Chapter 110

  Fading Traces (II)

  You know, it only dawned on me when I found myself adrift in the masses, crowding the seeming central square of the town, that this was my first time being alone. Like, alone alone. At every other point, it felt, there was at least somebody nearby, or somebody to talk to if I wanted to force them, but now... I'm alone.

  I mean, the kids are like three minutes away, but still. It's a new feeling, that's for sure. One that I'm not entirely comfortable with.

  I know it actually makes no sense, but I feel much safer with them around. Not for nothing, those kids are freakin' monsters. And then there's Long Tao. With him around, I never feel like the world is falling apart. Even when it literally was falling apart back in the sect.

  Speaking of the sect, I've been standing here for about 70 seconds and have heard no fewer than 100 people gossip about it. However, it's not the kind of gossip that I... expected.

  It wasn't so much that the sect was attacked but more so about the pillar that killed EVERYONE--that's right, supposedly, the entire valley where the sect used to be is now a flattened plateau without a living soul in the vicinity.

  That, as well as the rumors of the aftermath--supposedly, quite a few Holy Lands lost their marbles (as they sent some of their most talented disciples on a 'sightseeing' expedition) and are gunning around, looking for anyone to blame.

  Thus, the 'poor' Fire Sun Sect became the prime target as they'd 'instigated' it.

  Per the rumors, the sect was gone--but, shockingly, the Sect Master actually managed to escape and is now in hiding. Supposedly, there's quite a hefty bounty placed on his head--50,000 mid-grade Stones.

  Even for me that's not a small amount, let alone for the majority of the world.

  Eventually, I found a small tavern nestled between a pair of inns and found a small corner within that I could hide in while drinking. I just ordered the same thing I heard another guy order--'bael'--and I gotta say... it's not bad.

  It's bitter to all hell and back, more so than even dark beer back on Earth, but I'm actually kind of digging the punch as well as the kick. It's certainly better than anything that the Sect had to offer in terms of alcohol, shockingly, so, as it goes, beggars can't be choosers.

  I still perked my ear to listen in to the nearby conversations, but they were mostly mundane--outside of quite a few folk mentioning the bandit attacks.

  Nobody knew why there was a sudden increase or even who the bandits were, so it seemed that the whole 'ancient ruin' spiel was yet to spread. Should make locating somebody aware of it relatively easy, at least... if they do exist to begin with.

  Thus, I spent half a day just checking out the shops around the central square, listening to people yap, and occasionally using my Creator's Eyes, thinking I might stumble upon yet another monster. Alas, it seems that the circumstances in the sect were rather... special, as most of these people don't even have a talent.

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  It made sense--this was actually a mortal town first. If there are cultivators, they will be a minority and probably won't be drinking in public and gossiping with their buds.

  I decided to return a little before the evening, moving past quite a few street performers on my way to the 'silent' quarter of the city. I learned a bit about it today, namely that it's called 'Stoic's Hamlet' and that it's mostly where the poor, the sick, and the criminal element went. So, you know, the paradise.

  The downtrodden nature, the bolted windows, the eyes peeking from between the gaps in the boards... it was a bit nostalgic, actually. Reminded me of Detroit in the mid-90s.

  My parents decided to take me on a cross-country trip, and, somehow, we ended up driving through the East Side. It wasn't silent, not exactly, but more... empty. The homes were literally abandoned, possessions still inside; nobody was walking on the street; there was just... nothing but occasional curious eyes peeking from behind the cracks in the wood.

  Hated it then, hate it still.

  I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw all of them had returned even before me--they were sitting around the table, eating and talking about something when I stumbled into the room, prompting them to greet me. Even Long Tao greeted me! With a nod, but still...

  "Welcome back, Master!"

  "Hm. You all came back on time, too," I said, picking one of the cushions and sitting down. "Anyone give you any trouble?"

  "A bit," Dai Xiu nodded. "But Junior Brother chased them all away, he he!" chased isn't a euphemism for kill, right?

  "Mostly drunkards, Master, who were too blinded and expressed untoward words toward my Sisters," he smiled sheepishly and scratched his head.

  Oh.

  Right.

  I'd actually forgotten about that. I don't really consider either Dai Xiu or Light 'girls', let alone 'women'. To me they're just really weird kids that can probably kill me with their spit, but, yeah... there are monsters here as everywhere, so we should probably be more careful going forward.

  "Learned anything?"

  "Ah, not much." Their spirits turned dim immediately as I asked. "Just a lot of rumors about... our sect. A few spoke about the bandits, but nobody even mentioned the Spiritwood Grove." Dai Xiu replied.

  "There was this one man who mentioned spiritwood, but it turned out he meant a specific kind of wine..."

  "That's alright. It's only the first day," I said with a smile. "What about you, Long Tao?"

  "..."

  "Uhm, I think I saw a really pretty butterfly outside," Dai Xiu said.

  "Oh, yes! The black one with fiery wings?" Xi Zhao added.

  "That's not a butterfly; that's a firefly," Light said as Dai Xiu picked her up and dragged her out.

  ... smooth.

  Real freakin' smooth.

  Even Long Tao was eyeing them with a faint smile.

  "Quite sensible," he commented.

  "What's so dour that you had to send them out?" Okay, I'm a bit worried right now. What's he going to say? That the woman is part of some doomsday cult and that there are basements under all of her properties that are, like, bomb vessels, and when they all detonate together, the entire world's going to end?

  "I think we should recruit her," he said rather calmly.

  ... eh?

  Wait, what?

  "R-recruit... her?"

  "Hm," he nodded. "She's bought up most of the western side of the city, and she's done so under six different identities so nobody knows about it. She has a small, personal army of spies that work in taverns, inns, and even administrative offices that report to her everything that happens, and she's fully aware of what's transpiring in the Spiritwood Grove."

  "I thought she was a mortal woman," I frowned.

  "She is," he shrugged. "At best, she has about five years left to live, and nothing short of Heaven itself intervening is going to change that. None of that matters, really, as she'd just be a temporary recruit. Or do you plan to live out the rest of your days in this town?" he asked with a certain chagrin in his gaze, taking a sip of water. It's like he really doubted I'd follow him wherever he'd go.

  I didn't invest so much crap into you just to give you wings and watch you fly away, old man. I'll ride you 'till you croak! Ugh, I gotta stop it with the ride metaphors...

  "Very well," I said. "Let's recruit her. Temporarily."