Chapter 10 | Tricking Kids! Baby Candy!
James Anderson, or was it Yin Hu, listened with rapt attention as Hu Shui regaled him with a winding story. A mythical being that had existed thousands of years ago. The great and powerful founder of the Hu Clan, Yin Hu.
Obviously the clan was named after him.
He patted himself on the back for suggesting to have the storytelling session during their stroll back towards civilization and his new life. Pass by the time and make it go quicker. He had not been expecting the head spinning tale she started to weave.
Killing dragons, taming mythical beasts, falling in love with a northern wastes barbarian princess, and then eventually escaping her to find true love. The only child, a daughter, of a middling clan with no prospects or renown.
Eventually starting a harem when the barbarian lady found him. With said princess as the head wife. And to top it all off, establishing a mighty city that led to him walking into the skies on a road made of rainbows.
"I'm so happy!" Hu Shui shouted.
She started spinning and dancing around him. His first time seeing her smile in the brief moments together. Well on that matter, it was the first expression that wasn't abject fear or face drenching sobs. It was good to have stopped that uncomfortable sequence of events from reoccurring.
Hu Shui stopped directly in front of him.
Yin Hu almost crashed into her. "Shui?"
That was another oddity he seemed to know without anyone telling him. How did he figure out the first word was the surname and the second that actual first name? It seemed like someone messed with his brain. He would have been pretty mad and honestly believed that if there had been an ancient being in the tutorial island. But there wasn't.
It left him confused.
"My cheeks hurt," Hu Shui rubbed her face. Pinching her cheeks. "I think I smiled too much."
Ooof. An arrow to the heart.
Kids weren't supposed to be confused when they laughed for a few minutes. It should have been common enough to run and play for hours at a time. Much less the scant moments they were together. Walking through the forest.
He needed to change the subject fast.
"What happened to all the mighty mountains of treasures? Why are you here? Dressed like this? What happened to the Hu family?" He asked.
This ancestor story seemed like the usual ancient tale. Embellished like there would be no tomorrow. He probably fought and nearly lost to a grass snake instead of a dragon. Caught himself a house cat after getting tore up by is sharp claws. Dragged into a tent by a Barbarian lady and subsequently forced to marry her or face the thousands of horse riding barbarian tribe that were her family.
Said tribe then went on to conquer a city while he was with them. Forcing him to supervise the city and become its leader since none of them had a clue how to manage one. Considering all they knew were horse riding and living out in the wild. Not mountains of paperwork, judicial hearings, and legislative processes.
Hu Shui kicked rocks. Head low and hands behind her back. Not willing to meet his eyes.
"…" she whispered.
Yin Hu recognized that the girl had a serious speaking up problem. How many times had she already done that? There was no point that he would eat her alive because of what she would say.
Clearing his throat made her jump in her spot.
"Ancestor! Your children fought for the throne a thousand years after your ascension. Demonic Cultivators and their masters swooped in and destroyed everything you worked so hard to build. All because they started killing each other first. None of them followed your great Code of Honor!"
Yin Hu couldn't help the eye twitching. He closed them in his best attempt to get it under control.
Ancestor this! Ancestor that! Damn you and your unreliable ancestor!
He took a deep breath. Trying to think his plan through. Maybe he could take advantage of this. As strong as he was physically, there were things that surpassed it though the cheat that was cultivation. If anything, his millions of years on the island had taught him a simple fact. He couldn't even dent a tree if his life depended on it.
Still mortal and weak compared to what could be out here.
Afterall, there were always ancient monsters hidden under rocks just waiting to mug an unsuspecting small fry. Steal their soul and body to extend their lives. That had been the main plot of too many novels for him to overlook currently.
Even as a person stronger than an average cultivator. He had to be careful lest he lose the life he had struggled to gain. Yin Hu had not survived all that time by his lonesome only to die the first day he met an op, murderhobo MC.
Slapping him to paste for sneezing wrong.
That meant he needed some sort of backing. An alibi to not get strapped onto the proverbial experimentation lab table and dissected by a madman.
Or an army of nukes… err… disciples! Who wouldn't want to serve the ancestor of an entire clan!
"—Palace Gate. Me and Hu Jun ran away. It was not fun…"
Yin Hu blinked. Hu Shui was still talking. Another story she had been regaling him while bouncing up and down. Skipping next to him. Swinging her arms back and forth. As a kid her age should be.
He mentally laughed. Preparing to act his heart out as an Ancient Being. Predecessor of the Hu Clan! Trick the kid!
That didn't sound right.
"Such heartbreak! To think my progeny would disgrace me so!" Yin Hu started his glorious scene.
Doing his best to sound upset. Yin Hu just hoped he hadn't failed spectacularly. Ruining this great chance he had to have a power base under him. Though he would need to prepare emergency exit protocols if their real ancestor showed up.
Hu Shui slid to a stop. She bought his action wholesale. "Forgive our incompetencies, Ancestor! Me and Jun will be better! I promise!"
This was perfect. Easy to fool the kid. But what came after her would be harder to convince. Senior brothers. Elders. A patriarch or matriarch if one existed. And a hundred other adults in the building. Next step was to make excuses for himself.
Hu Shui's real ancestor was supposedly this dragon slaying, harem chasing, run from responsibilities, protagonist. Everything that he was not. He didn't have their special cultivation that made them uniquely Hu clan members. Nor did he have any special abilities he would use as a crutch currently.
It made the situation tenuous if he was not careful .
"Such long ages have passed!" He said.
Hu Shui kowtowed. "Forgiveness! Forgiveness!"
Yin Hu channeled his inner ancient being even more. He kneeled before the little girl, picking her head up from the ground. Wiping away the dirt from her forehead and knees.
"A Hu does not kowtow!"
She nodded. Eyes full of tears and intensity. Biting her lip.
"My powers, Shui. They have diminished as the eons passed! At least in this realm. In the higher realms, I was powerful and strong. But here my strengths are limited. I am not the mighty hegemon I used to be!"
Yin hu turned away. He looked up at the sky through gaps in the canopy. A contemplative look on his face as he 'reminisced' the past years. When he had once supposedly tamed a mythical beast or something. Or married a barbarian princess.
He kept his eye on Hu Shui through his periphery. She stared at him with starry eyes, hands held together and energy bubbling under the surface.
It almost broke his act.
Tricking a kid was wrong on so many levels.
More than he was willing to count. But he had to do what needed to be done. His survival in this new world counted on it. If that meant tricking a little girl into thinking he was their super special primordial predecessor, then so be it.
He just hoped it didn't catch up to him. Cause he was fully committed now.
Chapter 11 | A Real Cultivator?!
"E-even your mean dragons?" She blinked. Head tilted.
Yin Hu had planned to put his spear in his spacial rice bag. It had been cutting clean through the brush and branches. Damaging the forest unnecessarily considering there was already a beaten path to follow. He also feared cutting Hu Shui in half considering how easily the spear's blade went through everything.
