@Grand Master Koop You mind editing your post to have Shura continue towards Hina? It would be rather unnecessary to wait I think.
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Private/Closed Naruto AU RP: discussion
- Thread starter Shen: King of Digimon
- Start date
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- Tags
- naruto
Oh, and since an English-version of Love Dramatic came out (the OP for Kaguya-Sama: Love is War), then I'm gonna jump the gun and tell y'all from now that I will construe any romance with Sagisō in such a way to force a scenario where I can use the song ~ ♥
Oh, and Sagisō's other romantic-interaction song is God Knows
God Knows is the song that I'd chosen first because the Lyrics used are down-right Perfect, for how Sagisō would interact with Kenji or Kiro should they ship like that.
Of course, you can see from the lyrics where some parts would apply better to Kenji and others to Kiro.
It's meant to be supportive in both cases, however, for different reasons. Though I suppose I'll leave godjacob and retro to make their own of the song's lyrics with regards to their characters.
Oh, and Sagisō's other romantic-interaction song is God Knows
God Knows is the song that I'd chosen first because the Lyrics used are down-right Perfect, for how Sagisō would interact with Kenji or Kiro should they ship like that.
This empty heart runs past you time and again
I’m sorry that I can’t be any help to you
I wish I could, but more I wish that you understood
That even now, your pride won’t let me share your pain
I’ll live on and leave all of this fear far behind me
I’ll get back on the track, all without looking back on this lonely rail
You know that I would follow you no matter what we go through
Bring all the darkness the world can offer,
Because you’ll shine no matter if the future is bleak
We’ll aim out just beyond the boundary,
And even if it scares me,
Nothing can shatter my soul
Because your way is my way
Forever on this railway
As if we were God blessed
This tenderness, a feeling that I cannot express
Melting my walls, it finds a home inside my heart
We don’t need fate, no rhyme or reason to correlate
Only the now that overflows, lovin’ you
Let’s escape and chase after the dreams we both create
And maybe then we’ll mend
So then you can transcend beyond your lonely heart
Don’t you dare lie, it isn’t like you
Please, tell me it’s not true
Look in my eyes, we can work this out
We’ll put it in the past, so let’s begin the future today
Even if everything around us seems as if it’s hopeless
I am prepared to take on the world It’s all for my wish,
I ask if it will come true But that only God knows …
I’ve found where I belong I once was all alone, but now you’re standing here
The world around could disappear
The beauty of our dream, we’ll capture it on canvas,
You can and I can trace over our permanent scars
You know that – Please know that
I would follow you no matter what we go through
Bring all the darkness this world can offer,
Because you’ll shine no matter if the future is bleak
We’ll aim out just beyond the boundary,
And even if it scares me,
Nothing can shatter my soul
Because your way is my way Forever on this railway
As if we were God blessed
I’m sorry that I can’t be any help to you
I wish I could, but more I wish that you understood
That even now, your pride won’t let me share your pain
I’ll live on and leave all of this fear far behind me
I’ll get back on the track, all without looking back on this lonely rail
You know that I would follow you no matter what we go through
Bring all the darkness the world can offer,
Because you’ll shine no matter if the future is bleak
We’ll aim out just beyond the boundary,
And even if it scares me,
Nothing can shatter my soul
Because your way is my way
Forever on this railway
As if we were God blessed
This tenderness, a feeling that I cannot express
Melting my walls, it finds a home inside my heart
We don’t need fate, no rhyme or reason to correlate
Only the now that overflows, lovin’ you
Let’s escape and chase after the dreams we both create
And maybe then we’ll mend
So then you can transcend beyond your lonely heart
Don’t you dare lie, it isn’t like you
Please, tell me it’s not true
Look in my eyes, we can work this out
We’ll put it in the past, so let’s begin the future today
Even if everything around us seems as if it’s hopeless
I am prepared to take on the world It’s all for my wish,
I ask if it will come true But that only God knows …
I’ve found where I belong I once was all alone, but now you’re standing here
The world around could disappear
The beauty of our dream, we’ll capture it on canvas,
You can and I can trace over our permanent scars
You know that – Please know that
I would follow you no matter what we go through
Bring all the darkness this world can offer,
Because you’ll shine no matter if the future is bleak
We’ll aim out just beyond the boundary,
And even if it scares me,
Nothing can shatter my soul
Because your way is my way Forever on this railway
As if we were God blessed
Of course, you can see from the lyrics where some parts would apply better to Kenji and others to Kiro.
It's meant to be supportive in both cases, however, for different reasons. Though I suppose I'll leave godjacob and retro to make their own of the song's lyrics with regards to their characters.
Shen: King of Digimon
Previously Shen: King of the Mist
Speaking of which, I did pick out a song I thought fitting of Kou, especially considering my recent post. Just seemed to ressonate with me:
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*randomly skims post*
*notices word 'lust'*
*remembers Kou is like 8*
Shen....you....don't do anything illegal....
jkjk, lemme go take a good read of that post.
Shen: King of Digimon
Previously Shen: King of the Mist
Of course that’s the word you focus on XD.
Shen: King of Digimon
Previously Shen: King of the Mist
Don’t give Jacob and retro that kind of power XD
Okay, so I've read through the post properly, and I must quite say I like it!
Yen > Ryo
and I think you should change the people railing on Kou from Richly dressed people to others from the Slums.
Reasons being;
1) 1000 Yen is like... 10 USD. It seems pretty unreasonable that supposedly rich people would brawl over 10 dollars that was then split among them. They didn't even get the full 10 dollars...
It might not be realistic for a random dance competition to give tens of thousands of dollars either, so I think changing the people will provide the most results.
2) I think you can play off it being other slum-dwellers better.
You can push the notion that the Leaf disregards its lower class to an extent, and its an entirely different world down there. Dog eat Dog where there are no rules and children, like Kou, suffer the fate of being beaten around by stronger more capable adults.
It would make it seem more about Kou and his survivalist lifestyle prior to meeting Zaku rather than rich people being dicks to malnourished children over...a couple dollars?
I've completely disregarded the lower-class, as none of my plans benefits them at the moment, so I can see this interpretation of society as reasonable.
Yen > Ryo
and I think you should change the people railing on Kou from Richly dressed people to others from the Slums.
Reasons being;
1) 1000 Yen is like... 10 USD. It seems pretty unreasonable that supposedly rich people would brawl over 10 dollars that was then split among them. They didn't even get the full 10 dollars...
It might not be realistic for a random dance competition to give tens of thousands of dollars either, so I think changing the people will provide the most results.
2) I think you can play off it being other slum-dwellers better.
You can push the notion that the Leaf disregards its lower class to an extent, and its an entirely different world down there. Dog eat Dog where there are no rules and children, like Kou, suffer the fate of being beaten around by stronger more capable adults.
It would make it seem more about Kou and his survivalist lifestyle prior to meeting Zaku rather than rich people being dicks to malnourished children over...a couple dollars?
I've completely disregarded the lower-class, as none of my plans benefits them at the moment, so I can see this interpretation of society as reasonable.
You could even flex Kou's relationship with Palentra to make it more significant.
There is no such thing as family among people all struggling to make ends meet, everyone is an enemy, everyone is competition, and this is quite literally a battle with your life on the line.
Sickness and starvation for the extremely poor and destitute, in this case, often means death because of the lack of social welfare.
The introduction of a family to a person to whom the concept never existed could be a powerful thing. Though, it does make me wonder what keeps his positive side going when he's been faced with such adversity from a young age.
Maybe he has had a pseudo-family, those last remaining vestiges of kindess, people who'd fed him at their own expense. You could even develop it into a meaningful death scene as one winter night that kindly old man who'd taken care of Kou and brought him up to not be so bitter, freezes to death while wrapped around the young boy, trying to keep him alive. Or starvation, or any other number of issues.
There is no such thing as family among people all struggling to make ends meet, everyone is an enemy, everyone is competition, and this is quite literally a battle with your life on the line.
Sickness and starvation for the extremely poor and destitute, in this case, often means death because of the lack of social welfare.
The introduction of a family to a person to whom the concept never existed could be a powerful thing. Though, it does make me wonder what keeps his positive side going when he's been faced with such adversity from a young age.
Maybe he has had a pseudo-family, those last remaining vestiges of kindess, people who'd fed him at their own expense. You could even develop it into a meaningful death scene as one winter night that kindly old man who'd taken care of Kou and brought him up to not be so bitter, freezes to death while wrapped around the young boy, trying to keep him alive. Or starvation, or any other number of issues.
