Chapter Fourteen: A Leader's Price
Unaware of the battle unfolding in the ruins of the old imperial capital, Long Qingxiao stared at his three enemies with uncertainty. Although he had, in fact, planned to face the three of them together and knew his victory was possible, he couldn't help but question the details.
How do I do this now? he questioned inwardly.
But the leader of the group didn't give him much time to think. He lunged. This was the one enemy whose attack he was certain he couldn't withstand, and he immediately took a defensive position to deflect the blow. It was not an easy task; the ruby claws managed to slightly pierce the defense of his Barkskin Armor. A little more, and they would have breached the armor completely.
The momentary relief was shattered as Mu Ling struck, her crystal claws raking across his armor with a high-pitched screech. Before he could counter, a bolt of lightning slammed down from above, the impact staggering him. The air crackled with ozone and malice.
"Can't keep up, little dragon?" Han Shen's mocking voice echoed from the sky.
"Ask me that again when your attacks start doing any real damage," Long Qingxiao retorted. The attacks, in fact, weren't having much effect, but sooner or later, they would. In a one-on-one fight, the only one he was certain he couldn't defeat was the Boss. The other two would already be dead, especially taking into account the two aces he had up his sleeve.
Again, the ruby claws tore at his armor. He needed an opening. So he decided to gamble.
For the first time in the battle, he moved—not offensively, but defensively. He dropped into a defensive crouch, his hands flat on the ground.
"Eh? Given up already? Ha!" Han Shen said, letting out a jeering laugh.
"Keep attacking! Don't even give him a chance to recover!" the leader ordered.
Boom!
The lightning, Long Qingxiao thought.
Slash!
The lynx, he noted internally.
Slaaaash!
He's going to break through my defense soon, Long Qingxiao thought, a hint of desperation creeping in.
Boom!
As Mu Ling closed in for another attack, he said in his mind, NOW!
The ground groaned beneath them. A seal of emerald light erupted in a massive circle, a spectral, ancient tree clawing its way into existence at its center.
"Get out of there, Mu Ling!" Han Shen bellowed. He had never seen this before, but coming from one of the monsters of the Heavenly Dragon Family, he knew it wouldn't end well.
"What is this?!" Mu Ling cried out, but it was too late. Thick, ghostly branches shot from the earth, wrapping around her crystal form like pythons. The sound of splintering crystal mixed with her choked scream as the Thousand Wood Prison tightened its grip. Her life force became visible, shimmering streams of light pulled from her body and absorbed by the spectral tree, which pulsed with a hungry, green glow. When the branches receded into the earth, all that remained of Mu Ling was a desiccated husk, drained of all vitality.
After his victory, Long Qingxiao rose to his feet again, the effects of his skill already restoring the damage to his armor. As he looked at his two remaining enemies, he could see the incredulity on their faces.
Now, he needed to create an opening for his final victory. He dismissed any possibility of a direct fight with Han Shen; his enemy certainly wouldn't engage in close combat. Despite being a loudmouth, he was a competent fighter who attacked only with the skills of his fused form. The boss? He was a beast in a league of his own. If it weren't for the regenerative and defensive focus of his cultivation technique, Long Qingxiao would already be dead due to the disparity in their power. The lack of raw firepower was his greatest weakness at the moment.
I need a new Demon Spirit, he thought, before gritting his teeth and preparing for his biggest gamble.
"It seems the first round ends with my victory," Long Qingxiao provoked. "By the way, what's your name, Boss? It would be impolite of me to leave an unnamed corpse in the middle of nowhere, wouldn't it?"
Han Shen snorted. "You talk just like your—"
"Shut your mouth, Han Shen," the cold voice of the Boss cut his subordinate off.
But Long Qingxiao had heard. He knew where that sentence was going. His expression turned serious. "So it was you?"
"No hard feelings. It was just a job," the Boss answered dryly before continuing. "And my name? That's not something a corpse needs to know."
He spoke, and then he vanished.
