Chapter 97: Borne of Shadow
Minutes ticked by as Yanyue considered the question that her master had posed to her. Yao Shen was not surprised to find his honorary disciple a bit taken aback at the unexpected line of questioning, but that did not serve to diminish its importance.
Elder Sister Shadow is, Yanyue paused, taking a moment to collect her thoughts as he tried to best phrase her response. Above all, she is kind. Her heart is pure, in a way that I have never seen before. There is no hesitation in her words or actions, no calculation in her intent. While she has shown me only a fraction of her strength, she is strong likely the strongest amongst her peers. But, She trailed off, fidgeting with the hem of her robes as she tried to delicately word her explanation.
Do not be afraid to voice your thoughts, Disciple Yanyue. I have known Shadow since she was a child; so any observations that you have made are unlikely to have passed by me.
Taking a deep breath, Yanyue voiced her affirmation, Yes, Master. At times, Senior Sister Shadow can be surprisingly oblivious to matters that should be easily navigated by a cultivator of her strength, like a slumbering Beast King that is only interested in spiritual beasts that can threaten her reign. Even if her opponent was a Nascent Soul Elder, I do not believe that Senior Sister Shadow would be afraid, Yanyue carefully explained, trying to circle around the issue.
And you believe that to be problematic. Why? Yao Shen asked, even though he was already well-aware of the answer.
He noticed the shift in the atmosphere as Yanyues expression turned firm, her hands no longer fidgeting and held straight on her either side, At first, I was unsure what to make of it, she admitted. But as I got to know Senior Sister Shadow, I realized that she genuinely cared for me. Not once did she use the distance between our station and strength against me, unlike the self-centered healers operating under the Xue Legacy Family. When I tried to put into practice the guidance she had imparted onto me, it worked flawlessly she had not held back the slightest knowledge, the idea seemingly not even crossed her mind. I
I know it might sound foolish, but I wish to protect Senior Sister Shadow. I know that I cannot possibly hold a candle to her in combat. But in the aspects that she lacks, I will not allow others to take advantage of her. I cannot, Yanyue declared with a flare of resolve, enough to allow her to forget for a moment that she was addressing Yao Shen, Soul Emperor and Patriarch of the Modern Sect.
Good child, Yao Shen praised, his right hand gently coming to rest atop a soft bed of her blonde hair.
Yanyues cheeks flushed with warmth as Yao Shen retracted his hand, pausing for a moment as his expression turned contemplative.
Then, he sighed.
It was a long, weary sigh unbecoming of the usually refined, vigorous front he usually maintained. For the first time in a long time, Yao Shen truly looked his age.
Master? Yanyue asked, clearly worried at the sudden change in his emotions.
It is time that I tell you, He declared. About the day I first met Shadow.
Over Fifty Years Ago
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A recently ascended Nascent Soul Cultivator found himself in secluded cultivation, sitting cross-legged before half a dozen unfurled scrolls that were marred with ink splotched crosses.
This wont work either, Yao Shen shook his head as he gave up on another one of his Patchwork Domain ideas. The Minor Dao of Mist did not work well with the Minor Dao of fire and trying to compensate for that weakness would only result in the creation of an inefficient domain.
Another hour passed by him in what felt like a blink of an eye and Yao Shen was prepared to go on for many more, so focused was he in his pursuit of refining his Domain.
A sharp knock that rapped against his cultivation chambers door however, put an abrupt halt to his plans.
Who is it? Yao Shen asked, barely managing to contain the anger he felt from leaking out into his tone.
A messenger from the Zhu Family, Elder Shen, A polite yet distinctly firm voice replied, her tone distinctly feminine.
You may enter, Yao Shen replied plainly.
A Core Formation Guardian with purple hair that was neatly combed into a bun and a pin on her Heavenly Sky Sect robes that indicated her fealty to the Zhu Legacy Family.
She offered him a stiff bow, the lack of respect an insult piled upon an insult. Etiquette amongst Nascent Soul Cultivators dictated that they should call upon each other in person if they had a request or proposition to make.
Elder Zhu requests you to deal with an incursion of Foundation Establishment Demons in one of the mortal villages placed along the periphery of the Grand Sealing Formation, She dictated Meili Zhus orders, even though the Elder had no direct authority over him.
Yao Shens expression was emotionless as he asked, How long ago was this incursion reported?
Roughly twenty minutes ago, The Core Formation Guardian coolly replied.
Why did Elder Zhu not address the matter herself? Surely the lesser time we take to respond, the more beneficial it is to us when dealing with Demonic Path Incursions? Yao Shen asked as his temper flared, already identifying the strings being pulled behind the scenes.
The Elder is currently busy handling matters of great import relating to the Heavenly Sky Sects internal security, The Zhu Family Guardian offered him what was a paper-thin excuse at best
I see, Yao Shen replied, his tone eerily composed. Very well, I will depart now, he affirmed after a few moments, offering not the slightest word in protest despite the rage burning in his heart.
Thank you, Elder Shen, The Zhu Family Guardian bowed to him, before offering him a scroll that likely contained the coordinates of the Demonic Path Incursion that he was to resolve personally when a platoon of Core Formation Guardians would have easily sufficed. She left immediately after, knowing full well the dangerous message that had been sent through her. While Yao Shen could not harm the Zhu Familys Elder, she was just a Core Formation Cultivator after all.
Of course, Yao Shen would not do such a thing. He understood his current position in the Heavenly Sky Sect well as a non-legacy Nascent Soul and knew that the slightest misstep he made, whether it be refusing to attend to official sect business or lashing out against the representative of a Legacy Family, would be endlessly blown out of proportion by his political detractors.
That, however, was not what had attracted his ire so.
The fact that Meili Zhu had instructed the messenger to arrive a calculated twenty minutes after the incursion was reported meant that she had set him up for failure.
Most, if not all of the mortal villagers would be slaughtered by the time he arrived.
In the high-level politics between two Nascent Soul Elders, it was mortals that would turn out to be the first casualty.
True to his word, Yao Shen did not dally for a second longer than he needed to make preparations.
A mere ten minutes later, he found himself at the village.
There, he saw a sight that to this day, he had not forgotten. Every insignificant detail, each flurry of motion captured by his divine sense all burned into his memory, playing out at a glacial pace as he laid his eyes on what should have been impossible.
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