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>>5160960

>Luo Yufeng (罗鴥锋), the Silverlight Swordsman, a peerless prodigy in the Dao of the Sword. He has been trained by his master, Chen Bieyou (陈别忧), from birth. Finally of age, he sets out to the wider world to fulfil his sworn duty - to take revenge. For crippling Yu Feng’s master and slaying his parents, that man must die.

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>>5160960

>Guan Ling (关灵), the Yellow Exorcist. As a child, he was captured by a demonic sect and locked within a sealed chamber, filled with vengeful spectres and resentful spirits. Through this, however, he managed to achieve enlightenment in the Dao of Ghosts. Shortly after escaping and killing his captors, Guan Ling made a name for himself as an exorcist. This time, he receives a curious contract.

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>>5160960

>Huangfu Xuanle (皇甫玄泐), the Erudite Sage. Despite his relatively youthful age, there are few more knowledgeable about Daoist magic than Huangfu Xuanle. Rumours of an almighty artifact residing in some recently discovered ruins have been surfacing. According to descriptions, he is certain that this is no regular relic. Could it be the key to even more profound understanding? It must be obtained at all cost!

>>5160960
>Luo Yufeng

>>5160960

Welcome to Records Of Honour, the new Xianxia quest I've been working on since the end of Kenshi Monogatari Quest! It'll be run as a series of short stories (you can think of them as one-shots) set in the same universe.

I'll be letting votes run for a few hours, so in the meantime, please feel free to ask any questions and join the discord.

>KismetQM Discord:
https://discord.com/invite/cfNMQtrErm

>Post Schedule:
Hopefully daily.

>Guan Ling (关灵), the Yellow Exorcist. As a child, he was captured by a demonic sect and locked within a sealed chamber, filled with vengeful spectres and resentful spirits. Through this, however, he managed to achieve enlightenment in the Dao of Ghosts. Shortly after escaping and killing his captors, Guan Ling made a name for himself as an exorcist. This time, he receives a curious contract.

>Huangfu Xuanle (皇甫玄泐), the Erudite Sage. Despite his relatively youthful age, there are few more knowledgeable about Daoist magic than Huangfu Xuanle. Rumours of an almighty artifact residing in some recently discovered ruins have been surfacing. According to descriptions, he is certain that this is no regular relic. Could it be the key to even more profound understanding? It must be obtained at all cost!

>>5160960
>Luo Yufeng (罗鴥锋)

>>5160975
>>Huangfu Xuanle

>>5160965
>Guan Ling (关灵), the Yellow Exorcist. As a child, he was captured by a demonic sect and locked within a sealed chamber, filled with vengeful spectres and resentful spirits. Through this, however, he managed to achieve enlightenment in the Dao of Ghosts. Shortly after escaping and killing his captors, Guan Ling made a name for himself as an exorcist. This time, he receives a curious contract.

>>5160960
>>Guan Ling (关灵),

>罗鴥锋

>Huangfu Xuanle
Though it would be funny for two running Xianxia quests to have an MC with Ghost powers

>>5160960
>Guan Ling

Woo, more xianxia!

>Guan Ling

Locking in with this! The post will come shortly.

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>>5161401

You are Guan Ling (关灵), the Yellow Exorcist.

The spectral winds roil. Ever since you escaped from that damned chamber seven years ago, you’ve been able to sense it - the flow of ghostly yin within the qi of heaven and earth, but it’s been a while since you’ve sensed something of this magnitude. To be able to pick up on such spiritual activity from this far away… This must be no ordinary haunting. No matter. It is your life mission to expel evil and banish such spectres, and since they point southward, to the south you must go.

You furrow your brows as you approach on your flying sword. Palpable yin qi permeates the land, and though faint, it causes even your blade to react to the profound evil lurking at its source. As you suspected, something is off, especially given that you’re in the territory of the Southern Jade Temple (南玉庙, Nanyu Miao), one of the strongest sects of the south. How could they have let such corruption take root. Under their noses, no less.

Investigations must be carried out at once. The sooner the better. However, the land of the Southern Jade stretches far and wide, at least a few hundred kilometres if the rumours are to be believed.


Where will you go first?

>Below you is a bamboo forest, where you detect several concentrations of yin qi converging towards a single point. Experience tells you that it must be a pack of baneful spectres, and strong ones at that. Upon closer inspection, they appear to be attacking a fellow daoist. His internal energy is spent, and won’t last for much long unless you intervene.

>Find the nearest village and gather information. The locals are usually the first to be affected by such corruption. It would be prudent to do some questioning before taking any action.

>Head to the Southern Jade Temple. This is their land after all. If anyone has a grasp of the current situation, it would be them. You will make haste for the temple.

>>5161475

I'll be putting this here first, will set up a pastebin soon.


Your current equipment:

-Supreme Apotropaic Amulet (太捍符, Taihan Fu), an amulet that protects your mind from spiritual attacks and boosts your already high resistance to possession and insanity.

-True-Sight Blade (真观剑, Zhenguan Jian), a ritual Daoist sword forged from thrice-sanctified yang steel (三洁阳铁), and infused with the refined resentment of every cursed spirit within the prison of your childhood. No spirit escapes it’s sharp gaze. No spirit hides from it’s piercing glare.

-Astral Wind Whisk (罡风拂尘, Gangfeng Fuchen), a whisk crafted from the hair of a white Qilin (麒麟), imbued with the power to draw upon astral winds to sweep away evil and resentment.

-Evil Luring Seal (招阴符, Zhaoyin Fu), a seal that concentrates yin qi within itself. Can be used to attract hateful spirits.

-Spirit Binding Seal (封灵符, Fengling Fu), a seal that traps a spirit in a cage of yang qi.

-Evil Expelling Seal (除邪符, Chuxie Fu), a seal that sets up a barrier within a variable radius that blocks hateful spirits from entering.

>Head to the Southern Jade Temple. This is their land after all. If anyone has a grasp of the current situation, it would be them. You will make haste for the temple.

Feels like this is the most sound option. Get our bearings then set off.

>>5161475
>Find the nearest village and gather information. The locals are usually the first to be affected by such corruption. It would be prudent to do some questioning before taking any action.

>>5161475
>>5161504
>Below you is a bamboo forest, where you detect several concentrations of yin qi converging towards a single point. Experience tells you that it must be a pack of baneful spectres, and strong ones at that. Upon closer inspection, they appear to be attacking a fellow daoist. His internal energy is spent, and won’t last for much long unless you intervene.

Actually change my vote to this. This is the mos time-pressing option, we can do the others later.

>>5161475
>Below you is a bamboo forest, where you detect several concentrations of yin qi converging towards a single point. Experience tells you that it must be a pack of baneful spectres, and strong ones at that. Upon closer inspection, they appear to be attacking a fellow daoist. His internal energy is spent, and won’t last for much long unless you intervene

Lets play the hero

>>5161489
>>5161506
>>5161582

>Below you is a bamboo forest, where you detect several concentrations of yin qi converging towards a single point. Experience tells you that it must be a pack of baneful spectres, and strong ones at that. Upon closer inspection, they appear to be attacking a fellow daoist. His internal energy is spent, and won’t last for much long unless you intervene.

Locking in with this. I need three people to roll a 1d10! 6 or higher to make it in time.

Rolled 7 (1d10)

>>5161601
SWIFT AS WILDFIRE

>>5161604
https://youtu.be/MOOXRR2hiEU

YEAH!

Rolled 10 (1d10)

>>5161601

Rolled 2 (1d10)

>>5161601
no need to hurry

>>5161611
I was but a frog in a well

>>5161611

Holy fucking shit.

>>5161601

In the air, you halt, your attention drawn directly to the bamboo forest below. There are seven fierce spirits. Judging by the sheer concentration of yin qi in each, these are not your average spectres. Oozing with rage and bloodlust, they move swiftly, quickly converging upon a fellow daoist. His internal energy is spent and in but a few breaths, his soul will be forcibly torn from his body, warped by resentment and twisted into yet another fierce spirit.

Before that happens, you decide it’s best to step in. He might know something about the current situation.

While descending, you tap your ring of holding to retrieve your Astral Wind Whisk (罡风拂尘, Gangfeng Fuchen). Just moments before reaching the ground, you leap off your flying sword and land in front of the ragged cultivator. You sweep the whisk in a wide arc, faint starlight streaking from its Qilin hair tassels as an iridescent wave of silver and blue bursts forth, pushing back the encroaching spirits. At the same time, your blade exudes a potent sword intent interlaced with blazing yang qi as you direct it towards the leftmost spirit.

A bright white flame engulfs the floating entity, only to dissipate when you sever its incorporeal form in twain. Before the binding properties of whisk wares off, the next few spirits fall in much the same way, swiftly dispatched in quick succession. However, the final spirit seems to have broken free, attempting to scatter its body and hide. But alas, in the presence of your sword, the True-Sight Blade (真观剑, Zhenguan Jian), no spirit can evade detection.

None escapes its sharp gaze.

None escape its piercing glare.

Needless to say, the final spectre is put to rest in adroit fashion.

“Are you alright?” You ask, kneeling before the downed cultivator. He looks to be no older than twenty and his attire is that of the Southern Jade Temple. “What happened here?”

Thankfully, your intervention was swift enough. With only a low-grade healing pill, most of his severe wounds seal right up.

“Thank you for your assistance, senior.” He cups his fists in deference. “My name is Liang Junze (梁焌崱) I was ordered to survey this bamboo forest but was suddenly beset by fierce spirits! If not for your assistance, I might not be here right now…”

Further questioning reveals that the daoist before you is an inner disciple of the Southern Jade. He notes that within the past few months, there have been strange happenings at the Southern Jade Temple, the plights of the people ignored, superficial investigations being conducted, the list goes on. One of the most affected areas has been a village just a few kilometres away known as Yan Village (颜村. Yan Cun).

“Umm, senior?” Junze says nervously. “If I may…”

“Speak your mind.”

“Might you be the Yellow Exorcist?”

>>5161695

Do you reveal who you are?

>Yes. If he was able to ascertain your identity, then there’s no point in hiding it.

>No. Southern Jade Temple is now under your suspicion, and even though this is due to Junze’s information, he is still a disciple of said temple. It would be safer to hide your identity for now.

>Write in.

>>5161696
>Yes, but keep it to yourself.
"Your sect is suspicious, even though you may not be."
But yeah, sometimes having a name for yourself just makes it a bit hard to investigate stealthily, aye?

>>5161696
>Yes, but ask him to keep it to himself.
If he knows enough to guess by himself, there's not much point in denying it, is there?

>>5161696
>>5161713 +1

>>5161696
>Yes, but keep it to yourself.

>>5161713
Supporting

>>5161713
>>5161722
>>5161731
>>5161734
>>5161778

>Yes, but keep it to yourself.

Writing.

>>5161791

You deliberate for a moment. It could be inconvenient if the Southern Jade Temple takes note of your presence in their territories, even more so given that your identity as the Yellow Exorcist. And it doesn’t take a very smart person to guess that even if you lie about who you are, there is no hiding the fact that you are a skilled cultivator, and that is something Junze is sure to report to his superiors. Therefore, you conclude, it would be best to come clean.

