Chapter 2
In a secluded dark cave somewhere in the forest...
Liu Qingge would have decked his head down the burrow right now if he could. He could already imagine the smirk on the scholar's face as he taunts him endlessly with the words 'I told you so'. With his absolutely unbearable stingy and petty personality no doubt the man will hold it over his head most likely for the rest of their life.
Thank heavens for him that the only mercy that he and his martial brother here is that at the very least the scholar wasn't here to witness the humiliating scene of them being both chained up on the wall with qi-dampening cuffs and other spiritual energy-blocking related gadgets that frankly the young martial warrior had never seen before. Anyhow though it was clear that the tribal clans knew perfectly well how to handle a cultivator on their own just fine. Well, Mu Shidi did say that they had fought with Demonic Cultivators so it was really no wonder they learned a thing or two. Plus like his own family, there were some clans that were well versed in the arts of cultivation.
Just because they had been living in peace for so long didn't mean they hadn't been wary of them. They must have gathered and bought what they could find off of the black markets as a safety measure. After all, they had already experienced one surprise attack they weren't going to let another one happen not under their watch at the very least.
Liu Qingge and Mu Qingfang had failed to take notice of the various traps and security systems that the tribal clans had set in order to protect themselves from outsiders. Just like total fools they ran straight into one and were caught on the spot. They didn't even have time to signal for help as they quickly lost consciousness by most likely one of the many arrays or spells set on the trap.
By the time they came to they were already shackled to the walls of what they surmised to be a prison cell inside a rather quite large and spacious cave.
The martial warrior has been struggling in vain for hours trying his best to escape their dangerous predicament. Seeing that even one of their strongest cultivators couldn't make a slight budge, the healer took a deep calm breath and focused on calmly assessing the situation instead.
The cuffs and shackles were something he had never seen before not even the in the closed-off chambers of the deepest compounds of the blacksmith peak. Although they appeared to be quite old, he could tell they were made of the highest quality and were in relatively good condition. He figured they must be some artifacts of sorts left from the ancient time periods. How the tribal clan managed to get their hands on it was a mystery.
However, he couldn't deny the possibility that the relic may have been originally crafted by the tribal clan and passed along from one generation down to another generation. The fact that they were able to cure a mysterious illness that not even the most renowned healers both in the mortal realm and immortal realm could identify much less treat suggested that they possessed medical knowledge that was unknown to them at this moment.
Considering the tribal clan's long history he wouldn't be surprised if they had still managed to retain old ancient knowledge of the old world that had become lost to them over time.
Anyhow, though so far aside from being shackled to the walls, they have yet to experience any kind of interrogation or torture. The tribal clans seem to be busy discussing amongst themselves.
It was hard to tell whether they were being supervised by someone or not with how dark everything was with the small exception of the area where he and his martial brother were currently incarcerated at. The cave would be absolutely silent if it weren't for the martial god's constant and futile attempts to break free.
... Oh, who was he kidding? They had absolutely no clue as to what was going on. He was a healer for heaven's sake. This matter was far from his realm of expertise. Naturally being the muscle... he means military straight forward mindset person his martial brother was he probably had a lesser clue of the severe direness of their situation.
He never thought he would outrightly admit this out even in the threshold of his own mind but...
"Damn it if only that snake was here. Of all the times we could use that viper he isn't anywhere here," Liu Qingge says for him thank heavens...
Indeed if only their future second-in-command was here then they could have easily escaped this rather quite embarrassing predicament. Although Shen Qingqiu might be a lecherous scum, even Mu Qingfang could not deny the man's outstanding abilities and capabilities as a strategist. If one were to put his unpleasant traits aside Shen Qingqiu was indeed not only a talented scholar but a formidable cunning strategist worthy of the reputation of the Scholarly peak. It was no wonder that despite joining the sect late he had risen up the ranks so fast to the point that he had caught the interest and favor of the high maintenance picky Qing Peak Lord.