A short compilation of sections of I Shall Seal the Heavens.
It's almost impossible for me to give even a basic synopsis of what happens and why this scene is so emotional, but it sums up to backstory from about 1500 chapters back when these two characters had first met.
The two are Meng Hao and Chu Yuyan, initially enemies but eventually, the latter had come to love for former. However, Meng Hao loves another and he's quite insistent on Monogamy -much to the pain of the readers who by the end of these chapters were practically begging the author to just let him marry two wives.
To create his ultimate technique, the Ninth Hex, he decided to gain experience by separating himself into a clone. That clone became the Master of Chu Yuyan's reincarnation, Yan'er, but said clone also decided that to further the technique (which he himself was unaware of, but was being drawn towards by the illusory concepts of fate and destiny) he needed to go through 9 Reincarnations.
This snippet is about the story of the Ninth Reincarnation, who was named Little Treasure by his parents. He's blind.
Yan'er, who loved her master, had managed to find the Ninths Reincarnation as he was a young child lost in the wood (bullied by other children) and much later she married him. As the Ninth Reincarnation goes about completing the Ninth Hex, the Seal the Heaven Hex, the universe itself seems to conspire against its creation by plunge the world into deep winter.
The emotion here is what I truly aspire to invoke with my writing.
It's almost impossible for me to give even a basic synopsis of what happens and why this scene is so emotional, but it sums up to backstory from about 1500 chapters back when these two characters had first met.
The two are Meng Hao and Chu Yuyan, initially enemies but eventually, the latter had come to love for former. However, Meng Hao loves another and he's quite insistent on Monogamy -much to the pain of the readers who by the end of these chapters were practically begging the author to just let him marry two wives.
To create his ultimate technique, the Ninth Hex, he decided to gain experience by separating himself into a clone. That clone became the Master of Chu Yuyan's reincarnation, Yan'er, but said clone also decided that to further the technique (which he himself was unaware of, but was being drawn towards by the illusory concepts of fate and destiny) he needed to go through 9 Reincarnations.
This snippet is about the story of the Ninth Reincarnation, who was named Little Treasure by his parents. He's blind.
Yan'er, who loved her master, had managed to find the Ninths Reincarnation as he was a young child lost in the wood (bullied by other children) and much later she married him. As the Ninth Reincarnation goes about completing the Ninth Hex, the Seal the Heaven Hex, the universe itself seems to conspire against its creation by plunge the world into deep winter.
The emotion here is what I truly aspire to invoke with my writing.
Little Treasure wasn’t aware of how his wife had changed. However, he could feel death approaching. He knew the world had changed. It was unfamiliar now, and filled with rage and murder.
More people died. Violent chaos filled the lands. In the midst of a disaster like this, the worst side of people was what showed. That was how people survived.
The entire continent began to degenerate. As the snow fell and the temperature dropped, more people turned into corpses. The survivors could do nothing more than search for places to try to survive the cold.
Some survivors formed groups, which huddled together in caves in the mountains as they fought to live.
Food grew scarce, making it even more difficult to keep going. In order to get even a bit of food, many young women did things they would never have done before. People fought and killed others, and stories of cannibalism began to circulate.
Pretty women often had it the worst, so Little Treasure’s wife, having lost her cultivation base, used a knife to disfigure her own face.
On that night, Little Treasure wrapped his arms around his wife and daughter, and they all wept together.
------------------------------
A few months passed. Little Treasure, despite being blind, was very skilled in carpentry, which was a valuable skill in the frigid world in which they lived. Because of that, he was one of the few people among the refugees who was permitted to live inside the cave on the mountain where they resided.
There was little to eat, so Little Treasure slowly began to lose weight. It was the same with his wife. She was no longer beautiful like she had been, and her hair was plastered onto her like a wilted flower.
The truth was that in these deadly and critical times, Yan’er had the option of living a much better life, if she wanted. Despite having lost her cultivation base, her body still retained its regenerative powers, and as such, despite having disfigured herself, she soon recovered, and was beautiful just like before. A beautiful person like that could easily find ways to have a nice life, despite the disastrous state of the world.
Instead, she chose to disfigure herself again, and continued to do so each time she recovered. She would rather stay with Little Treasure and her daughter. They were her family.
It was just like the year when she had first laid eyes on Little Treasure, and realized that he was the reincarnation of the Master she had been searching for. Just as she had then, she murmured, “I’m here to protect you....”
Time passed, and things only got worse. It was so cold that people who stayed outside of the caves for too long would often freeze to death. Eventually, Little Treasure stopped doing any woodworking at all. He focused only on sculpting the ninth sealing mark. That was his focus, his obsession, his purpose in life. He never stopped.
He had already had a relatively low position among the refugees in the cave. Eventually, the most vicious people among the refugees decided that a carpenter wasn’t very useful, and Little Treasure’s situation got worse.
Despite her scarred face, Yan’er had a very attractive body, which made things even more difficult considering that they were surrounded by bored and tormented individuals who were losing touch with their humanity.
Worst of all, their daughter was now sixteen years old.
One night, Perfect went missing.
On that day, Little Treasure trembled. He felt as if his world had collapsed. His wife was also left trembling. The two of them left the cave to search for their daughter.
“Perfect....”
“Perfect, where are you...?” They called out miserably as they searched. Little Treasure couldn’t help but think back to the time he had been alone in the woods, and had wept in fear and anxiety. He was scared now too, but he forced his thoughts under control and reminded himself that he was searching for his daughter.
Eventually, he and Yan’er split up. He kept his hands on a wall, which he followed along, simultaneously calling out for his daughter. Eventually, he could tell that the sun was rising, and yet he hadn’t found a single clue.
No one helped them search. The others in the caves simply looked at them coldly.
“Perfect... My Perfect....” A bitter smile twisted Little Treasure’s lips as he continued to search for his daughter. Yet even his wife couldn’t find her, let alone him, a blind man. He couldn’t see the world, and as of this moment, felt more useless than ever. Completely useless....
Then he heard a miserable cry, a cry filled with despair. It was a cry that seemed to come from the lips of someone who wished to end their own life. It wasn’t Perfect’s voice, but rather, his wife’s.
A tremor ran through Little Treasure. Although his eyes were sightless, they were still bloodshot. He immediately began to walk toward the sound, which wasn’t too far away from where he stood.
He began to run. He fell. He hit his head on rocks. He was soon bleeding all over. But he continued to run. When he reached the voice, he heard a sinister laugh.
“Damned slut. You’re pretty ugly, but I’ve taken a liking to you, hear me? It’s your lucky day! Give me what I want and I’ll give your family a kilo of meat. What do you say?”
Up ahead, Yan’er was holding a dagger up to her own throat. She had been backed up against a cliff face by three burly men. If she had her cultivation base, she could kill them with a mere glance. But now, she was nothing more than a frail mortal woman.
Tears welled up in her eyes as the men inched closer. She bit her lip, and was just on the verge of killing herself, when she saw Little Treasure lurching her way, covered in blood.
She wasn’t the only one who noticed. The three burly men turned and started laughing.
“The blind man’s here! Great! You two grab him. Alright, listen up, bitch. Be a good girl for daddy, otherwise I’ll boil your husband in front of your own eyes and then eat him!”
Yan’er looked over at Little Treasure, and the dagger she held trembled. As two of the men walked forward to grab Little Treasure, the other one grinned viciously and closed in on Yan’er.
It was at this point that Little Treasure suddenly smiled. It was a very vicious-looking smile, considering that his face was spattered in blood. He suddenly rose to his feet, seemingly bursting with strength. It was as if all the potential strength of his life force had erupted. His teeth ripped into the neck of one of the men, who had been completely unprepared to be so viciously attacked by a weak blind person. He screamed, clamping his hands down onto the wound. Off to the side, the second man gasped.
Little Treasure’s ear twitched, and then he pounced onto the screaming man, madly ripping one chunk of flesh after another out of him. The burly man who had been advancing on Yan’er let out a bellow of rage, and was about to leap into the fray, when Yan’er lunged and began to stab her dagger into his back over and over again.
The remaining man instantly fled, his face filled with terror.
The maddened Little Treasure had ripped so many bloody chunks out of the man’s skin that he was now dead. Little Treasure stumbled forward until he found his wife, whom he wrapped up in his arms. Together, they wept.
They never found their daughter. When they returned to the cave, the other refugees looked at them with fear. In a world which seemed to have reached the end of days, people only feared ferocity and repulsiveness.
The more repulsive, the more terrified they would be.