“Indeed, I am Guan Ling, the Yellow Exorcist.” You respond calmly, storing away your weapons.

“Perhaps there is hope for the temple after all…” Junze’s eyes appear to light up at your answer before bowing reverently. “I beseech you, great exorcist! Please save my Southern Jade Temple!”
His voice is coarse, but his sincerity shines through nonetheless.

“The other sects have all ignored Elder Zhang’s (张) requests for help… None of the messengers we’ve sent have returned, leaving not even a body… The other elders stifle our investigations under odd pretences while the people suffer. Our only hope is for a wandering master to lend us their assistance! We are willing to pay any price!”

“Please rise, junior Liang.” You help him up. “First, I hope that you will keep our meeting here a secret for now. Let not a soul know of my presence here. As for your request…”


What do you say to his request?

>”As long as you help me banish these malignant forces from the land, I will provide my assistance to you and your elder.”

>”The affairs of sects do not concern me. I wish only to see these evil spirits vanquished, and the land free of their influence.”

>Write in.


What do you do next?

>Make your way to Yan Village. With the information Junze has given you, it’s a good place to start your own investigation without the Southern Jade Temple interfering.

>Head to Southern Jade Temple. They’ve raised your suspicions. If what Junze has said is to be believed, there must be some corrupting force present within the upper echelons of the temple.

>Survey the bamboo forest with Junze. The fact that he was sent here indicates that there must be something dubious lying around.

>>5161812
>”As long as you help me banish these malignant forces from the land, I will provide my assistance to you and your elder.”

>Make your way to Yan Village. With the information Junze has given you, it’s a good place to start your own investigation without the Southern Jade Temple interfering.

>>5161812
>As long as you aid me

>Start with the village.
Hey QM, great to see you still writing! Shame about the samurai, but the daoist is just as interesting.

>>5161812
>”As long as you help me banish these malignant forces from the land, I will provide my assistance to you and your elder.”
>Make your way to Yan Village. With the information Junze has given you, it’s a good place to start your own investigation without the Southern Jade Temple interfering.

>>5161812
>”As long as you help me banish these malignant forces from the land, I will provide my assistance to you and your elder.”
>Make your way to Yan Village. With the information Junze has given you, it’s a good place to start your own investigation without the Southern Jade Temple interfering.

>>5161812
>As long as you help me banish these malignant forces from the land, I will provide my assistance to you and your elder.”
>Survey the bamboo forest with Junze. The fact that he was sent here indicates that there must be something dubious lying around.

>>5161813
>>5161829
>>5161833
>>5161842
>>5161885

>”As long as you help me banish these malignant forces from the land, I will provide my assistance to you and your elder.”

>Make your way to Yan Village. With the information Junze has given you, it’s a good place to start your own investigation without the Southern Jade Temple interfering.

Locking in with this. Will continue tomorrow morning. Thanks for playing so far!


>>5161829
What happened with KMQ was unfortunate, glad you're enjoying this so far.

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>>5161900
Your aesthetics and narration are pretty impressive in this quest, QM...! Are you a native speaker?

>>5161908

Yes, I am a native speaker.

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>>5161935
Hooray, I knew it!
《庄子.天下》在己无居,形物自著,其动若水,其静若镜,其响若应。

>>5161885
Better safe than sorry.

>>5161900

“As long as you help me banish these malignant forces from the land, I will provide my assistance to you and your elder.”

“I thank you on behalf of the Southern Jade!” Junze bows once more, his voice quivering. “Of your request of anonymity, I will be sure to keep it even if it costs me my life. But what will you do next, Senior Guan?”

“Pay a visit to Yan Village.” You flick your sleeve, directing your sword out from its sheath.

“I see… Then this junior shall delay you no further.” Junze points towards the south-east, cupping his fists to greet you off.

You nod, take to the air with haste. Being only a few kilometres away, you arrive at the village gates in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. But throughout your journey, True-Sight has only gotten more restless, a resentful sword qi emanating from its edge, causing it to glow viciously under the bright moonlight above.

A cold eerie mist pervades the four directions, though it hasn’t rained recently, enveloping everything within a radius of one kilometre in pale white. Apart from that, the streets are empty, and the scent of death wades from ashen huts. Furthermore, the lack of frost indicates that this could only mean one thing…

Yin poisoning.

An excess of yin qi causes the meridians and veins to freeze. Once every blood vessel and spiritual pathway has been blocked, the body becomes stiff and begins to emit yin qi in the form of mist, further poisoning the surrounding air. The fact that the mist is already this thick indicates that it’s not long till those on the brink of death begin to zombify into Jiangshi (僵尸).


What is your first course of action?

>Save the villagers. They could have valuable information. If you act fast enough, you can expel the buildup of yin qi in the area and may be able to stop the zombification process.

>Investigate the source of the yin poisoning. For all you know, tampering with the existing yin-rich conditions could set off some trap or destroy evidence. You will find and observe the cause before doing anything.

>It’s already a lost cause. The best you can do is seal up this village to contain the Jiangshi outbreak and head to the next closest village.

>Write in.

>>5163482
>Save the villagers. They could have valuable information. If you act fast enough, you can expel the buildup of yin qi in the area and may be able to stop the zombification process.


An exorcists duty is to protect the living, it may be a futile task to try, but had we not once been in the same hell these poor souls now face themselves?

Even if we fail, we must try to sav them from this ghostly affliction

>>5163482
>>Investigate the source of the yin poisoning. For all you know, tampering with the existing yin-rich conditions could set off some trap or destroy evidence. You will find and observe the cause before doing anything.

>>5163482
>Save the villagers. They could have valuable information. If you act fast enough, you can expel the buildup of yin qi in the area and may be able to stop the zombification process.

>>5163482
>Save the villagers. They could have valuable information. If you act fast enough, you can expel the buildup of yin qi in the area and may be able to stop the zombification process.

>>5163489
>>5163516
>>5163570
>>5163599

>Save the villagers. They could have valuable information. If you act fast enough, you can expel the buildup of yin qi in the area and may be able to stop the zombification process.

Writing!

>>5163645

As an exorcist, you are well aware of the horrors of yin poisoning, and of course, how it’s treated. You’re not certain if you can feasibly save everyone in the village, but it’d be too cruel to abandon innocent lives. And eventually, the situation here will have to be dealt with. The sooner the better.

Taking a deep breath, you step beyond the village gates. Almost immediately, yin qi and resentment begin to flood your mind. It’s not nearly enough to break through your natural resistance but a white halo forms around your Supreme Apotropaic Amulet (太捍符) anyway, shielding you from most of the ghastly influence.

Your sudden presence alerts some of the people who stare at you from their windows with blank eyes and pallid faces. While counting the number of houses, a young boy suddenly exits the residence to your left, limping towards you. He struggles to even lift his head to look at you.

“Are you here to help us, sir?”

You kneel down, taking a closer look at his condition. A decent portion of his flesh has become stiff and cold, almost like patches of ice have replaced his skin. Luckily, his vital organs are still unharmed.

“Yes.” You say as you focus your internal energy on your palm.

Warm, vibrant yellow forms around your hands, spreading to the boy’s leg when you reach for it. In a few breaths, the colour returns to his skin and his limbs regain their movement, leaving him too stunned to speak.

“Go gather everyone that can still walk.” You instruct.

He nods, quickly rushing from house to house. In the meantime, you’ll have to do something about this mist. You head to the village centre and swipe your ring of holding, retrieving a small stack of Evil Luring Seals (招阴符, Zhaoyin Fu). With a few hand signs, they spread out, forming a perimeter around the village. Very quickly, the yin qi mist begins to madly rush towards their positions, congealing into thick spheres that you gather before you. Taking out your Astral Wind Whisk, the resentment contained within them is banished and the remaining mass of pure yin qi is absorbed by True-Sight. Finally, you set up a barrier using a few dozen Evil Expelling Seals (除邪符, Chuxie Fu). Any lesser evil spirit that touches will be torn asunder, and it’ll take a real demon to break through.

The entire process took a while, so by the time you’re done, most of the villagers that can still walk have gathered around you, staring in awe at your esoteric methods. You can’t let your guard down though. Even with the mist gone, the scent of death still lingers. Some of the immobile ones are completing their zombification. This is also one of the reasons you had the people vacate their homes.

>>5163858

Suddenly, violent grunts sound out from a few of the houses and, shortly after, Jiangshi begin to emerge. Normally, Jiangshi formed just after death are unable to move until their bodies start to decay, but this isn’t the case when they are formed via yin qi. Under the influence of the Evil Expelling Seals, their skin starts to burn and their movements are slowed, giving you ample time to cut them down and put their souls to rest.

They numbered around a dozen, equivalent to a quarter of the village population. Some mourn, others stay deathly silent as you carry out the healing process. The immobile ones that haven’t completed their zombification can still be saved, but they require more intensive care and probably won’t regain much motion in their limbs.

During their healing, you question the villagers. It seems that corruption had taken root months beforehand, coinciding with a shift in the Southern Jade Temple’s movements. Looks like something is really happening within the temple. Other than that, there’s not much you can glean without further investigation.

As you ponder your next line of action, day breaks, and you sense that something insidious has broken through the barrier. Along with that, two figures enter the village heading straight to confront you. From their attire they are disciples of the Southern Jade, yet something seems off about them.

“Senior.“ They greet, bowing shallowly.

You return the greeting, cupping your fists.

“We thank you for your assistance here.” One of them declares. “Our elder has offered a sincere invitation to enter the temple. If senior is willing, please follow us two juniors.”

“Which elder.”

“Elder Zhang Hong (张泓).” The other disciple answers.

Could it be the same Elder Zhang that Junze mentioned?


Do you inform them of the presence that's broken through your barrier?

>Yes. It’ll be easier to find and take it down. Not to mention that you may be able to suss out which side they’re really on with their response.

>No. Revealing some of your power would be disadvantageous, and who’s to say they aren’t the intruders themselves? You’ll deal with it on your own.


How do you respond?

>Decline. The source of the yin poison has still not been found. You have more work to do here.

>Accept. Since you’re sure the temple is involved somehow, it might be best to go in and take a look for yourself.

>>5163861

>Yes. It’ll be easier to find and take it down. Not to mention that you may be able to suss out which side they’re really on with their response.

>Accept. Since you’re sure the temple is involved somehow, it might be best to go in and take a look for yourself.

>>5163861
>Yes. It’ll be easier to find and take it down. Not to mention that you may be able to suss out which side they’re really on with their response.
>Accept. Since you’re sure the temple is involved somehow, it might be best to go in and take a look for yourself.
Probably best to get to the heart of the matter and tie up the whole thing. Hopefully, the Southern Jade Temple is just hiding some disaster to avoid losing face and we can fix it.

>>5163861
>No
>Accept, but beg pardon while we finish our business here.

Maybe make a few notes about how exorcisms are carried out.

>>5163861
>No. Revealing some of your power would be disadvantageous, and who’s to say they aren’t the intruders themselves? You’ll deal with it on your own.

>Accept. Since you’re sure the temple is involved somehow, it might be best to go in and take a look for yourself.

