Chapter 0190

 

“Before we head out to redeem your sisters, I want Tempest to clarify the situation,” Fenix said as everyone gathered around the table in the small courtyard they were assigned in the Eternal Spirit Guild.  

Tempest had her own home in the Serene Spirit Lake but if everyone were to gather there, then Tempest’s identity as the True Daughter of Storm would leak out. Everyone agreed it was better off for Tempest to maintain her status quo as the Resonance Bond with the Kataigida instead of being Kataigida.

Everyone decided to meet up in their small little courtyard to prepare for the trek to the Central Domain where Tempest was going to redeem her sisters.

Tempest was anxious to set out so the delay was unwelcomed.  

Fenix, on the other hand, thought they should have as much information as they could get since she was the one gathering the forces to safeguard them during the entire process. She’d rather not anyone die needlessly.

“What is there to clarify? I want to redeem five women from a brothel.” Tempest whine as the delay chafed at her nerves. She was more like a child before a field trip only to be told by the teacher the trip was going to be delayed for a bit. 

“What are their names and how are they related to you? I don’t believe for a minute they are actually related to you even though you call them your sisters, so spill the entire story.” Fenix was quite militant in her quest for answers. All Tempest told them was that there were five people she wanted to redeem from a brothel. No name, no description or location or anything.

Tempest eyed Fenix consideringly before asking, “How much do you want to know?”

“Everything.”

“Okay, let’s start with me waking up on a cliff with no memory of this world whatsoever.”  

“Are you kidding me? You are telling me you have amnesia?” Li Ming interrupted with exasperation. Tempest’s story was like one of those dime novels written to entertain the masses. Amnesia, really? Who gets those anymore? The Mysterious Wasteland cultivates the mind. They can heal amnesia.

“Yes,” Tempest answered, deadpanned.

“Why don’t you go to a healer to get it fixed?”

“If you don’t know anything, you won’t know if it can be fixed.”

“Uhhh.” Li Ming stuttered. She did forget an amnesiac don't know anything about well, anything.

“Moving on.” Graden gently prodded Tempest to continue with her story. He was curious how Tempest came to be as she is and having amnesia explained her lack of knowledge concerning the Cardinal Realm.

“I learn some skills from my spirits, and before anyone says anything, yes, I could speak to them right away.” Tempest glared at the others, daring them to interrupt her story. When no one was going to say anything, Tempest continued with her tale. “I got off the ledge and went to the nearest town to learn the lay of the land so to speak. The spirits told me to head towards the Magus Alliance for formal training so that’s what I tried to do. Well, I couldn’t go on a trip without money right, so I joined an all female mercenary group to hunt down some magical beast to earn money for my trip. 

“Let me tell, that was my biggest mistake ever. I met an insane psychopath by the name of Aria Se Jivock.”

“The Soul Liner! You got involved with a Soul Liner?” Li Ming shrieked. At first, Tempest was going to dismiss her behavior as an overreaction but when even steady Bei Ting Mao was alarmed, Tempest knew she was in trouble.

Graden notices Bei Ting Mao’s reaction as well. “What is the problem with Soul Liners?”

“Soul Liners are manipulative cultivators renown for their schemes and plots. They have the ability to see karma lines and to a large extent manipulate it to their own advantage. Some skilled Soul Liners can predict the Will of Heaven by looking at the overall karma connections between cultivators. They take advantage of their ability to affect the outcome to their advantage. Worst of all, they never take the direct route. Most cultivators never know when or how they fell into a Soul Liner’s trap.  

“It is very hard to counter the actions of a Soul Liner. There is a saying in the Ethereal Depths that say ‘Only a Soul Liner can counter another Soul Liner.’”

Bei Ting Mao grimace. Nothing good comes out of it when a Soul Liner as an interest in someone.  

“That’s it? They manipulate karma? Big deal! The spirits can eat karma.” Fenix scoff at the fear she saw on Bei Ting Mao and Li Ming’s face.  

“Not quite.” Starm jumped into the conversation. “The spirits can eat karma, but they can’t differentiate between the different karma attached to their mortal, so they can only eat all the karma on their mortal. The spirits aren’t willing to do so unless it is the last resort and I mean last resort. Remember, death isn’t the end all be all for the spirits like it is for the cultivators.”

“Ummm…” Fenix stuttered a bit before saying, “Move on with your story Tempest.”

The others were appeased by Fenix’s reaction. Soul Liners are nothing to be trifled with.  

“As I said, big mistake. It turns out the gathering was a test to enter the Brilliant Yin Sect. The ending turns out to be a bit weird. One of the girls finds out she was a six lifetime star crossed lover and her soulmate is Verack DeNunick.”

“Oh hell. This is going to be the seventh lifetime? Is she trying to create another Soul Schism?” Starm asked. Soul Schism was an event in a very distant past were the bonds between soulmates/life companion/true love breaks and reforms with another soul. The consequences so were encompassing that many believe it affects of the first and only Soul Schism hasn’t settled yet. 

