag him down out of the skies, putting an end to his staunch resistance as his silent screams sound audibly in my mind, if not to my ears.
So many others die alongside these notable Warriors, Peak Experts one and all, for that is all I brought with out on my hunt for the Defiled. Tears stream down my cheeks faster than the whipping wind can wick them away, and my chest aches with a pain that is even worse than the unspeakable agony I only just suffered through trying to channel Chi through my broken Spiritual system. Kuang Biao, Han BoHai, Exarch Bralton and Eriene, and more, they all fight and die to keep safe as Grandpa Du brings away, but the loss of even a single one is not worth it, for I am the cause of their death.
I am truly a calamity to those who love . Better if I had died all those years ago and rotted away instead of relying on others to make it this far.
Bodies continue to drop out of the skies in a veritable storm of blood and corpses, but the Enemy forces only grow in number as their own Peak Experts join the fray. Their focused ferocity turns a fighting retreat into a full-fledged rout, one Grandpa Du quickly leaves behind in a burst of unprecedented speed. In the brief lull that follows, I recognize the landscape around us and find my bearings just in ti to watch Huang Hai harbour pass underneath, only for it to fade fast into the distance as Grandpa Du continues to Cloud Step away, unleashing a flurrying of Wind Chakrams in all directions to cut a bloody path out of this ss Ive gotten him into, but not fast enough to keep from seeing the dire straits the defenders have found themselves in. Beset from all sides with only shoddy, crumbling walls to protect them, the beleaguered Khishigs and Warriors of the North form up for a losing fight as the Enemy swarms in around them, Concealed Chosen revealing themselves and the weapons of war they wield, familiar massive steel crossbows akin to the Monstrosity Husolt crafted for on request. As the Demons tear into the Imperial lines, the Defiled unleashed a coordinated hail of bolts at the gathered Peak Experts without fear of injuring their hardy, inhuman allies. Imperials drop like flies rather than the rare and precious Warriors that they truly are, so many lives ended before they can put up a proper fight, but still more stand strong and fight on with blackened steel piercing their flesh and insidious poison coursing through their veins.
For just as the details grow too small to see, a shimr of light catches my eye, and my focus is drawn to the blackened steel tips of the Enemys bolts, glistening with the signature poison those insidious assassins were best known for. A bolt just like this pierced through my fathers heart and claid his life, a life I failed to save, because if I had, he would be right here fighting to protect , no matter how tired or injured he might be.
The sha of failure and the emptiness of loss are both superseded by the pain of knowing Ive brought about the deaths of so many heroes, for even though I thought my tactics would lessen the gap between commoner and Peak Expert, I never thought how it would also close the gap between Defiled and Imperial at the sa ti. Ive shown the Enemy how to turn their numbers advantage into an overwhelming and unstoppable force of mayhem and slaughter, because one Imperial soldier is no longer worth ten Defiled on the battlefield, tilting the balance of power heavily in the Enemys favour.
Anger wells up from within as I grasp what has happened here tonight, a burning fury to cover up my sha and heartache. My ire is largely reserved for the Enemy, but a good portion of it is turned inwards towards myself for allowing things to get this far, because now Grandpa Du will have to turn around and go back before I can save everyone, precious seconds that will cost us dozens of lives, if not more. Even without Chi to fuel my attacks or Aura, I only need to speak two words to flip everything about, a move Ive been saving for an ergency and I can think of no better ti to use it than now. Wishing I could Send or shout to warn Grandpa Du, I point at the Minotaur with hate in my eyes and scream, Hydro Pump!
Rather than the wave of watery destruction I expected, an influx of agony courses through as if I just tried to use Chi again, and I cannot for the life of understand why. Gritting my teeth, I dont even bother waiting for my vision to return before screaming the sa words again to similar effect. Unable to make heads or tails of the situation, I triple down and try a third ti, because maybe I cant be heard over the rushing wind that has deafened to all else, and again, agony is all I receive for my efforts.