>>5163861
>No. Revealing some of your power would be disadvantageous, and who’s to say they aren’t the intruders themselves? You’ll deal with it on your own.
>Accept. Since you’re sure the temple is involved somehow, it might be best to go in and take a look for yourself.

>>5163873
>>5163962
>>5164009
>>5164066
>>5164119

>No. Revealing some of your power would be disadvantageous, and who’s to say they aren’t the intruders themselves? You’ll deal with it on your own.

>Accept. Since you’re sure the temple is involved somehow, it might be best to go in and take a look for yourself.

Going with these. Writing!

>>5164729

After a moment of silence, you respond, furrowing your brows. “I accept his offer.”

“Then I’ll have to trouble senior to follow us two juniors.”

You nod coldly, following the two disciples out the village gates. The boy from earlier throws you a concerned look which you return with a reassuring expression. As you approach the boundary of your barrier, you observe the two cultivators closely. If they trigger a reaction, then it’s not a stretch to say that the insidious intruders are before you. However, they manage to exit unschathed, meaning you’ll have to come back and deal with whatever broke through later.

Leaping on your flying sword, you spot a towering mountain in the distance reaching high above the clouds - the location of Southern Jade Temple. The two disciples lead you towards it’s peaks without a word, observing you discreetly while you observe them. As you fly closer and closer, True-Sight begins to howl once more, sword intent raging wildly below your feet. You make sure to conceal this from your two guides ahead, of course. It’s a simple task considering the disparity between your cultivation bases. In front of a master though, your tricks will be seen right through.

Above the clouds, the morning sun illuminates the temple grounds, reflecting off the stone grey tiles and wooden pillars. A single elder stands at the entrance waiting to greet you. Any attempts to gauge his strength come out hazy. He should be no weaker than you.

“Greetings, fellow daoist. Welcome to my Southern Jade Temple. I have heard of your great deeds in Yan Village and offer my deepest gratitudes on behalf of the temple.” He bows.

“A minor matter, senior…”

“Li. Li Zhu (李祝)”

“Senior Li, it is.” You cup your fists, paying close attention to your surroundings. “This one is a simple exorcist whose name is insignificant in the Jianghu (江湖, tl: Martial Arts world). Might I ask where is Elder Zhang Hong?

“You are too humble. Since you’ve decided to withhold your name, I shan’t pry.” He laughs cordially. “He is waiting inside the Great Hall. Allow me to take you to him.”

>>5165008

Cultivators all around throw you brief glances and speak in hush whispers as you follow Li Zhu. He stops right outside the courtyard of a large hall, flanked by symmetrical buildings on both sides. The only way out is from where you entered, or from above.

A shred of killing intent pierces through the air.

“Is something the matter, Senior Li?” You ask, raising your guard.

This time, he chuckles sinisterly. “That’s a fine blade by your side, sir exorcist… You best keep it under a watchful eye, lest it cuts the hand that wields it.”

“Junior will take note-” You’re cut off by the sudden appearance of six cultivators, each with swords drawn and bloodlust plain. Any one of them could be considered formidable by themselves, let alone in a six-man formation. “What is the meaning of this, Senior Li?” You question indifferently.

“Nothing much, sir exorcist. Or should I say…. Yellow Exorcist Guan Ling? I had thought myself successful in intercepting all information leaving and shunning away prying eyes, but it seems that a little rat has slipped by…”

The six surrounding you close in a few steps.

“This Li isn’t a ruthless person so I’ll give you two choices. First, surrender your weapons and be imprisoned in a Resentment Trapping Prison (困怨狱, Kunyuan Yu). Not only will you retain your cultivation and life, you’ll also expedite our plans! Is it not a win-win situation?”

You hold your head high, showing not a single thread of fear. “The second?”

“Need you ask?”


What do you do?

>Accept imprisonment. Other than some slight differences, a Resentment Trapping Prison is not unlike the chamber you were trapped in for much of your youth. You’re confident in resisting its influence, and stand to gain much information from seeing its inner workings.

>Resist. A Resentment Trapping Prison? You will not let beasts who use such despicable instruments have their way with you. You will fight them here.

>Attempt to flee. There is no need to make a decision now. Better to escape and plan first.

>Write in.

>>5165011
>Accept imprisonment. Other than some slight differences, a Resentment Trapping Prison is not unlike the chamber you were trapped in for much of your youth. You’re confident in resisting its influence, and stand to gain much information from seeing its inner workings.

>Accept imprisonment. Other than some slight differences, a Resentment Trapping Prison is not unlike the chamber you were trapped in for much of your youth. You’re confident in resisting its influence, and stand to gain much information from seeing its inner workings.

>>5165011
>Accept imprisonment. Other than some slight differences, a Resentment Trapping Prison is not unlike the chamber you were trapped in for much of your youth. You’re confident in resisting its influence, and stand to gain much information from seeing its inner workings.

>"I suppose I have thrown myself into a net, elder, take care you do not step into one as well"

>>5165011
>Attempt to flee. There is no need to make a decision now. Better to escape and plan first.
Fuck these guys, now I know they're behind everything.

>>5165018
>>5165049
>>5165068
>>5165047

>Accept imprisonment. Other than some slight differences, a Resentment Trapping Prison is not unlike the chamber you were trapped in for much of your youth. You’re confident in resisting its influence, and stand to gain much information from seeing its inner workings.

Writing!

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>>5165100

“Very well then.” You scoff, storing True-Sight into your Ring of Holding.

Li Zhu smiles. “A wise choice, my friend.”

While inactive, the Supreme Apotropaic Amulet appears as an ordinary ornament and, try as they might, True-Sight is soulbound to you. No one else can unsheathe it without expending a great number of resources to sever your spiritual link with it, even after your death. As for the Astral Wind Whisk, a certain technique, in addition to much practice, is needed to draw out the faintest bit of starlight from its tassels. With these in mind, you toss your ring to the scheming elder.

Your hands are promptly bound with chains forged from what appears to be high-grade qi-syphoning stone (吸气石, Xiqi Shi). They work by absorbing any qi one tries to externalise, effectively rendering one unable to cast any daoist magic or operate any spiritual weapons. Still, it is possible to overload such restraints with high amounts of qi to shatter them. Raw physical strength is also another option, so the six cultivators surrounding keep their guard up, escorting you inside the great hall with swords drawn at your throat.

You are brought through a secret passage with multiple seals plastered along its walls, all the way to the Resentment Trapping Prison. Their patterns indicate that they’re used to block the flow of yin qi and resentment. Truly, this has been well hidden. It would be near impossible for anyone to sense anything amiss.

The stone door of the prison dematerialises, revealing a world of blood red scarlet and inky black, swirling in a storm of pure hatred. In your seven years of freedom, you never thought you’d see this sight again. Heck, it almost feels nostalgic. The screams of vengeful spirits ring out like a wretched symphony, and if not for the talismans and seals, your amulet would be on full throttle right about now.

Li Zhu himself undoes your chains, pushing you in before you have time to react. “Try not to go insane down there, good friend!” He laughs maniacally.

Instantly, your five senses are overwhelmed with a profound chill. Foriegn thoughts invade your mind, telling you to commit all manner of unspeakable atrocities, only to be expelled once your amulet activates.

It’s time to get to work!

First things first, you observe the whirling hues of red and black - physical manifestations of resentment. They may appear to whirl about randomly, but in actuality, it all moves within the parameters set by the prison’s architect. The next thing to take note of is the movement of ghosts in the chamber. Similarly, they too are bound by certain restrictions. By studying both, you can indirectly infer the functions and inner workings of this specific prison. The only limitation is time. This space is fairly large, so you estimate that it’ll take at least a week to get a comprehensive look at everything.

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>>5165422

Six days into your observations, you're on the cusp of a breakthrough, but unexpectedly, you hear the door open and hurry to feign insanity, hiding the radiance of your amulet. A single other person is thrown in. He too wears the robes of the Southern Jade, looking a few years older than yourself. Unlike you, though, the resentment in the chamber is too much for him to bear. He’s most likely experiencing the worst headache of his life at the moment, screaming and rolling in anguish.

You approach him. Miraculously, he’s able to turn his head to look at you, albeit with great struggle. Trying to speak to him regularly would be futile. He’s probably in too much suffering to hear you.

“Just endure for a moment longer.” You transmit directly to his mind.

He shakes his head, continuing to flail about, almost like he’s telling you to stay away.

Red sparks of lightning form at your fingertips as you begin to circulate your qi, tracing red arcs when you move your hand. With each fluid motion, the resentment around the man begins to roil, as if resisting some great pull, and soon, a pocket forms around him, devoid of evil forces.

“T-thank you.” He coughs, keenly eyeing you as you maintain the pocket.

Normally, you would refrain from revealing your competency in the Dao of Ghosts. Most don’t take kindly to such forbidden arts, and upon reclaiming your freedom seven years ago, before you made a name for yourself, many cultivators had labelled you a heretic.

“Who are you?” You ask.

“Zhang Hong, of the Southern Jade.”

What a surprising turn of events, you think to yourself.

“You need not worry about me, Yellow Exorcist. Junior Liang told me about you after finding out about your capture.” He heaves a resolute sigh. ” There’s no reason why someone as powerful as you would capitulate without struggle. Therefore, you must have entered here willingly.” Staring straight into your eyes, he stands up. “If so, I do not wish to hinder you… My only wish is for the people to be saved and the temple purged of nefarious actors!”


What do you do?

>Pass him your Supreme Apotropaic Amulet. It’ll take another few days for you to acclimatise to the prison without it, but that man there needs it more than you do. “That won’t be necessary, Brother Zhang. Without you, the Southern Jade will surely fall.”

>It’s already been six days, there’s no telling how much time you have left till Li Zhu’s plans come to fruition. You can’t afford to waste a few days. It’s unfortunate, but the study must be completed now. “I will avenge your death, Brother Zhang. You will not be forgotten.”

>Write in.

>>5165425
>We have already gotten a look at the array keeping us captive, we surely must have identified a few weak areas already. Drag this Cultivator and the pocket towards this weak area and begin to dismantle them.

If we weaken the array, it will reduce the acclimation time and permit us to give away our amulet without great issues.

>>5165429
+1

>>5165425
>Pass him your Supreme Apotropaic Amulet. It’ll take another few days for you to acclimatise to the prison without it, but that man there needs it more than you do. “That won’t be necessary, Brother Zhang. Without you, the Southern Jade will surely fall.”

>>5165429
This if possible, otherwise
>Pass him your Supreme Apotropaic Amulet. It’ll take another few days for you to acclimatise to the prison without it, but that man there needs it more than you do. “That won’t be necessary, Brother Zhang. Without you, the Southern Jade will surely fall.”

>>5165429
>>5165441
>>5165625
>>5166000

>We have already gotten a look at the array keeping us captive, we surely must have identified a few weak areas already. Drag this Cultivator and the pocket towards this weak area and begin to dismantle them.

Certainly possible! There won't be any post today cause of some pain in my wrists. Hopefully I can write tomorrow.