Including a tree trunk he conveniently ignored, leaving an inch wide trail half way through it.
He also needed to keep it away from Hu Shui's sight. She could not be convinced otherwise that he wasn't the supposed ancestor. Constantly referencing the spear as the main source of her belief. And his name. But mostly the spear.
"Yes," He combed his fingers through his willowy beard. He nodded sagely. "Yes. Even the spear has weakened considerably. Though not as much!"
She gasped. She began whispering to herself. Having an entire conversation.
"…dragons… master… loves… throw away… what?… no!… Maybe… Of course he does…"
Yin Hu kept his head forward. Hid his spear in the spacial rice bag. Made sure to act like nothing had happened at all. As though the girl hadn't been talking to herself. That was also another oddity he conveniently chose to forget. Hu Shui had been having entire conversations in between their own.
He had no idea who she was talking about but he had hopes. Mostly a hidden monster that is guiding her and will protect him as well if anything happened. If not then another issue he would have to deal with. More on his plate.
But that was better than the alternative.
Nothing at all while isolated on a floating island by himself.
"Tell me, Shui," he had to step over a particularly large root. Shui stopped at it and made a show of jumping over the root. "How many of my Hu Clan are waiting for us."
Yin Hu prepared a million different excuses necessary to trick anyone and anything that would question him. Followed by another series of answers and made up stories he had created on the spot. Channeling the very scant few cultivation books he had read before.
He was not looking forward to it. Adults were not so easily tricked that he was their ancient grandpa.
"Just me and my best friend!" Hu Shui beamed. "She's the best person ever! Strongest person ever too! Strongest than all the boys."
Yin Hu stopped in his tracks.
Wait what? That couldn't mean what I think it means.
"Having a friend is good. What about the adults? Your seniors?"
Hu Shui's shoulders sagged.
Maybe I should run? Did I fuck up already?
"The rest," She tried to keep her smile as wide as it had been. But it was obviously strained. A ghost of what it had been. "…should have met you in the next realm."
Fuck.
Yin Hu stared at her as his plan shattered into a million little pieces. Backfiring in a spectacular fashion. Wasn't he supposed to have plot armor as the Mc? The world shifting and massive loopholes in reality occuring to bend over for his goals? It wasn't supposed to be on hard mode!
Or maybe he wasn't the Mc.
This only made his intent to be careful even more important. No story bullshit. No heroes jumping out of a portal at his darkest moment. No gandalf on the fifth day to save him and his friends. Just an average joe in a not so average universe.
Yin Hu started walking again. Shui no longer had the same pep in her step. Sticking close to him and holding onto the edge of his robes. He absentmindedly patted her shoulder to comfort her. The instinctual need to protect children kicked in seeing her so sullen and glum.
Of course he contemplated running.
She'd probably chase after him. Calling his name out. Running at a child's pace.
He would run laps around her with his enhanced physical abilities.
It had been forever since he felt so sleazy. A dirty feeling that permeated in his chest. He did not enjoy it. Yin hu intended to fall into a wait and see stage. He would still have the name of the Hu clan to go off of. If anything it would be better than starting from scratch.
If things get out of hand, I can still run.
Yin Hu did not know for how long they had been walking. Too deep in his own thoughts to notice his surroundings until Hu Shui broke away from him. Hence letting go of her iron grip on his robe. She ran ahead of him. Waving him to follow her. Her smile did grow back to its previous glory. Yet, he could tell it wasn't the same bright thing it had once been.
He couldn't imagine what it would have been like remembering everyone he loved and knew dying somehow. Brutally to demonic cultivators.
Yin Hu followed leisurely.
She was not fast by any means, but he had a persona to keep. A certain look and character that required him to act unrealistically confident and prideful. He didn't think an egotistical ancient cultivator would suddenly start running. Either floating, disappearing from his spot and reappearing elsewhere, or walking leisurely to their destination.
There was no in between.
Both of them broke through the tree line. A branch nearly whipped in on the nose, barely missing him. He stopped in his tracks and stared. This had not been what he expected of society.
Mismatched huts, tents, rickety buildings, and the occasional good structure between them all. A small town without a wall or palisade to protect them from the outside world. In the center of it all was a gargantuan tree that had been adorned with buildings on it. All connected into a singular one.
A tree house? More like tree mansion!
There were guards standing around the town that he could see from a distance. Archers on rickety tower posts, spearmen and swordsmen patrolling the area. Not a single one of them had a full set of armor or any piece that matched properly. Colored all wrong and half with metal and the other half leather.
Every single person carried a weapon or two.
It was a fucking bandit camp built into the husk of what had been a town.
He followed Hu Shui. Passing for a second as he passed what felt like a bubble that tried to get a read on him. It must have been a barrier of some sort. Array? He had no idea what any of that meant, if he was being honest. Good thing he wasn't.
A bunch of kids ran past him.
Even the kids had swords or spears on them here. Toy weapons to practice with for the kids. Groups of them darted left and right. More than he expected, making the place look like a medieval festival but with a Chinese twist to it.
Instead of the fancy clothes of a festival though, everyone here wore rags. Poorly made clothes. Wagons that looked worn down and on their last legs. Even the odd horse, cow, dog, and or sheep looked emaciated and weak.
Like a mock siege had occurred and everyone was starved.
"Hold!" a group of mismatched guards rushed towards them. Exaggerated motions with arms and weapons swinging. More liable to hurt themselves than anyone else.
Shui stepped in front of him.
The lead guard moved closer while the rest loitered behind him a few steps. "Who are you? Why are you here?"
"He looks like a sect bastard!"
"Let me kill him, Bo! I'll throw his defiled corpse at their gates!"
"No! Burn his corpse!"
Each one of the group had to say a line. Add a sentence or two to show their confidence. But that didn't fool Yin Hu. He could see them tremble behind their facade of courage. Their too large or too small armor clattered against themselves, even when they stood still.
But it was more than that. The thin faces. Unwillingness to look directly at him. Weapons that pointed in all directions but Yin Hu.
They were all scared shitless.
And yet they were willing to confront him. How far did their hate for sects go? That made no sense to him. Shouldn't cultivation be the one way ticket out of poverty and their mundane lives? Everything seemed out of order the moment he arrived into this new world. None of it made sense to him.
"Stop!" Hu Shui shouted.
"Why?" the leader guard, Bo apparently, said. "You're going to get us all killed!"
One of them spat on the ground.
Hu Shui stepped back into him. "T-this is my Ancestor! Leave him alone!"
They started to circle around him. Bo motioned with his head and prepared his weapon. Preparing for a fight and worse if it came down to it.
"Ancestor?" Bo made a show of not paying attention directly to him. But stepped closer anyway. "There are no ancestors! And if there were, then they've abandoned us. Left us to rot."