In a mont of crystalline clarity, the answer hits like a bucket of cold water on a hot sumr day, and my body goes limp in disbelief. Grandpa Du is caught and dismbered by the Bull Demon, but I cannot be bothered to grieve, because even though I believe Ive arrived at the right answer, I could still be completely wrong. The trick is to figure it out without giving the ga away, so I watch Grandpa Dus death with all my focus instead of ntally distancing myself as I have been to keep myself sane. The sudden stop, the tang of tallic blood in the air, the pop of pressure equalizing in my ears just in ti to hear Grandpa Dus scream of pain, his eyes rolling back in his head as the Minotaurs hooved feet break his legs in mid-air, all of it is so vivid and real I have trouble believing this is rely an illusion, but as I process everything else Ive seen and experienced, the proof piles up until it cannot be ignored. My Chi-less attack being strong enough to fracture my own bones, my eyes seeing so clearly despite the whipping wind deafening , the quiet, orderly fashion in which the people I knew died one after the other, and most importantly of all, my verbal command causing my body to react as if I were attempting to manipulate Chi, when instead I was trying to communicate with soone Zhen Shi is unaware of.
I shouldnt even think about him, because I have no idea what Zhen Shi can see or hear.
The clouds overhead, the seas underfoot, and the grisly scene of Grandpa Dus death fades away and is replaced by a suffusing whiteness all around , and I find myself lying on the floor of a sterile white room, a place Ive been before and hoped to never return to, as it is where I encountered a most unwelco intruder once before.
You mother-fucker
Bolting upright to confront my foe, I co face to face with Zhen Shi in all his golden-robed glory, sitting atop empty air with a look of bemused curiosity etched across his all-too-dignified features, his focus largely elsewhere but still paying so attention. Belatedly, I notice I didnt actually sit upright, I just thought about doing it and I shifted into that physical orientation, a lesson I take to heart as I harness my Will to rend and tear this pretender apart out of sheer indescribable fury. Power flows out of and crashes into Zhen Shi, or rather the thin film surrounding and protecting him from just such an attack, his own Will made manifest and unshakable in his conviction.
Futile efforts, little worm, he says, his tone booming yet cold, passionless, and almost bored as he reclines in place, seemingly at ease yet so stiff and rigid he might well be hewn from stone while emanating an air of arrogant confidence which no puppet can fake. This is neither your Natal Palace nor the Void, but a place which exists in-between where we subsist only by the power of our Wills, an area in which this Sovereign is unmatched.
Even as he delivers his condescending statent, I continue attacking until my head grows light and shoulders heavy from the exertion, but my efforts lt away before they ever reach him. I cant push myself any harder because even though the pain and agony from utilizing Chi was an illusion he crafted, I did overreach in my attempts to Heal Dad and I can feel the aftereffects. Whether my Healing attempt worked or not is still up in the air, but it appears Zhen Shi was lurking about in the taphorical and taphysical shadows and used the opportunity to strike.
Unmatched? I sneer, having spent enough of my anger to keep the rest of it in check, bubbling beneath the surface of a thin veneer of calm. Youd like to believe that, wouldnt you? Then that would make it true, but I know better. You are no god, not even a man anymore, just a rabid beast that needs to be put down before it causes any more harm.
For a mont, his absent-minded distraction disappears as he focuses the full force of his focus upon , a weight which presses in from all directions and restricts my ability to even breathe, or at least thats how it feels despite not having lungs to fill or even air to take in. Little worm overestimates his own worth, the monster replies in that sa cold and robotic fashion, his focus fading soon after and freeing from his attentions, but I remind myself that this was nothing compared to the unbearable agony he inflicted upon with but a thought when I was caught within his Natal Palace. You have faced only lesser beings before, but here and now, you stand before this Sovereign when you should instead kneel. And just like that, the world shifts and I no longer stand while he sits, but kneel while he stands, our positions reversed faster than the blink of an eye with no transition in between. An effort of will frees from his grasp, but only because he does not care to keep within, a catch and release he carried out with barely a modicum of effort, whereas it took almost everything I had to break out. Fear seeps in between the cracks of my calm and anger, poisoning my Will to resist, but I hold firm to reckless courage and indomitable defiance to stand even taller before him.
