Swords and spears have no eyes; When sabers are unsheathe, it has to draw blood; An arrow is all it takes to reap a life;

- Chinese idioms, I guess.

I, Zhaohui, and the Cao brothers ran through a mountain area towards Yin Haze City, which was a border between the territories of both the Steel Fortress Sect and the co-allied Flesh Bone Sect, Blood Incarnate Sect, and Ghost Tao Sect.

"The atmosphere becomes stranger the more we advance.", I commented.

"This is normal, the closer we get to the city, we'll observe the environment that changed due to the demonic sects. Demonic cultivators have no conscience about offending heaven and desecrating earth!", Zhaohui agreed with righteous indignation but also with a hint of malice. It seems he held more than a significant amount of hatred for demonic sects or anything related to them.

"It's colder, the Qi in the air has unusual amounts of Yin Qi. The grass are all , the trees' branches are all twisted. This is an environment for Ghost Tao disciples!", Cao Xiaosi denoted. Those signs triggered a memory in my mind and all the details resurfaced, "Keep note and tell us if it drastically changes, we might run into something bad."

Cao Xiaosi nods as we kept the trek forward.

"Let's stop here. We're by the border so we should regain our stamina and move non-stop to Yin Haze City. We rest till dusk.", The sun was close to dusk, it should be enough time. The best situation is that we arrive by evening.

But first.

"Hey, why don't you show yourselves first?"

"..."

"Li Yong, what is it?", Cao Xiaosi asked, he is the most perceptive of the group after me. 

"I think it's a personal matter, isn't it right disciple Chu?", With how fast our group was running, their measures to dampen their footsteps wouldn't work as I could pick up the sounds of the wind, clothes, and distinctly... metal.

"...tsk.", Behind a tree Chu Jiangye appeared. I gave an unamused looked as my eyes didn't settle on him for long, looking straight at the trees behind him.

"State your business", Zhao Zhaohui says seeing the Steel Fortress Sect robes also on the emerging from behind Jiangye, he already had an idea about what was happening, I mentioned it in our conversation since he was such a sociable person, he really gets into it when a topic arises.

"Zhao Zhaohui, Cao Xiaosi, Cao Yingjie, don't get in the way. We want to talk to Li Yong alone.", Chu Jiangye stated seriously.

"Disciple Chu Jiangye, Li Yong is our friend. What do you want to do with him?", Zhaohui narrowed his eyes while glaring at them.

"If you fight with him, we'll kill you all too."

"Zhaohui, Xiaosi, Yingjie,", I turn to my group, "Let me handle these filth. I can solve my matters."

"Li Yong, I can't just stand by, if you need my help, I will.", Yingjie responded with indignance, unwilling to stand by an act of treachery.

"Thank you,", I smile at them with appreciation but also shift my expression to complete seriousness, "but I'm not bluffing.", They're eyes widen as they see someone had snuck up on my back.

Pft, Chu Jiangye probably told one of them to do it, poor volunteer, didn't know what he'd got himself into. By the sound of the wind it shouldn't be anything serious.

I quickly swivel to my opponent and punch him in the throat as he hit me. Normally, I would have a more sophisticated fighting style but I didn't need to so with them.

Feeling slightly numb due to the blunt weapon, namely a rounded mace, that hit me, I didn't stop at the start but barreled into my onslaught by diving head first to my next target, "I remember you all! Scimitar, dao blade, and dadao are all disgraces in your pathetic hands!", with they're weapon line-up they all fight together? It's somewhat manageable but the problem comes with the different fighting styles and cohesiveness, something I know full well of.

I tackle with my shield to the side, pushing back the scimitar user, then avoid to another side to dodge a dao blade, the inconsistencies showed as I was able to get my footing before parrying the flat side of the dadao with my free hand.

Shifting my momentum, something exclusive to the Tao Dew Shield technique, my arms were fluidly guiding their momentum. My shield made contact to the dao blade user as I rolled to the dadao user, having been caught off-guard from a parry, I added in a tackle for him to retreat towards a tree.

I cracked a few of his bones there. I sensed something wrong and kicked off of him immediately as a talisman was thrown between me and him, "Burn!". Looks like the dadao user wasn't expecting it. Flames and embers ignited and pushed out in point black range in front of the unfortunate disciple.