Yin Hu pulled Hu Shui behind him, then summoned his spear. His hands already felt slick with sweat. It did not affect the surface of his weapon or his grip. It was perfectly made and with passion to boot. The dragon engravings made it an excellent weapon to hold and use.
He leveled it at them.
They did the same. Finally finding the courage to face him.
"Death before dishonor!" The guards shouted together with red eyes and tight jaws.
Yin Hu was left stunned at how quickly everything devolved. The situation would turn into a battle where he wasn't confident he could protect Hu Shui. He had no doubt he would crush the mortal, and quite frankly skeletal, guards. But how would he do that and keep Shui from getting run through by a spear?
Fuck. This is the negative to taking their ancestors identity isn't it?
He was confident as long as he wasn't fighting a strong cultivator. Things got weird and quickly when dealing with them and Qi.
Yin Hu heard the wind howl above him before the guards. A storm brewing above them. The guards looked up and he followed their gaze. He looked only to find exactly what he had been trying to avoid at all costs.
A massive man floated above them.
He held a blade taller than even he was, and probably as wide as Hu Shui. A tornado of leaves and branches surrounded him making it impossible to make out any details.
A real life cultivator. One flying and controlling an element just like how he dreamed they would be. Yin Hu cursed his luck for the hundredth time that day. He had thought things were bad already before, but it just kept getting worse.
Why the hell did the boss come out already! It's supposed to be gradual!
Wasn't he supposed to fight a bunch of mobs and weaklings first before he made his way up to the big dogs? Why was everything backwards in this cultivation world?!
Chapter 12 - The Gang Boss
Dong ZhenKang looked down from his seat of power. Far above the town where he had based his Silver Mountain Gang. The jewel of such a broken place, sitting upon a mighty tree filled with spiritual energies that powered his array barriers.
He was unquestionable. Beyond the reproach of anyone that called this place home. Any that dared speak up disappeared quickly.
Only rumors remained of them.
Yet, no matter how he acted. How much pomp and flair he presented himself with. No matter what he said or how he said it, he and everyone here would be no more than this. Bandits. It was the limit of their fate currently.
At any moment a dagger, hidden by the dark, would find him. His generals and advisors searching for any weakness they could take advantage of to usurp him. To be the person seated in this very throne he had built himself. Wear the mantle of Gang Boss.
None are worthy!
But that was neither here nor there. No coup or political ploys would happen if his Silver Mountain Gang did not exist.
Dong ZhenKang called upon his Immortal Peak cultivation. Liquid Core Foundation realm. And the power of his dao and element. The wind answered with glee. Screaming and tearing at his surroundings. Picking up debris from the floor and trees to hide his figure. It gave him a mysterious edge.
Presentation is everything! Impressions are worth gold!
His body disappeared from his mighty seat. A flicker only for even the most trained eye.
Dong ZhenKang reappeared near the edges of the barrier he had built. His greatsword appeared in his hands. Watching as the commotion grew louder before him. He stared, posing with as much flourish and pomp as he could, as his guards approached a pair.
Two that had just entered his domain. One of them he did not recognize.
People coming and going out of the raggedy town was quite normal. Refugees rushed to join them after his latest recruitment drive. Sending arsons to burn their food stock and villages tended to drive them to him like cattle. And those within the town left and returned to hunt, gather wood, and a hundred other tasks that needed doing.
But this was different.
When the girl entered and passed through the barrier. He learned exactly who she was and what her strength looked like. A common figure within these parts.
Hu Shui. Guarded by my lovely Hu Jun.
A Qi initiate from a supposedly illustrious family. Once in the past she had been important. Now the girl was nothing more than a vagrant that lived and leached off her cousin and guard. Hu Jun. No living members left in their family, just the two left to the wind.
Perfect Hu Jun.
Dong ZhenKang had to hide the smirk that crossed his face. That was a girl worth every moment it took to study her figure. Quick, intelligent, and with boundless potential to boot. Matching her beauty. She had even made it to the Gaseous Core at such a young age.
His interest in her was the only reason many have not touched them yet. Keeping them from the labor camps or even worse fates. A brothel. That was the power of his favorable impression. If only the bitch wasn't so blind. Unable to see the position she was in.
But time would fix that. As with all things.
The Gang Boss looked down at the old man next to Hu Shui. Taking his time to study him. An anomaly he never encountered before. He hated anomalies. They always meant trouble for him and his peace of mind.
He frowned. The very barrier itself seemed to rush away from touching him. It tore open, rushing with all its might from encountering him. Forcing his hand to repower that section with a wave of Qi that could have been used in a better place.
What treasure does the old man have? I need something like that—
Dong ZhenKang's frown deepened. His forehead scrunched. The guards spat on the ground towards Hu Shui. Dong ZhenKang had been very clear with them on what he expected of them. It did not include antagonizing every cultivator they saw—
He gasped. Grabbed hold of his mighty blade. Every ounce of power within him surged. Nearly depleting his Liquid Core. The wind screamed and howled. A true storm whipped above the town making the trees snap back and forth.
It did nothing to hide the sheer terror that crossed through his entire being.
Hu Shui stepped back into the old man. "T-this is my Ancestor! Leave him alone!"
It did nothing to dissuade the guards. If anything, it made them more irate and filled with bloodlust. They wanted a scapegoat. Someone they could beat for all they've had to suffer. It did not matter who as long as they fit the bill.
"Death before dishonor!" the guards shouted.
Pressure descended upon the entire town. Every person looked around, unable to understand what had happened. Too blind to see Mount Tai before them. They would doom everyone here without knowing what had happened at all.
Six gazes locked onto them all from above. Connected to the old man.
He was the source. Dong ZhenKang intended to cut him before whatever this pressure fell upon them. He gathered the storm within his hands. Sharpened it onto his blade. Gathered every iota of energy within him and prepared his most powerful attack.
There was no way he would give the old man the chance to ruin everything he worked so hard—
Silence descended upon the entire village. The wind died. His hands fell limp at his side. All the power he beaconed into his attack vanished. It did not exist any more. The core he was so proud of remained empty. It took everything within him to prevent it from cracking and ruining his whole life's journey.
Dong ZhenKang met the Ancient Being's gaze.
Everything turned black. Distant stars twinkled. Galaxies and things beyond imagination moved for the first time in eons untold. The primordial eras were children before this being. Something shifted within the stars. Locking onto him. Waiting for the command to turn him into dust. It waited with bated breath.
How long does one need to exist for something like this to be reality? What kept such power hidden? How could something so ancient and destructive be alive for so long—
Dong ZhenKang gasped once more. Reality returned. His wind snapped back and created a clap of sound.
Six killing intents locked onto him. The ancient being leveled his spear at them. A mirage appeared in the skies. Six red dragons, glistening scales, anger and fury in their eyes. Each one large enough to eat the entire town in a single bite.