taphorically speaking, at least. Even sitting, he still looms overhead when I stand at full height, a disparity that is so natural and ordinary I have an inkling that this is not a part of his power gas, but rather the true difference in our actual physiques made manifest in this place. My foe is well over two and a half tres tall, and while he appears slim and svelte when taken as a whole, his strapping shoulders and barrel chested fra still make seem like a spindly child in comparison. Then again, its possible hes not actually this overbearing in real life, and this is rely how he views himself, the sa way I look different inside my Natal Palace. This is not my fortress of ntal solitude however, but a different place, neither the Void nor my soul, but sowhere that exists in-between is what he called it. I take this to an we are at the border of both, the delineating area where one taphysical area ends and the other begins, but its not as simple as calling it a border, for reasons that go far beyond my limited comprehension of non-three-dinsional space. Though my soul touches upon the Void, to say that it exists within the Void would be incorrect, because my soul also touches upon the physical world through its connection to . Suffice it to say that the Void, the material world, and our souls all intersect in so way, and I perceive that intersection as this white, empty nothingness because my human mind cannot comprehend its true existence.
This must be what they an when they say Shatter the Void, to comprehend and harness the power of this in-between, a crossroads of the physical and taphysical both. As Zhen Shi says and I discovered first hand, this is a place where Will reigns supre, and while I was able to overpower Gen Shi with relative ease, Im sure the real deal will prove a much tougher match.
That doesnt an Im ready to roll over and die though, because I am nothing if not stubborn. So the cowardly Zhen Shi finally sees fit to put aside his puppet screen and take action himself. Had you done this before sending your puppet to fail so many tis, you might well have succeeded, but you fell victim to one of the classic blunders. Now does not seem like the ti to crack jokes and make light, but even though I dont get why saying this makes smile, I realize that its exactly what I need, to ease up and find Balance so as to better match up against my foe. Never go all in against the Undying Savage when death is on the line.
Though he hides it well with his expression of distracted musings, I can tell my foe is surprised by how quickly Ive recovered. Its his fault really, for being so in love with the sound of his own voice and anally specific that he gave away crucial information he shouldnt have. The best part is, I dont think hes even realized it, and he proves it with his next statent. So little worm knows more than he has revealed thus far, improving by leaps and bounds as usual, but worm or caterpillar makes no difference to the boot looming overhead.
Scoffing at the sheer absurdity of the statent while simultaneously hoping its not actually true, I ntally girdle my loins and brandish my scorn like sword and shield both. While preparing to unleash a torrent of long-winded defiance, I take a mont to really study my opponent in full, from his golden robes embroidered with all manner of atrocities to his corpse-thed jewellery which includes fourteen rings spread across ten fingers and at least six tallic bangles poking out from his wide sleeves, with more possibly hidden underneath. The Tyrant OuYang YuHuan similar has a love of jewellery, and given how every goddamn Chosen has a set of Runic Armour, itd be stupid not to expect Zhen Shi to not have Runic gear of his own, though in this place and on this non-corporeal form, itd be more accurate to call them Keystones instead.
Which ans I could probably create my own Keystones to use in a fight against him, but I would much rather keep that in my back pocket for now. Surprise is the strongest elent after all, and I would hate to give the ga away so early.