>>5166008

“That won’t be necessary, Brother Zhang. Without you, the Southern Jade will surely fall.” Before Zhang Hong is able to say anything, you point to a few sections of the prison. “You see those areas? Those are some weak spots I’ve managed to identify. Disrupting the flow of yin qi in these areas will significantly weaken the arrays in effect.”

“I-I understand, Brother Guan. This Zhang is in your debt.”

Carefully, you direct the resentment around Zhang Hong, leading him towards the first weak point. “Channel your qi in the opposite direction of yin qi, preferably some form of yang or fire qi.” You instruct.

“Understood!”
A stream of golden warmth congeals within the ocean of black and red, flowing in opposition to its currents. As it begins to solidify, it becomes easier to maintain the bubble around Zhang Hong.

Eventually, a total of thirteen points are sealed, leaving the two of you exhausted, you especially. But at least it has greatly reduced the strain of manipulating such dense, violent resentment on your body.

“Is that all of them?” Zhang Hong asks, panting.

You shake your head. “Not all of them, there are still some major ones I have yet to find.”

“What do we do now?”

“Take this.” You toss your Supreme Apotropaic Amulet to him, releasing your grip over the surrounding resentment.

“Brother Guan!” He shouts. After catching it, a protective halo forms around him, slowly fading into his body.

Furious, ghastly rambling begins to assault your mind as you clutch your temples. The influence of the prison has definitely waned, but you reckon you’ll still need at least a day to rest and acclimatise to it. Zhang Hong rushes towards you.

“Worry not. A trivial Resentment Trapping Prison isn’t enough to break me.” You sit down cross-legged. “I just need a day to recuperate. You too should save your strength, those bastards are gonna notice something sooner or later…”

A day later, you awake. The vicious voices still remain, but they are but background noise now. Some distance away, you see Zhang Hong meditating. It seems that Li Zhu hasn’t noticed your tempering so you immediately continue your observations. Along with your previous findings, they reveal that there are several arrays in place used to amplify resentment, along with others that seem to extract resentment from external sources to funnel it somewhere. The only thing is, the sheer volume and purity of resentment it’s outputting is staggering, enough to consume a few cities. Whatever it’s purpose is, it’s obviously not a good one.

>>5167700

What do you do?

>Destroy the prison and escape. That should set Li Zhu’s plans back and give Zhang Hong ample time to gather his forces.

>Destroy the prison and launch a surprise assault on Li Zhu amidst the confusion. He needs to be put down swiftly.

>Take a slower approach. Block off most of the arrays to attract Li Zhu’s attention. When he sends his lackeys to examine the prison, dispose of them one by one. An opportunity to ambush Li Zhu will arrive when he himself comes to personally inspect.

>Write in.

>>5167701
>>Destroy the prison and launch a surprise assault on Li Zhu amidst the confusion. He needs to be put down swiftly.

>>5167701
>Destroy the prison and launch a surprise assault on Li Zhu amidst the confusion. He needs to be put down swiftly.
Our only advantage right now is the element of surprise, so we should capitalize on it and kill Li Zhu before he does any more damage.

>>5167701
>Try and direct the build up of resentment towards the doors as a seal breaker.
>Destrou the prison and launch a surprise attack.

I figure it was just the easiest way to use the destruction to our advantage

>>5167701

Votes will run for a few more hours until I wake up.

>>5167809
+1

>>5167701
>Destroy the prison and launch a surprise assault on Li Zhu amidst the confusion. He needs to be put down swiftly.

>>5167701
>Destroy the prison and launch a surprise assault on Li Zhu amidst the confusion. He needs to be put down swiftly.

>>5167703
>>5167718
>>5167809
>>5167990
>>5168344
>>5168828

Destroy, we shall. Writing!

>>5168857

You head over to Zhang Hong. Hearing your footsteps, he stands up and turns to look at you. “What do you need of me, Brother Guan?”

“I’ve seen through all the arrays. We destroy this whole thing now and attack Li Zhu.”

“Is that not too rash?” His eyes widen. “What about our weapons?”

“We’ll retrieve them on the way.”

With a few hand seals, the space within begins to violently quake. Cracks begin to form in all directions, from which the trapped spectres flee. Above and below you, the flow of resentment is blocked. To your left and right, blood-red inscriptions light up, only to disintegrate. Naturally, the prison door shatters, revealing your path of escape.

“You really weren’t kidding…” Zhang Hong mutters.

On the way out, he passes back your Supreme Apotropaic Amulet. Once you’re in the hidden passageway you immediately sense the location of True-Sight some three hundred metres away. You inform Zhang Hong who tells you that your blade is most likely being stored in the Treasure Hall along with your ring of holding. Without delay, the two of you rush in its direction.

Just barely a hundred metres away, the treasure hall is in full view. You prepare to rush in, but suddenly, a wave of force pierces through the air towards you. Zhang Hong quickly intercepts it, dissipating the attack with little effort.

“LI ZHU! You still dare use my temple’s sacred techniques?” He roars. ”The temple master will have your life when he emerges from secluded meditation!”

“What temple master?” Li Zhu sneers. “He’s been dead for months!”

“You-”

Before Zhang Hong can do anything impulsive, you grab his shoulder and whisper your plan.


What do you say?

>”Brother Zhang, prepare to fight. On my signal, we make a break for the treasure hall and retrieve our weapons.”

>”I will hold off Li Zhu, Brother Zhang. You retrieve our weapons.”

>”I trust that you can hold him off for a few moments. I will go and retrieve our weapons.”

>Write in.

>>5169021

Apologies for taking a while for this short post. Wrist has been hurting the whole day. Gonna see a doctor tomorrow.

>>5169021
>I trust that you may hold him off with your greater knowledge of their techniques?

>>5169021
>”Brother Zhang, prepare to fight. On my signal, we make a break for the treasure hall and retrieve our weapons.”
I doubt Li Zhu will risk damaging the things in the treasure hall. Zhang blocking that attack casually is a good sign, but he WAS subdued in the end and there's no knowing what Li could have up his sleeves.

>>5169021
>>”Brother Zhang, prepare to fight. On my signal, we make a break for the treasure hall and retrieve our weapons.”

>>5169038
>>5169052
>>5169157

>”Brother Zhang, prepare to fight. On my signal, we make a break for the treasure hall and retrieve our weapons.”

Three people please roll a 1d10.

>>5169021
>”I will hold off Li Zhu, Brother Zhang. You retrieve our weapons.”

Rolled 5 (1d10)

>>5169753

Rolled 7 (1d10)

>>5169753

Rolled 6 (1d10)

>>5169753

>>5169759
>>5169769
>>5169815

>7

Writing!

>>5169816

Rip, things happened, and I can only get the post up tmr.

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>>5169816

“Brother Zhang, prepare to fight. On my signal, we make a break for the treasure hall and retrieve our weapons.”

He nods, as you ready yourself for battle.

Li Zhu scoffs. “Not that it matters anymore… For destroying my prison, you two shall forfeit your lives!”

In the blink of an eye, Li Zhu’s figure vanishes, only to reappear two steps in front of you, ready to slash with his sword. Zhang Hong is quick to react, denying his advance with a high kick that sends shockwaves through the air. As your partner presses the attack, you circle around, coating your hands and feet in pure yang qi and dashing in for a palm attack. Li Zhu sidesteps your strike, while deflecting an incoming fist from Zhang Hong. As expected of an elder of Southern Jade Temple, Li Zhu will not be easy to defeat.

After another fifty or so exchanges, it’s clear that neither side has the advantage. Observing this, Li Zhu leaps into the air, creating some distance between him and the two of you.

“You won’t survive my next attack!” Li Zhu belches in frustration, forming a series of quick hand seals.

Suddenly, a foul aura floods your surroundings, causing you to almost gag as a viscous black mist rises from the ground. It radiates with a profound evil, deeper and more horrible than whatever was in the Resentment Trapping Prison, but you stand your ground, resisting its crazed influence. And luckily, Zhang Hong still carries your amulet, else he’d probably have blood spewing from his seven orifices.

You steel yourself, unsure if you can control that black miasma ahead. Red lightning once more cloaks your finger, shrieking towards Li Zhu when you point at him. The misty mass abruptly freezings, roiling in place. Your face lights up. With all the strength you can muster, you force the mist away from Li Zhu, coughing out a mouthful of blood in the process. His revealed face is that of shock and slight horror.

“Impossible…” He utters under his ragged breath.

Spitting out more blood, the lightning from your fingers flashes brighter than before, and a short moment later, all the black mist crashes into Li Zhu at once, like fearsome dragons consuming a mountain in their abyssic maws. A deafening roar of pain reverberates across heaven and earth. It’s likely that even cultivators from neighbouring provinces can hear it.

This is your chance. “Now!” You shout at Zhang Hong.

Both of you make a mad dash into the Treasure Hall, clearing the hundred metre gap, and bypassing the locking arrays in a matter of seconds. No words are exchanged, conversing will only take up the precious few moments you have until Li Zhu recovers. Constantly following your spiritual link with True-Sight, you find yourself on the Treasure Hall’s top floor. On an ornate wooden pedestal is your trusty blade, and beside it, your ring of holding.

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>>5171381

The next moment, a command rings through the temple grounds. “BRING THE PRISONERS!”

You’re out of time. Without a sliver of hesitation, you break the nearest window, gliding down with True-Sight in one hand and your Astral Wind Whisk in the other. Zhang Hong exits in a similar fashion with a sword of pure green jade, emblazoned with golden runes.

In the distance, you see a group of bound disciples being herded to your location. Their mouths are sealed, leaving them unable to scream. Among them is Junior Liang Junze, who you met when you first arrived. The colour from Zhang Hong’s face seems to quickly fade.

Li Zhu, now at least three metres in height, with an intrepid physique and skin as dark as night, laughs coldly. “Surrender. Or they will all perish.” He points at the moving group behind, eyeing the two of you with now blood-red eyes.

You grit your teeth.

“On second thought… How about this?” Li Zhu continues. “Both of you stand there like good boys and await your punishment. Every time you try to resist or fall to the ground, one of them dies”

Zhang Hong’s killing intent soars. “You fiend!”

“Oh?” Li Zhu grabs one of the disciples, proceeding to break his limbs one by one before hurling him to the ground, cracking the stone tiles below. “Want to resist more? I’ll give you a moment to ponder it carefully.”

Your face darkens as Zhang Hong looks on in horror.

“Fine!” Zhang Hong boldly announces. “I accept your terms. But leave Brother Guan out of this.”

“Deal.” Li Zhu says after a moment of silence.

“Brother Zhang, what do you think you’re doing? You’ll die if you take his rage alone!” You look at Zhang Hong worriedly. “I can endure as well.”

“This matter is that of my Southern Jade Temple, as an outsider, I can’t have you sacrifice any more for us.” Zhang Hong lowers his voice and continues to whisper, “Do not worry, that cry just now must have caught the attention of the neighbouring sects. As long as I can hold out for a few minutes, they should intervene!”

“What if they don’t?”

“Does it look like they won’t?”

You look up at the ominous red clouds above accompanied by phantoms circling and howling through the night sky. It would be pretty unusual if no one came to investigate, especially the allies of the temple.

“Exactly.” Zhang Hong states. “Someone is sure to come.”

