~~~

Too fast. Everything is happening too fast. This morning Liu Jin went out to help Xiao Dong fulfill an old tradition. Less than a day later, Xiao Dong is dead, Liu Jin has killed multiple people, and he and Xiao Heng have been kidnapped.

All things considered, it has been a very dizzying day for Liu Jin.

In fact, unless the Elders come to rescue them soon, this may very well be Liu Jin’s last day.

Even so, he glares at Lun Shun.

“Tree of Deceitful Whispers? Am I supposed to know what that is?”

Time. Right now, the only thing he can do is make time. Yet he would be lying if he says he isn’t curious about the tree. Forest of Deceitful Whispers. Tree of Deceitful Whispers. The connection is obvious. It seems like he is about to find out how the forest got its name.

“No, child of the main branch. I would be very surprised if you somehow knew about it. We have done our best to keep it a secret, after all.” As he speaks, Lun Shu looks up. He has been looking at the moon every now and then. Is he waiting for something?

“The Tree of Deceitful Whispers is a very special tree. It gives fruits rarely, only once every generation and not many of them at that. However, those fruits are worth more than the entire town for whoever eats them will gain the strength of a hundred men!”

Lun Shun pauses as if waiting for their shocked reactions. Xiao Heng and the Lun Clan member holding him down do not disappoint in this regard, but Liu Jin remains blank-faced. Lun Shu frowns but continues talking.

“A long time ago, two people came across this tree. Using its fruits, the two gained great power and rose to prominence in New Moon Town. One of them founded the Lun Clan. The other went on to form the Hu Clan. Thus, the existence of the tree became a secret kept by the two clans. However, the tree was not without its downsides.”

Downsides?

“The Tree of Deceitful Whispers produces not one, but two types of fruit. One that gives great strength and one that will kill whoever eats it. Sometimes the red fruit will be the poisonous one. Sometimes it will be the blue one. Sometimes it will be the fruit that grows from the right side of the tree. Sometimes it will be the one that grows from the left side. It is a very tedious tree, but it is thanks to it that our clans have kept their position in New Moon Town.”

Lun Shu’s face suddenly twists itself with rage. “However, that damned Hu Clan went ahead and sold us out! I knew it the second the wedding was announced! The Hu clan wasn’t just planning on giving away the girl. This tree would go on to become a wedding present! Can you understand that? With the tree in the Xiao Sect’s control, there would be no comeback for the Lun Clan!”

And so, in his desperation, Lun Shu resorted to all this. That he has gotten this far is admirable in its own way.

“Tonight, the fruit will fully mature, and with it, I will finally cross over to the Spirit Realm. Xiao Ding will no longer by my superior.”

“And you think that will be enough?” Liu Jin asks. “Even if the fruit is enough for you to enter the Spirit Realm, you’re still just one person.”

“You think the man from the Main Sect will be able to help Xiao Ding stop me?” Lun Shu laughs. “As we speak, they should be chasing down the Black Bear Bandits. While the bandits cannot hope to prevail against them, they’re good at running. If they do catch them, well, my brother has a surprise for them.

Liu Jin blinks. A surprise?

“I told you, didn’t I? Half the fruits this tree produces are extremely poisonous. My good father found a way to harness that poison and made sure to always keep a stock of it, a tradition I have followed. Had you chosen to treat me as a guest when I appeared at your door, you would have seen it in action. Regardless, my brother wields a blade coated in it. That should be enough to deal with one of them.”

“And you think he will be able to land a hit? If you had someone that capable at your side, you wouldn’t need to do this,” Liu Jin counters.

“I think Xiao Ding is blinded by rage and grief right now. For him to underestimate his foes is a possibility.”

A longshot. A ridiculous longshot. Then again, Lun Shu’s entire plan relies on them.

“And what of your Clan? They are sure to be suffering as we speak.”

“Spoken like a child, or perhaps you are making time for your Elders to get here?” Lin Jin flinches. “Do not bother. This place is located in the Forest of Deceitful Whispers yet not. This is a realm created by the Tree of Deceitful Whispers. Your Xiao Sect has not found it in all these years. They will not find it now. That is why I can afford to humor all your questions.”

As expected, Liu Jin’s first impression of the man was right. He is unfortunately capable.

“Pay attention to this, child. You too, Lun Kai. As long as he has enough power, a man is a Clan. A man is a Sect. A man is enough to overturn everything.”

Power. Again with power.

“Your Xiao Sect will lose its Branch Master as well as that foreigner. Once you lose that advantage, the Hu Clan will turn on you because they are cowardly dogs that cannot help but follow true power,” Lun Shu explains with complete certainty. “If the Hu Clan were to act right now, I would most certainly lose. Their Clan Master would be able to guide your Elders here. However, that hasn’t happened. Do you know why?”

Liu Jin does not answer.