While Mu Qingfang did acknowledge the peak lord's abilities when in the face of his overwhelming disgusting lecherous behavior all of it was overshadowed. As a result, it made them hard to remember the reason why the Qing Jing Peak disciple had been placed among their ranks...
It was such a shame really. While Mu Qingfang does at times find his venomous tongue to be overbearing, it wasn't to the point he felt disdained over it. He may not like the man's blatantly rude and disrespectful attitude toward their future sect leader but he also had to admit that there were many instances that their future Sect Leader had warranted such attitude from him. Honestly, when he saw Yue Shixiong's rather... um, how should he put it unique gifts for his martial brother he honestly wondered whether the man was actually deliberately trying to pick a fight or not.
Those he could still try to bring himself to tolerate. In fact, he didn't mind it too much. However, he drew the line when he saw the man's unforgivable behavior and attitude toward those weaker than him. He absolutely loathed the way the peak lord mocked and hurt those he deemed his lessers just to satisfy his own selfish ego.
The healer's mood soured remembering back to all the instances that the peak lord had mocked his fellow martial siblings and poked at their weak spots before giving them the final kick to the guts.
"Forget it even if Shen Qingqiu was here what use would he serve us other than buy a few days more time most likely to use our lives as bargaining chips for his release" Mu Qingfang scoffs.
Liu Qingge looked back to the fresh memory of his martial brother taking advantage of him to stab him with that sword during the Well mission. Luckily the man was so exhausted (due to his weak cultivation that the pampered young spoiled snotty brat ignored to refine) that his aim ended up being pretty shaky making him miss his head. But even so had he not dodged it in time he might have lost his right arm by then.
"You're right." The war god nods fully agreeing with his martial brother's opinion of their second in command.
Mu Qingfang shakes his head and focuses his attention back on the matter at hand. "Anyhow with or without Shen Qingqiu, we need to figure out a way out of here. Seeing as how we can't free ourselves, our best option at the moment would be to directly negotiate with the clansmen for our release once they come to interrogate us."
"And if they don't?" Liu Qingge raises his eyebrows his face full of doubt of the healer's plan. "No offense Mu Shixiong but it's been shichens since we've been held here. I can't sense a single presence anywhere near us."
The healer fully understands the young warrior's worries over this plan he himself is full of doubts about but... "Unfortunately we can only hope for the best Shidi. Even if the Sect noticed we were missing it would take them a long time until they arrive to rescue us. And that's if Shen Shixiong doesn't interfere somehow which he undoubtedly will in that case we're both doomed. At least with this plan, we might not have to wait as long and have a better chance at survival."
The war god sighs "I guess you're right. But still, do you really think the tribal clan can be reasoned with?"
"For the moment they probably mistook us as intruders or attackers. Given their past, I don't blame them. Despite that aside from being chained to the wall they have treated us humanely. They've even treated our wounds that we sustained after getting caught in their trap" He points to the bandages covering both their bodies and the scent of medicine most likely healing balms wiped over the minor scratches here and there. Their clothes also had been changed to clean ones that still had the fresh scent of the warm sun looming over them. "That is why it is all the more important we clear their misunderstanding and negotiate with them for our release."
"Alright, then I guess all we can do is wait" Liu Qingge sighs in defeat as he agrees with his martial brother's plan.
In another room, masked figures stood around encompassing the large round stone table that stood in the middle of the room. On top of the table lay an embedded water basin bowl that reflected not their images but the scene of the prison cell down below them. Little were the two young cultivators aware that they had been closely monitored all this time behind the scenes by the spying equipment set up all over the place. Every one of their conversations had been not only recorded but also loud and clear for them to hear.
One of the masked figures openly scoffs at the young cultivators' utterly blatant ignorance and naivety. "Honestly what kind of fools do they take us for?"
Another masked figure quickly comes to speak up to their defense "Well they are just children. No older than your own son."
"Do not put my son or put any of the children for that matter in the same leagues asthem." The figure hisses.