“What if other elders show up?”

Zhang Hong doesn’t answer.

“One more thing.” He mentions, handing back your Supreme Apotropaic Amulet. “Thank you for all the help you’ve provided so far. If I live, I will be sure to pay you back one-hundred fold.”

It seems he’s dead set on leaving you with at least a chance of escaping.

>>5171383

What do you do?

>Put your faith in Zhang Hong. There’s not much else you can do here but trust in Zhang Hong and the other sects.

>You will not let Zhang Hong be humiliated. As Lu Zhi prepares his first strike, leap in for a surprise attack. With your weapons, you will make sure Lu Zhi and his minions die before he can spout another command. [DC: 7-8 to wound, 9-10 to kill]

>Write in


Reminder: Roll only after the vote has been locked in, or they won't be counted.

If you decide on the first option, then I will be rolling for Zhang Hong. The DCs are as follows (don't read if you don't wanna be spoiled):


<3: Death before reinforcements arrive.
3: Death. Enough time is bought for reinforcements to arrive.
5: Lives, but is seriously wounded. Enough time is bought for reinforcements to arrive.
8: Lives, and can at least move around. Enough time is bought for reinforcements to arrive.

>>5171386
>You will not let Zhang Hong be humiliated. As Lu Zhi prepares his first strike, leap in for a surprise attack. With your weapons, you will make sure Lu Zhi and his minions die before he can spout another command. [DC: 7-8 to wound, 9-10 to kill]

>>5171386
>>You will not let Zhang Hong be humiliated. As Lu Zhi prepares his first strike, leap in for a surprise attack. With your weapons, you will make sure Lu Zhi and his minions die before he can spout another command. [DC: 7-8 to wound, 9-10 to kill]

>>5171386
>You will not let Zhang Hong be humiliated. As Lu Zhi prepares his first strike, leap in for a surprise attack. With your weapons, you will make sure Lu Zhi and his minions die before he can spout another command. [DC: 7-8 to wound, 9-10 to kill]

>>5171393
>>5171427
>>5171446

>You will not let Zhang Hong be humiliated. As Lu Zhi prepares his first strike, leap in for a surprise attack. With your weapons, you will make sure Lu Zhi and his minions die before he can spout another command. [DC: 7-8 to wound, 9-10 to kill]

Three people please roll a 1d10.

Rolled 10 (1d10)

>>5171537
HUZAAAAI!

>>5171539

HOLY SHITTTTTTTTTTTTT

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475 KB GIF

>>5171540
WE ARE GUAN LING! THE YELLOW EXORSICT! WE SHALL NOT BE HUMILIATED BY PERMITTING THIS ABOMINATION TO EXIST WHEN WE MAY YET EXPEL IT!

Rolled 1 (1d10)

>>5171539
based

>>5171550
not based

Rolled 2 (1d10)

>>5171537

File: ForcefulGenuineAbalone-si(...).gif (1.06 MB, 607x250)

1.06 MB GIF

>>5171537

Sticking his jade sword into the ground, Zhang Hong stands before Li Zhu, proud and unwavering. Without a doubt, he has resolved himself to save his fellow disciples. Truly, there are still upstanding men under heaven - virtuous heroes that stand for what is just in the world. It is your honour to meet such a person, but also the reason for the righteous indignation blazing in your heart.

You feel nothing but endless contempt for Li Zhu. His very existence offends the heavens above, and disgraces the earth below. True-Sight shares much the same sentiment, a furious white brilliance engulfing its murderous edge. Only Li Zhu’s death can sate your anger. Only Li Zhu’s death can satiate True-Sight’s hunger to annihilate evil!

“Try not to die immediately.” Li Zhu smiles viciously as murderous intent leaks from his entire being.

Still, his comment does nothing to shake Zhang Hong.

“Come then!” He simply taunts.

The ground beneath Li Zhu shatters as he launches himself toward Zhang Hong. At this moment, time seems to slow to a crawl. You can distinctly sense the yin qi around him, along with the movement of resentment in the air. In front of you, no evil shall escape. You swing your Astral Wind Whisk in his direction, sending out a wave of pure azure starlight. It slithers towards Li Zhu, almost like a divine serpent.

Before Li Zhu can even travel a few steps, the stream of starlight restrains his feet, throwing him off balance. At the same time, you bolt towards him at a speed faster than you’ve ever moved before. Your figure seems to evaporate, appearing next to Li Zhu the following moment like a spectre that’s just blinked through the air. By now, he’s already freed himself.

He may be quick to recover, but your blade is even quicker.

In a matter of milliseconds, you execute a series of three strikes - two severing Li Zhu’s legs, and one taking off his arm. Where True-Sight strikes, fierce white flames ignite, incinerating any regenerating flesh. Additionally, they continue to travel up his maimed limbs, eating away at his fiendish body with impetuity.

>>5173182

Li Zhu’s minions are taken off guard, and before they even recognise that their master has been incapicated, you swipe again with your whisk. Another arc of starlight, wider and more ferocious than before, travels towards them engulfing both friend and foe alike. However, the bound disciples are left unharmed while Li Zhu’s minions are enveloped in a pale flame.

“Li Zhu!” You cry, pointing your blade at his neck. “Prepare to meet your end!”

“Impossible…” He grovels on the floor. “Even if you kill me, the others will avenge my death!”

You turn to look at Zhang Hong, giving him a simple nod. His expression is that of incredulity, but he quickly comes back to his senses, grabbing his jade sword and walking up to Li Zhu’s mangled, burning body.

“There was a time I looked up to you, Elder Li.”

“Pfft, your Elder Li is no more!” The demon spits. “It wasn’t easy to possess his body.”

Both of you step back in shock. Possession? That would certainly explain the radical change in the temple’s behaviour. But to possess an old master? And that of Southern Jade Temple? This must be no ordinary evil.

The light of enlightenment suddenly dawns on Zhang Hong. “The scroll!”

“What scroll?” You ask.

“A few months back, our disciples recovered an ancient scroll.” He answers. “There was an obvious malevolent force residing within it so I was in favour of destroying the damned thing. However, the other elders were keen on studying it to develop more demon-slaying techniques… I never thought they’d have their souls shattered and bodies possessed though.”

“Certainly possible.” You respond.

Zhang Hong holds his blade over Li Zhu’s neck.


“Wait, wait! If you let me live, I can tell the others to let you two off! I can even get them to spare the disciples-”

With a swift cut, the demon’s head rolls on the floor, his blabbering ended. The two of you work to free the disciples present. When they regain their ability to speak, they proceed to thank you and Zhang Hong before retrieving the body of their fallen brother.

All seems well until this brief moment of respite is broken by a sudden presence in the distance. Flying towards Southern Jade Temple are six figures. Three of them are demonic in nature, while the other three are human cultivators, and strong ones at that. They seem to be battling on the way here, all six being no weaker than Li Zhu.


What do you do?

>Fly in to assist them. These must be the other possessed elders working with Li Zhu.

>Stay and observe. Leaving the freed disciples here to do battle would be reckless. What if Li Zhu’s remaining lackeys launch another attack while they’re still recovering?

>Write in.

>>5173183
>>Fly in to assist them. These must be the other possessed elders working with Li Zhu.

>>5173183
>>Fly in to assist them. These must be the other possessed elders working with Li Zhu.
You know what, Zhang Hong can take care of the disciples. They'll trust their own elder more than an outsider.

>>5173183
>Fly to assist.
>Tell Hong to defend his disciples.

>>5173183
>>5173246 +1

>>5173228
>>5173240
>>5173246
>>5174174

>Fly in to assist them. These must be the other possessed elders working with Li Zhu.
>Tell Hong to defend his disciples.

Gonna fix my sleep so will post the next update the coming morning (in ~12 hours)

>>5174316

Well, uh, this update is taking a while to complete, but we're almost at the end of this story. Gonna spend some more time planning out the final few updates.

>>5175273
>>5174316
QM?

>>5175273

“Brother Zhang, I’ll go in to assist them.” You leap on your flying sword. “Protect the disciples here.”

Zhang Hong nods as you take to the skies, speeding in the direction of the six combatants.

“Why can’t I sense *@&#’s presence?” You hear one of the demons ask, narrowly dodging a sword to his neck. The name he speaks is of an incomprehensible tongue.

The battle continues to rage. Flashing streams of colours fill the sky. The sound of claws on blades pierces the heavens. These three cultivators let not a sliver of respite pass, completely engrossed in their battles, leaving you with no opportunity to enter the fray. And sensing that they’re being pushed back, the demons retreat further.

“Get out of the way, human!” The frontmost of them lunges towards you.

You send out a wave of pure yang qi from your fingertips, causing the demon to stagger back and block.

"Such potent qi…" He mutters in surprise. "You!" the demon points "You came from the temple. Where is Li Zhu!?!?"

"Dead." You answer indifferently.

All three demons stagger back in shock, glaring with bloodshot eyes. You feel their killing intent redirect towards you, curdling in fits of anger and disbelief. The human cultivators also seem weary of your presence, one of them, a middle aged man looking no older than Zhang Hong speaks up.

“State your business.”

Staying silent, you carefully assess the situation. These three demons are no weaker than Li Zhu. The same can be said about the humans, though the man that spoke seems to be the strongest of the three.


What do you say?
>”Fellow seniors, I have come to assist you in ridding the land of these foul demons.”

>”I’ve come to capture these demons. If I may, I would like to request assistance from you fellow seniors.”

>Write in.

>>5180143

Sorry for the radio silence, anons. Last week was quite hectic for me.

>>5181691
>”Fellow seniors, I have come to assist you in ridding the land of these foul demons.”

>>5181692
Its cool

>>5181691
>Fellow seniors, I am here to aid you in removing the demons from these langs.
I want to taunt them, but it would reveal us.

>>5181691
>>”Fellow seniors, I have come to assist you in ridding the land of these foul demons.”

>>5181691
>Fellow seniors, I have come to assist you in ridding the land of these foul demons.”

>>5181706
>>5181711
>>5181756
>>5181771

Three people please roll a 1d10.

Rolled 2 (1d10)

>>5182397

Rolled 3 (1d10)

>>5182397

Rolled 1 (1d10)

>>5182397
Seems like today isn't a good one.

>>5182400
>>5182405
>>5182432

>3

Writing.

>>5182945

“Fellow seniors, I have come to assist you in ridding the land of these foul demons.”

Another one of the human cultivators, dressed in black robes, presses the attack on one of the demons. “What qualifications do you have to fight with us?” He derides, powerful blue lightning bursting from his palms. “Do not meddle in our affairs!”

From his clothes, you infer that he’s an elder from Taifa Mountain (太法).

His aggression serves to break the remaining demons out of their momentary shock. Immediately after, a dark wave of yin qi slices through the air, sweeping towards you with devilish ferocity. You react promptly, dispelling most of the yin qi and sweeping the rest away with your whisk. However, a sudden sense of crisis overtakes you. Turning around, you realise that, while you were distracted, one of the other demons also fired their own projectile of yin qi. Instinctively, you gather protective yang qi to coat your body, but just before the attack lands, a furious white thunderbolt zigzags into it, annihilating the tide of yin qi.

