Chapter 149

  Festival of Sins (I)

  The people following us?

  It was actually a bit of a reunion. Well, not a reunion, as we didn't know them individually, but seeing as they were the former, escaped disciples of the Fire Sun Sect, I suppose there's some karmic connection between us, no?

  Obviously, they weren't wearing the Fire Sun Sect robes the same way we weren't wearing Spirit Sword Sect robes. Unlike us, however, who were just 'barely' disguised as merchants, they donned a far simpler attire: bandits.

  It wasn't just the attire, either; though Long Tao had planned on taking the kids and facing the lot following us, they just surrounded us early in the morning and demanded we hand over the tent and all our goods.

  There were exactly nine of them--though six were just kids in the early stages of Qi Condensation.

  Of the three, one was at the peak of Qi Condensation, one was at the middle of Foundation Establishment, and one had actually reached the Spirit Manifestation Realm!

  Though, checking him out with the Creator's Eyes kind of pulled back the veil of that mystique.

  [--Creator's Eyes Used]

  [Target: Shao Lim]

  [Age: 138]

  [Talent: mid-Earth)]

  [Cultivation Realm: Early Spirit Manifestation (Forced)]

  [Cultivation Method: Hellfire Sun Mantra, Second Form]

  [Cultivation Arts: Fire Sun Fist, Blazing Steps...]

  [Traits]

  [Violent (Rare) -- prone to outbursts of violence, exaggerated by the instability of the cultivation method]

  [Dishonest (Legendary) -- sooner would the Dragons start falling from the sky than the person would speak an honest word]

  [Deceptive (Rare) -- well-versed in deceiving others]

  [Abrasive (Common) -- very short with people, especially those he dislikes]

  [Torn Meridians (Rare) -- due to the recent, forced breakthrough, the target has suffered severe wounds to his meridians, half-crippling himself in the process. Though the meridians will heal in due time, the target will never achieve another breakthrough in their lifetime]

  [...]

  [Assessing suitability...]

  [No special Physique or Bloodline discovered]

  [...]

  [Recommendation: Due to the target's innate lack of talent, the cultivation of an ill-suited method, and the recent forced breakthrough, it is recommended that the Host take no part in their fate]

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  [...]

  [Final Assessment: A passing talent with extremely questionable methods and characteristics; can never cultivate beyond the current half-crippled realm]

  How exactly did he force a breakthrough? Anyone's guess, really. They managed to force several on this body, so there are methods out there in the world, clearly.

  But it's becoming clear that forced breakthroughs aren't so much boons as they are big, giant, looming walls that just shut down all other paths permanently. For some, of course, they are actually a boon--Lu Qi, for certain. He would have otherwise lived and died a common mortal.

  But this guy... he actually had talent. Yes, it was middling and, per the standards of my disciples, kind of pathetic, but he'd been working hard at it for decades, and yet...

  Well, the truth was that the Spirit Manifestation Realm was likely the most he would have achieved either way. Regardless, seeing someone so devoutly willing to give everything up for a small increase in strength...

  "Hey? Are you people mute?! Did you not hear what the El--what the Leader said?!" One of the kids shouted at us as I recovered from my haze. I looked around and saw that none of the disciples were worried.

  I mean... yeah.

  It made sense.

  I'm pretty sure, actually, that they could all go out on their own and beat all these little bandits by themselves. Even if the old guy was somehow a legitimate Spirit Manifestation Realm cultivator, I don't think it would have mattered.

  "Senior Brother, can I go?" Xi Zhao asked. For these matters, they mostly just deferred to Long Tao, as I think they've started thinking I am not 'too fond' of violence. I mean, it's true; I just wonder how they concluded that. I always fancied myself a rather good actor, you know?

  In fact, I'm pretty sure that if I wasn't blessed with a middlingly average face, I might have even made it.

  "Split it in two," Long Tao said. "Wan Lan will take on the old guy. But you can't use your Foundation."

  "E-eh?"

  "It wouldn't be a fight," the 'kid' shrugged, walking back toward me and Light. "You two, too. No using martial arts."

  "Yes, Senior Brother!" Unlike Wan Lan, who appeared a bit worried, Xi Zhao and Dai Xiu... well, they were already battle addicts, I'm pretty sure.

  As for our lovely little bandits out there?

  Well, they looked a bit pissed when they saw two kids and a teenage girl move out while the old guy stayed behind. I don't blame them, honestly. Anyone who just randomly chances upon this group will assume I'm taking care of these kids (which, well, I kind of am) and that I'm the strongest (which, oh boy, am I not), so when I stay behind to seemingly cheer, and the kids go out to fight... yeah.

  "Aah, little girl, you're kind of cute, eh?" Oh great. He's also a creep. Haah. "If you bow down and kiss the dirt, this old brother will take you in? I'll treat you real well--unlike that old geezer out there, I won't ever force you to fight."

  "Old brother? Man, you're over a hundred freakin' years old! Go screw trees if you're that horny and leave the young girls alone!" I just had to do it.

  "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU SAY?!" I mean, he was already violent--it never took long with Fire Sun Sect guys to just get them going. And, oh boy, is he going.

  Luckily, Wan Lan intercepted him, moving in like a legit wall made out of titanium, blowing back the man that stood just shy of six-five.

  At the same time, skirmishes broke out elsewhere, too. While the Fire Sun Sect lads and one lady started using arts relatively quickly, Dai Xiu and Xi Zhao never did. The former just punched and kicked, and the latter just seemed to randomly swing his sword about.

  And yet, it was more than enough.

  I mean, of course it was.

  They wouldn't be protagonists if they couldn't kick the asses of some random low-level thugs.

  While the initial fight was full of excitement and was fun to observe, before long I found myself feeling a bit... queasy. Though I'm kind of getting used to death and people dying, watching limbs be literally ripped clean or watching the sword sever them and the heads... it's not easy, honestly.

  "You brutes! Master is watching!" Light suddenly shouted as I glanced down. At some point--and I didn't realize when--but she started holding my hand. Not for her sake, no, but for mine; she also seemed legitimately angry as the slew of apologies came flying back toward us.

  "Ah! I got too caught up in it! Quick, Senior Sister, help me clean up!"

  "Yes, yes! Light, cover Master's eyes!"

  Just as I was about to laugh at the absurdity of it, Light climbed on top of my back like a monkey and placed her hands over my eyes.

  ... yeah.

  Am I really their Master? There's no way, right?