A smile of resignation crossed his face. They were all dead anyways so what difference did it make. Some left before others while some lived for eons. But at the end of the day, they would all eventually die. It was a law that governed reality—
The guards screamed. Dong ZhenKang looked away to the sky. Past the six dragons that bloated most of it out. It would end with no one the wiser. Everyone, forgetting that a man named Dong ZhenKang had existed, struggled against all odds to get here.
Cursed by that little Hu whore.
He closed his eyes and waited. Then waited some more. The guards screamed some more. Shouting and fighting. But the inevitable doom and destruction did not appear.
Dong ZhenKang snuck a glance with one eye. He looked down to find all the guards alive. Wincing and grabbing at their wrists. But none of them were injured. Disgraced and embarrassed, but not dead. He remained confused until his eyes locked onto a new figure in the scene.
Hu Jun!
She stood graciously. Flourish. Balancing on one leg in a tree pose. A long staff held behind her. Perfection. Technique, timing, and beauty. Everything faultless and impeccable.
He gulped.
Dong ZhenKang made to approach them but stopped. His eyes creeped back to the little Hu girl.
She called him Ancestor… Right?
Closing his eyes did not stop the abrupt migraine. He allowed himself to slowly float away and back to his seat of his power. The magnificent tree seemed to lose its luster. His mansion seemed smaller, if not as large as a can.
All his hopes and dreams. Shattered.
It took the matter of only a few seconds. Everything down the drain. But such was life. Giving and taking away with no obvious reason. Dong ZhenKang just needed to find another ultra-talented beauty to make his own.
How the hell am I supposed to do that?!
Chapter 13 - Maybe there is Potential!
Yin Hu felt his jaws ache. Cheeks had already become stiff at his constant expression. The hard work to keep his best stoic ancestor look was only getting harder and harder. Especially with people trying to take his head. Cultivators with storms raging around them above his head. And the requirement to protect a little girl from multiple attackers at once.
All the while not having a clue how to fight.
He hadn't seen anyone on the island. Much less fought or sparred with. Just a tree that never moved or punched back. One that he lost to more times than he could count.
The urge to scream or run like a headless chicken filled his chest. But he knew better. It countered his current persona. One that required constant upkeep if he intended to leverage the existence of a Clan name into his own personal cultivator army.
Even if said Clan was in ruins. Banking on their unreliable ancestor's fake accomplishment.
I am an ancient master! Ancestor of a once mighty family!
He repeated a hundred times in his mind. A mantra to make him believe it more than them. Yin Hu could feel his back straighten. Chin rose slightly.
Peasants. Peasants with sharp deadly spears!
Each one was more than capable of tearing through him with a stab. Faster than he could catch with his eyes if they weren't ordinary people. Insects beneath his glory! With a wave of his hands, they could cease to exist. Dead on and all!
Thank Heaven I am so kind!
Yin Hu kept the spear pointed at them with one hand. Placing the other behind his back in the ultimate, ancient, hidden monster pose. The long sleeves hid both hands that dripped with anxious sweat already.
Preparing to grab Hu shui and run as hard as he could if the intimidating Cultivator literally flying inside a tornado made a move. But for now the gargantuan man did nothing but stare at him. A statue hidden by the foliage and debris flying around him.
The guards approached him slowly—
"Shu-Shu!"
It happened quicker than Yin Hu expected. A young lady appeared like a ghost. Kicking, spinning, smacking heads and cracking skulls. Disarming all the guards in what could have been nothing more than five seconds total. Grace and elegance as she spun through them as though she was dancing at a ball rather than fighting grown men with sharp spears and dark intent.
The guards remained on the floor sprawled out, massaging their hands.
Said young lady struck a tree pose. One arm out towards the guards and the other holding a long staff behind her. Ballerina pose. A cultivator through and through.
"Jun!" Hu Shui jumped up and down. Clapping.
This is Jun?! Maybe I don't have so little to work with after all!
He could already see it. The mastermind, evil plan of tricking the little girl and the young lady. Convincing them he was their ancient ancestor and finally developing them into his personal self automatic and moving nukes!
Jun broke from her pose. Running past the guards and straight to Shui. "Come with me!" Dragging the little girl with her.
Shui pulled her hand away. "No!"
Hu Shui ran to him. Hiding behind his back. A tight grip on his free hand. The same one that he had to hide due to its shaking like a branch.
"Don't you see?" Hu Shui whispered loudly. Nodding at him with a knowing look across her face. "It's him."
Jun looked confused.
Hu Shui sighed audibly. Then ran to Jun. Whispering back and forth between them. Pointing at him and mentioning his name a few times. But that was all he could make out. He was not trying to eavesdrop. It would be simpler to let them make up their own fantasies rather than shed any light on the situation.
Yin Hu watched the back and forth. Studying Jun's face. She looked very similar to Shui. Though the confused look on her face did not fit her. Slowly but surely it morphed into something else. The exact opposite of what he needed at this moment.
From confusion is changed into red, steaming rage. If he looked hard enough he could see smoke rising from her head.
It was at that moment, he knew he messed up somewhere along the line. Jun was probably in her late teens, early twenties. He couldn't trick her as easily as he had done with Shui. All his excuses seemed to disappear leaving him with nothing but his ancestor persona.
"Yes," Jun said, eyes narrowing and voice even. "Our ancestor should follow us." Ending it with narrowed eyes.
Hu Shui clapped and jumped in joy. Unaware of the dangers she had just thrown them into. Oblivious to the murder in Hu Jun's eyes. She grabbed his hand and dragged him past the guards. Following Hu Jun deeper into the town proper.
Said guards stayed on the ground. Keeping their heads low. They understood that Hu Jun could have executed them all. It was only her mercy that any of them were alive at this moment.
Yin Hu, on the other hand, was too busy trying to remember all his excuses, counters, and arguments he had been making ever since his plan started. All the work he mentally put into tricking everyone he encountered. Searching.
None of them came back.
Even then he noticed the flying man turn around and leave. One of his larger worries disappeared back to its mansion. For now at least he only had to deal with one cultivator. Hu Jun.
They speed walked through the town. Yin Hu gave up on remembering any and resolved himself to winging it and making up bullshit as he went. Now he focused primarily on the path being taken. Memorizing it as they came by them as his escape route.
Right, right, left, right, left… Why'd we make a U-turn? Left, right, left, left, right, right.
It would become his mantra for the foreseeable future. Escape paths and plans formulating in his head if Jun tried to slit his throat. She was fast, but he was confident in his escape. The one thing he had above even decently strong cultivators was his physical abilities. Yes, it led to many days and nights of mortifying kung fu moves, but he had been alone.
Hu Jun stomped ahead of them. Shui, in between, kept the raging bull from reaching him. Promising endless suffering. If his hearing were to be believed, she was huffing and puffing loud.
