The late afternoon sun bathed the noble district of Darklight City in warmth. Through idle conversation with Diana, as they walked, Stella learned that Darklight City was primarily governed by mortals. They had a governing body and influential mortal families that managed various industries, often with the assistance of rogue cultivators.
The group strolled down a picturesque street lined with grand pavilions that seemed out of place in such a large and dense city. Stella observed several groups of noble mortals walking about. They were easily recognizable by their luxurious, free-flowing robes crafted from the finest silk and adorned with jewels. However, what truly identified them as nobles was the presence of a mid-rank Qi cultivator attending to them like a servant—a concept Stella struggled to grasp, even as Diana whispered an explanation.
She just couldn't understand why a cultivator would service the weak mortals.
"I thought all cultivators had to be part of noble families?" Stella murmured as they passed a noble mortal couple laughing with their hands interlocked while a robed man trailed a step behind, displaying his 1st stage Soul Fire realm prowess with dark blue flames flickering across his skin.
"No, you've misunderstood," Diana replied as they turned a street corner. "Being part of a noble cultivation family is a privilege, not a right. I'm not sure if you witnessed this in your own family, but those who are wastrels or lack the talent for cultivation are expelled."
"Kicked out? From their own families?" Stella found it hard to believe.
"Absolutely. Take the man we just passed, for example," Diana explained. "He appeared to be in his mid-fifties, yet his cultivation was stuck at the 1st stage of the Soul Fire realm. Did you notice how impure his spirit root was?"
Stella recalled and agreed, "His water Qi was even darker than yours used to be. Was he a member of your family?"
"No," Diana shook her head. "He didn't have my family's distinctive features. He probably came from a mortal family and awakened a spirit root. Unfortunately, that's where his luck seemed to end. Not only was his spirit root impure, making cultivation more time-consuming, but his talent must be lacking if it took him fifty years to surpass the Soul Forge realm and create his Soul Core."
Stella contemplated Diana's words before asking, "I still don't understand. Couldn't he attend the academy or join your family since he has water affinity?"
"Stella, you can be so naive sometimes. You should know about beast cores after my... incident." There was a brief silence, and Stella was about to console Diana, but she continued without breaking her stride. "Powerful cultivators must embark on month-long journeys into the wilderness to find areas with beasts strong enough to form their own cores that can be harvested."
Stella could see where the conversation was headed but allowed Diana to complete her explanation as she hated to be interrupted.
"Only the strong survive out here in the demonic sects. That's why people blindly consume beast cores, even though they know it may ruin them later. They see their chances of surviving as weak cultivators to be completely up to chance as they can be killed at any moment." Diana let out a long sigh. "Even one of the most powerful, like my father..."
Diana didn't finish her sentence, as the Redclaws were with them, but Stella understood her point. Even the newly ascended Nascent Soul Ravenborne Grand Elder had been slain at his doorstep.
"It doesn't help that beast cores are so expensive, either," Elder Mo grumbled from the side. "As families, we only have so many resources to allocate to each individual's cultivation, so those with a lack of talent are often sold for more resources or kicked out. It's not like we want to do it..."
Stella noticed the darkness in Elder Mo's expression, and Amber smiled wearily from the side.
"Either we are ruthless to ourselves," Elder Mo continued, "or the other families will do it for us."
"Anyway, enough of that. We're here," Diana said in a flat tone as she pointed to a small restaurant nestled between two taverns. A hooded man leaned against the wall of the nearby tavern, watching them as they approached but never making a move.
Feeling uneasy, Stella followed Diana into a modest establishment with an ornate sign reading Golden Springs above its narrow door. An odd name, considering it was a small noodle shop with a kindly old lady sitting behind the counter.
However, Stella's suspicions that this wasn't an ordinary place peaked when the old lady seemed entirely unfazed by four cultivators entering her tiny restaurant, two of them wearing masks and the other two being members of Darklight City's new ruling family, the Redclaws.
Stella stood off to the side as Diana approached the counter and leaned on it. The elderly woman leaned in, exposing her ear, and Diana whispered, "The bridge to the Golden Spring lies with Mister Choi."
