To make things easier on themselves, the elders chose to have the matches done separately. The weakest will fight first before making the way up to the disciples at the higher realms. This did make Jing wonder just how long she was going to be waiting if this was the case. The Qi Consolidators and the disciples at the Core Preparation realm were the most numerous.
While Jing did think this method of judging was better than having them all fight at the same time, they’re going to be up here for more than a few days... She hoped they prepared food and drinks. This was a celebratory event, wasn’t it? What kind of celebration didn’t have food and drinks? Music would be nice too but the type of music in this world wasn’t to Jing’s liking. Barely did the food match up as well.
‘I just got an idea.’ Jing suddenly thought as the first six Qi Gatherers were chosen to go up. “Shang, come here.” Jing got up from her throne.
She pulled out a raggedy wooden shack from her refined storage ring and gestured for Shang to follow behind her. Li Li was already glaring at Shang while holding Jing’s hand, obviously coming along as well. From its appearance, it looked like the type of building meant for doing one’s business inside. This is why several disciples and elders watched her with confused looks on their faces. It wasn’t the type of building that could hold three people at once without them squeezing inside to an uncomfortable degree.
Jing inwardly grinned. They’d be right if this was just an ordinary shed. However, this shed was anything but ordinary since it had SCP-184 inside of it for a few days. The infinitely expanding dodecahedron with the anomalous property to expand a structure's inner dimensions without altering its outer dimensions each day it lies inside said structure.
“I don’t think is the time for a restroom break, Jing...” Ying couldn’t fathom what was going on inside Jing’s head.
“If I was going to the restroom, do you think I'd invite Shang with me?” Jing didn’t know what the tomboy was thinking.
“Then where exactly are you going? I don’t think more than one of you can fit inside there.” Wan Qing was just as confused as Ying.
“You’ll see.” Jing, Shang, and Li Li went inside together.
The two boys were more than surprised after entering through the door into an expansive room with nothing inside it.
“Close the door behind you.” Jing reminded Shang.
“Hmm.” Shang was still a bit shocked and very confused but followed her request.
“Why did this place look so small from the outside, mom?” Li Li curiously asked, looking around the room.
“Because of this.” Jing raised SCP-184 in her hand as she placed a talisman on the wooden floor.
“What is that, a toy?” Li Li tilted his head.
“Just think of it as something that makes buildings bigger without looking bigger on the outside.” Jing explained. “Now follow me. I didn’t think I could use this so soon.” She said.
Neither Shang nor Li Li knew what she was talking about but followed regardless. Jing turned her head to give them an important warning, “Please follow closely behind me. You might get lost if you lose track of me and it’ll take days before I can find you.”
Shang inwardly gulped but stayed silent as he observed the impossible building. He was taken through several doors, rooms, and stairs all with a wooden theme. Sparsed throughout the maze-like structure were multiple wooden objects that didn’t make sense or structural designs that weren’t quite correct. Long tiny hallways that made him feel giant, wooden doors that led to empty walls, twisting rooms that were impossible to walk through normally. It felt like they were walking for days through an entirely new world made of wood but in reality, it was only a few minutes.
Maybe it was because of how little Shang could comprehend of this building that his sense of time has been distorted just as several parts of this structure have been as well. Li Li was somewhat on the opposite spectrum of the amazed, confused, and disorientated Shang. He was more than happy to explore the wooden maze and visibly awe at all the strange and impossible sights. His favorite was walking down the tiny hallways that made him feel like a giant! He was around the same size as his mom in those hallways even though he was little!
Jing just silently enjoyed the reactions of Shang and Li Li. That talisman she placed down earlier was similar to a radar in it gave information about her surroundings according to how much qi was fed into it. A wave of qi would spread from the talisman that would extend outward. Its range depends on the qi of the one who planted the spell in the first place which gave it mixed reviews among spellmasters.
Eventually, they arrived at the original room. The original room was where SCP-184 was first placed and also the farthest room from the entrance. Inside was all of Jing’s alchemy and cooking equipment. She planned to sell a different batch of cakes this time because she was sure that more than enough disciples have bought her spirit cakes in preparation for today’s fights. This time around the cakes will be less useful and more fit for a celebratory type of event.
Now that she thought about it, maybe bringing Shang and Li Li wasn’t the best choice... They definitely didn’t know anything about making something more lively but did any of her other angels know? Weren’t they all kind of outcasts in their own way? Jing didn’t know enough about Lei’s apprentices. Jie was a noble who was unlike other nobles but still not the type of person who would know how to have a good time. Jing doubted Runt had ever been to a celebratory event before. Looks like she had to do this on her own.
“I can’t hear anything...” Ying complained with her ear against the shack's door. “I can’t even hear them breathing.” She added.
“I can’t hear anything from this side either.” He Wenqing shared from the back of the shed.
“This can’t be a normal shed.” Wan Qing quickly understood.
“...” Xiucai was really curious and couldn’t help but look at his group members investigating the shabby wooden shed instead of the Qi Gatherers fighting.
“Should we take a look inside?” Jie suggested.
“Hmm....” Ying seriously debated Jie’s question.
Jing had to pick those two to follow her for a reason. At first, she thought that Jing was going to do naughty stuff with Shang but quickly trashed that thought after Li Li went inside with them. Plus, Ying didn’t think that Jing was the type to do something like that in front of so many people even if they were inside this shed. It was kind of stupid for her mind to even go in that direction in the first place.
“We still have time before we go up.” He Wenqing had a mischievous look on his face.
“I wouldn’t recommend it.” Wan Qing told the other angels. “Jing said that we’ll see what she was up to. So, just wait.” She recommended.
“But I wanna find out...” Ying was bored since she wasn’t able to flirt with Bing.
“Hmph. Then go in and get caught by Jing.” Wan Qing grinned.
“Nevermind. I’ll wait.” Ying didn’t know what would be in store for her if she barged into that shed but felt it would be better for her if she waited as Qing said.
“Is she that scary?” He Wenqing asked.
“Yes.” Jie answered immediately. Her bones could still feel the pain of being snapped repeatedly.
“...” Xiucai was already aware of Jing’s terrifying presence.
As an assassin, it was an innate action of his to snuff out a person’s strength and his chance of killing them. Xiucai was part of a multi-generational assassin clan and could accurately judge anyone’s strength due to his upbringing. Out of everyone in Heaven’s Angels, he could only kill two people with his strength as of now without relying on poisons. If he relied on poison, he could perhaps take out a third.
The first two being his martial brother and martial sister. The third being Jie before her training with Jing. Everyone else was impossible for him to take out even if he used every method at his disposal. At least, that was what his gut feeling was telling him.
The small boy called Runt was impossible to assassinate, the fatty who seemed to dislike violence just like his master, the tiny white owl, even now, Xiucai still couldn’t fully comprehend what kind of group he involved himself in. It was a terrifying experience to be around a group of people he had no chance to kill. Only back at his clan did he feel something like this. Being in close range to people that could deal with him even if they weren’t aware of his presence. Monsters... That was the only way he could describe most of the people in Heaven’s Angels.
“We are very weak.” Xiucai informed He Wenqing of their ranking within Heaven’s Angels.
“I... I see...” He Wenqing accepted Xiucai’s words. It wasn’t often that his martial brother spoke but when he did, it often was important to listen.
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Well Keep up the good work
Thanks for the meal
Cookie!!!!!