Turns out the dadao user couldn't take the betrayal well, being so offended his soul left his body. To send his regards, he sent me (against his will), to avenge his life and threw my shield on the talisman user and made sure to give him a concussion before it bounced back to me. Hell yeah, I always wanted to do that to somebody.

I turn again to a heaving mace user, a bruised dao sabre user, and an enraged scimitar user, "You didn't even make me sweat!", I gave them a middle finger the poked out of my shield, enraging all of them if I haven't already, had I did would mean enraging them further ergo scimitar fusebox confronting me right now.

Just in time, I block a double scimitar attack from the triggered individual, should've stayed down if it were me, "L", I give a smirk as I kick him in the family jewels. Ouch, that's going to leave a mark, oh wait, it won't, you'll be the last of your generation.

This time, the disciple with a mace aimed for my head, I interrupt it with a palm, grabbing it firmly, my hand bled and skin tore apart. I gritted my teeth before hopping a knee to his face, then returning the mace into his punchable face. I say that he's ready for his date with the grim reaper.

Thinking that the dao user got to my blind spot, he rushed to stab me. Fucker, does not know a dao blade is for cleaving? I deflect it with my free shield. Making sure to give him a free lesson in fighting, I ingrained a disciplinary punch on his jugular, and again, and again, "Kquk-...", he went silent. I say that was a learning experience of a lifetime.

Moving to the side I narrowly avoided a sword that gave me a light cut, "Bingqin Luan...", I gave him a bloodthirsty gaze which frightened him for a second, a second enough for me to pounce on him, "Li Yong, Die!", he reacted a second too late though.

Much to his dismay, I could easily disarm him in close range, most weapons lose their effectiveness in point-blank range without a good swing in it. I toss him towards his boss who rushed at us on his Cloud Boots, "You all are fucking useless!"

"Blast!"

"Unlike your mom, you are beneath any use!", I slipped in an insult as I turned and blocked another talisman which was much more explosive and smoky than the last. I picked up on the signs and smile.

They are sore mistaken if they can ambush me. I shoulder bash pre-emptively and caved in the chest of the scimitar user before turning back and reached the disciple with spells on him. I was about to dispose of him when another talisman flew from where that young master was, "Blast!"

I block it effortlessly and drag the momentum down on the currently downed talisman user, making way for death's embrace, he was quickly ushered into his afterlife.

That talisman just now was stronger then the other two. I'm currently kneeling with my shield in front of me as I observe everything for a while.

Scimitar user, critical condition, can't get up, wheezing

Bingqin, about to engage, has his jian back, good health

Chu, on my flank, high quality equipment, good health

Standing my ground as I used great force on my shield to intercept Bingqin, he became startled upon feeling the overwhelming force of Earthen Indomitable, cracking his sword.

Then my steps lightened using Wind Cloud Steps kickflipped off Bingqin's head, the world spun as I saw another talisman that generated chains towards me.

My body feels heavy, slow, and restricted. Chu Jiangye assaulted me with a jian straight for my neck, it is quick and light like a feather.

I wouldn't be quick enough to shield against it so I spat in his eye before bit on the sword. It may be quick and light but the strength is something that my body cultivation can handle.

"Ah!", Chu tried remove the spit from his eye only for me to assist him by adding a helping shield. My generosity extended to his lower jaw too since the sharp end of my shield decided to give his face a new makeover. He shrilled pathetically.

Finally, I gave one last kick on Bingqin Luan's balls when he tried standing up, he vomit on the ground, both breakfast, bile, and blood.

3 incapacitated, the rest dead.

It's so funny, they didn't think that I wouldn't see they're fighting styles in the outer court training field. Basic bitches, this is why they're grunts, all flash and nothing stashed. I was hoping for an unexpected challenge but after all this... I knew I couldn't force it on such weaklings.

I look at my shield seeing a few scratches on it, a tiny bit has been chipped off after directly confronting the jian sword strongly.

I gaze at my group, I saw they had been surrounding the enemy, adding to the pressure, by my word they would have joined the fray.

"You three have talent in coordination, I didn't even need to ask and you guys positioned yourselves."

"Thanks." "You've got to be kidding me, you're a beast in fighting." "Agreed, brother."

"Alright, we should also adapt like how we did. We won't know when something will go wrong."

Thinking of something I opened my Status on my Psyche.