The elderly woman offered a toothy smile that did little to flatter her wrinkled face and gestured for them to follow her behind the bar and into the kitchen.
As Stella followed, she briefly locked eyes with the only other group in the restaurant. Initially, she had thought they were mortals enjoying a meal, but the bowls of noodles before them were cold and appeared days old by the murky water. Upon closer inspection, she realized they were no ordinary mortals. So, what were cultivators doing in a tiny shop like this?
Even stranger than the restaurant's only customers, the kitchen was empty. No one seemed to work here, and a thin layer of dust covered all the cooking equipment.
"Mister Choi will guide you along the hidden path," the elderly lady said, gesturing to a door at the end of the kitchen. With that, she disappeared into a side room, leaving the four cultivators alone. Amber and Elder Mo exchanged glances, and Stella looked around nervously.
Only Diana seemed unperturbed. Confidently, she strode forward and opened the flimsy door, revealing a wall of dirt. Unfazed by the obstacle, Diana walked forward, and to everyone's astonishment, the wall of dirt shifted away as she moved.
"What the..." Stella muttered, and Diana glanced over her shoulder, her white mask concealing her face. "Come on, Stella, it's never a good idea to keep Mister Choi waiting."
Stella had no idea who this mysterious Mister Choi was, but why did hiring some mortals involve so much secrecy? She couldn't make sense of it but decided to trust Diana and followed her.
Elder Mo and Amber attempted to follow as well, but Diana waved them off. "You two wait here for us. We'll be back soon."
Amber appeared slightly annoyed, but Elder Mo bowed deeply. "As you wish, Mistress Diana."
As they delved deeper into the seemingly endless dirt, Stella was engulfed in complete darkness when a rumble sounded, and the dirt tunnel closed behind them.
Stella's Qi surged to illuminate the dark space, and she prepared to cast a portal to escape being buried alive, but Diana's voice reassured her. "Don't worry, that's supposed to happen. We just have to keep walking forward."
"Why did we leave the Redclaws behind?" Stella asked over the rumbling dirt. She had been wondering about that. Was this Mister Choi so trustworthy that they would leave their escorts behind? Especially Elder Mo, who was on par with both of them in strength.
There was a brief silence before Diana answered in a whisper that was difficult to hear over the rumbling earth. "They would only get in the way of our conversation. It's hard to maintain our mysterious persona in front of them. Especially for me with Mister Choi... Just stay quiet for now, I want this to be a surprise, and the walls have ears."
Stella fell quiet for a moment as they continued down the ever-changing tunnel. At times, it shifted direction like a labyrinth, and Stella concluded it was a way for travelers to remain unaware of the tunnel's end in relation to the Golden Springs noodle restaurant.
Before Stella could ask more, the dirt tunnel collapsed, and dim sunlight illuminated Diana's figure as she stepped out of the ground, with Stella following closely.
Strangely, the first thing she noticed was the sudden change in weather. They shouldn't have gone far, and it had been sunny when they entered the noodle shop, but now dark skies and a chilly breeze prevailed—indicating they were outside.
Diana strode forward unperturbed, but Stella couldn't help but hesitate to take in the surroundings as they found themselves in a beautiful garden enclosed by high walls. A cobbled path led them to a wooden bridge that crossed a small stream, flanked by people standing on either side. They all wore identical black cloaks with a golden koi fish embroidered on the lowered hood.
None of them displayed their cultivation, which made guessing their realm and affinity difficult, but they were undoubtedly cultivators. More rogue cultivators, Stella surmised as she quickly followed Diana. She wasn't thrilled about having to rely on and follow Diana here, but Diana had been the scion of the family that had ruled this city for decades.
The cultivators stood motionless as they passed, resembling living statues. Soon enough, they were crossing the well-maintained wooden bridge, and that was when Stella saw the potential boss of this place.
"Ladies! Welcome to the Golden Springs pavilion." The absolutely massive man greeted them with a shark-toothed grin. Towering over the stone table he sat behind, which displayed a mud model of a building, his purple silk robe embroidered with golden koi did little to conceal his bulging muscles, and his shiny bald head was hard to ignore.