Later, people told them that during the previous night, a group of young men had kidnapped Perfect and taken her away.
Originally, it had been assumed that Perfect would never be seen again, whereas the young men would. However, after day broke, even the young men didn’t return.
As for what exactly had occurred, people had their suspicions, but no one knew for sure.
Of course, nobody in the caves knew that at the bottom of the mountain, in another set of caves, a group of four corpses was already growing cold.
They were four young men, whose faces were plastered with expressions of terror and disbelief.
---------------
From that moment on, things changed for Little Treasure and Yan'er. They had shown their vicious side, especially Little Treasure, who despite being blind, had ripped a man to death with his teeth. When people saw the corpses of the men they had killed, they gasped.
The small group which had previously bullied Little Treasure was left completely shaken and afraid.
In the days to follow, Little Treasure and Yan’er eventually learned of the four corpses in the other cave. Other people confirmed that those were the four young men who had kidnapped Perfect.
They had been dead for some time, and yet there was no trace of Perfect. It was as if she had simply vanished.
Although it was a bitter end to the matter, at least Little Treasure had hope. For some reason, he was convinced that Perfect wasn’t dead, and was in fact more blessed than she had ever been.
Because Little Treasure was blind, he couldn’t see the look on his wife’s face as they stood above the corpses of the four young men. At first she looked confused, and then, somewhat dazed. She wasn't sure who had rescued Perfect, but was convinced that whoever it was had been a very powerful person. Despite the fact that the current state of Heaven and Earth made it impossible to unleash one’s cultivation base, that person must somehow have been able to leave the first continent.
In that case, it meant that Perfect was most likely safe.
However, the entire matter was still a heavy blow to Little Treasure. He was struck with a deadly illness which rapidly deteriorated his body.
When the end of days struck the world, falling ill was like a sentence of death. Yan’er worked herself to the bone to take care of him. A year later, he actually recovered, but by that time, Yan’er was like skin and bones.
The truth was that without his wife, Little Treasure would definitely have died.
---------------------
He continued to sculpt. One knife stroke at a time. The statue was gradually taking shape. Another decade passed. It was now ninety percent complete, and the world outside was colder than ever.
The wind blew, and food grew even more scarce. Even the caves got colder and colder. It was not uncommon for people to fall asleep and never wake up.
Things got worse until the caves were little warmer than the outside. Things began to freeze over, and soon, there was so much ice that the people left had only one choice. Stay and die, or leave the caves and try to find some other place to live.
The first group of people who left never returned. Then a second group left, and a third....
One morning, Little Treasure woke up to a very strange feeling. He reached out to touch his wife and realized that she was very stiff. He began to massage her, eventually holding her in his arms, until she finally awoke. He knew why she was like this: at night, she would lay next to him in such a way that the wind didn't blow on him.
After a moment of silence, Little Treasure said, “Let’s leave this place!”
A few days later, the fourth group of people marched out into the wind and snow. The world was completely white as they searched for another location to hunker down in. Three days later, an avalanche suddenly struck, burying the entire group.
Down in the snow, one area began to shake, and then a woman crawled out. It was Yan’er. She was a cultivator, so despite having lost the use of her cultivation base, her body was a lot tougher than a mortal’s.
Despite her weakened state, she was able to drag a person with her out of the snow, which was the unconscious Little Treasure. Within the world of ice and snow, everything was quiet. Yan’er wrapped her arms around Little Treasure to warm him up, then slung him over her shoulder. Looking around blankly for a moment, she then began to trudge onward.
She walked for three days, during which time Little Treasure lapsed in and out of consciousness. His skin was very hot, although not from fever, but rather, because he was on the verge of freezing to death.
Tears leaked out of Yan’er’s eyes. She called out to him, and held him close to keep him warm. Little Treasure’s aura was growing weaker and weaker.
However, it was at this point that Yan’er did something that completely shocked Meng Hao. She looked at Little Treasure’s ashen face, and at his chest, which was barely rising and falling. A tender expression appeared in her eyes.
“Master, I love you,” she murmured. “I loved you in my last life, and it's the same in this one....” She lifted her wrist up to her mouth and bit down hard. Then she lowered it down to Little Treasure’s mouth, allowing the blood to flow into him.
Her own blood was the warmest part of her.
The wound closed up a moment later, so she ripped open another gash. The pain meant nothing to her. As long as the hot, nourishing blood could help Little Treasure to recover, she was willing to do it. Little Treasure’s destiny hadn’t been fulfilled, nor was he dead. So she picked him up and struggled back to the caves where they had lived for so many years. After they arrived, she collapsed into unconsciousness.
A few days later, Little Treasure woke up. He couldn’t see his wife, but he knew that she had saved his life yet again.
In his bitterness, Little Treasure began to weep. Eventually, Yan’er wrapped her arms around him, and the two of them sat there in the coldness of the cave, feeling each other's’ warmth.
After some time passed, Little Treasure suddenly reached up and began to pat his clothing. When he didn't find what he was looking for, he began to tremble.
The wooden statue was gone.
It was more than ninety percent complete, and had been with him for years upon years. But now, it was buried somewhere in the snow.
A moment passed. Little Treasure felt as if he lad lost his soul. He sighed bitterly.
When his wife realized what had happened, she didn't say anything. However, later that night, after Little Treasure had fallen asleep, she rose to her feet, straightened her clothes, and then walked to the mouth of the cave. After turning to look back at Little Treasure for a moment, she gritted her teeth and walked out into the snow.
She knew what her husband’s destiny was.
She followed the same path they had taken when they left. Because of the blood loss, she was now very weak, like a flame that could be snuffed out at any moment by the freezing wind.
After walking for a few days she reached the place where the avalanche had struck. Then she began to dig. She dug and dug until her hands were stiff.
She dug up one corpse after another, corpses belonging to the group they had been traveling with. Her vision was swimming by the time she found the little wooden statue.
She smiled, put the statue into her garment, and then, fighting the urge to pass out, turned and walked back. A day later, she was getting hot, but was in much better spirits.
She began to walk faster, and continued to get hotter. Two days later, she reached the cave, and smiled. She wasn't even sure how she had returned. She entered, and as soon as she saw Little Treasure, she stumbled and fell into his arms.
“Little Treasure,” she said softly, “I managed... to get your statue back.....
“I should stay to protect you, but I don’t think I can....
“Master, I... I love you.”
Little Treasure trembled as Yan’er’s aura faded away.
**
A few days earlier, Little Treasure had awoken to find his wife gone. He wasn’t sure where she had left to, and considering he was blind, it wasn't really possible to track her down.
He could only sit there in the cave, shivering, paying close attention to the sounds he heard. However, all he heard was the whistling of the wind, and not his wife’s footsteps.
He waited a whole day. Then another, and another. Soon he began to lose hope. Eventually, he began to chuckle bitterly, and recall that time in the forest when he was a child.
“Why did I have to be born blind!?” He had always deceived himself into believing that it didn’t matter that he couldn’t see the world. But as of this moment, he hated the fact that he was blind.
“Everyone’s gone. Dad and mom are gone. Perfect is gone. And now you’re gone.... I'm the only one left....” Tears flowed down his face. His hair had long since turned gray. There he sat, an old man in a cave, crying alone.
He wasn’t sure how much time passed. First it was hours, then days. Eventually, he heard footsteps in the wind, very familiar footsteps. He began to tremble as he rose to his feet, and suddenly, she fell into his arms.
She was cold. Freezing cold.
“Little Treasure,” she said softly, “I managed... to get your statue back.....
“I should stay to protect you, but I don’t think I can....
“Master, I... I love you.”
Those three sentences truck Little Treasure like lightning. Trembling, he held her body, unsure of what to say. His throat seemed stuck shut, unable of emitting sound. His heart felt as if it had just been stabbed through.
He suddenly coughed up some blood, which splattered onto his wife’s body like crimson flower petals.
He thought back to the young woman he had met in the forest as a boy. He thought about the night they were married. He thought about how he had lifted her veil and touched her face.
He thought about the day Perfect was born, and how everyone had been so happy. He thought about how, when it started to rain, his wife stuck with him the entire time, even when he was sculpting. He thought about how sad he had been when his parents died, and how she had comforted him.
He thought about how she had cared for him when he was sick, and how she blocked the wind with her own body. Finally, he thought about how she had nourished him with her own blood after the avalanche. That taste still seemed to linger in his mouth.
He held her in his arms for a long, long time. Eventually, her aura was gone, and yet Little Treasure didn't want to believe it. More tears flowed.
