The Royal Garden was beautiful. In fact, beautiful would be an understatement. Zane had expected something small, but this was… huge. The trees were covered with lavender and white flowers, as if it had snowed—and underneath their feet was directed by small vines.
As they descended further into the garden, Zane's eyes widened as they made out the small waterbody, in the middle of which was a huge weeping willow.
As a breeze lifted, the stems of the weeping willow created ripples in the water, which seemed to spread out in all directions. Upon looking to his side, he could see a bridge that led to the weeping willow, but it had been destroyed right in the middle. "What do you think, foreigner?"
Zane glanced to his side to see Hua Huiliang standing next to him, arms crossed behind his back. "You look entranced," the Sect Leader added.
Another breeze lifted the branches of the willow again, and Zane blinked. His real name, 'Zephyr,' was given like this, if he remembered correctly. His grandmother spent her time sitting in the gardens of his family's pavilion. Even after he'd been born, she'd spend time there with him sitting on the grass in front of her, reading out books.
"It's calming," Zane replied. He had forgotten how beautiful the land could look.
"Isn't it?" Hua Huiliang asked. "I'm assuming the whole… Temple's Monster ordeal was also your idea?"
"Am I going to be reprimanded?"
"That statement is funny. No. You and this boy are out and thus alive. You wouldn't need reprimanding if one of you would have died inside. Is that also how you got that?" Hua Huiliang gestured to the bruising on his neck.
"What happens when a highly strengthened Cursed Lycaon lifts you up and chokes you?" Zane asked, fiddling with his fingers as he looked down at his once-white robes in the reflection of the pond. He stared at the area before he sat down.
"How did you find the 'half' spirit?"
'I didn't even find it. It was a huge set of coincidences.' Zane crossed his legs and dipped a finger into the water before he retracted it. "It was a coincidence. I, uh, kind of befriended an animal? It turned out that it was the other way around and the spirit was the 'half' of the Fenghuang."
Hua Huiliang nodded before sitting down on the spot next to Zane. "Did you know the tale behind it?"
"Of what? The person, or the Temple overall?"
"I suppose so," Hua Huiliang replied. "A few centuries ago, these 'Temples' were just fragments of an external dimension in random spaces. People from that time were probably as skilled as us, if not more. They organized raids for these temples and secured them from the inside with a spirit they found. In this area, our Temple is the thirty-first; hence, it was secured then."
"The leader of the raid was a crude man, namely Cao Ruogang. He managed to secure the Temple, but must've failed to meet some objective or pay repercussions. In the story, one of his men fell ill and died inside the Temple. It was around this time that the rule about the number of people who go in should come out the same was made. Regardless, with the passing of time and no access outside, Cao Ruogang went insane."
"As in?"
"He killed his raid members and eventually started absorbing the surrounding mana. That was around the time he completely lost his sanity and transcended to become a 'monster' or 'Fuzanglong.' Because of him, no one could enter the Temple, however, after almost a year, another raid team was organized, and it would be led by a distant descendant of the Lu Clan, Ahn Anxi."
'So… as per what Shen had said, and this backstory…' Zane nodded. "The rest is something I've come to know."
"You have freed Ahn Anxi's spirit," Hua Huiliang said. "You have saved her spirit from prolonged suffering."
"Is that a good thing, or is there a second undertone?" Zane asked.
"There is no catch; the Temple will survive with just the Fuzanglong's spirit powering it. That is, unless there is unneeded interference." Hua Huiliang nudged the tip of a grass strand. "Although, I must ask what you earned from retrieving a fetter for the Circe."
'Ah, there was no way this man would want a 'simple' conversation, would he? He always had to obtain something from it. Well, I'm not any different.' Zane shrugged. "For me? I got a better deal than the fetter. But there was someone else who did help me, so it's only fair I give them an equal amount."
Hua Huiliang nodded. "I suppose you're not lying."
Before they could talk further, both of them jumped at the sound akin to a shout. Zane snapped his head back to see Rhian holding a wolf close to his chest. At least… It looked like a wolf?
"She hasn't grown a bit!" Rhian said, walking over to them, the wolf moving around his feet, almost in a tangling manner.
Zane blinked at him incredulously. "Is that a wolf?" he asked.
"Yeah, her name is Bao Bei," Rhian said.
"No it's not," Hua Huiliang replied. "Her name is Fan Jun."
"I don't care what the name is. Is that a wolf?" Zane asked.