If a mountain could become a man, then this was the result.
"Mister Choi," Diana said respectfully as she stopped a step away from the stone table in the center of the clearing. "I'm eternally grateful you could make time for us today."
Stella was grateful her mask hid her wandering eyes because she found it difficult to resist looking around in awe at the wondrous piece of paradise this place was and the mountain of a man who dominated the area with his presence. They were on a small island surrounded by the rushing stream and bamboo shoots, providing privacy from the entrance area.
Mister Choi returned a grin to Diana. "My doors are always open to those working with the ruling family and especially to those who know the secret code." He then cracked his neck, rolled his shoulders, and flexed a bit of his cultivation. "Now, who are you?"
Stella's eyes widened. The man was a 9th-stage Soul Fire realm cultivator like her, with an earth affinity, but his spirit root was very impure. 'Since those in the Qi realm can live up to 150 years old, and this man is at the peak of the next realm up while still looking in his thirties, he could be a few hundred years old,' Stella mused as she tried to act casual in the face of the blatant display of power.
"No need to act so hostile," Diana said, reaching up to remove her mask and revealing a smirk. "Long time no see, Mister Choi."
The man blinked, too shocked to speak, until he abruptly stood up, his stone chair crashing behind him. "It's really you, Diana? Oh, the nine realms are truly kind to this old man! You survived the slaughter!"
What followed was a joyous reunion that left Stella baffled as she stood off to the side. They didn't look related, but she picked up the general gist of the matter through snippets of conversation.
Mister Choi had been the main provider of high-quality mortal servants to the Ravenborne family. In return, he had received vast resources for a rogue cultivator, which he had used to advance his cultivation to the 9th stage of the Soul Fire realm.
Due to Mister Choi's relationship with the Ravenborn family, he often met at their peak and exchanged conversations with Diana when they ran into one another. Diana was also sometimes sent here on behalf of her father.
Stella guessed from context clues during the conversation that rogue cultivators who became that strong were hunted down or forced to join the ruling family as a subordinate. So, Mister Choi had hidden away, maintaining a low profile as the city changed ownership several times.
Few knew of his existence or strength since he preferred to run his business empire from the shadows. So he explained how he had been surprised when a masked woman appeared at his front door with Redclaw cultivators in tow, knowing the secret code taught to all the higher-ups in the Ravenborne family who wished to do business with him.
After catching up, Diana introduced Stella to Mister Choi. She tensed slightly as the man's massive hand engulfed hers in a handshake. He seemed friendly enough, but his fierce appearance and similar cultivation level made Stella uneasy.
The rest of the meeting was a blur as she sat there, gazing up at the foreboding sky. Listening to the contract terms the other two exchanged, Stella became even more determined to let Diana handle the more bothersome tasks in the future.
She could admit that she hadn't been formally educated past an early age and lacked much knowledge a sect leader should possess. Rather than make a fool of herself, she let Diana take care of it, sitting quietly and twiddling her thumbs.
"So, just to reiterate," Mister Choi said seriously, reading from a mud tablet created with his Qi and covered in text. "You want to hire five rogue cultivators, all proficient in earth affinity, to be builders, and you also want to hire cultivators to be maids, and simple mortal servants or builders won't suffice?"
Diana nodded.
Mister Choi groaned as if annoyed. "And not only do you want me to find seven rogue cultivators with specific affinity requirements, but you also want them to swear an oath of loyalty and live with you on Red Vine Peak? Do you have any idea how incredibly expensive this request is?"
"Those were the terms, yes," Diana replied, unfazed.
"Expensive is the wrong word here." The man set the mud tablet aside and rested his bald head in his enormous hand. "Some things simply can't be bought with money, and this is one of them."
"What do I need to do then?" Diana asked.
"Well, very few rogue cultivators are that desperate for mortal currency or even spirit stones. The main issue with your request is the oath part. Cultivators are too prideful to agree to such a thing unless their life is threatened."