“It's fine, it's fine,” he murmured. “I'm here. You rest for a bit. You’re so cold, let me try to warm you up.” Little Treasure carried his wife’s corpse deep into the cave, where he tried to warm her with his own body.
--------------
Unfortunately, no matter how he tried to warm her, he couldn’t prevent her from becoming colder and colder. His anxiety grew, and his mind began to race. Eventually, he bit at his wrist and tried to pour his blood into her mouth. He smiled.
“It's fine. Everything’s going to be fine,” he murmured. Eventually, he passed out.
He was now alone in the cave. Everyone else had left. The only ones who stayed behind were the corpses.
After some time passed, he woke up again. He reached out to touch his wife, and she was as cold as ice. Little Treasure went mad. He ripped open his other wrist with his teeth to pour more blood into her mouth, but her mouth had frozen shut.
“Drink it,” he murmured. “Drink my blood and you’ll be fine! It's warm... Don’t get any colder, please....” Tears streamed down his face as he babbled on. Eventually, he wrapped his arms around her corpse and wept.
The sound of his wailing echoed out in the cave until the wind rose up and drowned it out.
He was soon overwhelmed with a feeling of complete and utter loneliness. But then, strangely, he wasn’t afraid any more.
He stroked his wife's face, feeling how cold it was, and softly said, “You know, back when we got married, I knew something that my dad and mom never knew. You’re not a mortal. You’re an Immortal.”
His eyes had no pupils, and yet, they seemed to radiate warmth.
“How could I not know that the person who saved me in the forest was you?” He continued to stroke her face, wiping away the frost that was forming. From his expression, it was clear that he was thinking about the past.
“Back then,” he murmured, “I knew that you had to be one of those legendary Immortals, and yet, I couldn't figure out why you would choose me....
“Sometimes when you were looking at me, though, I could sense that the person you saw wasn’t me....
“The person you truly loved wasn’t me, was it? It was your Master.
“I'm blind, unable to see the world that the rest of you live in. But the world that exists in my heart, is a world that none of you can see. And there is something about that world that no one could possibly know....” Little Treasure smiled as he talked to his wife.
“I’ll tell you, okay? I've never told anyone before, not even my parents....
“I've seen people before, in my world. They lived on different continents, and they lived different lives than mine. One was very happy, one was a businessman, one was a hunter. One of them wielded incredible power. Another was a coroner, and there was even an assassin....
“There was another person, an Immortal, and he had an apprentice named Yan’er. She looked a lot like you.” He smiled faintly.
“Do you know why I’ve been working on this little sculpture? It's because all of those other people. All of them have been insisting that I have to finish sculpting it. I have to finish making this wooden statue. I have to force the Heavens open their eyes, or to close their eyes.
“Having the power to force them to close their eyes isn’t enough. What those other people want… is the power of absolute control over the eyes of the Heavens. To FORCE them to open their eyes. If I want the Heavens to close their eyes, they will have no choice but to comply!” Little Treasure chuckled. Stroking his wife’s freezing face one more, he turned his head and said, “Am I right?”
Although Little Treasure was blind, when he spoke those words, he was looking directly at a person. A person who was standing right behind him.
It was none other than Meng Hao.
Meng Hao looked down at Little Treasure, his eyes shining with bright, piercing light.
As of this moment, his heart was pounding.
The development he had most feared... had occurred.
Something had occurred which made it so that Meng Hao was incapable of controlling the ninth reincarnation of his clone. Perhaps there was something unique about the ninth reincarnation’s body, or perhaps it was a result of using the incomplete eight sealing marks of the Ninth Hex when he was outside the Vast Expanse.
For whatever reason, Meng Hao had been very reluctant to interfere. Eventually, when he finally gave in and tried to do something, he met with resistance. And now, he found that something completely unexpected had occurred.
The ninth reincarnation was him, but obviously, had developed an independent mind. He was different from the previous reincarnations. He could not be controlled.
Although Little Treasure couldn’t see the world around him, he somehow seemed to be looking directly at Meng Hao as he said, “I could sense a thread connecting me to all eight of those people who appeared in my world. And that thread connected to someone else, too.
“That person is you.
“My guess is that I am your clone. Yan’er’s Master was also your clone. Am I right?”
After a moment of silence, Meng Hao said, “Yes. Both you and the other reincarnations you saw were created for a single purpose. To complete my Ninth Hex.”
Little Treasure nodded thoughtfully. “So that’s how it is. And what about her? Was she really your apprentice?”
Meng Hao looked down at Yan’er. Without her, this ninth reincarnation would have long since died. “She was the apprentice of my clone. In her previous life, I came to owe her a huge debt.”
By this point, Little Treasure looked very, very old. “What about my daughter? Well, I guess she’s your daughter too, right?”
“She's safe,” Meng Hao replied softly. “In the Ninth Sect on the ninth continent.”
“I guess we’ve reached the end of it all. I... have no last words to say, I suppose.” Little Treasure sat there quietly. After enough time had passed for an incense stick to burn, he reached down and pulled the wooden statue out from his wife’s garment. He rubbed the wood, and sighed.
“I really hate the idea of other people controlling my destiny. Even when that person is my true self. I still hate it.
“You know, I could sever the thread that connects the two of us at any time.” Little Treasure picked up his sculpting knife, and in that moment, he somehow seemed to possess the power to sever Karma.
If he did, then it wouldn't matter if the Ninth Hex were completed, Meng Hao would not be able to even touch it.
Meng Hao stood there silently.
Little Treasure looked over at his wife, grief playing across his face. After a long moment, his knife moved. He didn't sever the thread, but instead, began to sculpt the wood.
He cut with incredible speed, as if he were pouring all the power of his life into his work. Gradually, the eighth reincarnation appeared behind him, then the seventh, the sixth, the fifth... all the way to the first.
Nine reincarnations were all contained in one body. Together, they controlled the knife, causing the final sealing mark of the Ninth Hex to gradually take shape. Outside, thunder boomed. It seemed enraged, and its roars filled the world. Wind screamed, and snow battered the lands.
---------
After making the final knife cut, Little Treasure flicked his sleeve, and the statue and knife flew over toward Meng Hao.
As of this moment, his eyes were different. Before, they had no pupils, but now they did. He looked around at the world, and saw light. Of course, he didn't care about the world. He slowly looked down at his wife, and smiled. This was the first time he had ever seen her appearance.
She was ugly, her face covered with scars and wounds. But to Little Treasure, she was the most beautiful thing in existence.
He knelt down and wrapped his arms around her, smiling contentedly. Eventually, he closed his eyes, and his aura vanished.
His soul flew out. It, along with the souls of all the other reincarnations, became a beam of light that shot toward the statue in Meng Hao’s hand. The light entered the statue, which then glowed brightly. It was now truly complete.
That wooden statue was Meng Hao’s Ninth Hex. Once he absorbed it, he could... combine the Nine Hexes!
And yet, he felt no joy. It was hard to pinpoint exactly what emotions he felt as he looked down at Little Treasure’s corpse, which was gradually transforming into motes of light that floated through the air and merged into Meng Hao. After all, he had been part of Meng Hao to begin with.
Meng Hao knew that Little Treasure could have refused to cooperate. Meng Hao was the true self, and he was the clone, a part that had essentially been cut out from Meng Hao.
He didn't like being controlled, didn't like others being in charge of his destiny. And yet, in the end, he chose to complete the Ninth Hex, and to help Meng Hao.
Of course, Meng Hao knew that he did it, not for him, but... for Yan’er.
This ninth reincarnation of his clone loved Yan’er much more than Meng Hao’s true self did.
Meng Hao stood there in the cave for a long, long time. Eventually, the motes of light that were Little Treasure merged fully into Meng Hao. All traces of the clone’s existence had been wiped out, except for the sculpting knife and the wooden statue.
Meng Hao sighed. Yan’er’s body was also transforming into motes of light that gradually began to fade away. Her soul hovered there, complete and whole, just in front of Meng Hao.
She was looking at her fading corpse, and the empty spot next to it, where another person had been laying moments ago. Some time passed, after which she turned and looked at Meng Hao.
“Should I call you the Ninth Paragon?” she asked softly. “Or Master. Or... Little Treasure.”
Meng Hao extended his right hand, within which were two soul strands. One was the strand which had been fused with Han Bei. The other contained memories of a previous life.
The two soul strands merged together into one, becoming a beautiful stream of light that flowed over to Yan’er.