But that could have been his imagination.
The path took another few turns until they eventually reached a house that was in better condition than the rest around it. Two story building surrounded by a beat up wall that stood slightly over his height. He would need a boost to see over it. Maybe if he could float like the cultivator that floated above them.
A rickety gateway screamed in protest as it was kicked open by the hurricane that was Hu Shui. She torpedoed through the courtyard and around a small tree in the center of it all. Surrounded by large stones in a circle.
Hu Jun held the gateway open for him. She extended her arms out in a flourish. Waving him in. But her glare never lessened. She would have already skinned him alive before cutting him up into a thousand tiny pieces if her looks could kill.
Yin Hu gulped. Questioning the sanity of stepping in. But did it anyway. Stuck in his ancestor persona and in a too precarious situation to attempt to change it in any way. If anything it was consistent. Each step past the gateway was harder until he finally reached the adolescent tree.
Hands behind his back. Studying the tree with intent and focus. As though it was a billion dollar, modern art painting of a single uneven square. Or a shoe balanced on an apple. He tried to give off the impression that he was contemplating life's virtues and struggles.
That should be enough right?
Jun closed the gate then leaned onto the wall next to it. Watching him the entire time. Arms crossed and waiting for something. She placed her staff to the side. Propped up by the wall as well.
What that was he did not know.
Hu Shui rushed out of the house. She changed into another set of dusty and ragged robes. Both had seen better days even if this one was marginally better. She twirled around him, showing off her dress in a series of barely intelligible words.
Yin Hu was so busy thinking to fully hear her speak. Focused on Hu Jun in case she tried anything suspicious or dangerous.
"Shu-Shu," Jun pushed off the wall. Standing straight. Her staff clattered on the ground while she worked to take out clinking coins from a hidden pouch. "Take this. Buy bread, vegetables, and some rice. Extra. We have a guest we will need to feed."
"Okay!" Hu Shui grabbed the coins from Jun, dropping a couple. She rushed out in the same tide as her arrival. A hurricane. Not once questioning or hesitating to follow Hu Jun's orders.
Yin Hu gulped again. His muscles tensed, but did not move.
Jun walked towards him. Circling around the tree and stopping in the general direction of the house's entrance.
Yes! She didn't block the exit. I have my way out!
He focused even harder on the tree. Studying the odd veins in every single leaf. They seemed to be in all the wrong spots. Yin Hu could feel her gaze burn his side. But she said nothing. Neither was he willing to be the first to speak.
I am an ancient master! Ancestor of a once mighty family!
Repeating his first mantra helped him win the battle.
Jun broke the silence first.
Chapter 14 - Raw Emotions
Jun broke the silence first.
"You are our ancestor." Jun said.
I am?!
It wasn't a question. Rather a statement or fact she had somehow discovered. Yin Hu wasn't sure how she reached that conclusion. He was not about to ask or look a gift horse in its mouth. The need for every and all misunderstandings in his favor required it.
"Recognizing the family's great tree so quickly," Jun shook her head. "An offshoot, but still the same in essence. Part of its mighty form."
Yin Hu reached with his hand. Touching the leaves and almost petting it like a tiny animal. He could feel it greedily soak up Qi from him with every brush. It almost seemed to preen at the attention and treat it had been offered. Its main trunk, thin and bending due to its own weight, began to straighten out. Cracking like an old person's spine.
Jun stepped closer to him. "It even recognizes your touch."
Greedy thing would recognize anyone with Qi!
He wondered if all trees in a cultivation world would basically be horror, murder trees if they get a chance to become anything more than mundane wood and greens. Especially if they had an appetite as voracious as this thing had.
"Is it true?"
Yin Hu turned to look at her. Confused.
Jun's eyes were brimming with tears. "The stories. They say you planted it with your own hands. Blessed it and the land it grew on with a mana pool. Giving rise to myth and legend." She paused. Then whispered too low for him to hear. "Is any of it true? Any of your tales?"
He nodded sagely. Not catching that last part nor the whisper it came out as.
This is good! Make more assumptions!
Kneeling before the tree but not touching it. Yin Hu wasn't about to get drained to death by this thing. Even if it supposedly had been planted by him and taken care of by his progeny. Mostly because they weren't true. None of it was.
"It is so," Yin Hu tried to keep his voice deep. But he was still unpracticed with speaking. It came out a harsh, raspy whisper. "Many, many years ago. I planted a tree—"
In his backyard as a kid. His mother was not pleased with the mess of digging and mud he made in her perfect little garden. A memory that kept coming back to him, reminding him of his great nemesis. The isolated island's big tree.
He began pressing his hands into the ground. And immediately regretted it. The tree's little roots had not been dug deep enough, catching his palm. It took a big gulp of his energy. Again.
Yin Hu tried not to snap his hand back.
Fighting against all his primal urges to get away from the Qi sucking demonic tree.
"—watered it. Propped its weakened trunk with grace. Watched it grow when others would have cut it down in its infancy."
Perfect lines! I have a talent for this!
It was quick to the point and a few words all together. Setting him up perfectly. He couldn't have done better if he tried. Yin Hu stood back up. Hid his hands in his sleeves but still refused to look directly at Hu Jun in case she somehow figured he wasn't who he claimed to be.
Hu Jun laughed. It was not a good sound. Derisive. Laughing at him and herself.
Yin Hu turned to look at her in confusion.
"That tree. The land. People. My family and your progeny!" Jun balled up her hands into fists. Tears dripped from her face. Her voice increased in volume and octave. Struggling to stop it from cracking. "Everything was destroyed! Salted and barren! The entire Hu family is gone because of you! Our homes burned to the ground!"
All he could do was stare with wide eyes. Shock hidden behind his facade. Yin Hu had no clue what to do. How to deal with this. Or what the hell happened to cause such an intense outbreak.
The reality was simple: he wasn't their ancestor no matter how much he tried to sell it.
He couldn't possibly connect to what it felt like to lose everything and everyone. With the person that should have done something missing. Their guardian against the dark tides swallowed and vanishing in their most needed moments.
"Why don't you say something?!" Jun screamed. She wiped tears from her face. It did not help.
"I…" Yin Hu knew anything he said would be wrong. It didn't matter what words he chose.
Anger still morphed her face, even with the trails of tears dripping without anything to hold them back. She stalked up to him. He froze in his spot, unable to move. Yin Hu forgot his plan to escape if she approached too close.
Hu Jun jabbed a finger into his chest. "Where were you when my mother died?" She screamed.
She jabbed him again. Voice growing weaker. "When the clan elders and patriarch all sacrificed themselves to reach you?!"
Yin Hu let her release all of her pent up energy.
"Why didn't you answer their pleas for help?! All of us could have used your guidance. Your wisdom in our darkest time!"