“Because they are waiting to see who wins out between us. The Xiao Sect has shown itself to be weak today, and the Hu Clan is vacillating. They hide in their houses, afraid of being forced to pick a side. It is only to be expected. They are not loyal to anyone but their own ambitions. Certainly, I will lose dear Clan members tonight, but in the aftermath, the Lun Clan shall rise.”

Annoying.

Even though Liu Jin knows there is no way Xiao Nan can lose. Even though Liu Jin knows there is no way this man’s plan can work… Lun Shu still annoys him to no end. He annoys him because try as he might, Liu Jin cannot shake the feeling that Lun Shu is undeniably right about something.

“If you have already won, why not kill us then? Be done with it.”

Even with Lun Kai holding his head down, Xiao Heng manages to shoot a panicked look at him. Lun Shu snorts.

“Child of the main branch, you are not stupid. I am sure you know exactly why you are here by now. Ah, it seems to have started.”

Liu Jin blinks in confusion. Then he blinks some more when the sky starts turning red. It is the moon, Liu Jin realizes as he looks up. The moon is turning red. Down below, the Tree of Deceitful Whispers seems to grow before his eyes. Withered branches bloom with greenish leaves. The fruits become rich and plump.

“A thousand nights of full moon. That is what it takes to harvest its fruits. The poisonous fruits are an inconvenience, but that is why you are here.” Lun Shu hauls Liu Jin to his feet. Though the man only holds him by the shoulder, there is no way Liu Jin can break that grip. “Our Clans tried many different ways to discern the correct fruit. You must understand we are not savages. However, this was the only way.”

Lun Shu starts dragging Liu Jin to the tree. “First, we tried having animals eat the fruits. That proved useless. Normal animals could not withstand the might of either fruit. We tried Spirit Beasts next, but those proved difficult for different reasons. A Spirit Beast in the Inner Realm was needed to properly judge the results, and even then, not all species would show equivalent results to humans. In the end, humans were the best bet.”

“Father?” Lun Kai says. There is genuine surprise on his face.

“A cultivator in the Inner Realm. That was the best way to test the fruits. Every harvest, our Lun Clan and the Hu Clan would alternate in choosing one of our own to test the fruits. Once we had verified which fruit was the genuine article, we’d split the fruits between us. Of course, there is no need for such things now.”

Because they have him.

There is nothing but resignation in Liu Jin’s face as Lun Shu brings him before the tree. For a moment, he considers taking off the pendant, but the memories of the bandits dying in agony stop him. He… he does not want to see something like that again. Besides, Xiao Heng is too close. He’d end up killing him as well.

“Look, brother, a volunteer.”

“He looks dim, brother. I do not like him.”

Liu Jin blinks. That voice is not Lun Shu’s. It is not Xiao Heng’s voice, and Liu Jin does not think it belongs to Lun Kai either.

“See? Dim. He has eyes but cannot see.”

“In front of you, boy. Right in front of you.”

In front of him is the tree. Liu Jin looks at it carefully, noticing the gnarled wood of the trunk now makes it look like someone carved two mouths on it. An instant later, those mouths start moving, making Liu Jin take a step back.

“We are the tree of might and strength. Take our fruits if you dare, but beware the consequences,” one of the mouths says.

“My fruits are red. Unmatched strength will come to those who eat them. Do not eat my brother’s fruits for they will certainly kill you,” the other says.

“My fruits are blue. An enduring body will be granted to those who eat them. Do not eat my brother’s fruits for they will surely kill you.”

What is this? Liu Jin blinks. Is this supposed to be a riddle? A test of wits? Should he ask questions?

“Do not bother,” Lun Shu says. He sounds a little exasperated. “There is no rule they have to follow where one only tells the truth, and the other one always lies. They are not brothers. It is just one tree with two mouths and two voices. It is called the Tree of Deceitful Whispers for a reason, boy.”

“Ah, look at that. The sullen boy grows to be a sullen man. What are the odds?”

“He does love spoiling our fun. But where is the Hu Clan representative this time?”

“That does not matter,” Lun Shu declares. “The boy will choose. That is all there is to it.”

“Very well,” the tree replies with one mouth. It then continues with the other. “It matters not to us who picks the fruit. It matters not to us if anyone picks the fruit at all. Go on, boy. Red or blue. Make your choice.”

Liu Jin gulps. Even so, he takes a step forward and grabs a fruit.

He bites it.

A long moment of silence follows as Liu Jin swallows. Everyone waits for something to happen.

Nothing does.

“Oh my,” one of the mouths says.

“How lucky,” the other says. “This ought to be interesting.”

“Luck. See? It is as I told you. Sometimes, it is the most important thing,” Lun Shu says, roughly pushing Liu Jin out of the way. He grabs fruits of the same type Liu Jin chose. He throws one to his son. “Eat it quick, son. We’ll need some time to properly acclimate to the increase in power.”

“Wait!” Liu Jin yells, grabbing Lun Shu’s arm. “Don’t! You don’t under-gah!”

A solid blow from Lun Shu leaves him gasping for air.

“Do not disgrace yourself further, child of the main branch. Today, you have lost. Be grateful that your luck was good enough to save your life.”

With a victorious smile, Lun Shu bites down on the fruit.