“That is a part of your soul,” Meng Hao said quietly. “If you absorb it, your soul will be complete, and you’ll remember everything from the past. You will remember... who exactly I am.”
Yan’er looked quietly at the beautiful light, a calm smile slowly growing on her face. “What happened to Perfect?”
“She’s in the Ninth Sect.”
Yan’er nodded and looked off into the distance. Some more time passed before she spoke again.
“This ninth reincarnation was enough for me. What need is there of past memories? Now that I think about it, I'm sure that there are many regrets within those memories.
“All I know is that you are my Master, and that I lived a good life.” She closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, they were bright and clear. She waved her finger at the soul light, the light which contained the memories of her past life. The light faded away.
With that, she clasped hands and bowed to Meng Hao.
“This life is over. Master, I won’t interfere in your world any more. Thank you for caring for me throughout the years.” She looked at Meng Hao one last time, then turned away. In front of her, a reincarnation vortex appeared. Just as she was about to step in, she stopped in place.
“You promised to tell me the rest of the story of Chu Yuyan. But, I already know what happens.” She smiled and took a deep breath. She had long since come to the conclusion that she herself was the second half of Chu Yuyan’s story. Apparently, she had finally chosen to free herself from all burdens. What she had just said was no lie; she was content. Looking free and at ease, she waved at Meng Hao and then stepped into reincarnation.
To her, spending an eternity with the one she loved wasn’t necessary. She was happy with one lifetime.
Meng Hao stood quietly in the cave, eyes somewhat blank. The Ninth Hex was complete, but he didn't feel happy at all. In fact, melancholy gripped at his heart.
He had never been inclined to words, but after his illness, he spoke even less. Most of the time, he focused on sculpting. He had been working on the sculpture for decades now, to the point where it was as smooth as glass and as dark as night.
More people died. Violent chaos filled the lands. In the midst of a disaster like this, the worst side of people was what showed. That was how people survived.
The entire continent began to degenerate. As the snow fell and the temperature dropped, more people turned into corpses. The survivors could do nothing more than search for places to try to survive the cold.
Some survivors formed groups, which huddled together in caves in the mountains as they fought to live.
Food grew scarce, making it even more difficult to keep going. In order to get even a bit of food, many young women did things they would never have done before. People fought and killed others, and stories of cannibalism began to circulate.
Pretty women often had it the worst, so Little Treasure’s wife, having lost her cultivation base, used a knife to disfigure her own face.
On that night, Little Treasure wrapped his arms around his wife and daughter, and they all wept together.
------------------------------
A few months passed. Little Treasure, despite being blind, was very skilled in carpentry, which was a valuable skill in the frigid world in which they lived. Because of that, he was one of the few people among the refugees who was permitted to live inside the cave on the mountain where they resided.
There was little to eat, so Little Treasure slowly began to lose weight. It was the same with his wife. She was no longer beautiful like she had been, and her hair was plastered onto her like a wilted flower.
The truth was that in these deadly and critical times, Yan’er had the option of living a much better life, if she wanted. Despite having lost her cultivation base, her body still retained its regenerative powers, and as such, despite having disfigured herself, she soon recovered, and was beautiful just like before. A beautiful person like that could easily find ways to have a nice life, despite the disastrous state of the world.
Instead, she chose to disfigure herself again, and continued to do so each time she recovered. She would rather stay with Little Treasure and her daughter. They were her family.
It was just like the year when she had first laid eyes on Little Treasure, and realized that he was the reincarnation of the Master she had been searching for. Just as she had then, she murmured, “I’m here to protect you....”
Time passed, and things only got worse. It was so cold that people who stayed outside of the caves for too long would often freeze to death. Eventually, Little Treasure stopped doing any woodworking at all. He focused only on sculpting the ninth sealing mark. That was his focus, his obsession, his purpose in life. He never stopped.
He had already had a relatively low position among the refugees in the cave. Eventually, the most vicious people among the refugees decided that a carpenter wasn’t very useful, and Little Treasure’s situation got worse.
Despite her scarred face, Yan’er had a very attractive body, which made things even more difficult considering that they were surrounded by bored and tormented individuals who were losing touch with their humanity.
Worst of all, their daughter was now sixteen years old.
One night, Perfect went missing.
On that day, Little Treasure trembled. He felt as if his world had collapsed. His wife was also left trembling. The two of them left the cave to search for their daughter.
“Perfect....”
“Perfect, where are you...?” They called out miserably as they searched. Little Treasure couldn’t help but think back to the time he had been alone in the woods, and had wept in fear and anxiety. He was scared now too, but he forced his thoughts under control and reminded himself that he was searching for his daughter.
Eventually, he and Yan’er split up. He kept his hands on a wall, which he followed along, simultaneously calling out for his daughter. Eventually, he could tell that the sun was rising, and yet he hadn’t found a single clue.
No one helped them search. The others in the caves simply looked at them coldly.
“Perfect... My Perfect....” A bitter smile twisted Little Treasure’s lips as he continued to search for his daughter. Yet even his wife couldn’t find her, let alone him, a blind man. He couldn’t see the world, and as of this moment, felt more useless than ever. Completely useless....
Then he heard a miserable cry, a cry filled with despair. It was a cry that seemed to come from the lips of someone who wished to end their own life. It wasn’t Perfect’s voice, but rather, his wife’s.
A tremor ran through Little Treasure. Although his eyes were sightless, they were still bloodshot. He immediately began to walk toward the sound, which wasn’t too far away from where he stood.
He began to run. He fell. He hit his head on rocks. He was soon bleeding all over. But he continued to run. When he reached the voice, he heard a sinister laugh.
“Damned slut. You’re pretty ugly, but I’ve taken a liking to you, hear me? It’s your lucky day! Give me what I want and I’ll give your family a kilo of meat. What do you say?”
Up ahead, Yan’er was holding a dagger up to her own throat. She had been backed up against a cliff face by three burly men. If she had her cultivation base, she could kill them with a mere glance. But now, she was nothing more than a frail mortal woman.
Tears welled up in her eyes as the men inched closer. She bit her lip, and was just on the verge of killing herself, when she saw Little Treasure lurching her way, covered in blood.
She wasn’t the only one who noticed. The three burly men turned and started laughing.
“The blind man’s here! Great! You two grab him. Alright, listen up, bitch. Be a good girl for daddy, otherwise I’ll boil your husband in front of your own eyes and then eat him!”
Yan’er looked over at Little Treasure, and the dagger she held trembled. As two of the men walked forward to grab Little Treasure, the other one grinned viciously and closed in on Yan’er.
It was at this point that Little Treasure suddenly smiled. It was a very vicious-looking smile, considering that his face was spattered in blood. He suddenly rose to his feet, seemingly bursting with strength. It was as if all the potential strength of his life force had erupted. His teeth ripped into the neck of one of the men, who had been completely unprepared to be so viciously attacked by a weak blind person. He screamed, clamping his hands down onto the wound. Off to the side, the second man gasped.
Little Treasure’s ear twitched, and then he pounced onto the screaming man, madly ripping one chunk of flesh after another out of him. The burly man who had been advancing on Yan’er let out a bellow of rage, and was about to leap into the fray, when Yan’er lunged and began to stab her dagger into his back over and over again.
The remaining man instantly fled, his face filled with terror.
The maddened Little Treasure had ripped so many bloody chunks out of the man’s skin that he was now dead. Little Treasure stumbled forward until he found his wife, whom he wrapped up in his arms. Together, they wept.
They never found their daughter. When they returned to the cave, the other refugees looked at them with fear. In a world which seemed to have reached the end of days, people only feared ferocity and repulsiveness.
The more repulsive, the more terrified they would be.
Later, people told them that during the previous night, a group of young men had kidnapped Perfect and taken her away.
Originally, it had been assumed that Perfect would never be seen again, whereas the young men would. However, after day broke, even the young men didn’t return.
As for what exactly had occurred, people had their suspicions, but no one knew for sure.
Of course, nobody in the caves knew that at the bottom of the mountain, in another set of caves, a group of four corpses was already growing cold.
They were four young men, whose faces were plastered with expressions of terror and disbelief.
---------------
From that moment on, things changed for Little Treasure and Yan'er. They had shown their vicious side, especially Little Treasure, who despite being blind, had ripped a man to death with his teeth. When people saw the corpses of the men they had killed, they gasped.
The small group which had previously bullied Little Treasure was left completely shaken and afraid.
In the days to follow, Little Treasure and Yan’er eventually learned of the four corpses in the other cave. Other people confirmed that those were the four young men who had kidnapped Perfect.