It rattled the very foundation of humanity and their belief in the soul and soulmates/life companion/true love. It also created the foundation of multiple dao companions practiced by the Heavenly Mountains. It isn’t a sacred bond if it can break. Furthermore, how can they be certain the soulmates/life companion/true love is the real bond? The Soul Schism broke the bond between souls and recreate the bond with a different soul, therefore their current soulmates/life companion/true love isn’t the true soulmates/life companion/true love.   

Starm was more sensitive to the effect of the Soul Schism than most cultivators because he was the Son of Origin. He once tried to look at the origin of the Soul Schism and his soul was nearly torn apart for merely thinking of looking. The fear from that venture left a scar on his soul. At the same time, he isn’t worried about the effect of the Soul Schism.  

For every action, there is a reaction. Starm knows the right reaction to right the Soul Schism as if it never happened.

“Nope. She’s trying to prevent it.” Everyone took a deep sigh of relief at Tempest’s answer. “Besides that wasn’t the only interesting thing that happened. Another guy, Base Avon-Ying found his soul mate.”

“Tempest, you are completely and utterly screwed.”  

“Huh?”

“Two true love meeting at the same time doesn’t happen. It just doesn’t. At least not without intervention.”

“I take it Aria Se Jivock manipulate the entire situation to her advantage?” Tempest asks sardonically.  

“Yep.”

“I already figured that out because she when she presented me with Brilliant Yin Disciple Token in front of everyone she did something to the token. I caught a glimpse of the past and karma lines that binds me. I followed the karma lines and found them, the friends so close to me I lovingly call them sisters and meant it. I loved them more than I did my real sisters in my previous life.” This part Tempest prevaricates a bit.  

Tempest had memories of her previous life yet she didn’t want to blurt out her secrets to her teammates. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust them. They were willing to sacrifice their lives for her so there was never any doubt in Tempest’s mind they are trustworthy. Some secrets are too personal to be shared. Athena’s memories belong to Athena. They were too precious and too private for Tempest to share with anyone else, including the people in her memories in a different form.  

Since Aria Se Jivock jump started the whole mess, Tempest figured she might as well take the blame for the consequences of her actions. 

“You became a willing pawn for a Soul Liner for them.” Bei Ting Mao softly spoken words drove home the importance the women Tempest called sisters are to Tempest. If the position was reversed and it was they who had to become a pawn for their friends, then they won’t know if they dare to do it. Dying is easy. Living is hard.  

“I became a player on a chessboard with Aria Se Jivock. Whether I’m a pawn or a king is yet to be seen.” Tempest replied in her carefree manner.

“You’re still a piece in a game and not the player.” Li Ming pointed out.  

“It just means I have a different perspective of the game.”

“All this for people not even related to you in this lifetime. Is it worth it?” Bei Ting Mao asked seriously. His past predisposed him to think the worst of people and she comes to Tempest who goes above and beyond for other people due to their past lives. Bei Ting Mao envies Tempest’s ability to trust and at the same time, he worries about her.

“Wait a minute. You aren’t related to each other in this lifetime?” Fenix asked.  

“We were never related. They were people I love more than my family in this and the last lifetime.” Tempest clarified. “I called them sisters because that is what they are to me.” 

“What would you do if they deny any relationship to the you right now?” Fenix worded her question in a way that won’t intrude on Tempest’s personal space. 

“I’ve accepted the fact the them right now isn’t the person they were in my last lifetime. Their personalities might be vastly different from their previous lifetimes. I know and accept it. I just want them to have a better life this time around. I don’t have to be in their lives to be happy for them.” Tempest said sadly. Everyone can see she truly meant what she said. She wanted to help them, was willing to go to great lengths to do so and she did accept their decision, whatever it may be. They just those girls won’t disappoint Tempest.  

“Okay, I got a good estimate on the forces I have to call up for your rescue. I have to warn you though, it is going to be expensive. It’ll cost you three to six items you got from the chaotic rift.” Fenix interrupted the depressing atmosphere to warned Tempest.  

Tempest shrugged her shoulders. Fenix and the others might value the items from the chaotic rift but to Tempest, they are not really valuable. The difference in value is due to the difference in ability. There is a permanent chaotic portal to the south of the Eternal Spirit Guild.

Most cultivators can’t get within 1000 km of the portal. The chaotic energy would rip them apart. Cardis, with all his power, can get within 10km of the portal.  

Tempest, on the other hand, can not only get close to it, but she can also enter it. For her, getting the treasure from the chaotic rift is like walking into a garbage dump to pick up trash. 

Tempest immediately perked up. “Okay. Can we head out now? I don’t want them to stay there longer than they have to.”

“Let me contact our reinforcement then we can head out.”

“Slowpoke,” Tempest grumbled but stay put. Despite her desire to redeem her sisters' posthaste, her desire to have them safe and sound outweighs it.  

“Stupid amnesiac idiot.” Fenix tossed out before heading out, leaving Tempest glaring at the redhead. 

Did she have to get in the last word?