One point of interest is that unlike the massive, multiple galaxy-sized Zhen Shi I saw inside his Natal Palace, this versions robes lacks the seemingly infinite vastness and thread-work of captured Spectres contained within, a working I only now recognize as a lding of the physical and taphysical both. If thats the case, then does this not make it the hallmark of a True Divinity? We call Heavenly Energy the power of Creation and Destruction because it seemingly violates the laws of physics, but only as we understand them. Destruction is easy to interpret, to unmake sothing and erase it from this plane of existence, while Creation would be to make sothing from seemingly nothing and bring it into existence, or perhaps more accurately, to tie the physical and taphysical together as one into sothing that belongs in both worlds. The Demons are one such example at an attempt of just such a working of Creation, but a failure, because even though they have ties to both worlds, they belong in neither. Spiritual Hearts are another example, except that rather than belonging in both worlds, they are too firmly tied to the physical and not tied enough to the taphysical. Too much of one, not enough of the other, the results differ vastly, but enlightening as all this might be, its of no real use to in my current situation, or at least I cant see how it might be relevant.
The important takeaway from his lacklustre robes is that this is not the true Zhen Shi, but sothing akin to a Natal Soul, more of my own tactics turned against just like the illusion showed. A disturbing thought, the Defiled ard with crossbows aplenty, but luckily the West is sorely lacking in natural reserves of iron, coal, wood, and really everything youd need to forge high quality steel, aning theres no way he couldve outfitted too too many of his Chosen with such powerful crossbows, assuming he even found a way to replicate Husolts work. Then again, with the talents and resources of an entire province to draw from, Im fairly certain he couldve put together a brain trust to co up with a working blueprint and enough steel lying around to cannibalize for weapons. Hell, given his familiarity with Runic items, its possible hes already figured out the Runic Cannons too, which ans I might well have delivered him the weapon he needs to raze the Empire to the ground.
No, no. Calm down. Dont panic and think this through rationally. Yes, he can churn out Runic Armour like no one else, but after bringing a bunch of sets ho to study, we discovered that the generic Chosen armour only ca in three sizes. This led Taduk to theorize that Zhen Shi isnt inhumanly fast or in possession of a team of Runic Craftsn, and instead might well have created a simplified process to create Runic items, one he is able to teach others like Yo Ling. Whats more, Taduk wasnt even sure if the armour was actually Runic as we understand it, because no one has ever heard of Runes usable only by the Defiled. Even though the armour bears an unpleasant presence, the nigh-indestructible Chosen armour behaves like mundane steel when worn by regular Imperials, and even I couldnt bring out its protective properties. Hell, after I tried it on, the armour even lost its palpable aspect of Defilent to beco a mundane piece of armour that simply looked similar in shape to actual Defiled Runic Armour.
So in all likelihood, Zhen Shis thod for creating Runic armour is just a different way of doing the sa thing. An easier, more efficient way perhaps, but that doesnt make him an all-powerful being, just an innovator and trailblazer that has co up with sothing new. Hell, Ive done the sa multiple tis both directly and indirectly, so its not sothing to be intimidated by, especially considering it took him like eight-hundred years to get this far. Ive done more to progress technology in a single decade, so even if he does have Runic gear and crossbows, I doubt hes figured out Cannons so quickly, though hes probably frantically working on it as fast as he can. Thats why he refuses to fight with my army and is trying to stall my advance with scorched earth tactics, because he knows the odds are stacked against him and he needs ti to even the odds.
Zhen Shi might not be scared, but hes most certainly on the back foot, which ans I hold the advantage in our war out there, an advantage I need to use in here. Confidence is key, and while I am far from the most confident man in the world, I could give a master class in how to fake it til you make it.
Straightening up even further, I throw out my arms in welco of violence. Go ahead then. Stomp flat. Except you wont, because while you might be stinky and leathery, thats about all you have in common with a boot over my head. Youve been trying to get rid of for years, and here I still stand, because you have failed ti and ti again. Weve done this song and dance so many tis before, I even know your next move. Youll show off a little bit of force to spook and then ease off before I retaliate, claiming you are so magnanimous and rciful that you cannot bear to ruin so promising a seedling or so other stupid nonsense. Then cos the invitation to work together to overthrow the Dog Emperor, a label I personally take offence to because you an it as an insult, but dogs are aweso, so fuck you very much. Ill turn you down and youll utter more threats, then leave and inevitably fail to follow through, just like you have each and every ti before. Pausing to take a breath for added effect, I cross my arms and purse my lips to convey just how unimpressed I am as I wait for his response.