They had been dead for some time, and yet there was no trace of Perfect. It was as if she had simply vanished.
Although it was a bitter end to the matter, at least Little Treasure had hope. For some reason, he was convinced that Perfect wasn’t dead, and was in fact more blessed than she had ever been.
Because Little Treasure was blind, he couldn’t see the look on his wife’s face as they stood above the corpses of the four young men. At first she looked confused, and then, somewhat dazed. She wasn't sure who had rescued Perfect, but was convinced that whoever it was had been a very powerful person. Despite the fact that the current state of Heaven and Earth made it impossible to unleash one’s cultivation base, that person must somehow have been able to leave the first continent.
In that case, it meant that Perfect was most likely safe.
However, the entire matter was still a heavy blow to Little Treasure. He was struck with a deadly illness which rapidly deteriorated his body.
When the end of days struck the world, falling ill was like a sentence of death. Yan’er worked herself to the bone to take care of him. A year later, he actually recovered, but by that time, Yan’er was like skin and bones.
The truth was that without his wife, Little Treasure would definitely have died.
---------------------
He continued to sculpt. One knife stroke at a time. The statue was gradually taking shape. Another decade passed. It was now ninety percent complete, and the world outside was colder than ever.
The wind blew, and food grew even more scarce. Even the caves got colder and colder. It was not uncommon for people to fall asleep and never wake up.
Things got worse until the caves were little warmer than the outside. Things began to freeze over, and soon, there was so much ice that the people left had only one choice. Stay and die, or leave the caves and try to find some other place to live.
The first group of people who left never returned. Then a second group left, and a third....
One morning, Little Treasure woke up to a very strange feeling. He reached out to touch his wife and realized that she was very stiff. He began to massage her, eventually holding her in his arms, until she finally awoke. He knew why she was like this: at night, she would lay next to him in such a way that the wind didn't blow on him.
After a moment of silence, Little Treasure said, “Let’s leave this place!”
A few days later, the fourth group of people marched out into the wind and snow. The world was completely white as they searched for another location to hunker down in. Three days later, an avalanche suddenly struck, burying the entire group.
Down in the snow, one area began to shake, and then a woman crawled out. It was Yan’er. She was a cultivator, so despite having lost the use of her cultivation base, her body was a lot tougher than a mortal’s.
Despite her weakened state, she was able to drag a person with her out of the snow, which was the unconscious Little Treasure. Within the world of ice and snow, everything was quiet. Yan’er wrapped her arms around Little Treasure to warm him up, then slung him over her shoulder. Looking around blankly for a moment, she then began to trudge onward.
She walked for three days, during which time Little Treasure lapsed in and out of consciousness. His skin was very hot, although not from fever, but rather, because he was on the verge of freezing to death.
Tears leaked out of Yan’er’s eyes. She called out to him, and held him close to keep him warm. Little Treasure’s aura was growing weaker and weaker.
However, it was at this point that Yan’er did something that completely shocked Meng Hao. She looked at Little Treasure’s ashen face, and at his chest, which was barely rising and falling. A tender expression appeared in her eyes.
“Master, I love you,” she murmured. “I loved you in my last life, and it's the same in this one....” She lifted her wrist up to her mouth and bit down hard. Then she lowered it down to Little Treasure’s mouth, allowing the blood to flow into him.
Her own blood was the warmest part of her.
The wound closed up a moment later, so she ripped open another gash. The pain meant nothing to her. As long as the hot, nourishing blood could help Little Treasure to recover, she was willing to do it. Little Treasure’s destiny hadn’t been fulfilled, nor was he dead. So she picked him up and struggled back to the caves where they had lived for so many years. After they arrived, she collapsed into unconsciousness.
A few days later, Little Treasure woke up. He couldn’t see his wife, but he knew that she had saved his life yet again.
In his bitterness, Little Treasure began to weep. Eventually, Yan’er wrapped her arms around him, and the two of them sat there in the coldness of the cave, feeling each other's’ warmth.
After some time passed, Little Treasure suddenly reached up and began to pat his clothing. When he didn't find what he was looking for, he began to tremble.
The wooden statue was gone.
It was more than ninety percent complete, and had been with him for years upon years. But now, it was buried somewhere in the snow.
A moment passed. Little Treasure felt as if he lad lost his soul. He sighed bitterly.
When his wife realized what had happened, she didn't say anything. However, later that night, after Little Treasure had fallen asleep, she rose to her feet, straightened her clothes, and then walked to the mouth of the cave. After turning to look back at Little Treasure for a moment, she gritted her teeth and walked out into the snow.
She knew what her husband’s destiny was.
She followed the same path they had taken when they left. Because of the blood loss, she was now very weak, like a flame that could be snuffed out at any moment by the freezing wind.
After walking for a few days she reached the place where the avalanche had struck. Then she began to dig. She dug and dug until her hands were stiff.
She dug up one corpse after another, corpses belonging to the group they had been traveling with. Her vision was swimming by the time she found the little wooden statue.
She smiled, put the statue into her garment, and then, fighting the urge to pass out, turned and walked back. A day later, she was getting hot, but was in much better spirits.
She began to walk faster, and continued to get hotter. Two days later, she reached the cave, and smiled. She wasn't even sure how she had returned. She entered, and as soon as she saw Little Treasure, she stumbled and fell into his arms.
“Little Treasure,” she said softly, “I managed... to get your statue back.....
“I should stay to protect you, but I don’t think I can....
“Master, I... I love you.”
Little Treasure trembled as Yan’er’s aura faded away.
**
A few days earlier, Little Treasure had awoken to find his wife gone. He wasn’t sure where she had left to, and considering he was blind, it wasn't really possible to track her down.
He could only sit there in the cave, shivering, paying close attention to the sounds he heard. However, all he heard was the whistling of the wind, and not his wife’s footsteps.
He waited a whole day. Then another, and another. Soon he began to lose hope. Eventually, he began to chuckle bitterly, and recall that time in the forest when he was a child.
“Why did I have to be born blind!?” He had always deceived himself into believing that it didn’t matter that he couldn’t see the world. But as of this moment, he hated the fact that he was blind.
“Everyone’s gone. Dad and mom are gone. Perfect is gone. And now you’re gone.... I'm the only one left....” Tears flowed down his face. His hair had long since turned gray. There he sat, an old man in a cave, crying alone.
He wasn’t sure how much time passed. First it was hours, then days. Eventually, he heard footsteps in the wind, very familiar footsteps. He began to tremble as he rose to his feet, and suddenly, she fell into his arms.
She was cold. Freezing cold.
“Little Treasure,” she said softly, “I managed... to get your statue back.....
“I should stay to protect you, but I don’t think I can....
“Master, I... I love you.”
Those three sentences truck Little Treasure like lightning. Trembling, he held her body, unsure of what to say. His throat seemed stuck shut, unable of emitting sound. His heart felt as if it had just been stabbed through.
He suddenly coughed up some blood, which splattered onto his wife’s body like crimson flower petals.
He thought back to the young woman he had met in the forest as a boy. He thought about the night they were married. He thought about how he had lifted her veil and touched her face.
He thought about the day Perfect was born, and how everyone had been so happy. He thought about how, when it started to rain, his wife stuck with him the entire time, even when he was sculpting. He thought about how sad he had been when his parents died, and how she had comforted him.
He thought about how she had cared for him when he was sick, and how she blocked the wind with her own body. Finally, he thought about how she had nourished him with her own blood after the avalanche. That taste still seemed to linger in his mouth.
He held her in his arms for a long, long time. Eventually, her aura was gone, and yet Little Treasure didn't want to believe it. More tears flowed.
“It's fine, it's fine,” he murmured. “I'm here. You rest for a bit. You’re so cold, let me try to warm you up.” Little Treasure carried his wife’s corpse deep into the cave, where he tried to warm her with his own body.
--------------
Unfortunately, no matter how he tried to warm her, he couldn’t prevent her from becoming colder and colder. His anxiety grew, and his mind began to race. Eventually, he bit at his wrist and tried to pour his blood into her mouth. He smiled.
“It's fine. Everything’s going to be fine,” he murmured. Eventually, he passed out.
He was now alone in the cave. Everyone else had left. The only ones who stayed behind were the corpses.
After some time passed, he woke up again. He reached out to touch his wife, and she was as cold as ice. Little Treasure went mad. He ripped open his other wrist with his teeth to pour more blood into her mouth, but her mouth had frozen shut.