"Hmm," Rhian hummed, before he crouched down and ran his fingers through the wolf's fur where he supposed its cheeks would be. "Are you a wolfie? My Bao Bei?"
Zane sighed; the wolf was wagging its tail just as excitedly, licking up at Rhian's face. "Will it bite?" Zane asked.
"Do not objectify my Bao Bei; she's my baby," Rhian said in offense. "And yeah, she bites if she doesn't like you."
Hua Huiliang seemed to also sigh at that. "A-Jun, here," he said, and Fan Jun licked Rhian's face once more before she walked over to the Sect Leader. "We have a newcomer. Want to say hi?"
Zane tensed as the wolf's eyes landed on him. They were the same golden color that filled Hua Huiliang's irises. Was this another one of this man's tests? Zane narrowed his eyes, picking at an injury on his hand behind his back.
[Personal skill, Naturist Communication lvl 5, is strongly activated!]
'If she bites, then at least I can heal it?' He reached his hand out, slowly running it down her fur. It was soft, warm, even.
[You smell good]
Zane cleared his throat as he petted the wolf again. "She's majestic."
"Majestic?" Rhian said. "That's a word."
"A-Jun is," Hua Huiliang agreed. "Seems like she likes the compliment."
[I can see you peeping into my words, human]
Zane swallowed and scratched under her ears. "Is she shrewd?"
"Of course," Hua Huiliang said, "We don't use animals during wars other than horses. But Fan Jun is an exception. She leads her pack in case we need a back up."
Zane nodded and squeaked when the wolf pounced on him and licked the side of his face. He swallowed carefully as a small pang came to his mind.
〈The Blue Moon was the season of the mass massacre of the wolves by the Lunar Elves. It wasn't difficult to find carcasses of wolves lying around with blood pooling around them or an elf crouched on top of them, drinking their blood. It was a ritual.
Zane stood watching an elf from the corner, his body frozen in place, unable to move despite the poor animal's whimpers.〉
He gently scratched behind Fan Jun's ear and exhaled through his mouth. 'There was so much he wanted to change.'
—
Hua Anhe was a tall woman. She had an indescribable grace to her figure—light-brown hair that fell to her waist and a long-sleeved red cheongsam. An extra belt at her waist held the sheath to her sword.
When people were asked to describe her, they would have mixed responses depending on in what form they met the woman. Ranging from 'dangerous' to 'benevolent.' However, presently, her outrage could be justified.
Hua Anhe hit Rhian with the hilt of her sword. "Five years," she hissed.
Rhian clutched his bicep and looked at her pitifully. "I'm sorry, but―"
"But what?" Hua Anhe hit him again, seemingly even harder. "You return and then immediately decide you want to disappear again? And appear days later bloody—and with a damn Executioner of all blades!"
Hua Yi sat at the siheyuan's entrance, and Zane appeared behind her holding a ceramic plate with guava and apricot slices resting on it. It was the least he could do to avoid the pitiful looks Rhian kept shooting in his direction when he was suddenly punched by Hua Anhe.
The bath had been nice; he had fallen asleep there, embarrassingly enough, until Rhian had awoken him by flicking water on his face. Zane had gotten out promptly, mostly because he had never gotten used to washing up together. But his eyes had lingered on the deep scarring on Rhian's back.
He sat down beside Hua Yi and picked up a slice of guava before placing the plate down. "The level description says that there are only some hours left," he said.
Hua Yi glanced at him. "Ah, really?"
Zane gazed at her.
She pursed her lips. "By the way, thanks for repeatedly saving his ass."
"Sure."
"Don't go easy on me, you bastard!" Hua Anhe yelled, clashing her Chasm with the Executioner. Zane couldn't tell if Rhian was holding himself back or was genuinely afraid.
"I'm not!" Rhian yelled back.
"Oh? So you're weak? Huh? That's it, isn't it?" Hua Anhe asked.
Zane lowered his gaze and stared at the boots he was given to wear by Rhian. He bit another part of the guava and looked at Hua Yi. "I heard that his name was Hua Xiaoshi. Why does he go by Rhian?"
Hua Yi looked back at him and shrugged.
Zane moved the plate aside and moved closer to the woman. "I'm from the Fourth Nation, Selvaris. That guy… um, his name means something peculiar."
Hua Yi raised her brow and picked a slice of guava.
"The name Rhian, well, it means 'maiden'."
Hua Yi snorted and then covered her mouth.
〈"Ahahaat! Hear that?!"