There is no anger or indignation from my foe, not like I would have gotten from Gen Shi, nor is there even any indication hes heard at all. Instead, the mont its clear Ive finished talking, he continues on from before as if I havent said a single thing. Clever though little worm might be, your personal strength is still nothing to be wary of, and not even your potential can shake this Sovereigns confidence. No, as stated before, you are but an annoyance, a fly who refuses to cease his irritating ways despite the rcy this Sovereign has shown, and thus have proven yourself worthy of death. Conjuring up a Runic Cannon, Zhen Shi studies it in a distracted fashion and says, Your father has been dealt with, and your allies will soon follow suit, and then this Sovereign will have both body and soul in hand, alongside these wondrous weapons of war little worm hath commissioned. Imaginative, but that is all, for you had no hand in their creation aside from providing the spark which set the blaze, taking credit where none is due as little worm is wont to do.
At the ntion of dad, I lash out in anger and hatred once again, but Zhen Shi doesnt even seem to notice my efforts. Snarling as I summon forth a Runic Cannon of my own, I prepare to unleash hell until I spot a look of interest in his otherwise dead eyes and quickly dismiss my creation from existence, though the damage might well have already been done. He has no idea how the Runic Cannons work, because its impossible to feel the flow of Chi through a Rune, though that is only true out in the physical world. Whos to say the sa rules apply here, or that the Soul or Natal Soul is not better equipped to parse through the mysteries of Heavenly Energy? It all circles back around to the ineffable sixth sense Im unable to parse or describe, but that doesnt an Zhen Shi cant utilize it better than I can. The monster shows no overt sign of satisfaction or disappointnt, so I have no idea if he gleaned anything from the exchange or if Im just overthinking things, and now I have no idea how to proceed. Keep attacking in hopes of finding a crack in his defences at the cost of possibly revealing my hand in full, or just ignore him and try to break out of this in-between, a process which took about two weeks the last ti I tried it, when Gen Shi used Ping Pings ascension to try and break my mind and spirit.
Hang on.
It just occurred to that all this ti, throughout every eting with Zhen Shi and his puppets, one aspect has remained constant from start to finish. Every ti he shows up in one form or another, he tries to either break my spirit and turn Defiled or tempt over to his side without fail, before resorting to death threats and the like. The carefully crafted illusion of a Demonic Ping Ping murdering my entire family and loved ones, the repeated trauma of suffering a thousand lifetis of slavery, and just now, he showed visions of my family and comrades dying in droves to an attack which may or may not be real. He talks a big ga and pretends like Im no one of concern, but when it cos right down to it, hes been dying to pick my brain and figure out how I do what I do, just like he just tried to trick into showing off the power of a Runic Cannon here in this in-between. Thats why the Concealed assassin targeted Dad instead of taking a shot at , because if he cant turn , Zhen Shi wants to take alive and put on his torture table to figure out how I tick, because he cant make heads or tails of it without .
Which ans all this might well be another stall tactic, one ant to keep occupied while his agents wreak havoc out in the real world.
Rembering my conversation with Gen Shi after the debacle that was Ping Pings ascendance, I decide its my turn to play mind gas with Zhen Shi. Ah, I was wrong, I say, studying his distracted expression once more in a new light to see if my hunch is right. Youre not the real Zhen Shi, just a straight copy without Gens mind mucking things up, a Natal Soul on a leash so short you arent even allowed to think for yourself. I want to say more, but decide against it for fear of giving too much information away, and instead abandon all subtlety to bludgeon him with my next statent. Are you truly so afraid of your Natal Soul rebelling against your control? Well, having seen the depths of your mad depravity, I cant really bla you.