Hu Jun hit his chest with a hammer fist. It did not hurt at all. Not even shift him slightly. Yin Hu thought she put no power behind it, not seeing the unintentional usage of Qi with it. Hu Jun started hitting again and again getting closer and closer.
Screaming and shouting unintelligible words he could not understand.
Unlike Hu Shui, her memories were crystal clear. The fear, panic, understanding what had happened. The consequences of the actions taken that day. Their journey until this point. Her and Hu Shui were both too young to be out here alone. Not in what amounted to a bandit camp.
Jun slowly lost strength. Slumping to her knees and covering her face. Sobbing.
Yin Hu lowered himself to her level. Holding her shoulder. Uncomfortable with the raw untainted emotion. It hurt to see something like this. Even if it was meant for someone else. A private conversation he was butting in without any real stake previously.
But not anymore.
"Where were you when we needed you?" She whispered only for the two of them to hear. Leaning into him.
He hugged her. Much like he had done for Hu Shui not that long ago. Jun may have been the elder. The protector. Hu Shui's guardian and parental figure all in one. But at the end of the day, she was still a young lady lost in a world that was renowned for being callous.
Only the strong survived. Even then only for as long as they maintained their incredulous growth in power.
Yin Hu let her cry into his shoulder. Patting her back.
"Please," She said. Desperate. Begging. "Don't leave us again. Keep us safe. Please. These people they want to hurt us. I can't do it anymore. Those evil looks. The Gang Boss. I… He… I don't…"
He grit his teeth. All his plans had been ruined. Even his backup plan of running worthless. It made sense the way she had acted so far. The fake exterior of ultimate confidence and capability. To keep the pariah's and wolves away.
But it was too much pressure for a kid.
This amount of stress broke stronger and older people all the time. The insanity of always searching for their next meal, protecting herself and Hu Shui at all times, and a constant paranoia for everything and everyone around her.
Yin Hu wasn't some ridiculously powerful ancient primordial ancestor. No fireballs or tornadoes to throw around. No earth shattering strength or Qi powered techniques to destroy his enemies. Just mundane human strength and abilities.
But he did have an advantage. A cheat he would use to its fullest potential.
The rice bag shifted in his robe. Eons worth of rewards given to him by the system. Maybe he couldn't unlock its power himself, but he had access to a world shaking amount of incredulous weapons. Cultivation techniques. Manuscripts. Resources. Spiritual herbs and pills and a hundred other items that he would use without shame.
Miraculous items each and all.
Dragonslaying this, world ending that. Universe devouring those and Phoenix burning hither. All primed to be used in his creation process. They would turn into nukes, whether they liked it or not. Blasting everyone he couldn't deal with yet until he could.
But first he had to secure their loyalty. Hitch them to his fate beyond a shadow of doubt. If he was going down, then all of them would go with him.
"I won't leave." He said.
Plans and preparations churning in his head. There was too much to do before a big baddie arrived or their ancestor decided to make an entrance. Hopefully he would have established enough good will to run away with his magical items.
Chapter 15 - Sludge and Mud
Yin Hu looked down. Looked back up at the two girls. Then looked back down at the plate of food that sat in front of him. He gulped what could only be considered the most unpalatable food that had ever graced his mouth.
A basic vegetable stew and plump bread.
It should not have been this bad. The meal even looked very appetizing. Pleasing to the eye and delicious. Most importantly to him was that it was not rice! It had been the very first thing he could even remember that was not the bland plate he had stuffed his face with for eons.
The taste of anything else completely foreign to him now. Clearly it would stay that way.
What the fuck?! How can something taste this bad!
Moments. That was all it took for Yin Hu to come to a final and firm decision. Banishing the idea that he would ever eat something like this again.
It felt like dirt sludge of mud and filth. A pigsty would have been more appetizing than the waste that was this meal. Mushy in his mouth and wet. Yin Hu could only come up with two reasons why something like this could exist. Neither one made him happy.
Hu Jun had to be the worst cook to ever grace the idea of cooking. Touched a pot. Gathered water. Or even considered the idea of making a meal. The other reason would break his heart. He couldn't take another plan failing so quickly.
Yin Hu looked up from his plate again. Shui was stuffing her face full of soggy soup bread. Munching away happily without a care in the world. She tore another piece of her bread, dunked it into the vegetable soup multiple times, then plopped it into her mouth.
Without an ounce of hesitation.
Isn't she supposed to be from a special family?! Shouldn't they both have a better palate than this?!
He refused to look towards the criminal who made the food. Mostly because he feared she would burst out into tears if he looked at her wrong or said something that hit a nerve. She'd cried at least twice after the first time. Changing her tune only when Hu Shui showed up.
She turned into the stoic guardian in a moment's notice. Hiding the tears and red eyes by washing her face with water. Expressionless or positive. Never anything negative to be seen.
Fuck!
Yin Hu knew the truth. Even if he refused to believe it. The second option was filled with a level of horror that assaulted his senses and mind in ways he couldn't explain. A horrifying nightmare.
Is the rice that special? Have my tastebuds been forever ruined?
He had figured out that the rice had miraculous properties. From a boost in health, speed, strength, and more physical benefits. To the general sustenance that should not have been possible. No protein, fats, or any other micro and macro nutrients he required to survive. And yet, the rice had been enough. More than that.
To even consider it had ruined all food for him—
Yin Hu closed his eyes. He could feel the two girls perk up. They hadn't noticed his storm of vitriol and hate towards the plate until now. He was trembling. Nightmares of never being able to enjoy culinary masterpieces again. What was the point of beauties if they couldn't hand feed him grapes?!
Jun cleared her throat. A savage criminal and outlaw. "Is something the matter, Ancestor?"
He allowed his thoughts to go through every single possibility. From whether it was worth the suffering of keeping her oblivious and happy. Lying out right and telling her the food was decent to good. Maybe even distract her and force feed his food to Hu Shui and act like he had licked the plate clean.
But he couldn't do it.
In those scant seconds, he reached a final decision. An oath to himself first before anyone else. His bottom line. The hill to die on. And whatever metaphor like them that existed all packed into a single bundle to show the world his dedication to this matter.
Don't mess with my food!
His hands tightened into fists, scrunching his robes. Yin Hu took a long foreboding, deep breath. Death or the threat thereof would not stop this from happening. Not even the most cracked, nuke cultivator could change his mind. Officially, die on this hill time.
Yin Hu opened his eyes. He met the heinous monster that cooked their food. Eye to eye.
Both girls put their plates down. Hu Shui's was already empty. She had been in the process of licking it clean. They looked at each other. Worry filled their expressions.
He raised his chin. Arrogance and pride surging to the forefront. Channeling every single ounce of ancient primordial predecessor in his bones to the forefront. Disgust and disdain lined his expression. A thousand folds of hatred oozed from his eyes at the sludge he had stuffed into his mouth today.
"You call this food?!" he shouted.