It's now! Long Qingxiao knew he couldn't let the coming opportunity pass. What happened in the past didn't matter now.
When he felt the ruby claws tearing at his armor, he unleashed his final, desperate gambit. He didn't just dismiss his fusion; he shattered it from within. The bark and vines of the Jade-Tail Forest Dragon cracked and dissolved into motes of green light, and from the epicenter of that dissolution—his own human form now revealed—his true Soul Form emerged.
It wasn't a projection, but a tangible shift in reality. A majestic, serpentine dragon whose body was not of scale and sinew, but of the rough, deeply textured bark of a millennia-old tree, with patches of softly glowing moss clinging to its crevices. As his true form's pressure solidified, it wasn't just power that descended—it was denial. The very laws of soul fusion seemed to bend and break under its oppressive authority. With a sound like shattering glass, the demon spirit fusions of both the boss and Han Shen were forcibly ripped away from them, leaving them exposed and mortal in their human forms.
The tone of total incredulity and disbelief was palpable in the boss's voice. "What the hell just happened?!" And those were his last words. As he finished speaking, Long Qingxiao's war hammer descended upon his head, smashing him into the ground.
Han Shen was already in disbelief from his form being undone. Now? He was utterly terrified. The person who had just died was a candidate for a leadership position in the Dark Guild, and yet he had died without even knowing why.
He turned and ran in the direction of the forest, disappearing completely from view.
If he had waited just a few more minutes, he would have noticed that Long Qingxiao was completely exhausted. The Heavenly Dragon Patriarch fell to his knees as soon as Han Shen vanished, his breathing ragged. All he could think was, Using Soul Forming in combat… it's exhausting.
His body protested every movement, the muscles screaming from the exhaustion of having his soul force completely drained. It took some time, but using his war hammer as a crutch, Long Qingxiao finally managed to get to his feet. He stored the weapon in his interspatial ring and proceeded to search the enemy's bodies. He found two rings, both containing some pills and other resources, but nothing of major importance. He glanced one last time at the mangled bodies on the ground, Han Shen's near-confession echoing in his mind. So it was you. The thought brought no shock, only a cold, dark finality. This was not a victory to be celebrated. It was the first step on a much darker path. A debt that was only now beginning to be paid.
Time to head back to the city, the expedition leader thought. He wasn't overly worried about the outcome of the other fight; he knew that with their coordination, his comrades would be victorious. The three Black Gold experts would make the difference, even with the disparity in the groups' overall strength.
As he began to walk, the three Black Gold combatants appeared in his field of vision, and he breathed a sigh of even deeper relief. The battle in the ruins had ended.
"You're late," he said with a tired, faint smile.
Looking at the bodies on the ground, Ye Feng's eyes widened in surprise. "How...?"
His two companions were equally dumbfounded. Defeating two 1-star Black Gold experts was one thing, even if the method had been surprising, but to emerge victorious against such a disparity in realm was something no one had ever heard of.
"A measure of luck and a desperate strategy," Long Qingxiao answered, his voice hoarse with fatigue. "I played all my trump cards. Fortunately, it was enough. The last of them, Han Shen, fled. If he had stayed to fight, I would be dead."
The trio exchanged a look, and realizing they wouldn't get anything more out of him, one of them commented. "Patriarch Long," Ye Lao, the eldest of the trio, began, his tone professional but with an unmistakable undercurrent of disapproval. "You understand that a full report on... all of this... will have to be made to the City Lord, correct?"
Long Qingxiao looked at the man and gave a faint smile. "I knew there was no turning back the moment I agreed to the expedition, but it was something my family needed, and I have already harmed it enough by hiding my cultivation." He paused for a moment and continued, "And even if none of you reported it to him, it would spread through the city, either by your men or by Han Shen if he returns. It was a path of no return from the beginning."
"You're right. A couple of Gold ranks from the Dark Guild also escaped," Ye Feng said.
Long Qingxiao nodded at the man's words and said, "Let's head back to the ruins, and you can tell me what happened there." The look on the trio's faces told him it wouldn't be a pleasant conversation.