“Drink it,” he murmured. “Drink my blood and you’ll be fine! It's warm... Don’t get any colder, please....” Tears streamed down his face as he babbled on. Eventually, he wrapped his arms around her corpse and wept.
The sound of his wailing echoed out in the cave until the wind rose up and drowned it out.
He was soon overwhelmed with a feeling of complete and utter loneliness. But then, strangely, he wasn’t afraid any more.
He stroked his wife's face, feeling how cold it was, and softly said, “You know, back when we got married, I knew something that my dad and mom never knew. You’re not a mortal. You’re an Immortal.”
His eyes had no pupils, and yet, they seemed to radiate warmth.
“How could I not know that the person who saved me in the forest was you?” He continued to stroke her face, wiping away the frost that was forming. From his expression, it was clear that he was thinking about the past.
“Back then,” he murmured, “I knew that you had to be one of those legendary Immortals, and yet, I couldn't figure out why you would choose me....
“Sometimes when you were looking at me, though, I could sense that the person you saw wasn’t me....
“The person you truly loved wasn’t me, was it? It was your Master.
“I'm blind, unable to see the world that the rest of you live in. But the world that exists in my heart, is a world that none of you can see. And there is something about that world that no one could possibly know....” Little Treasure smiled as he talked to his wife.
“I’ll tell you, okay? I've never told anyone before, not even my parents....
“I've seen people before, in my world. They lived on different continents, and they lived different lives than mine. One was very happy, one was a businessman, one was a hunter. One of them wielded incredible power. Another was a coroner, and there was even an assassin....
“There was another person, an Immortal, and he had an apprentice named Yan’er. She looked a lot like you.” He smiled faintly.
“Do you know why I’ve been working on this little sculpture? It's because all of those other people. All of them have been insisting that I have to finish sculpting it. I have to finish making this wooden statue. I have to force the Heavens open their eyes, or to close their eyes.
“Having the power to force them to close their eyes isn’t enough. What those other people want… is the power of absolute control over the eyes of the Heavens. To FORCE them to open their eyes. If I want the Heavens to close their eyes, they will have no choice but to comply!” Little Treasure chuckled. Stroking his wife’s freezing face one more, he turned his head and said, “Am I right?”
Although Little Treasure was blind, when he spoke those words, he was looking directly at a person. A person who was standing right behind him.
It was none other than Meng Hao.
Meng Hao looked down at Little Treasure, his eyes shining with bright, piercing light.
As of this moment, his heart was pounding.
The development he had most feared... had occurred.
Something had occurred which made it so that Meng Hao was incapable of controlling the ninth reincarnation of his clone. Perhaps there was something unique about the ninth reincarnation’s body, or perhaps it was a result of using the incomplete eight sealing marks of the Ninth Hex when he was outside the Vast Expanse.
For whatever reason, Meng Hao had been very reluctant to interfere. Eventually, when he finally gave in and tried to do something, he met with resistance. And now, he found that something completely unexpected had occurred.
The ninth reincarnation was him, but obviously, had developed an independent mind. He was different from the previous reincarnations. He could not be controlled.
Although Little Treasure couldn’t see the world around him, he somehow seemed to be looking directly at Meng Hao as he said, “I could sense a thread connecting me to all eight of those people who appeared in my world. And that thread connected to someone else, too.
“That person is you.
“My guess is that I am your clone. Yan’er’s Master was also your clone. Am I right?”
After a moment of silence, Meng Hao said, “Yes. Both you and the other reincarnations you saw were created for a single purpose. To complete my Ninth Hex.”
Little Treasure nodded thoughtfully. “So that’s how it is. And what about her? Was she really your apprentice?”
Meng Hao looked down at Yan’er. Without her, this ninth reincarnation would have long since died. “She was the apprentice of my clone. In her previous life, I came to owe her a huge debt.”
By this point, Little Treasure looked very, very old. “What about my daughter? Well, I guess she’s your daughter too, right?”
“She's safe,” Meng Hao replied softly. “In the Ninth Sect on the ninth continent.”
“I guess we’ve reached the end of it all. I... have no last words to say, I suppose.” Little Treasure sat there quietly. After enough time had passed for an incense stick to burn, he reached down and pulled the wooden statue out from his wife’s garment. He rubbed the wood, and sighed.
“I really hate the idea of other people controlling my destiny. Even when that person is my true self. I still hate it.
“You know, I could sever the thread that connects the two of us at any time.” Little Treasure picked up his sculpting knife, and in that moment, he somehow seemed to possess the power to sever Karma.
If he did, then it wouldn't matter if the Ninth Hex were completed, Meng Hao would not be able to even touch it.
Meng Hao stood there silently.
Little Treasure looked over at his wife, grief playing across his face. After a long moment, his knife moved. He didn't sever the thread, but instead, began to sculpt the wood.
He cut with incredible speed, as if he were pouring all the power of his life into his work. Gradually, the eighth reincarnation appeared behind him, then the seventh, the sixth, the fifth... all the way to the first.
Nine reincarnations were all contained in one body. Together, they controlled the knife, causing the final sealing mark of the Ninth Hex to gradually take shape. Outside, thunder boomed. It seemed enraged, and its roars filled the world. Wind screamed, and snow battered the lands.
---------
After making the final knife cut, Little Treasure flicked his sleeve, and the statue and knife flew over toward Meng Hao.
As of this moment, his eyes were different. Before, they had no pupils, but now they did. He looked around at the world, and saw light. Of course, he didn't care about the world. He slowly looked down at his wife, and smiled. This was the first time he had ever seen her appearance.
She was ugly, her face covered with scars and wounds. But to Little Treasure, she was the most beautiful thing in existence.
He knelt down and wrapped his arms around her, smiling contentedly. Eventually, he closed his eyes, and his aura vanished.
His soul flew out. It, along with the souls of all the other reincarnations, became a beam of light that shot toward the statue in Meng Hao’s hand. The light entered the statue, which then glowed brightly. It was now truly complete.
That wooden statue was Meng Hao’s Ninth Hex. Once he absorbed it, he could... combine the Nine Hexes!
And yet, he felt no joy. It was hard to pinpoint exactly what emotions he felt as he looked down at Little Treasure’s corpse, which was gradually transforming into motes of light that floated through the air and merged into Meng Hao. After all, he had been part of Meng Hao to begin with.
Meng Hao knew that Little Treasure could have refused to cooperate. Meng Hao was the true self, and he was the clone, a part that had essentially been cut out from Meng Hao.
He didn't like being controlled, didn't like others being in charge of his destiny. And yet, in the end, he chose to complete the Ninth Hex, and to help Meng Hao.
Of course, Meng Hao knew that he did it, not for him, but... for Yan’er.
This ninth reincarnation of his clone loved Yan’er much more than Meng Hao’s true self did.
Meng Hao stood there in the cave for a long, long time. Eventually, the motes of light that were Little Treasure merged fully into Meng Hao. All traces of the clone’s existence had been wiped out, except for the sculpting knife and the wooden statue.
Meng Hao sighed. Yan’er’s body was also transforming into motes of light that gradually began to fade away. Her soul hovered there, complete and whole, just in front of Meng Hao.
She was looking at her fading corpse, and the empty spot next to it, where another person had been laying moments ago. Some time passed, after which she turned and looked at Meng Hao.
“Should I call you the Ninth Paragon?” she asked softly. “Or Master. Or... Little Treasure.”
Meng Hao extended his right hand, within which were two soul strands. One was the strand which had been fused with Han Bei. The other contained memories of a previous life.
The two soul strands merged together into one, becoming a beautiful stream of light that flowed over to Yan’er.
“That is a part of your soul,” Meng Hao said quietly. “If you absorb it, your soul will be complete, and you’ll remember everything from the past. You will remember... who exactly I am.”
Yan’er looked quietly at the beautiful light, a calm smile slowly growing on her face. “What happened to Perfect?”
“She’s in the Ninth Sect.”
Yan’er nodded and looked off into the distance. Some more time passed before she spoke again.
“This ninth reincarnation was enough for me. What need is there of past memories? Now that I think about it, I'm sure that there are many regrets within those memories.
“All I know is that you are my Master, and that I lived a good life.” She closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, they were bright and clear. She waved her finger at the soul light, the light which contained the memories of her past life. The light faded away.
With that, she clasped hands and bowed to Meng Hao.
“This life is over. Master, I won’t interfere in your world any more. Thank you for caring for me throughout the years.” She looked at Meng Hao one last time, then turned away. In front of her, a reincarnation vortex appeared. Just as she was about to step in, she stopped in place.