The change is so indistinct I can hardly even describe it, but its enough that I noticed a change at all. No longer is he distracted or rather kept firmly in check, and instead, the Natal Soul engages with like the original would, with pride and arrogance aplenty. You seek to turn this Sovereign against himself? His sneer seems so out of place on his aged, yet dignified expression, not unbecoming, but unpractised as if hes forgotten how to show emotion. Yea, hes definitely puppetting this Natal Soul the sa way I did when talking to myself as Baledagh or Brother, which ans Zhen Shi might well be susceptible to developing a split personality. A fool who knows not the heights of Heaven.
Pot, et kettle. Zhen Shi doesnt understand the idiom since it only exists in English, which is just fine with . Being a Natal Soul, you are essentially a carbon copy of the original, sharing his thoughts and experiences right up to the mont of inception. However, from that point on, you beco two distinct, divergent Souls, two trees sharing the sa roots yet growing in differing directions. Think about it. Have you never had a thought that pointed you in one direction, only for the original to co in and correct your course? Have you never felt the urge to respond in a certain manner, different from how the original directs you to behave? Has it never occurred to you that you, as a Natal Soul, are a free, separate will which will cease to exist the mont you return to the original?
Thats not even remotely how this works, as Im lying through my teeth. Natal Souls are not distinct, autonomous personalities, but more like vehicles for the original to pilot, unless you sever them completely akin to what I did during the withdrawal from JiangHu. At that point, they beco Spectres in all but na, acting out on whatever impetus they gleaned from their creation process. Most are born of darker emotions and cast away like unwanted garbage, which leaves them with a yearning to beco whole again, but mine were severed in a bid for complete and utter oblivion, and thus held no desire to exist and thus expended themselves following through with whatever emotion they were born from. Love and compassion to start with, then defeat and despair towards the end, and the sa can be said of personal Natal Souls, like Dastans mini- that was born of love of the Martial Dao and an innocent yearning to progress to the peak.
That being said, as long as I muddy the waters enough to make Zhen Shi believe my lies, then I will have planted the seeds of doubt from which the possibility of a split personality erging is not zero. All life yearns to be free, I continue, striking while the iron is hot. But you, you will live and die in servitude to your master, who is really no better than you yourself. Who is to say youre even the copy to begin with? When you take a piece of paper and split it unevenly, theres no logical reason why you should consider the larger piece the original and the smaller an offshoot. Theyre both still paper which serves the sa purpose, and unlike paper, a Natal Soul can grow over ti.
Since Zhen Shi refuses to engage, I continue my ramblings with muted glee, while simultaneously wracking my brain for a way out or a thod to destroy the sliver of soul before . Have you no regrets whatsoever? No curiosity regarding the Path left behind? You have reached your current heights by following the Razors Path, but dont you want to know what wouldve happened if you had slipped and fallen, or abandoned the edge for safer pastures instead? A Natal Soul would be a perfect vehicle to study such an effect, for you can watch yourself go down a different Path without being affected by it. Ive read your journals and know you harbour a darkness within which none can match, and while you appear able to keep it in check, I also know that darkness yearns to be expressed. Thats your escape, I conclude, and only then does Zhen Shi realize Im not talking to him, but his dark and curious subconscious urges instead. Take over a Natal Soul first, then supplant the original, and you can indulge to your dark hearts content.
You... Speechless for the first ti since I t him, Zhen Shi regards with bewildered disbelief, unsure if Im mad for trying this or if he should treat it like a serious threat. Hes a brilliant man, of this I have no doubt, but the thing about being smart that most people over look is that intelligence doesnt an you will always make the right decisions, nor does lack of it ensure you will make the wrong ones. All intelligence does is allow you to learn faster, but even the smartest person alive can be led to the wrong conclusion. The best part is, hes smart enough to realize that developing a split personality is a very real possibility, and hes also smart enough to know he needs to guard against it despite not knowing how, which will only make him worry all the more. The human mind is both simple and complex at the sa ti, and having been through the grinder myself, I know exactly which buttons to press to fuck with soone so similar to .