And it wasn't. Discovering that three of his Bronze rank men had been killed was a crushing weight for a leader. A grim mercy that none of the Silver rank experts had fallen. But his family was not the only one to suffer losses; two of Ye Chen's Gold rank experts had also not survived the final, desperate attacks of the Dark Guild.
When he crossed the city gate, the Patriarch could already see the group, everyone sitting and resting.
"Nephew!" Long Feng shouted as soon as he saw Long Qingxiao, casting all formality aside. He was breathing a sigh of relief that he wouldn't have to bury another member of his family.
At Long Feng's call, everyone looked in the direction of the Heavenly Dragon Family's Patriarch. A collective sigh of relief was audible from his family's side, and the surprise on Ye Chen's side was equally perceptible.
"How are you?" Long Min was the first to speak as Long Qingxiao finally reached his group.
"I am well, Elder Min. Just fatigued," the Patriarch answered and continued, "But there's no need to use your skill. Ye Chen told me you used it recently; constant use is not good." He warned.
The young woman wasn't very happy but followed the orders; she knew he was right.
"What happened with the Dark Guild members?" Long Hai questioned. His robe was visibly torn from an enemy's attack, yet no wound was visible, a testament to the effects of Long Min's skill.
"I managed to eliminate two, the leader and the woman, Mu Ling was her name. The third, named Han Shen, escaped. If he hadn't, I would probably be dead," Long Qingxiao said, recalling how much luck had been on his side in the battle. Next time, it wouldn't be like this. I really need an offensive Demon Spirit, he concluded.
"Patriarch Long, were you aware of the ambush?" Ye Chen's voice came from over the Patriarch's shoulder. Qingxiao looked at him and noticed nothing but curiosity, not only in his tone but also in his expression.
"No, Brother Ye Chen," Long Qingxiao said, addressing him as a friend. The Patriarch continued, now in a self-deprecating tone, "I hid my cultivation for reasons unrelated to this, and I apologize if that brought you trouble. It was the way I found to protect my family. I knew I would be discovered on this expedition, but I chose to hide it until the last minute, and for that, I apologize."
"It's alright, Brother Long. You did what you thought was best for your family. I confess I'm a little hurt by the deception," Ye Chen paused his speech and then continued in a sober tone, "However, I cannot deny that it was precisely your deception that allowed us to win. I don't think those two Black Gold experts would have attacked you in that manner, and thus survived to face our group. We would have been defeated without a doubt."
Ye Chen's words made everyone in his group reflect, even those initially dissatisfied with the expedition leader's apologies. Even Ye Lao, who had hidden his dissatisfaction due to the avoidable events in the Mountain Pass, couldn't question his young master's words. Indeed, the battle would have been different with those two Black Gold experts alive, and it wouldn't have been good for them.
"In the end, it all turned out well," Ye Feng concluded, putting an end to the matter.
Long Qingxiao nodded at his words and said, "Indeed. It's water under the bridge, and we have more to worry about." He then turned to his subordinates.
"My condolences, Brother Long," Ye Chen said, his voice quiet but firm amidst the somber quiet of the battlefield.
"And mine to you, Brother Ye," the Patriarch replied, his gaze falling on the bodies of the Snow Wind experts that had been laid apart from the Dark Guild's fallen. He continued, "Do you have a way to carry them back to the city?"
Ye Chen nodded. "We found some rings on the Dark Guild members. It will be possible."
"Could you lend me one, if possible?" Long Qingxiao asked.
"Yes! Here." Ye Chen handed over a ring without even asking for a reason.
The expedition leader took it and said with a weary smile, "Thank you very much. Now if you'll excuse me, I will tend to my fallen." He concluded with a hint of sadness in his voice. Ye Chen didn't reply, just gave a solemn nod.
"Elder Tao. Go with Elder Hai to where we found the treasure and fill these rings. Take the Bronze ranks to help." He handed over the two interspatial rings he had found on the bodies of the enemies he'd defeated. After the Elders departed with their helpers, he went to the bodies of his subordinates. Before placing them in the rings, he said in his mind, No amount of gold can bring you back, but I will ensure your families are cared for. Go in peace.
