Jiang said nothing, stupefied that he could understand the words. His ancient technique was still active?!
It was not long before a young boy, some thirty years old, dropped down from the crumbling ceiling. He was wearing a blue robe accented with white trim that flowed almost all the way down to his ankles. His belt was wide and white with gold and swirling light-blue trim, his beard long and coming almost to the belt, his brown hair neatly combed with two long strands running down in front to the mid-torso.
Jiang still thought he looked like a child.
You would dare speak, worm?! he almost shouted, but carefully restrained himself, forehead vein bulging with the effort of holding back his tongue. It had been many years since he had to avoid offending someone.
“Hello, great master.” Jiang said, bowing.
“Oh, great ancestor, please do not bow to me. I am but a lowly worm basking in your great presence.”
Fuck, he knows I’m no junior.
“You have me mistaken, master…”
“Luo.”
“Master Luo, I am but a humble explorer tasked with ascertaining the nature of these lands.”
The man’s eyes narrowed, his boyish face taking on a much more mature and somber tone.
“That green light tells another story. Why are you in this place?”
“To explore it and note my findings, as I’ve said.”
His eyes narrowed again, almost closing, then popped all the way open.
“Elder, you can’t fool me.”
His pupils dilated all the way back until the whole eye was covered, becoming a single inky-black mass.
“This place was abandoned long ago and all the trees are dead. There is no life here, there is nothing of note and nothing to explore, only this tomb we thought long-abandoned.”
Tomb?
“And yet my master sent me here anyway, knowing that something had changed. The green light is proof enough that there was indeed something of note in this place.” Jiang quickly retorted.
“Who is your master?”
“Master Li, of the Fallen Oaks.”
“There is no such master, great elder.”
“You simply do not know of him.”
“I repeat myself, there is no such master, great elder.”
“On what basis could you possibly deny the existence of my great master?!” Jiang allowed anger to infect his voice, attempting to show the true emotions of one whose master has been denied.
“Elder, I do not know how long you have slept, but I know you are not some master’s disciple sent to explore a ruin. Your qi betrays your skill.”
Damnit, my plan may be ruined. The first child I encounter is seeing right through me.
“And what exactly do you see of my qi, Master Luo?”
“That it is missing, great elder. Your body is a void, there is nothing there. All the qi in the world flows into you like a bottomless well and yet you do not grow brighter. The qi in this place is missing and all life is dead, it is quite clear to me that you, great ancestor, are the cause of this calamity.”
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
My concealment technique requires more qi than I have right now. I won’t be able to hide like this.
“...”
“Fine then, worm, why do you dare refute your illustrious senior?”
“Great elder, I mean you no disrespect, but you appear to be physically and spiritually exhausted and mentally fatigued. I am on a regular awakening cycle and you are in a known zone of interest, what do you gain in lying to me? I’m intrigued.”
“You disrespect me in every word, junior!”
“Great elder, do you doubt my words? What year did you go to rest? This place has been known to be off-limits for generations. No one comes here, much less juniors, much less juniors serving a reputable master. Any good cultivator knows not to poke at supernatural phenomena that have been around longer than you have. Chances are, the phenomena will continue to be there long after your death, and if you meddle with it will also be the cause.”
“Let’s see, perhaps a few thousand years ago?”
“Then the Second or Third Before?”
“The what?”
Luo stared at Jiang slack-jawed.
“The Second or Third Before?” he uttered, slowly this time as if to make sure Jiang heard him clearly.
“Do you know why I’m here, ancestor?”
Jiang sighed. I give up. There are too many variables I’m not aware of. I need to gather information about this time and place and culture.
“I do not.”
Luo slapped himself as if to make sure he was still awake. His beard rustled.
“Great ancestor, is this place your tomb?!”
“Prison.” Jiang corrected.
“And you’ve only just—”
“Prison?” Luo realized, uttering the word again in disbelief.
“A place like this?”
“It was a dimensional gate, what, do they not have those now?”
“Great ancestor, those are exceedingly rare, even for those involved in the calamities. The last time one was used we only forestalled the inevitable by a few generations. When Master Killdozer came out he fought Dread Scourge Threüs and Dread Yildran and caused a cycle much more vicious than any in living memory.”
Jiang laughed.
“The gates are always garbage, designed by dead, shortsighted fools who fail to understand what it means to live a long life and fail to care about those who come after.”
“And your gate, master?”
Jiang laughed again, refusing to give Luo the luxury of words.
Luo was frenetically stroking his beard.
Sometimes it is best to admit a small defeat in service of a larger battle.
“I do not wish to give away my status, junior.”
“And why is that, great master?”
“I do not wish to be put in the same situation that brought me here.”
“If what you’re implying is true, you must be tens of thousands— hundreds of thousands of years old!?”
“An ancient monster if I’ve ever seen one!” The words were pouring excitedly out of Luo’s gaping mouth, but he shut it the moment Jiang’s opened.
“My slumber has been long, yes, but now I must regain my qi.”
“I see. Great master, I have much to ask of you, but for now we must head back to the city. There are others lurking, no doubt, waiting to attack us and claim the prize of bringing you back to their cities instead.”
“I do not wish to go anywhere I am known, junior brother. I want to disappear and allow myself to reclaim slowly what is mine without prying eyes that may interrupt or try to stop me.”
Luo’s hands slowed on his beard and his eyes narrowed.
“Great ancestor, I must insist.” He paused, chuckling, eyes crinkling, moving his hands to gesture at Jiang’s nude form.
“I only wish to offer you hospitality— clothing, shelter, food and rest— and I don’t want to press my hand, but we can’t allow our enemies to lay their hands on you. Surely one such as yourself must understand the position I’m in?”
Jiang sighed. I am in no position to refuse.
“Fine then, Brother Luo, but please, keep the particulars of my situation close to your chest.”
Before Luo had the chance to reply Jiang added, “And I will be indebted to you.”
“Fine, great master. Please, take these robes I have prepared for you and we will depart.”
Luo placed his hands behind his back and produced a set of fine powder-blue silk robes, appearing from nowhere as if pulled out of his ass, and bowed with hands outstretched to present them to Jiang. A green and gold silk sash was placed on top of the robes themselves, which Jiang eagerly took and placed upon the comfortable outfit he quickly and easily slipped into alongside the plain white undergarments hidden beneath the finer linens. It was all exactly his size.