[Psyche: Level headed (Sanity 85%)

Darkness:

Minor Hypomania: Bloodthirst - Sanity -1%

Minor Passion: Hate - Sanity -1%

Twilight Giant:

Minor Stubbornness: Confrontation - Sanity -1%

Death:

Minor Solemnity: Murder - Sanity -1%

Paragon:

Minor Compulsion: Investigation - Sanity -1%

Permanent Trauma: Self-Loathing - Sanity -10%]

Oh shit, I'm fucked. Well, somewhat, but not totally. It seems I've found my greatest weakness, not that I haven't known of it already but I accepted as it is begrudgingly as it is a matter of a fact.

Hypomania would lead to increased agitation and more energetic, as expected of a Sleepless. Passionate truly screams Midnight Poet, I've listened to enough songs about passion that it would go wrong in more ways that one.

A warrior's stubbornness might be related to it's 'acting', I'm more certain that ever, Strength is from endurance. Then what about Somber? it doesn't sound too bad but I know it would mean something bad if it went extreme.

The minor active conditions might explain why I feel more... how should I say this? It felt good to go a good wallop. *sigh* but why did the mood suddenly feel a bit more... sh*t, I feel Somber over those murdered.

The martial arts world is cruel, life and death are in the hands of the strong, souls and riches are reaped through blades of steel, rulers are kings of iron fist and immortals sit above with lofty ambition. Underneath everything is but the innumerable corpses, the land drenched with blood, hate, and sorrow...

Maybe there is a reason why I'm in this world, Sequence 0 represents a symbol of change. My mere existence changes fate, so I hope to change it.

What was that quote again? I don't remember it all, My way to change the world? My dao to change the heavens, my strength to change the earth!

I glance over the corpses below me, that Chu guy couldn't handle the bodily loss and gave up the soul. Luan died in his own mixed pool while the Scimitar user was crying a way off. Honestly, this feels different from how I imagined things, wouldn't people on the verge of death be desperate and do something? I honestly thought the Chu guy had one last saving grace, turns out this group was truly weak willed.

"Our objective doesn't change. I'll deal with the mess then we'll continue. Get rested, everyone."

"Yes!", My companions nodded.

I finished off the job and then looted the bodies. Outer disciples don't go out unless on missions so finding these corpses won't be possible, this group followed us to a Demonic Sect territory, which entails only missions from the Shadow Hall, this is the last place anyone from the Mission Hall would look for these trash.

 

---

 

"Li Yong, the grass around here is different, the Yin Qi has polluted the air even more, there is also ghost wood growing everywhere."

"Hm, the grass should be Wither Haze, there's a lot of them too...be careful, we might run into Ghost Tao Disciples."

"...", The others nods gravely.

""A coffin?!"", Zhao Zhaohui and Cao Yingjie confuzzled voices brought me to attention an open coffin off in the distance.

"O-over there!", Cao Xiaosi shouted at us.

"Are you thinking of leaving? Since you've come, you must stay and become my cultivation material!", I look opposite of the coffin and saw among the dreary trees an old man, his voice hoarse and ghostly.

I ran out in confrontation and guarded the group.

The centenarian took out a clump of what looked like ash and threw it out, "Die!"

Qi flowed out to the ash and it caught fire, "Ghost Fire Art!"

Running my own qi, even if I haven't condensed my qi, there were minor benefits on applying my qi on my body or weapons.

Copper Gourd Qi!

The gourd catches fire; The copper disperses heat; The wine douses the flame; Hot turns cold, spicy to bitter;

Applying it to my shield and body gave me a good amount of resistance to fire, the most prominent weakness of the metal attribute.

I endured the full force of the Ghost Fire Art which felt heavier and corporeal than ordinary flames.

I also felt the illusionary pain of the biting cold. Do not misunderstand, the ghost fire is indeed fire, hot, and burning, but ghost fire can also target the soul, causing a emulation of a biting cold.

Fortunately for a Midnight Poet like me, that is the least of my worries. My soul is in the Early Soul Condensing Stage and is comparably to the potency of even Late Soul Condensing.

"Distract the old fogy! I will prepare an Art! Zhauhui pay attention to the coffin!", Hearing my orders, Cao Xiaosi and Cao Yingjie ran ahead of me and assaulted the old cultivator.

They both wielded jians, Xiaosi has a Duan Jian and Yingjie has a Chang Jian.