“Hurry and leave!” The black robed man lectures again.

Whether you like it or not, you have to admit that you were careless in that one moment. If not for the black robed senior, you might have found yourself seriously injured. For now, the demons are fully locked in combat, with little attention to spare on you. They probably don’t see you as that big of a threat now, which infuriates you slightly, but it’s something you can take advantage of.

As lightning roars through the sky, the middle aged cultivator continues his own battle, wielding a blade of verdant steel. Around its edge is the powerful glow of poisonous green, effused with a potent miasma.

This must be someone from the Mystic Poison Sect (玄毒宗).

Lastly, the final human cultivator, adorned with robes of white and blue, is the most dynamic of the three fighters. Amazingly, he can manoeuvre freely in the air without the use of a flying artifact. Rather, he is using some profound technique to “push” himself off the wind, effectively achieving a state of perpetual gliding. He fights with only his fists and feet, yet the very space around him seems to crack with each strike.

In the south, there is only one sect that fights like this - Southern Cloud Temple (南云庙).

You won’t be taken off guard next time.

>>5183518

Who do you help?
>The elder from Taifa Mountain. You yourself can pack a punch, especially when it comes to demons. Together with his destructive arts, that fiend is more than done for… That’s if you can get him to cooperate with you.

>The elder from Mystic Poison Sect. A poison user is naturally weak against the poison-resistant body of demons, even with poisons designed for them. Using your exorcist techniques to weaken, you should be able to provide good support.

>The elder from Southern Cloud Temple. If the brunt of his attacks comes from speed and blindingly fast movements, then you can more than complement his fighting style by using your tools and techniques to mire the demon.

>Write in.

>>5183519
>Elder from Mystic Poision sect
>Reply to the elder "I am the Yellow Exorcist, and have cleansed the Southern Jade Temple of the fourth demon's taint, as well as their schemes and traps. These are my credentials, Elder of Taifa Mountain."

>>5183529
Good plan, +1

>>5183519
>The elder from Mystic Poison Sect. A poison user is naturally weak against the poison-resistant body of demons, even with poisons designed for them. Using your exorcist techniques to weaken, you should be able to provide good support.

>>5183529
Support

>>5183529
>>5183549
>>5184100
>>5184125

Three people please roll a 1d10.

Rolled 8 (1d10)

>>5184260

>>5184262

There we go bois

Rolled 1 (1d10)

>>5184260

Rolled 8 (1d10)

>>5184260
I hope its okay if i take the third roll as well

>>5184262
>>5184423
>>5184538

Ye, we'll go with 8. Writing.

>>5185196

You believe your skillset will be best suited to assisting the elder from Mystic Poison Sect. Demons, due to their hard skin and corrupted blood, are able to quickly neutralise any poison in their bloodstream and thus, have a natural resistance to poisons of all kinds. And against a demon of this calibre, surely even the greatest of poison users will experience some difficulty.

The elder flicks his billowy green sleeves as he throws out a handful of black pellets from which barbed vines sprout. They rush towards the demon, attempting to bind its limbs, but at least half are destroyed before they reach their target. About three vines manage to wrap around the demon’s right wrist.

“Hardly enough to hold me!” It taunts in its deep, distorted voice.

However, the demon’s arrogance soon dissipates as the vines quickly revolve about its arm like the string on a spinning top, acting as a garrote to inflict deep lacerations and severing its hand. Black blood, contaminated with a potent wood qi, flows from the open wounds like a waterfall, falling to the clouds below. Still, this will be hardly enough to take it down. Not even a second later, the torn flesh begins to mend itself. Sinew and muscle crisscross together. Bone starts to regrow, and blood begins to surge. Albeit, at a far slower pace, likely due to the wood qi poison.

That’s when you intervene, throwing out multiple Evil Luring Seals towards the half regenerated stump.

“Senior!” You quickly call. “Press the attack.”

He nods wordlessly, closing the gap with a single stride, sword poised to pierce the demon’s heart. It parries, but is then met with another flurry of slashes and thrusts. Even with a single arm, it’s able to avoid being cut, but this gives you the chance to rapidly perform a series of hand signs, activating your seals in earnest. Yin qi begins to flow from the demon’s lacerations, being madly absorbed into the yellow seal paper. It’s injured limb ceases its regeneration, instead beginning to rot.

With a crazed expression, it asks, “What is this?!?!”

In the demon’s panic, the elder manages to slice open its belly, upon which the detached flesh begins to fester, crumbling into a rancid mess of melted, decomposing flesh.

File: black_ball.png (389 KB, 640x480)

389 KB PNG

>>5186361

“The poison is working? But how…” The elder questions, beheading his foul adversary with his next strike. He turns to you with curious eyes. “Is this your doing?”

“Demon blood can neutralise all manner of poisons due to high concentrations of yin qi.” You consume the demonic corpse with starlight from your whisk, burning it into oblivion. “I simply absorbed much of it from the demon’s bloodstream and stifled its mithridatic functions.”

“Your knowledge on this is impressive. Forgive us for looking down on you previously.” He cups his fists, lowering his head slightly. “This senior is Sun Die (孙镻), an elder of the Mystic Poison Sect. Who might you be?”

“I am Guan Ling, the Yellow Exorcist.” You proclaim in a voice loud enough for the other two elders to hear. “I have cleansed the Southern Jade Temple of the fourth demon’s taint, as well as their schemes and traps!” Clearing your throat, you also turn in the direction of the black robed elder. “Perhaps this is reason enough for my meddling in your supposed affairs, Elder of Taifa Mountain?”

“Hmph!” He shoots out a volley of lightning. “You aren’t too shabby, little Exorcist. And proud to boot! Perhaps I was too quick to judge. This old one is Wang Zheng Lei (王睁雷), elder of Taifa Mountain!”

The remaining demons retreat a few steps away from their opponents with a baleful wrath in their glares.

“Since #$%%( has fallen, We have no choice but to start, ($^&*#...” One of them mutters.

“Are you sure, $@*#$?”

“Yes…” He answers in an aggrieved tone before loudly declaring, “EVEN IF WE ARE FATED TO FAIL THIS DAY, NONE OF YOU WILL LEAVE HERE ALIVE. EVEN IF IT TAKES EONS, WE WILL RETURN TO TAKE VENGEANCE ON YOUR BASTARD DESCENDENTS.”

Without warning, the earth below and heavens below begin to rumble as an ominous dark beacon of light shines down on the two demons. At the same time, Wang Zhenglei sends out an imposing bolt of lightning in the shape of a dragon, Sun Die unleashes more of his vines, the third elder shoots a violent wave of force from his fists, and you dismount from True-Sight as it dives towards the nearest evil. However, before any of your attacks land, a single black sphere encases both demons, deflecting the oncoming onslaught without budging an inch.

“Such a strong bulwark…” You glide gracefully onto True-Sight and return to the seniors.

Looking upwards, it seems that a barrier has also formed around the land, surrounding the whole territory of the Southern Jade Temple from the looks of it. A short moment later, Zhang Hong arrives from the temple.

“Brother Guan.. What happened?”

You explain the situation to Zhang Hong and get the other elders up to speed with what’s happened so far. All of you agree that investigations are in order.


What do you do?

>Investigate the strange barrier above.

>Head down to the ground and investigate the situation. The safety of the people must be ensured.

>Study the dark sphere. No barrier under heaven is unbreakable.

>Write in

>>5186364
>Study the barrier, nothing is unbreakable.

We are an exorcist, and would do well down below. But to cure people would simply give these bastards an easier time putting whatever else they have in store.

>>5186364
>Head down to the ground and investigate the situation. The safety of the people must be ensured.

>>5186364
>Head down to the ground and investigate the situation. The safety of the people must be ensured.

>>5186364
>>Head down to the ground and investigate the situation. The safety of the people must be ensured.

>>5186437
>>5186744
>>5187610
>>5187705

>Head down to the ground and investigate the situation. The safety of the people must be ensured.

Soz anons, writing now!

>>5189435

“The Southern Jade Elders were possessed?!?!” Wang Zhenglei exclaims. “How could that be possible! Even if they are a little weaker than this old Wang, it would require a profoundly powerful spirit to possess them.”

“I agree with Brother Wang.” Sun Die adds, holding his chin in deep thought. A moment of silence passes before he continues. “Brother Zhang, might the Southern Jade still possess that demonic scroll?”

“Indeed. It should still be somewhere on the temple grounds.”

You however, are quite perplexed as to what they plan to do. If the Southern Jade Elders could not resist demonic influence, how would they be any different?

“Fellow seniors, if I may ask. What do you plan to do to resist the scroll’s power?”

“Don’t look down on us, Little Exorcist!” Wang Zhenglei laughs, lightning surging through his voice. “If I understand, the elders were possessed over a long period of time as they independently studied the damned thing. So there should be no problem looking at it for a while.”

“Correct.” Sun Die concurs. “And if one of us should fall…”

“Then I’ll just put them down!” Wang Zhenglei cuts in.

Looks like there’s no convincing them. Still, there are still other things that need to be investigated. Namely the barrier above, and the black sphere before you. Bringing this up, the elders all look to each other before deciding on the division of labour.

“I believe out of all the sects, the Southern Jade Temple is the most informed on matters of demonic magic. So I will have a look at the sphere. Before that, I will inform the disciples below to search for the scroll” Zhang Hong says, promptly flying back to the temple.

“In that case, I’ll handle the barrier.” Wang Zhenglei decides, laughing proudly. “Besides, who else could strike any of you down if you became a demon?”

“Then I shall take a look at the scroll with Brother Sun.” The elder of the Southern Cloud Temple remains indifferent to his comments. “My Southern Cloud Temple has techniques to shield the mind, so there is no need to worry. Should I be possessed, strike me down before I bring shame upon the temple.”

All while talking, you can’t shake the feeling that something terrible is happening below. Since the appearance of that dark light, an aura of evil has swept across the land. After some deliberation, you decide that it would be best to check in the situation below and let the elders handle things above. You let the elders know of your plan and prepare to set off, but before you leave, the Southern Cloud Temple elder approaches you.

“Junior Guan, please mind my rudeness, I have not properly introduced myself to you yet.” He bows. “I am Lan Teng (蓝疼), an elder of the Southern Cloud Temple. This Lan is thoroughly impressed with your virtue and skill, and wish upon you heaven’s blessings as you protect the common people.”

>>5189453

Do you wish to further assist Lan Teng?
>Yes. Lend him your Supreme Apotropaic Amulet to give him greater protection as he studies the scroll.

>No. An elder of his status will not require one of your most important tools.


Where do you go to investigate first?
>The forest at the foot of the mountain below. You’ll look out for anything suspicious while making your way to the closest village.

>The nearest village. The safety of the people is paramount.

>>5189454
>Yes. Lend him your Supreme Apotropaic Amulet to give him greater protection as he studies the scroll.
>The nearest village. The safety of the people is paramount.

>>5189454
>No.
We can give them a technique or a blessing or some shit, but he should be able to handle it by himself.

>The nearest village.
Demons usually require materials for their bullshit. And humans are the farms.