"Councilman Lang is right. Children or not they should have known better. Brainwashed as they are even the young townsfolk know better than to step foot inside the borders" Another figure appears next to the arguing masked figures.
A man donning what appears to be armor with two sabers strapped behind his back "Putting these children's stupidity aside it's clear that they were sent here by their sect. I bet my money it was the damn governor that requested it."
Councilman Lang snorts "That old coot has been trying to get on our good side to snoop around us for years."
"Still to think the present he mentioned would end up being these brats" The other councilwoman lets out a tired sigh as she facepalms herself
"The third son of the Liu Dukedom and the fourth son of Imperial Healer Mu." The man in armor says in a serious tone.
Two names that the small tribal nation held an immense grudge against. While the clan heads themselves bore no sin the same could not be said for their fellow clansmen.
It was the careless and mistaken remarks of a drunk Liu clansman from the main family that had instigated that fateful tragedy a decade ago. The man had been boasting of his extraordinary and exaggerated exploits of another forest that he had mistaken for theirs. His mistake while simple and might have been looked over on any other day, had later proved to be a grievous one with horrific consequences. By the time he had noticed the matter had grown so large it was beyond his hands. Instead of attempting to rectify his mistakes, the man fled like the coward he was leaving others up to clean up his mess afterward.
The healer from the Mu Clan had been a greedy and ambitious man seeking to improve his status in the imperial realm. He had been regularly accepting bribes from officials and nobles alike to keep quiet on certain matters and falsify documents stating his patient's diagnosis results. It was quite the lucrative business if the man had to say so himself. So when he was presented with large stacks of golden taels how could he possibly reject such a lucrative request? Although he had suspicions that the vast majority of old injuries and scars were inflicted upon them by their masters he put all the blame on the tribal clan stating that they had tortured and abused their captives contrary to their perception of them causing public opinion to go against them.
Yet despite their role in the near decimation of one of the villages that lay on the outskirts of the central area, they were only given a slight tap on the wrist as punishment for their involvement and later had their crimes covered up by their clans much to the tribal nation's ire at the time most especially the survivors from the small village.
If it weren't for the newly installed village chief quelling their anger at the time then no doubt the entirety of the tribal nation would have been forced to go to war with the imperial empire by now something that the council members and Tribal King were fully aware that they could not afford. It was an immense sacrifice on the village chief's part as he had not only set his vengeance for his late father and people aside but as well as lost the vast majority of support of what remained of his people for his decision. Luckily the man had the young former village captain who was reigned as a hero by the tribal nation at his side, therefore, managing to retain his position up until now.
The young former village captain had pointed out that the prolonged war would only drive them to extinction as they were clearly outmatched by the might of the imperial army. Also, the small satisfaction they would gain from fulfilling their vengeance would come at the great cost of having what remaining loved ones they have either enslaved or slaughtered before their very eyes. At the words enslaved some of the villagers' ears perked up asking what he meant. The young village captain had suspicions to believe that not all of the villagers who had taken refuge up in the waterfall were dead. While certainly they had many corpses there were also many that were still classified as missing. There was a possibility they were blown up to smithereens by the explosion. However, there also existed the possibility of them being alive.
While it was an optimistic and naive thought still as long as the possibility existed they might have the chance to be reunited with their loved ones. It was only because this possibility existed that the villagers reluctantly agreed with the negotiation terms.
Along with handing over the direct offenders of the massacre, the empire had promised to return any enslaved tribal clansmen that were within the territory. Either way in the empire it had been illegal for kidnapped bodies to be sold as slaves in the first place since the previous emperor's reign. While that pertained mainly to the citizens of the empire the imperial court was willing to extend this law to the tribal clansmen on the basis that technically as they were part of the empire as well since their submission to it hundreds of years ago.
So far, over the years 50 people had returned.