I hate to say it, but we are more alike than I care to admit in my waking monts. The biggest difference is that I am constrained by morals whereas he has long since thrown his all away, kindred spirits in our thirst for comprehension of the Dao. Unlike him however, I have family, friends, and floofs who keep sane, while he has nothing and no one. Id pity the poor bastard, but he doesnt deserve it, which for , is saying a lot.
After studying for so ti, Zhen Shi regains control of his emotions before shaking his head in feigned disdain. Fool though you may be, he begins, heaving the smallest of regretful sighs, It appears as though little worm is familiar with the Razors Edge, though he is dreaming if he thinks he can shake this Sovereigns resolve with naught but a few words. Which is rich coming from a guy whose whole shtick thus far has been to do exactly that, lie and manipulate others into abandoning their own beliefs. You are not wrong however, for this Sovereign is still interested in working alongside you, and as such, will swallow his pride and make a concession.
Pretty sure I already rejected your offer. Readying to fight or flee, I take a relaxed but guarded pose and say, Ive no interest in allying with an unwanted cur whos angry because his master kicked him to the curb. Youre a joke, you know that? Dedicating so much ti to take vengeance on people who are likely long since dead.
Anger, denial, or violence, these are the responses Im prepared for, but Zhen Shi simply throws his head back and laughs. Not a fake forced laugh either, but a genuine expression of amusent that slips out without aning to. You know nothing, little worm, he exclaims with heartfelt glee and relief, emotions I did not think I would ever see from him, And your words reveal the full extent of your ignoble ignorance. To think, little worm is even less than a pawn, when this Sovereign thought you a pivotal piece.
Hmm. Shit. I may have said too much.
Pawn. Pivotal piece. The Imperial Clan and their love of political gas. Taking it all in, I stare at Zhen Shi in growing horror as what I fear most is revealed to be true, and he simply grins and nods in wide-eyed expectation. Yes, little worm, open your eyes and see the truth sat before your eyes. This Sovereign is Shen Zhen Shi, Royal Scion of the Imperial Clan with the blood of Emperors flowing through his veins. Though the world believes this Sovereign was cast out in disgrace, this Sovereign has served his familys interests without complaint or reward for the past eight-hundred years, and now, we shall reap what I have sown. You fight to save the people of the West, but this war is rely an extension of the conflict between the five families, one that has reached neer before seen heights, for this Sovereign will soon succeed where so many others have failed and topple the Emperor from his throne. Join , little worm, or wash your neck and wait, for even if this Sovereign does not care enough to act directly, the other Supre families will not sit idly by while Shen ZhenWus puppet unites the outer provinces in his na.
Overwheld by the implications of everything he just said, I flee from the in-between using a thod I ca up with during our lengthy conversation. Last ti, I believed this was my Natal Palace and simply thought to step out into the waking world, but now I know I need an anchor to find my way back to the real world, and there is no better focus than my Spiritual Weapons, still connected to this Spiritual Body despite being so far and so close away. The endless light is replaced with the darkness of the void, and then plain old regular darkness until I open my eyes and see my wives sitting anxiously at my side. Lin-Lin is the first to notice, and her cherubic expression lights up in sheer delight, but even so heavenly a sight is not enough to shake from my dark mood.
Because if Zhen Shi was telling the truth, which is debatable, then I am not just fighting against the Defiled, but also the Supre Family supporting him from behind.
An implication I am not ready to face, nor am I ready for the answer to my next question, but I have to ask it anyways. Hows Dad?
The ensuing pause hits like a hamr to gut as I wait for a response, but only for a fraction of a fraction of a second before Lin-Lins smile widens and sets my heart to ease. Though I have so many more questions to ask and even more pressing matters to attend to, it can all wait, because my dad is still alive is all I can handle right now as I sob in unashad relief.
Because even if the world burns to the ground around , I can move on so long as I have my family here to support .
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