>>5189454
>No. An elder of his status will not require one of your most important tools.
>The nearest village. The safety of the people is paramount.

>>5189455
>>5189468
>>5189591

>No.

>The nearest village.

Writing,

>>5191464

“Many thanks, Senior Lan, but it is only my duty.” You cup your fist in deference, flying away. “I will be back shortly.”

Below the clouds, a pale miasma slowly seeps from the boundary of the barrier, gradually consuming the land in a pale, maleficent mist. Any plant that touches the vapour withers, any living thing that inhales it rots from the inside. There’s no mistaking it. This gas is made from the cultivated venom of the legendary Gu (蛊) insect, a demonic creature long thought to have been extinct. You never thought you’d see it in your lifetime. This is no simple array you’re dealing with…

The nearest village, only a few trivial kilometres away, comes into sight. The villagers are, understandably, in a state of panic. A good portion of them lay unconscious, with strange red tendrils protruding from their bodies, while others struggle to breathe the corrupted air around you. Seeing your daoist robes, the conscious and mobile ones quickly swarm towards you, pleading for help. Strangely though, True-Sight seems to be reacting to the villagers’ presence, as if mistaking them for demons!

If you don’t do something quickly, everyone here and in the next village will die. Swiping your ring of holding, a stack of Evil Expelling Seals flies out in the eight directions, forming a perimeter around the village. This time, you activate them using an incantation. The seals begin to burn at their edges, and as a golden barrier forms over the entire village, the demonic forces afflicting the villagers are forcefully expelled from their bodies and, subsequently, from the barrier.

It’s not a stretch to say that the same thing is happening across the land, so you make haste to the next village, and then the next. By the following hour, the mist has spread considerably, but you’ve probably ensured the safety of at least ten villages. If memory serves you right, there is a major settlement nearby by the name of Liangpeng City (梁朋城). Along the way, you spot several empty villages. An ominous sign? That is your first thought until you see droves of people flocking towards the city like ants returning to a colony.

>>5191500

“We’re under strict orders not to let any more people in!”

“Then why can they enter?”

“Can’t you see the number of sick people out here?”

“If you don’t let us in, we’ll all die to that mist!”

“Someone get a doctor, please…!”

This is an absolute shitshow, you think to yourself. Whoever the governor is, he’s not doing a very good job. Even if the city is full, could he not send out doctors and set up temporary shelter outside the walls? You sigh. The selfishness of man is truly beyond heaven’s saving. While deliberating on a plan, four figures emerge from the city walls on flying swords, led by a well-dressed, and obviously very wealthy youth.

“Greetings, fellow daoist.” He spouts. For some reason, being referred to as a daoist leaves a bad taste in your mouth. “I am Da Zhumin (达助民), serving as the temporary city administrator while my father is gone.”

How ironic. Zhumin - to help the people. He would do well to learn from his name.

“Why have the people been denied entrance to the city? ” You ask, annoyed, dropping the pleasantries.

“Well. As you can see here, we’re in the midst of a crisis.” Da Zhumin eyes you slyly. “We cannot afford to take care of so many villagers.”

You stare below, eyeing a large carriage that casually enters the city gates, unbarred by the guards.

“What about them?”

“They are important guests of Liangpeng City.” He responds nonchalantly. “I can see you are no ordinary cultivator, senior. If you’d like, I can personally welcome you in. How about it? The Da clan has the backing of Southern Jade Temple, so I have no doubt we will be able to suit your needs.”


What do you do?
>Slay Da Zhumin and his cohort on the spot. You’ll manage this yourself.

>Threaten him by incapacitating his guards. Hopefully that knocks some sense into him.

>Explain that you are acting on behalf of the Southern Jade and assume control of the situation. Even he shouldn’t be so dumb as to bite the hand of his clan’s benefactor.

>>5191501
>Explain that you are acting on behalf of the Southern Jade and assume control of the situation. Even he shouldn’t be so dumb as to bite the hand of his clan’s benefactor.

Then strike him down if all else fails.

>>5191501
>Slay Da Zhumin and his cohort on the spot. You’ll manage this yourself.

Better to act now, we all know where this leads

>>5191536
Support.
We are taking control and we will save these people. If he gets in the way, his head will be struck from his shoulders because we have NO TIME to waste.
Name drop the elder we saved from the array

>>5191501
>Explain that you are acting on behalf of the Southern Jade and assume control of the situation. Even he shouldn’t be so dumb as to bite the hand of his clan’s benefactor.

>>5191501
>Explain that you are acting on behalf of the Southern Jade and assume control of the situation. Even he shouldn’t be so dumb as to bite the hand of his clan’s benefactor.

>>5191536
>>5191558
>>5191559
>>5191567
>>5192106

>Explain that you are acting on behalf of the Southern Jade and assume control of the situation. Even he shouldn’t be so dumb as to bite the hand of his clan’s benefactor.

and

>Slay him if he doesn't coorperate.

Writing.

File: d42d174c449ad42eab8e2e6a2(...).jpg (226 KB, 1600x859)

226 KB JPG

>>5193031

“That won’t be necessary. I am here on behalf of the Southern Jade.” You say curtly.

“Is that so…” Da Zhumin furrows his brows. “May I ask which elder sent you?”

“Elder Zhang Hong!”

The five individuals in front of you begin to whisper amongst themselves. It seems they are quite suspicious of your claim.

“In that case, please excuse our earlier rudeness.” Da Zhumin approaches a short distance, bowing superficially. “What does Sir…”

“Guan.”

“Ah yes. What does Sir Guan wish to do here?” He asks.

“Take control of the current situation. We are currently in a crisis, no?”

“That is…” Da Zhumin is cut off by one of his guards whispering something else to him. A short moment passes, and the both of them seem to come to an agreement, albeit reluctantly. “Of course, Sir Guan. Please do as you see fit. Liangpeng City will forever be grateful to you…”

You nod, and as you prepare to leave, one of the guards comes forward to present to you a command token. With this, you have authority below only that of the city administrator himself. How convenient… Only time will tell when this young master Da will come seeking trouble again, so you quickly descend to the ground.

Your first course of action is to open the city gates. Many of the guards are relieved to be receiving your orders and promptly guide the people in. For the sick and immobile, you send out men to search for doctors in the city and set up medical outposts outside. Afterwards, you go about your own business, using the remainder of your Evil Expelling Seals to construct a large ward around the city. With the deathly white mist fast encroaching, you proceed with haste, completing the barrier in the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn.

Everything looks like it’s going well until you return, greeted by a rather angry Da Zhumin flanked by his four guards. For some reason, all the doctors in his presence have ceased their work.

“What is the meaning of this, Da Zhumin?”

“You still dare to ask such a question?!?!” He flares, an expression of burning wrath spewing onto his unsightly expression. “How dare you pose as a representative of the Southern Jade! I’ve scoured through the temple’s membership records and my father. There is no such Sir Guan affiliated with the Southern Jade.”

You fake a surprised face, feigning ignorance. “Is that so…”

“Do you take me for a fool?!?!”

Why yes. You do think he’s a fool. A bumbling one at that.

“No matter!” Da Zhumin declares. “Claim his head!”

>>5193428

Three people roll a 1d10 for combat. 6 to pass.

Rolled 4 (1d10)

>>5193428
>You are a bumbling buffoon who's eyes cannot see how vast the bonds of men are. Or how swiftly they may be made.

Idiot. You didn't even send someone to talk to the sect.

Rolled 2 (1d10)

>>5193428

Rolled 9 (1d10)

>>5193841

>>5193996
Clutch.
Get fucked young master

>>5193477
>>5193841
>>5193996

>9

Let's fucking go.

>>5195256

Well. You can’t say you didn’t expect this. From when Da Zhumin started whispering to his lackeys, you assumed that trouble was gonna arise inevitably. The instant he gives the command, the cultivation bases of his four guards surge, filling the immediate area with an oppressive force. Their figures appear to vanish for a moment right before reappearing around you, swords poised at your neck.

A paltry trick.

Such a simple sword formation is not enough to hold you. You unsheathe True-Sight, leaping a few metres above to avoid the coordinated assault. But as if your movements were read beforehand, they take to the air with you, forming a cage of steel. Looks like they have some skill afterall. You deflect a slash to your right, using the force of the attack to swerve to the left, and narrowly avoid the blade lunging from below before breaking out of the formation.

As they redirect their swords, you fly away on True-Sight at top speed. You don’t want to disrupt the doctors and villagers outside with this petty battle.

“Pursue him!” Da Zhumin barks.

Like trained dogs, they pursue with haste, their master following behind them. You zoom past the barrier you set up and head straight for the poisonous mist. Given its properties, you have a plan to quickly end this fight. Within the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the sight of deathly white consuming the land comes into full view. The once emerald trees have all but shrivelled up, the ground littered with dries, blackened leaves. True-Sight reacts furiously, burning with an equally pale flame, as if desiring to purify this unholy scene. That’s when you cease your retreat.

“Hah!” Da Zhumin points at you. “Where will you flee to now?”

You scoff, responding smugly, “That’s what I want to ask you, Da Zhumin.”

“Nonsense!” He shouts. “Hurry and die a dog’s death for this young master!”

As the four guards glide towards you with unfiltered killing intent, you circulate your qi, focusing intensely. Red lightning appears to streak from your figure as a menacing red glow surrounds your hands, and as you reach out the ground, the mist below starts to roil and rumble, causing your opponents to stop in the midst of their charge.

File: SAAM-1930.12.30_1.jpg (46 KB, 412x600)

46 KB JPG

>>5195630

“What the hell is this?!?!” One of them asks, taking up a defensive position.

You feel it. The unbelievably pure resentment imbued deep within the mist. It’s turbulent, trying with its might all to free itself. Yet, it can do nothing to resist your control, bending to your will. Like geysers, the mists surge up with a flick of your billowy sleeves, drowning the four men in front of you. Surprisingly though, they’re still alive and kicking, courtesy of some high-grade defensive artifacts on their persons. No matter, it is only a matter of time before they shatter. Under heaven, few artifacts and divine tools can hold against such an ancient and profound poison.

They can do nothing but wait for their deaths as Da Zhumin looks on in horror.

“Hold on, Sir Guan!” He pleads. “Let’s talk about this!”

“What is there to discuss?” You reply, audible cracks forming on the protective barriers of his lackeys.

A short moment later, they completely break, allowing the deadly miasma to permeate their seven orifices and the pores of their skin. Wretched screams fill your ears as flesh begins to melt from the inside out and before you know it, not only their skeletons remain. Everything, down to the clothes on their skins, and the steel on their blades, is corroded away into nothingness, like they never existed in the first place. Only their rings of holding remain.

“Please! Let’s just talk about this.”

You don’t say a word, staring at Da Zhumin with deep contempt.

Gripped by terror, he bolts towards Liangpeng City.


What do you do with him?

>Let him go. His life is not yours to take. The Southern Jade will decide his fate after this whole crisis is averted.

>Kill him on the spot. Such an unvirtuous coward doesn’t deserve to live under the same sky as you.

>>5195631

Like that, the situation with Da Zhumin is sorted. You prepare to make your way back to the city, but suddenly, a boisterous voice echoes through the heavens.