Yingjie got there first as he swung his long sword but was intercepted by the old man's weapon, it was a whisk!

The whisk seems to have a life of its own as it wrapped around and caught Yingjie's jian.

The centenarian grabbed another handful of ash. Seeing as he was about to get hit by Xiaosi's short sword, he jumped back and threw the ash again.

Yingjie resisted the whisk tied to him but he was very close to the ghost fire that appeared. His skin burned as he retreated, "Gha!"

"Hmph!", The centenarian's eyes us with disdain as he went to grab for something. Enough spirituality had gathered up to my throat so I also prepared my attack as I rushed forward, shield on hand.

"Yin cultivates the dark and withered." "Trouble not when night comes!"

"Call upon the dead and ghosts..." "Pitiful creature, be put to rest..."

"Cold Corpse Possession!" "Feel the hearth like lullaby hums."

The old man, being the target of my poem suddenly swayed like a drunken person and fell on his side, but not before having made eye contact with me, giving a muddled kind of murderous intention.

"Zhaohui, Xiaosi, Yingjie! Stay alert!", I knew that reciting had an offhand AoE effect so I to have the others to stay awake. I turn to the Cao brothers and slapped they back before rushing to Zhaohui. Whatever that old fogy recited has something to do with a corpse and I bet I know who would be in the first line of attack.

Naturally, a big and grey corpse stood up from the coffin with a talisman on it's forehead. I could see the an evil spirit occupying the corpse.

Zhaohui swung his sword after he'd sobered up from my shouting. He stabbed right at the chest digging it only to a shallow level before it got stuck. He kicked at the zombie before backing up.

I saw that he was about to aim for the talisman but I shouted, "Don't! It isn't a normal zombie! The zombie isn't being controlled but the evil spirit inside of it!"

"What do you mean, Li Yong?"

"If we kill the corpse, what about the evil spirit? We have no means! What if we destroy the talisman and the spirit comes out to kill us?"

Feeling his blood turn cold, Zhaohui backed away from the zombie and asked again, "What should we do then?"

"Xiaosi, Yingjie, help Zhaohui cut off all the zombie's limbs."

"Li Yong, there are more over here!", I turn to see 2 more zombies. Shit, so he did come prepared to protect himself, he was just fucking arrogant.

"Fall back first!", I shout as spirituality gathered once again in my throat.

"Her flowers bloom to the dawn of the night

But until the day, I opened my eyes.

Being stunned, there is nowhere to hide.

She is dying in dizziness"

Suddenly the corpses stopped moving and the evil spirits went limp, as if pacified.

Seeing Zhaohui almost stumbling, I shake him awake, "You alright?"

"..y-Yeah!" "Good."

"Brother keep awake...", Yingjie also shook on his brother, having a firmer will that most.

"y-Yes-", Xiaosi suddenly regain his energy.

"I'm going to recite once more so cut off their limbs first. Unless we can purify these evil spirits, we can only lock them off."

"Li Yong, I have a method. I hold a Pure Flame Stake, it's a treasure comparable to the Qi Condensation Realm. I can pierce it into the ghosts and eliminate them."

"Good, good, let's incapacitate them first.", So we dealt with the 3 possessed corpses as I studied them. They were comparable to the Qi Condensation but I noticed difference between the corpses. One had experience burning, probably pertaining to their death. Another has a clean strike through the heart, it seems they died through a backstab too... the last one is evidently once a Qi Gathering realm but advanced as a corpse, this must be the first corpse that the old fogy refined. There was evidence of poisoning due to how the blood vessels... it looks young and looks quite similar to the old man...how unfortunate.

A solemn air surrounded me as I grew deeper in the understanding of death. Oh how unfortunate, people to die. Even some could not accept death. Should I, even I, accept death as being a possibility.

I felt troubled, I also felt like I was about to understand something. In the meantime, a portion of my Corpse Collector sequence were digested because of my newfound understanding of death, but... it was incomplete, unlike how I only needed to solidify my perspective for a Warrior, I needed more time to ponder over the matter.

"Oh, the threat of horror, the hope of crimson cries!

One thing at least is certain—that this Life flies;

One thing is certain, and the rest is Lies;

The Flower that once has bloomed forever dies."

The evil spirits that had their will pacified also felt sleepy and laid dormant.

"Let's destroy it. Then the coffins, we have to run from here before more disciples come out."