Hu Jun startled. Eyes wide. She tried to speak but could not figure out how to respond.
"Yep! Very tasty!" Hu Shui said.
Jun scratched at her arms. "I thought so too. It's the best we've eaten in weeks."
It was Yin Hu's turn to remain stunned. Staring at them with mouth open and unable to formulate any words. They were laying it thick on him. Even in this matter he had been forced to retreat a dozen steps before even announcing his true intent on the matter.
Of course they didn't have anything good to eat. They're basically vagrants in a village full of vagrants. Only the strongest cultivators and rich ate well here.
Yin Hu took a few more moments to collect himself.
He was their one way ticket out of this hellhole. Best he acted like it. From this moment forth at least, no more bullshitting. There was a veritable tide of rice that would cover a mountain. Enough to feed the population of multiple modern countries in the hundreds of millions for a thousand years.
Waiting for another few days until they figured their food situation was nothing to what he had already dealt with. Even if it meant eating rice during that span of time.
Yin Hu felt his body deflate. Another struggle in what was supposed to be heavenly benefits or an ancestor type figure. Not him cooking!
Chapter 16 - Heavenly Rice
He felt eyes bore through his back. Intense concentration as he was busy cooking the meal. It felt terrible. Did his mother feel like this when cooking? Or was it a him problem mixed in with a Hu Jun can body slam him probably problem?
Yin Hu didn't like having his back to anyone he learned.
An urgent desire to run or escape filled his chest. Maybe jump and spin. Keep the two directly in his line of sight at all times. Watch the predator and baby predator in case they attempted to do anything. He understood it was ridiculous. But couldn't help it.
His greatest worry remained as his strength compared to cultivators. And finally one day be taken care of instead of taking care of others.
Yin Hu closed his eyes. He felt his stirring hand tremble for a moment. Before finally letting his shoulders sag.
When the hell am I going to get pampered?!
This dream of his seemed so far away. Impossible. With every single wayward wind taking the time to veer towards them to help conspire against his dreams. Small problems piling up, one on top of the other into something he struggled to get around.
I need to shift gears. Convince the girls to take care of me!
Yin Hu smacked Hu Shui's grabby hands. His rice spacial bag sat heavily to his right. The same exact amount of supposed rice that had been in it since the beginning without change. Shui couldn't help her curiosity. Constantly trying to get her hands on the rice bag to check it out.
Said little grubby hands scooted closer to the bag so she didn't have to reach far.
Unwilling to look away from it.
There was no way he would let her touch his most prized possession. His entire plan hinged on this one item. Within it were everything he had earned in the isolated floating island and more. All his wealth and future potential of living in luxury depended on its safety.
He opened his eyes. The rice was slightly burned. It was normal. Just the way he liked it. Nothing to do with him zoning out and falling into a meditative state over the rice every single time he made it. Something about the aroma induced that feeling.
"Done!" he said.
Ecstatic to finally not have to stand over the pot or keep his back to the girls.
He carried the piping hot pot of food over to the girls. Placed it on the low table they had. It was stuffed to the top with rice. Far too much rice in there and would likely not be finished today. A waste of food. No salt. No spices.
Nothing but bland, plain rice he had been eating for eons.
Yin Hu blinked the tears away. His eyes were getting blurry. Thrown into a new world with endless possibilities and miraculous energies and still stuck in this mess. It hurt that there was no way around it. His taste buds had been ruined by it.
He subconsciously scooped and filled their bowls with rice. High stacks and extremely generous portions.
"Salt," Jun said. Looking from the rice to him. Back and forth with a confused look on her face. "Y-You didn't put any salt."
Yin Hu scoffed. Unwilling to admit he had no idea how to cook. Worse yet that was all he consumed. He was supposed to be their super nuke ancestor. Dragon slaying this and that. Eater of all the glorious foods and amazing things in the world.
This entire ego and personality depended on this very moment.
"Why would I taint the quality of this rice with such mundane ingredients," He said. He scoffed again. "Preposterous."
He lowered his head. Resigning himself to the fate of another bowl. He got to work chomping, quick to answer his stomach's grumbling pleas of sustenance.
The girls hesitated. Jun tried to share a look with Hu Shui, but the little girl had eyes only for the rice. Stuffing her face already. Yin Hu made sure to ignore any looks or gazes Jun sent him. Questioning his decision.
Nope. If I have to suffer, then they'll suffer with me! Especially Jun and her horrific cooking skills!
Yin Hu focused on his own food. Hearing the scraping of plates and Hu Shui's loud munching. He made a mental note to teach her to keep her mouth closed when eating. Even Hu Jun had become silent, equally focused on her food.
He prepared a spiel and entire series of how their conversation was about to go. Lean heavily into his mysterious persona and ancient being aura cheat. Mostly calling out their generation for being weak. Like most old people were wont to do.
Only in suffering could one rise to the peak of cultivation! Just another test in a life filled with them!
And more.
"Woah!" Hu Shui said. Dropping her bowl onto the table.
Yin Hu looked up. Jun had wide eyes. A confused look. Hu Shui laid back onto the floor, hands on her stomach. Just like he expected them to be. Horrible cooking.
"How is this possible?" Hu Jun said. Pieces of rice sticking to her cheek. As though she had stuffed her face in the food. "How could food so good exist?"
He channeled his inner old monster persona. Putting every ounce of depth and power in his voice. "A toad in a well does not see heaven in its entirety. How could you both understand Mt. Tai—"
Wait. What did she say?
Jun's hands shook, staring at the bottom of the bowl. She reached in and picked up the final rice grain. Then popped it into her mouth. Closing her eyes and savoring every moment she chewed on the single piece.
"We," Jun gulped it down. "We aren't worthy. To think I would ever eat heavenly rice so casually. In such abundance—"
She pointed at the still two-third full pot of rice. He had really miscalculated the amount necessary to feed three people. Yin Hu was used to his own measurements and he ate a lot of it all the time.
"—I could. No," she helped Hu Shui to sit up. Both bowing in front of him. "We could not begin to show our gratitude. Thank you."
Yin Hu was grateful for the massive beard that hid his expression. He was never going to take it off. "As long as you know."
He was quick to finish his bowl unlike the two. They refilled theirs at least three times after the first initial scoops. Asking for permission every time. Hu Jun made sure to stuff Shui like a turkey with more and more rice.
The little girl was dizzy and was forced into a meditative pose. Closing her eyes and focusing intently.
The thought to stop them did appear in his head, but he reasoned this was probably the first time they didn't have horrific slop and mud for food. They could be excused for the time being. Maybe even a few more times if they learned to cook it themselves.
"Ancestor," Hu Shui opened her eyes. "How do you eat so fast and not need to meditate?"
Yin Hu blinked. Heat rising to the back of his neck and tips of his ears.
Did she just call me fat?