"Uncle, tell me how the battle went. The Snow Wind Family experts only gave me a brief overview," the patriarch asked, also dropping the formalities.
"It was going well until the recruit broke our lines," Long Feng recounted, his voice still tight with the memory. "His target was clearly Elder Min. If not for Hai's quick intervention, we likely would have lost more than three. Even then, if he hadn't broken through to 4-star Silver when he first fused back in the pass, I doubt he would have survived the hit."
We need more Demon Spirits, Long Qingxiao concluded in his mind. That meant leaving the city more often. The bestiaries they had in the ring were extremely useful, but it would require more expeditions. And with the Dark Guild watching them, the problem was even greater. And to think that Shen Hong is willing to ask for help from the Dark Guild to do his dirty work, he concluded, remembering what Han Shen had almost said.
"Nephew?"
Long Feng's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "I was just thinking that we have to go after more Demon Spirits."
"Yes. It seems we really need to," Long Feng agreed. The complete techniques made their skills much stronger, but it would be impossible to progress without a Demon Spirit. "But we can discuss that when we get back. Now it's time to rest."
"Right. But I think we should go back as soon as possible," Long Qingxiao said, and before Long Feng could interrupt, he explained, "We have to assume the worst. Han Shen escaped. His spirit is a Thunder-Winged Falcon. If he pushes himself, he could alert a much larger force. Our choice is a fast return through a potential ambush, or a long, slow return through a guaranteed one."
Long Feng couldn't disagree, so he said, "I'll gather the rest of our men to help the Elders then."
Long Qingxiao shook his head and said, "No need. They have more than enough help; three more won't make a difference. I will talk to Brother Ye Chen to organize the return trip."
Seeing there was nothing more to do, Long Feng just nodded and went to talk with Elder Shan. Long Qingxiao, for his part, went to do exactly what he had said.
"Brother Ye. A moment, please?" When he called, the City Lord's brother immediately approached.
"Yes? Is there a problem? Do you need another ring?" Ye Chen questioned.
Long Qingxiao shook his head and said, "No, it's about our return trip."
"Ah, yes. I believe we should rest for today and start our return tomorrow, what do you think?" the man proposed.
"I think we should leave as soon as possible," Long Qingxiao countered.
"Why do you think that, Patriarch Long? Letting our men rest would be wiser," Ye Zhao asked, the three Black Gold experts now paying close attention to the conversation.
"And we would run a greater risk of ambush. The Gold rank expert who escaped was fused with an extremely mobile beast, the Thunder-Winged Falcon, and he knows we have treasure. If we delay too long, we give him time to prepare," the Patriarch explained.
"One more day? I don't think that's too much," retorted a Gold rank expert who was listening in.
"A day is enough for them to go from the city to the exit of the Mountain Pass. You saw how they use Demon Spirits focused on agility," Ye Lao argued, seeing Long Qingxiao's point.
And he wasn't the only one.
Ye Feng spoke up, "I agree with Patriarch Long. We have to leave as soon as possible. What do you think, Young Master?"
"We'll do it. My demon spirit isn't suited for combat, and unlike Brother Long, I need to activate its sensory ability. If we reach the forest, it would be better for you to predict our enemies, correct?" Ye Chen received a positive nod from Long Qingxiao and continued, "Then we'll leave when your men return." He then turned to his own men. "Rest as much as you can. We'll leave as soon as Patriarch Long's men are back. No discussions!"
As Ye Chen's order quieted the murmurs, Long Qingxiao felt the weight of the rings in his possession. One held the treasure that could forge his family's future. The others held the men who had paid the price for that future. He had won the battle, forged a new alliance, and secured their survival. But as he looked at the long road back to Glory City, he knew the expedition wasn't over. It was a withdrawal from one battlefield and a race against time towards the next. The war for his family's survival had only just begun.