"Li Yong, we're close to the city, it's in that direction."

"Good, Xiaosi, keep watch. Zhaohui, let's start destroying the coffin. Yingjie, you know what to do.", I give Yingjie a thumbs up where I got a determined nod back.

Taking out a lighter, we burned the coffin. Seeing the corpses and evil spirits burn in Pure Fire, me and Zhaohui didn't see the need to watch and keep guard any further, we made it slightly on the distance to find 2 coffins and burnt it too.

I went and looted the demonic cultivator, taking the talismans and manuals from him. I left any kind of powder, tokens, and other things that could likely be tracked in a way.

Talismans are consumables and manuals are usually picked up by orthodox disciples, making it unlikely for demonic cultivators to even bother tracking every singles manual they have.

From there I burned the body and we ran off. If we ever find a river, we're going get rid of anything that could track us by scent.

 

---

 

Yin Haze City, they got that name due to the huge amount of Wither Haze growing around the city. While the environment seems like a good place for Ghost Tao Disciples, this place was defended by a family that held a few good unorthodox backers.

The Guang Clan were known to welcome both the orthodox and unorthodox cultivators, holding a righteous indignation for demonic cultivators.

Ironically, that was where the Flesh Bone demonic sect's disciple has taken refuge in. Recovering their wounds and hiding.

"Excuse me, can you tell us where the city governor's residence is?", Our group reached the gate where I inquired our first method of action.

"Governor Zen Renshu's residence is at the center of the city, to the east from here.", The guard pointed out.

"Thank you."

 

---

 

"Halt! State your business.", I gave a token that had the symbol of the Steel Fortress Sect on it. The two guards by the mansion gave it a look then communicated between themselves before one left to confirm the information.

"Wait for a second.", The guard remains stoic.

A while later came back the second guard who brought what looked like a servant, the servant brought us in the residence and filled us in on the situation.

We didn't get to meet the governor personally but it made sense since out commission wasn't of importance to someone on his level.

The Flesh Bone disciple is Lei Liqin who practices a demonic art to change her appearance. Fortunately, she's been found out and injured, prohibiting her from transforming again, stuck in her latest appearance.

The bad news is that Flesh Bone disciples always had strange properties in their flesh and bone, making their real appearances deformed.

She's managed to retreat to Yin Haze City where she's in an unstable state, recovering till she can transform again and lose her pursuer.

"Unstable, you say?"

"Yes, with enough searching, we found that Flesh Bone disciples become unstable when their Flesh Disguise is torn apart."

"Do other demonic disciples also become unstable like that?"

"All demons are different. Here in Yin Haze City, demonic cultivators always have their means to besiege us. Cultivators also have their means to besiege the demons.

Ghost Tao disciples suffer backlash when their evil spirits are killed. Flesh Bone disciples are the strongest but they recover the least, tearing off their flesh and breaking their bones would be the same as crippling their cultivation. Blood Incarnate disciples are tricky if they've refined a Blood Body, as long as they have blood then they can continue living but blood is weak and susceptible to the elements such as ice, fire and poison."

"Scary!", Cao Xiaosi frowned upon understanding the implications.

"They're means are strange!",

"Sir, if they refine a Blood body, does it mean that they are immortal are long as they have blood?", I curiously posed.

"No, a lot of naïve people think that Blood Incarnate Sect has a means to immortality but it's just a trick to pull you in. They still have a limited lifespan and can die of old age.", the servant, Cai Bojing, shook his head.

"There must be a price for having cultivating strange methods, right?", Zhaohui ponders in disbelief.

"Indeed, among the public records, Ghost Tao Disciples suffer in their souls such as biting cold, spiritual deprivation, and yin pollution for taking control of evil spirits. Bone Flesh disciples sacrifice not only their appearance but also experience different meridian problems. Blood Incarnate disciples lose their rationality due to cultivating the spiritual remnants in the blood of beasts."

"The knowledge about demonic cultivators are extensive.", I exclaim in astonishment.

"Compared to the numerous amount of demonic sects out there. These are merely the ones that people in Yin Haze City come in conflict with. The information I gave you are merely the general attributes of the three demonic sects, there are differences that make them more dangerous and this only increases as their realm further deepens.", Bojing shook his head.

With a look of understand I thank the servant. I then talked with the others, "I have an idea.", I smile sinisterly.