Only 20 of them were alive while the remaining 30 had returned in coffins. Even among the 20 survivors though only 3 of them were able-bodied while the rest were either ill, crippled, or worse both. Naturally seeing the horrific state of their loved ones the villagers demanded justice be brought. However, the empire refused stating that they had merely promised to return their people and not punish their owners who accordingly to the law had done nothing wrong aside from buying a kidnapped body which was the fault of the slave trader and not them.
It has been getting difficult to contain and manage the tribal nation's discontent with their neighbors, especially the young folks who felt they had endured far too much ridicule for far too long.
Now the tribal people were split into three factions.
The first faction wanted to take an aggressive stance against the empire even willing to go to war with them as vengeance for all the ridicule they suffered until now.
The second faction wanted to take a more peaceful approach wanting to remind the empire of their worth to them.
The third faction wanted to maintain the peaceful stance that the nation has been taking for centuries.
Despite all this division, they managed to maintain this delicate balance somehow thanks to the nation's hero who had driven out the invading intruders and personally butchered the ones that he had managed to get his hand on.
The villagers could not find it in themselves to argue against a man who had fought for them at the cost of becoming a cripple for the rest of his life and had avenged their fallen comrades when he had sliced those bastards' heads off their bodies. Not to mention the man had also lost his wife and 1-year-old son in the tragedy. His wife's body had been among the slaughtered corpses up in the waterfall cave.
The only hope he had was that his son was still alive. However, that hope had been dashed when the imperial officials presented him with blood-stained clothes that his wife had personally sewed for the young toddler stating that the slave traders had lost the boy in the process of a surprise bandit attack.
How the man managed to retain his sanity was something that mystified the councilman. But then again it was said that the man still continues asking for his son regardless of the evidence that was presented before him years ago. There were also rumors of him sneaking out of the borders from time to time to go in search of his son. The village chief has turned a blind eye to this fearing that if he were to directly confront the man he would most likely break what little sanity he still had...
Right now living in denial that his son was dead was the only solstice that the man had left and well with how things were they could only leave it like that.
However, respect and admiration for the hero's nation were slowly drying up. The older generation had never liked the former young village captain for his status as an outsider and had it not been for the fact that it was the late elderly chief who had brought and adopted the orphan boy they would have long driven him out. Some of them pinned the blame for the tragedy on him stating that things had been peaceful up until they had accepted the outsider among their ranks. It was because of his presence that caused the incident. There were some who also accused the boy of being a spy sent by the empire to steal their secrets.
Some of the younger generation with their pent-up frustrations with their current situation were easily influenced by their seniors' notions about the man and had begun to withdraw themselves from the hero even accusing him of fraternizing with their enemies.
However, there were still people like the council members here who still respected and admired the hero. The vast majority of them were made up of the middle generation and the younger generation from various factions.
As ironic as it is the ones who mocked him the most were desperate to pull the man to their side hoping to win more support for their respective causes. How truly hypocritical.
As for the man himself, he didn't give a damn and only cared about finding the lost son who unfortunately will never return to him...
Anyhow it was a strike of fortune that they were the ones that found the brats first. Right now their priority was to safely bring the two cultivators back to the sect before any of the other villages caught on or worse yet the king's court...
Really all they wanted to do was punch the governor. No doubt he was looking to stir up trouble so he could start an upscaling war that would benefit his secret weapons trade handsomely...
Just then the door bangs open. A young man wearing similar armor comes bursting in panting. "We have a problem and I mean a huge problem."
"What is the problem!?" The older man in armor approaches him demanding an explanation.
"The third child was found by the warring faction however, they lost him when he fell into the ravines during their confrontation." The man manages to say in between his pants.
"Shit!" That was all they needed to catch their full attention.
However, what the young man says next nearly drives them ballistic "Not only that the third child might be a slave. One of the members claimed that they saw a slave insignia after they tried stabbing him and tore some pieces of his clothes off."
Councilman Lang bangs his fist on the wall "A slave dammit. So it seems we were played by those brats after all"
The councilwoman furiously smirks "Turns out they were the ones acting as baits. If word of this gets out then it'll be the same nightmare all over again. They'll blame us one way or another for damaging their property and then who knows what they'll do!"