Zane covered his eyes while he threw back more beer and slammed the mug on the table. A hand patted his back, and he glanced to see Caue—the other man was still sober and was stuck with Zane's caretaking.
On the table, General Sieth was perched with a wooden beer mug and was speaking. "This new killer proclaims to be named Rhian!"
Light chuckles and snorts were passed by men, and some women covered their mouths and giggled.
Zane laughed drowsily as well, feeling another woman push him from his other side as she made her way to the bar owner for another mug of beer.
'Rhian.'
"Does that guy even know the meaning? Being a man?"
General Sieth laughed again and jumped off the table.〉
Zane gazed fondly at Hua Yi as she laughed and waved her hand. She reminded him of his own sister in so many ways.
"He's an idiot, really." Her eyes softened. "His mother was from the fourth nation. You won't see her any time soon, given she's scouting the outskirts of the clan's forests." Hua Yi picked up an apricot.
"It left him the space of exploration. Within the clan he can be called Hua Xiaoshi here and there. But he prefers Rhian―" she laughed again. "'Maiden?'"
Zane bit on one of the guava seeds. "Yeah. Maiden."
He watched as Hua Anhe kicked Rhian back, and the man scrambled to his feet.
"How'd he go missing then?"
Hua Yi looked at him with a reminiscent glow in her pupils. "I'm not providing you information for free." She picked up another piece of guava and ate it whole. While chewing, she said, "Fight me. Bull."
Zane looked at her with a dumbfounded look.
She tilted her head in his direction. "Fight me, and I'll tell you more."
[
[
Zane paused. 'Broken Faith' was an old master who was known for his preachings about pure ether. 'Suddenly I feel lucky for choosing Ember.'
'Alright.' Zane pushed himself off the porch and picked up Ember.
"I'm not going easy on you. What did you say earlier… a few hours left until war, no? Then practice what little you know." Hua Yi held her sword with a smile. Her eyes then trailed to glare at Zane's stance.
"Dominant hand on the hilt, other hand below it." She made an exasperated face. "How are you even alive?"
Zane shrugged. In his past life, Zane had never gotten a chance to truly learn the art of swordsmanship. 'In fact, I only picked up after Selvaris had been plunged into ruination caused by the Republic of Draven.'
'Everything I learned was on the spot.'
The sword was held irregularly, and his stance was ever-changing. That wasn't all; the only reason he had survived in the past was because of his intuition, which had sharpened fiercely. He couldn't recall exact details, but that was the preface.
"I think I can manage myself, Lady Hua," Zane replied, unsheathing Ember and pointing it at the woman.
[
'And I shall not.' Zane felt warmth permeate the hilt of Ember as he held it close to his side.
Zane merely wished that his memories could somehow translate into muscle memory. Hua Yi gave him a tight-lipped smile before she charged towards him with one hand wielding a sword while the other kept to defend herself.
Zane grounded himself and triggered Wisteria.
[You have triggered 'Elemental Compatibility']
The purple light of Wisteria crackled around the sword as it clashed with Hua Yi. "I see you're not naive enough to think simple brute force is enough to win my sword over."
"That's a 'Chasm,' right?" Zane asked, glancing at her sword. It was the same one that Adrian possessed—it was a sword that was based on properties of the earth. The cross guard had an Emerald at the hilt, and there was a vine-like inscription on the hilt. It was a good sword, really, but a pity that it was going against a fire-based sword.
The System existed on a balance of [Elemental Prowess]. Fire-based skills and amenities were known as 'Ignis.' Electric elements were known as 'Electricus.' But to say the least, they reacted with each other to produce greater power or damage.
Their swords collided and created a faint orange and green aura. "I still do not comprehend why you need to have your stance that way," Hua Yi said.
Zane couldn't help but smile at her. "For this," he said once he got leverage to kick a tree's stump and kick over the girl's head, purposely missing.
"Holy shit." Hua Yi stared at him, her position completely on the defensive side.
[
'For you to mention it out loud is quite disdainful,' Zane thought. He let Wisteria coil around Ember and used the extra grip to freely strike the sword while he let his other hand move to attempt to punch the girl.
Hua Yi blocked him but ended up being pushed back into a more defensive stance. Zane smiled at her as he pushed hair out of his eyes and struck his sword into the ground.
Hua Yi frowned at him. "I won't quit until I've grazed you with my sword."
"And I shall wait, Lady Hua Yi."
"I'm betting on your loss, Zane!" Rhian called from the side.
Zane simply sighed and picked Ember up.
[
The fight was easy from there on.