Chapter 17 - Pyramid Schemes
Yin Hu chose to ignore Hu Shui's attempted shot at his size. He was not fat. The exact opposite actually considering all the hard work he put in for rewards. But that was neither here nor there for him. Figuring out this world was far more important. This included small bits of lore he needed.
Mainly why did the guards attack him so quickly? They hadn't even paused. Immediately confronting him and escalating without any moments to think.
"Jun," He said. Voice slow and deliberate. It was still the harsh raspy sound, even with drinking water and eating food. He was worried it would be stuck that way. "Tell me. The guards. My mere presence made them blind with rage."
He hinted at it. The hope was to practice not being a bull in a china shop.
Jun looked up from her latest plate. Chewed and gulped. She nodded. "Don't be harsh with them, Ancestor. They've suffered greatly."
"Their suffering led them to attack Hu Shui and I?"
Yin Hu made sure to keep his grammar in check. Someone's ancestor that lived for eons was supposed to be perfect. Right? He would do his best. Anything he failed at would be hidden behind a thousand vague and utterly nonsensical proclamations.
"Only to regain their honor and the honor of their family," Jun set her plate down. She had a disarming smile on her face. "You are dressed in all black robes, ancestor. Only their oppressors wear black."
She was advocating for them strongly. Jun did beat them down without a single one even breaking a bone. Disarming the guards within moments. Even let them go after they almost attacked Hu Shui who she was overly protective of.
"Explain." Yin Hu said.
He was still not getting the bits and pieces of information he needed. Going in blind into a very tense world was tantamount to death. At any moment, someone could lose their sanity and attack him just like the guards.
Though he was taking notes already.
No black robes.
Jun tapped her chin for a moment. Collecting her thoughts. "Well. It all started sixty years ago. All righteous sects and clans rushed to their mountain peaks and caves. Shutting their gates from the outside world. Rumor has it that a monster from another realm entered ours, but that's probably fake. Excuses to derelict and neglect their responsibilities and duties."
She paused to take a few bites. Jun savored every moment. Eyes arching and a moan of pleasure when she gulped. Letting out a breath after. She cleared her throat.
"The…" She said, pausing to remember where she had stopped. Her eyes glowed with remembrance. "All the sects and clans activated massive ultimate array formations. The ones that didn't have one practiced enforced martial seclusion. No one left or entered. Not even the Emperor could reach them. Father said they were stuffing their patriarchs and strongest elders to break through into the Heavenly Realms. All to fight the world ending calamity."
"World ending calamity? Seems pretty contrived. You said sixty years passed with nothing happening?"
"Yeah." Jun nodded. Thinking about the matter.
"I dont think a calamity of that level would wait around half a century for them. Would have already ended the world. They exit seclusion yet?"
Jun shook her head. "That's the problem. None of the evil sects went into hiding. All their most powerful cultivators remained to sow havoc and destroy everything. Demons, demonic cultivators, and spiritual beasts without remorse. Neutral clans took over the previously righteous lands, but they don't care much except for profit and their own gains. Only a few of the weaker righteous sects remained."
"A-And," Hu Shui interrupted Jun. "All the good sects were killed. Dad and mom and all the uncles and cousins. None of us could hide."
Jun's face darkened. She bit her lip, looking away to the side. Her pupils shot back and forth within her eyes. Remembering dark times and darker days. What had happened to the Hu Clan and its members. How only the two of them remained.
Shui was much less bothered by it all.
Probably too young to know what happened. What it really meant.
"All the smaller righteous clans formed a governing body. They were quickly corrupted and forced our Hu Clan out. To fend for ourselves. Rooted out from our homes. Killed to the last of us. Only hiding here in the Silver Mountain Gang protected us. But that has more to do with them not knowing who we were exactly. Just another Hu, rather than The Hu Clan." Jun spat the words out. She trembled, but did her best to hide it from Hu shui.
The little girl had already begun stuffing her face with the rice again. She took the moment to break out of her meditations to eat some more.
"I'm assuming the evil sects have been killing and looting everything. That was why the guards were so hateful?" Yin Hu said. Speaking for the first time in a while. Just listening to their tale. Letting them speak more and more to get more information.
But that didn't mean he didn't care. Or it didn't affect him. They were his wards now and he intended to make nukes out of them. Traumatized nukes that needed therapy were dangerous. Far too dangerous. He needed to focus on their mentals just as much as powering them up.
More work for him to do. Not that he minded.
Jun nodded. "The local hegemon sent a missive a few weeks back. Either the Gang Boss triples the amount of tax paid to fuel their wars and debauchery or die. I'm sure you know who really is going to pay for it. The Gang Boss started to demand more from the poor villagers in the village. They have no one to blame. No one to voice their anger to."
"They want to fight!" Hu Shui perked up from her food. "Kill all the demons—"
"Shush!" Jun snapped her hands to cover Shui's mouth. Eyes wide and fearful. "Don't say stuff like that. They'll... They'll—"
"They'll what? Jun?" Yin Hu was getting angrier with every passing moment.
Not that he could face off with a super sect currently. But that didn't mean they couldn't destroy them eventually. Nukes were that overpowered. He did not intend to only have one. No. Thousands. More if he could.
Jun wouldn't match his gaze. Even with her ancestor here, she looked defeated. Weak and small. Very much unlike how she acted at all times in front of Hu Shui. It was psychologically imprinted into her mind to be fearful. Her past weighed heavy on her.
"It's impossible to fight the Spider Valley Cult. Sucide." She leaned over the table to whisper. Looking around as though they were here. "They have two pinnacle Immortals as Elders. Both rising not a decade ago. Even their geniuses are extraordinary. I don't even want to mention cult'smasters."
She shivered and trembled like she was cold.
"I see." Yin said. Studying how Jun reacted to the cult's name.
There was much he needed to think about. How dire everything seemed to be in this cultivation world gone awry. Where they were currently. What his plans should be for most optimal growth. How he should develop the two girls into nukes and set himself up for the future to start his own clan.
A new and improved Hu Clan with super weapons and resources.
Yin Hu looked down at his robes. Black with red ostentatious designs of dragons and swirling petals. He looked like a villain. A demonic cultivator. He would need to start wearing different colors instead of the black he enjoyed. They were always the most fashionable for some reason.
Guess it's part of the whole villainy shtick. Being awesome looking and all. Or utterly hideous. No inbetween unless you're a mob.
He didn't want to be a mob. Nor did he want to be a villain that murdered everything with impunity. Yin Hu wasn't a murder hobo, harem chasing, spiritual animal taming Mc like the Hu clan's real founding ancestor.
"Tell him, Jun! Tell him about the pyramids they keep building!" Hu Shui said.
Jun's face darkened even more. She shook her head.
Pyramids? I didn't see any pyramids on the way here. Or are they tiny ones? Why would that be noteworthy?
"What about pyramids?" Yin Hu asked. Very curious.