Stella couldn't help but think back to the Redclaws, who had surrendered and sworn an oath after facing down Larry.
"I can try to convince them," Mister Choi continued as he sat back up and rubbed the back of his bald head. "Can you give me any more details that would make people more eager to sign up? Anything special you can offer?"
Stella wanted to blurt out all the amazing things Tree could do, but she wisely remained silent as Diana simply replied, "Tell them this: After the end of this month, they will beg to join us, and we will have to turn them down then. It's first come, first serve. This is an offer of a lifetime."
"Bold words," Mister Choi snorted, standing up and holding out his large hand. "A thousand Dragon Crowns per person as a finder's fee, and then you must win them over yourself. Once I have any news, I will send a runner from my establishment to Red Vine Peak."
Diana hesitated for a moment at the mention of Red Vine Peak but eventually reached out and shook Mister Choi's outstretched hand. "Those terms are acceptable. If that is all, we shall be on our way."
As they turned to leave, Stella saw Mister Choi lean over the strange model on the table, and with a rush of earth Qi from Mister Choi, one of its walls dropped down. There was a brief rumble, and Stella stared to her left as the wall collapsed, revealing a tunnel leading back to the noodle shop. It seemed the model mimicked real life.
"Looks like it's going to rain soon," Diana commented as she walked toward the exit. "We should hurry home. I'm exhausted."
Stella couldn't agree more. She felt the sudden change in weather was rather foreboding.
That's when the bells began to ring.
***
Stella and Diana dashed down the street with the Redclaws in tow. Using movement techniques in the city was usually frowned upon as they could lead to accidental deaths, but the roads were clear.
Everyone had taken shelter inside as ominous bells chimed through the sudden rain shower. It was hard to see through the heavy rain, but a terrible feeling brewed in Stella's stomach as they charged down the central street and got closer to the walls. This was no normal storm.
"Those bells only go off when the city is under attack," Diana shouted over the gale.
Stella nodded and looked to the distant Red Vine Peak shrouded in a dense storm. From afar, it had looked like a simple storm cloud, but now Stella wasn't so sure. The tempest seemed to rotate a bit too violently for a casual storm...
And then the dark clouds shrouding Red Vine Peak lit up like a small star, bathing the entire valley in bright light.
Stella felt her heart stop in her chest—Tree had been in the center of that.
Stella cried and charged forward. Lightning Dao crackled along her legs, empowering her speed. "Tree! No!" Her life seemed to flash before her eyes as the dark clouds dimmed and then lit up with lightning a second time.
Faster, faster, faster. She needed to get there and help Tree somehow.
The violent storm suddenly began to coil upwards while awful howls filled the valley. Stella didn't care; she kept increasing her speed as the world blurred around her, and her Soul Core glowed and hummed within her.
Stella didn't know how far or for how long she had been running, but she was only halfway through the city when the storm concentrated around the top of Red Vine Peak began to fan out.
With her enhanced eyesight, she saw the clouds dissipate higher, and something strange happened. Pieces of black bark rained from the sky like hail.
Stella skidded to a stop, creating a deep ravine in the street, and paused to watch the black rain as the clouds made their way over to Darklight City. It looked like the clouds were filled with corruption as they bled onto the city below.
Near Stella's feet, a piece of black bark fell and lodged itself into the ravine she had just created. To her surprise, it drew in all the chaotic Qi in the surroundings, especially the water Qi from the rain, and began to grow... into a tree.
Very, very quickly—Stella had to stumble back to avoid being catapulted by its expanding branches.
Before Stella knew it, trees were popping up everywhere, on the road and buildings. Within moments, Darklight City had become a forest.
Stella wanted to stay and inspect these trees further, but with the storm that had been ravaging Red Vine Peak gone, there was nothing standing between her and Tree.
So she ran faster than ever before.
She had to know.
Would she find her best friend and the only thing she considered family as nothing more than a smoldering pile of lumber... or had he survived?
"Tree, please be alive!" She shouted as she charged up the mountainside, trying to ignore the thousands of new trees covering the mountain.
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