“LITTLE EXORCIST! COME BACK HERE. WE’RE ON TO SOMETHING!”

It’s the voice of Wang Zhenglei from Taifa Mountain, amplified using Daoist magics. Of all the ways he could have contacted you, he decides to do so in the most imposing manner possible. A few of the villagers and common folk are probably shitting their pants right now. Sighing, you head back to the temple.

Immediately, the sight of Lan Teng meditating in the air catches your attention. His expression is slightly pained, and it looks like his mind has been disturbed. You can’t help but worry that something might have gone wrong while he was studying the demonic scroll.

“Ah, welcome back. If you’re worried about Lan Teng, he’s fine. He managed to activate his mental defenses in time.” Sun Die says calmly. “However…”

“He mentioned something before he passed out.” Wang Zhenglei cuts in, his voice becoming more solemn. “Thousand Yin Spirit Severing Array (千阴斩魂阵).”

Your jaw almost drops. Could it be? The mythical Thousand Yin Spirit Severing Array? It is said that once activated, every soul within its boundary will scatter overnight and be converted into pure resentment. The methods and techniques required to construct it have long since been lost to the infinite march of time. If you recall, the last time it was used was at least a millenia ago by the legendary demonic cultivator, Deng Suining (邓邃宁), whose name is synonymous with demonic cultivation itself.

“In that case…” You gulp.

“Why are you afraid? It’s incomplete.” Wang Zhenglei laughs proudly. “If it was the real thing, we’d all be dead by now.”

“Thankfully, that is the case.” Zhang Hong speaks up. “Still, the fact that an incomplete version with a fraction of the power can still do all this is frightening in and of itself. Are you perhaps familiar with arrays?”

“Somewhat.” You answer. Truthfully, you only know how to construct arrays that involve spirits.

“Good, then it’ll speed things up. While I was studying the black sphere…”

Zhang Hong’s explanation is clear and concise. To put it simply, the black sphere can be thought of as a large array crystal that’s currently acting as a conduit to convert the demons’ bodies into resentment for the array. As for how it was formed, we can only speculate.

“So we just need to break it?”

“That’s the hard part.” Zhang Hong sighs. “Brute force isn’t gonna cut it as Elder Wang can attest to.”

“I hate to admit it, but I couldn’t even dent it.” Wang Zhenglei crosses his arms.

>>5195634

Zhang Hong raises two fingers. “I can think of two ways we could do it, but once we settle on one of them, we have to commit to it or risk destabilising the crystal. They aren’t pretty though and we’ll need to rely on your abilities…”

“That’s fine. What do you have in mind?”

“The first involves overloading the sphere with yin qi and resentment. By channelling all that energy backwards, it’ll probably cause it to shatter, but the ensuing explosion will likely eradicate everything in a hundred kilometre radius.”

That doesn’t sound very good, you think.

“The second involves funnelling yin qi resentment out of the sphere. If we can drain energy faster than it can feed into the array, then it’ll deactivate on its own with time. However, that’s not to say it’ll stop operating while we try.”

That’ll mean that the villages you haven’t got to yet will probably not survive.

“Come to think of it, we could also just directly destroy the energy being funnelled from the sphere into the array, but there’s the issue of whether we can destroy it fast enough.”


As Zhang Hong said, once a strategy is chosen, you’ll have to commit to it. Which do you pick?

>The first one. The other two strategies are predicated on whether everyone present can match the energy output of the sphere. You have no doubt you can channel enough yin qi and resentment from your surroundings to overload it. As for the explosion, you’ll contain it with your other remaining seals and if push comes to shove, you’ll sacrifice yourself to do so.

>The second one. If you’re too slow, however, there will no doubt be massive loss of life from the villages you have not warded. Not to mention that you have no more Spirit Expelling Seals to form barriers anymore.

>The third one. It suffers from the same issue as the second strategy, but it might work if you direct the elders to strike at where the flow of energy is greatest. Moreover, there is always the option of directly absorbing the sphere’s emitted energies at the risk of qi deviation and your sanity.

>Write in.

>>5195635
>Let him live. But inform the masters before committing to our case.

Now this is a difficult choice.
But. . Qi deviation and sanity loss are unacceptable. It is better to die than lose our cultivation. We would be rendered impotent in a world of evil.

Hmm. How many villages do we have left QM? Like give a rough estimate fo the death toll. A few thousand dead is something I can live with, but when we reach the 15k mark, I have to go for the first option.

>>5195653

We have about a 40km radius covered from our work so there's probably maybe 10 or so villages spread out that we haven't been to, including another city some distance away from Liangpeng but still within the array.

>>5195660
Rough bodycount? I estimate a couple of thousand so I am inclined to say

>Second method.

>>5195662

A couple thousand sounds about right.

>>5195665
It sucks, but it's not worth the life of us.

>>5195631
>Let him go. His life is not yours to take. The Southern Jade will decide his fate after this whole crisis is averted.
>>5195635
>The first one. The other two strategies are predicated on whether everyone present can match the energy output of the sphere. You have no doubt you can channel enough yin qi and resentment from your surroundings to overload it. As for the explosion, you’ll contain it with your other remaining seals and if push comes to shove, you’ll sacrifice yourself to do so.

>The second one. If you’re too slow, however, there will no doubt be massive loss of life from the villages you have not warded. Not to mention that you have no more Spirit Expelling Seals to form barriers anymore.

>>5195653
>>5195662
>>5195948
>>5196869

>Let him go.
>The second one.

Writing. This will be the final update for Guan Ling. Thank you guys for playing the first tale of Records Of Honour

>>5197869

Calling this choice a difficult one would be an understatement. Right now, the fate of thousands of lives rests in your hands. You deliberate on the drawbacks of each strategy. The first one seems too risky to attempt. One small mistake, and everyone dies. For the third, you cannot be sure that you won’t ruin your own cultivation in the process. Thus, it’s only natural that you pick the second strategy - guaranteeing the safety of some is better than risking it all for everything.

With a solemn voice, you relay your decision to the present elders.

From your ring of holding, you retrieve every last Evil Luring Seal you can find and arrange them around the sphere. Instantly, they react to the extensive concentrations of yin qi within, drawing it out in the form of some viscous black smog. In response, the wide barrier surrounding the entire array appears to waver, rippling slightly.

“It’s working!” Zhang Hong exclaims.

“Don’t be too excited yet.” Sun Die says, retrieving an ornate jade censer from which a fragrant mist begins to waft through the air.

When you take a single breath of this unique scent, you feel your spirit invigorated, and your fatigue slowly dissipates. Unexpectedly though, as the mist surrounds the sphere, the yin qi inside slowly begins to neutralise, much like an antidote nullifying a vicious toxin.

“The Censer Of The Poison Sage (毒圣香炉)!” Wang Zhenglei gasps. “Heh, after seeing you take out such a valuable artifact, how can this Wang hold back?”

“Likewise.” Zhang Hong adds.

Wang Zhenglei takes out a finely carved crystal, as white as snow, and decorated with gold bearings. At first glance, it seems like a simple ornament. But shortly after being thrown at the sphere, a translucent stream of lightning pierces into it

“Qi Annihilation Crystal (灭气晶)?” Sun Die stares intently. “I thought you would’ve used it by now.”

“None of your business!”

Even now, those two can’t stop bickering. On the other hand, a potent sword intent bursts forth from Zhang Hong’s jade sword, now glowing with a golden radiance. As he recites a profound sutra beyond your understanding, a projection of some holy spirit appears behind him, forcefully extracting yin qi and resentment from the sphere. It's at least several metres tall, exuding a saintly aura purer than anything you’ve ever felt. Could this be the manifestation of his sword’s spirit? You can’t help but think to yourself. There will be the chance to ask him after this.

Right now you have to concentrate. You deepen your breathing, focusing on drawing qi through each and every meridian in your body. Your surroundings seem to slip into a blank white as red streaks of lightning once more line your body, crackling at your fingertips. The flow of resentment is crystal clear to your senses. The violently surging yin qi cannot escape your perception. You reach out to the sphere, whereupon an even thicker smog shoots out and is absorbed into your many Evil Luring Seals.

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37 KB JPG

>>5199884

Slowly but surely, the small ripples on the barrier turn into rough undulations.

Your sense of time fades away. How long have you been at this? Are the others near their limit? No one’s qi is infinite… At some point, Lan Teng regained consciousness and joined in after a quick look at the situation. How long ago was that? Your vision starts to blur. Blood leaks from the corner of your mouth, and most of your Evil Luring Seals have burned away in an unholy blaze.

“Just a bit more…” You whisper to yourself, spurred on by the thousands of lives at stake.

Another unknown stretch of time later, you hear a deafening crack. Raising your head with the remaining strength you have left, you spot the barrier shatter completely. In front, the black sphere starts to disintegrate, scattering to the four winds with a weak howl. The mist below evaporates into nothingness. The rest of the elders keep their artifacts and pop some restorative pills in your mouth. You do the same.

“Is it over?” you ask.

“Looks like it.” Sun Die replies.

The previously evil presence permeating the land is no longer present.

“Since that’s the case, I’ll be taking my leave.” Wang Zhenglei announces, pointing at you. “Little exorcist! You’re not too bad at all. Come visit me at Taifa Mountain some time! I might even let you join!” He laughs hysterically, flying away to the west.

“Don’t listen to him, Sir Guan. The Mystic Poison Sect will treat you better as an honoured guest.” Sun Die sighs, cupping his fists before saying farewell.

“It’s been an honour working alongside you, Sir Guan.” Lan Teng bows, flying to the east. “If fate wills it, we will meet again.”

Now all that’s left is you and Zhang Hong. The both of you set out to survey the damage with the help of the other disciples at Southern Jade Temple. Thankfully, the villages and cities you warded are mostly unharmed. Yet, the same can’t be said for some in the north where entire villages who couldn’t make it to Liangpeng City in time were completely eradicated. Losses amounted to a few thousand. For his incompetence, Da Zhumin and the Da clan lost the backing of the Southern Jade and the young master was subsequently put to death. And seeing that Zhang Hong is the only elder left from the Southern Jade, he assumed the role of temple master.

Standing on the highest peaks of Southern Jade Temple, above the orange clouds. You share a drink with Zhang Hong.

“I can’t thank you enough, brother Guan. The Southern Jade is forever indebted to you.”

“Enough of that, you’ve thanked me enough.” You sip your rice wine. “It’s my job anyway.”

“Where will you go now?”

A short silence passes as you look wistfully to the infinite horizon before you, illuminated by the golden rays of the eternal setting sun.

“I go to where the spectral winds roil.”

~END~

>>5199885

And thus… Guan Ling, the Yellow Exorcist, for his great deeds at the Southern Jade Temple, saviour of the people, slayer of the foul, was forever eternalised in the Records Of Honour.

Thank you guys for playing, I'll update in /qtg/ when the next thread will come. I already have more tales planned. Until then, have a good one.

Any feedback will be greatly appreciated!

>>5199889
I adored it. Your prose was SSS tier.

>>5199889
It's grand enough of a tale. Merely interested in whom comes next.