“You promised to tell me the rest of the story of Chu Yuyan. But, I already know what happens.” She smiled and took a deep breath. She had long since come to the conclusion that she herself was the second half of Chu Yuyan’s story. Apparently, she had finally chosen to free herself from all burdens. What she had just said was no lie; she was content. Looking free and at ease, she waved at Meng Hao and then stepped into reincarnation.
To her, spending an eternity with the one she loved wasn’t necessary. She was happy with one lifetime.
Meng Hao stood quietly in the cave, eyes somewhat blank. The Ninth Hex was complete, but he didn't feel happy at all. In fact, melancholy gripped at his heart.
He had never been inclined to words, but after his illness, he spoke even less. Most of the time, he focused on sculpting. He had been working on the sculpture for decades now, to the point where it was as smooth as glass and as dark as night.
SageNeb
Previously 5DigitNeb
*sips tea* who would’ve thought the tree huggers don’t care about the starving... oh wait they probably do!
*waits for essay about why slums should be worse than any other country in the leaf by Kyuu*
Shen: King of Digimon
Previously Shen: King of the Mist
One is rich, insenuating it’s from dirty moves like what he did. The others aren’t.
And the yen thing was a typo that I will fix XD
I was planning the dance competition to give around 1,000 in US dollar standpoint
Eh, I think i’ll Pass on that. Because that would have broken Kou
Well, the people with wealth aren't exactly running charity. So despite them caring they haven't been doing much to show it.
Well, fair enough.
ah, gotcha
Not too sure if that's a lot...probably is since that's 100,000 Yen ish.
Not too savy on how reward money for dance competitions ranges.
mmmmk.
sSoul
Previously Swirled
Cool backstory, Im now drowning in tears.
Shen: King of Digimon
Previously Shen: King of the Mist
Thanks, I didn’t know what to post real time so I’d decided to do some more character building
Kiro would’ve still killed all of them if he saw what they did to Kou. The poor ones would’ve just proved how much more worthless their lives are. As for the rich one, I would’ve wrote a few paragraphs of Kiro dehumanizing him. Wouldn’t be that hard considering how inhuman the rich person seemed to be anyways.
Shen: King of Digimon
Previously Shen: King of the Mist
Yeah, considering he got away with it and is most likely still up to his inhuman business practices today.
But hey, at least it invoked the emotions I was aiming for XD.
Will we be seeing him again?
Also Kyuu really can write and essay kn everything
Really is a talent. And I sit here at times struggling to write a paragraph for a draft and needlessly delay things. I am impressed every time.
Shen: King of Digimon
Previously Shen: King of the Mist
Can’t really say. More so a throw away man. But just goes to show you that the villain isn’t always beaten or give their just deserts, not even in the leaf
true in every respects.
I wanted to post with Sagiso and Furijia, but this Hinagiku post is a bit lengthy (Cresting 1500 atm), so I'm saving their post for another time.
SageNeb
Previously 5DigitNeb
I'm onto everyone my dear. Hyo is literally onto you though, she's licking Tsuki after all.
Like my plan to seduce Tsuki with Hyo and then use the Hozuki to take over the Yuki Clan.
For example I have a secret plot to trick Shen into self-destructing in rainbows and sparkle-glitter!
Also I like how no one commented on the Mist mobilizing an army, but hey, no complaints here.
I've also got a kill-mark on Darui and an entire scene planned out to the song Battle Dawn
I must contain my anger, or I won't control my power—
But gods! How long I've waited just to see this very hour!
It's just as well I'm not the one who calls the storm of fire—
Or I would turn this battle plain into your funeral pyre!
The priests all say I must not hate— but I will not pretend.
I saw the wreck you made of her, my Herald and my friend— (A reference to Hinagiku's sister should the song be used for Kumo)
The scars you left in flesh and soul will be so slow to fade—
Oh, would I had your coward heart beneath my naked blade!
I must control my rage, or lose ability to plan,
I must direct the fight from here, not charging in the van.
As you will likewise do, no doubt, for all that you are cruel
And revel in shed blood and pain, I think you are no fool.
But in the name of all the gods, you're all that I despise,
Who planned to take by treachery my kingdom as your prize—
My throne, my child, my people. All, you plotted to despoil— (Hyuga affair reference should Kuno be targeted)
By tricks that only miracles enabled us to foil.
I must control my fury or let slip all that I've sought—
But vengeance would not be enough for all the grief you've wrought.
Gods grant this day you fall beneath the steel of me and mine—
And drink full deeply of defeat, that cold and bitter wine.
My crown is on my brow, my naked blade within my hand.
My army like an eager hound lies waiting my command.
With how you tortured, killed and lied revealed to them this day—
By all the stars that ever shone,
By all the gods, known and unknown,
For Herald Kris and my Queen's Own—
I swear that you will pay!
But gods! How long I've waited just to see this very hour!
It's just as well I'm not the one who calls the storm of fire—
Or I would turn this battle plain into your funeral pyre!
The priests all say I must not hate— but I will not pretend.
I saw the wreck you made of her, my Herald and my friend— (A reference to Hinagiku's sister should the song be used for Kumo)
The scars you left in flesh and soul will be so slow to fade—
Oh, would I had your coward heart beneath my naked blade!
I must control my rage, or lose ability to plan,
I must direct the fight from here, not charging in the van.
As you will likewise do, no doubt, for all that you are cruel
And revel in shed blood and pain, I think you are no fool.
But in the name of all the gods, you're all that I despise,
Who planned to take by treachery my kingdom as your prize—
My throne, my child, my people. All, you plotted to despoil— (Hyuga affair reference should Kuno be targeted)
By tricks that only miracles enabled us to foil.
I must control my fury or let slip all that I've sought—
But vengeance would not be enough for all the grief you've wrought.
Gods grant this day you fall beneath the steel of me and mine—
And drink full deeply of defeat, that cold and bitter wine.
My crown is on my brow, my naked blade within my hand.
My army like an eager hound lies waiting my command.
With how you tortured, killed and lied revealed to them this day—
By all the stars that ever shone,
By all the gods, known and unknown,
For Herald Kris and my Queen's Own—
I swear that you will pay!
Which, I might scrap entirely and save for Orochimaru since it fits far better, and Hinagiku doesn't really have anything against Darui, just Kumo's upper-most echelon, so the Raikage and advisers. She considers other Kumo-nin as simply unpleasant to look at, but not intolerable.
Kenji: Thanks....I guess?
Oh, if Kenji actually goes after Sagiso you can expect Hinagiku to make things difficult for him lel.
Kenji: My lucky day...
And believe me I did notice that little mobilization, I just can't do anything about it IRL due to school and stuff so I've all but accepted this RP devolving into Shen & Kyuu's total war simulator. All hail our mighty Hyuga and Mist overlords lol
Hinagiku: HA! Welcome to the highest point in your life...it's all downhill from here~
TBH, I'm 100% sure that Shen and I have completely different thoughts about that army. I'm there for purely practical reasons and nothing more. I might've actually mobilized Mei, but since Shen didn''t hype the impending danger as much as I'd wanted I couldn't move a Kage-level.
Shen: King of Digimon
Previously Shen: King of the Mist
Don’t just suicide nose dive Mei into that outnof spite of the pure mist enlightenment
I don't know why he'd think the latter, but she'd probably use a variety of means to kill him. Can't marry a corpse after all.
I mean my issue is I already have one plot that feels disconnected with the arc plot (Azumi's thing which I am working on) and I have too many characters in this arc that I am not sure further diverting my focus on another POV is wise lol
But I will make a post to bring this to the Raikage's attention and have him act even as a cautionary measure cause having nobody but the Mist make any moves makes the rest of the world look ineffectual lol.
But I will make a post to bring this to the Raikage's attention and have him act even as a cautionary measure cause having nobody but the Mist make any moves makes the rest of the world look ineffectual lol.
Lmfao, I wasn't doing anything.
Worst Case Scenario is Kumo is doing a Jinchuriki terror bombing. The Mist should be very familiar with this tactic as they've used it several times. That's what I was prompting with Mei's question about if Jin had any ideas as to the person's motives. Then Jin went off on a completely different tangent so I just had Mei face-palm like I'd done.
This is all on you m8, this entire situation will have no bearing on Mei. She'll delegated this to Jin, so anything that comes of it will be under his leadership. If he screws up then that's a win for her as it undermines his influence in the Mist, and if he succeeds, then that's still a win for her as it allows her to- well, I'll let you guess that.
She kills him.