"Don't just there boy lead us to where the boy was located!" The older man in armor shouts
"Yes, Captain Jiang!" The boy salutes
With that, the masked figures leave the room at once heading to where the ravines were.
At the riverbanks...
"Hhh chhh" Shen Qingqiu coughed up the river water from his lungs. Still, he had a bigger problem to deal with at hand quite literally. The strength in his arms was running out in each passing moment and his grip on the tree branch was loosening as a result of it.
However, with his severely qi-depleted and injured body, he could only manage to hang on the tree branch for dear life. Even if he did have enough strength with the river's raging current it was impossible for him to swim to the banks and drag his body out. He would be lucky if he didn't somehow end up being crushed by the waves first.
A dark part of him whispered to him asking him why he was desperately clinging onto the branch. After all, nobody would care if he went missing. He was just a slave worth no one's mind or attention.
Suddenly his mind flashed to the old Qiu slave brand embedded in his waist that had revealed itself during his confrontation with the tribal clansmen. Shen Qingqiu shook his head. No, it was precisely because he was a slave he had to get out of there alive and safely return to the sect. If the matter of him being a slave was revealed then the sect would wind up getting caught up in this conflict as the instigator of a possible civil war between the tribal clan and the empire.
If that were to happen then the integrity and reputation of the sect would fall through the ground. Not to mention they would be flooded with demands for compensation of the losses suffered thanks to the war they started. Those hyenas would rip the sect limb from limb until nothing was left of it. If that were to happen then…
The face of the kind gentle boy as he reached his hand out to him flashes before his eyes.
No, he needed to absolutely survive no matter what!
Despite his newfound resolve though it didn’t change the predicament he was in.
“Shit!” Shen Qingqiu curses when he sees a huge incoming tidal wave.
However, before he could do anything about it he is swallowed by the waters. The young teenager desperately struggles against the currents attempting to at least get his head out.
But his efforts prove not only futile but also fatal as he chokes on the water that he had swallowed in during his struggle.
“Shit” Shen Qingqiu thought amidst the onslaught pain coming from his lungs being drowned.
In his desperation he almost nearly cried out for help in his mind. However several of all his memories flashed before his very eyes.
Ah right… what right did he have to cry out for help when he had ruined the lives of others? The hands covered in so much blood… He was undeserving of any kindness or sympathy of others.
Even without all that his existence in itself had always proven to be nothing more than a curse. People who had been involved with him would always end up either unhappy at best or faced a fate worse than death at worst.
He knew he had always been a burden to Qi-Ge. Had it not been for him Qi-Ge would have reached higher heights sooner. The fact that he had become the head disciple of Qiong Ding Peak during his absence proved it.
Yet the moment he had come back into the picture he had caused nothing but trouble for the older boy. Darkening the once kind gentle face with a guilt ridden one. Forcing him to bear with the constant fear of the truth of his origin as a slave coming out. Straining his relationship with the rest of his martial siblings all because of his supposedly blatant favoritism over the scum.
Even now as he was dying he was causing nothing but trouble. He can only hope that the tribal clansmen or his martial family or any nobles will not discover his drowned corpse therefore allowing him to take his secret to the grave along with his martial brother’s secret.
Nobody will raise the issue of the missing scum who cowardly ran away after abandoning his martial brothers and went into hiding to avoid getting caught and punished for it.
Let him hope that those damn rats and hyenas will keep their nose down which he knows his Shizun will definitely assure of.
As his conscious was fading and his vision was blurring he felt a strong tug on his arm. Oh shit his arm must have caught onto something. He hopes he will die first before experiencing the sensation of his arm being ripped off.
However the pain he expected to come never came and instead he finds himself enveloped in warmth.
Maybe the heavens decided to grant him one final mercy before kicking him to the gates of hell.
That was what he thought before he lost the last of his consciousness…