~~~

If Xiao Nan had his way, he wouldn’t be out hunting for bandits. Instead, he would be with his Little Brother who dearly needs his presence.

New Moon Town was supposed to be easy.

His Little Brother needed some time away from the city. New Moon Town was a remote location with a low cultivation level. His Little Brother would beat some bandits, release some stress, and have some time away from the city and the pressure of not having progressed with his cultivation for the past year.

New Moon Town would also give his Little Brother some much-needed experience. He would see how factions operated in a small and easy-to-understand scale. He would experience how it feels to be in a position of authority. He would learn what it means to have people beneath him. In short, he would get experience that would help him later down the line. All in a relatively safe environment. That had been the plan.

Instead, he had found his Little Brother surrounded by corpses of his own making.

Xiao Nan gnashes his teeth.

He should be with Liu Jin. That, he knows for sure. However, he cannot afford to do so. Xiao Ding’s face is red with anger. Bloodlust shines in his eyes. He is not in his right state of mind, and a man with a disorganized mind is liable to make mistakes. Xiao Nan has seen it happen countless times. Even if Xiao Ding is strong by the standards of New Moon Town, he is not strong enough as to be completely invulnerable. In his current mental state, an unfortunate accident is all too likely.

If Xiao Ding dies, the Xiao Sect’s position in New Moon Town will weaken. Losing Xiao Ding’s son was one thing. Losing the Branch Master during the same day… If that happens, people will try to take advantage.

If that happens, Xiao Nan will be forced to act. He would have to show everyone why they could not afford to challenge the Xiao Sect.

Compared to what he would have to do in that situation, slaughtering a group of bandits is an easy price to pay.

“Up ahead!”

Someone shouts. Xiao Nan lifts his gaze and sees a group of Black Bear Bandits coming their way. As expected, this seems to be their hideout. He feels panic coming from them. The bandits were not ready for them to find them so soon.

To be fair to them, not many could interrogate the non-living.

In the blink of an eye, Xiao Nan is in front of them. Their bones breaks. Their heads fall off. Blood splatters to the ground.

They are dead before they know it.

“We move forward!” Xiao Nan roars. Whether scared by his display or emboldened by it, the members of the Xiao Sect charge. More and more bandits come forth, trying to buy time for the rest to escape. However, they are no match for the members of the Xiao Sect. A few are stupid enough to charge at Xiao Nan.

One of them gets his arm torn off.

Another gets his head twisted 360 degrees.

He is angry. Xiao Nan realizes that as he crushes a man’s throat. These pathetic dogs dared to hurt his Little Brother. Yes, it is only natural he would be angry. Still, he cannot let it rule him. He cannot lose control.

“Not bad, but can you face the Second Commander of the Black Bear Band-gck!”

Yes, Xiao Nan thinks as he stops the man’s heart. He cannot let his anger rule him. He cannot afford to take any pleasure in this. Taking pleasure in acts like this is the first step of a very slippery slope. Xiao Nan has seen it happen countless times.

Right now, his job is to take care of Xiao Ding. The sooner he finishes everything here, the sooner he can return to New Moon Town. After that, they can start to figure out how to deal with the fallout from all this, and he and his Little Brother can return to Eastern Port City.

With one step, Xiao Nan is suddenly in front of the fleeing bandits, cutting off their retreat completely. Ten. Twenty. Thirty. The number of people he kills gets lost after a while.

As he does this, Xiao Nan makes sure to keep an eye on Xiao Ding. He is fighting someone likely to be the leader of the bandits. His Qi is certainly high enough for it. Ninth Level of the Nascent Realm. It should be an easy enough foe for Xiao Ding. Still, Xiao Nan’s eyes narrow when he sees the bandit take out a small knife from under his robes.

The man charges. Xiao Ding rushes at him.

Xiao Nan takes a step.

In a flash, he is between them. The knife strikes his open palm. The bandit leader’s eyes widen. The cause behind it is easy to see.

The knife cannot pierce Xiao Nan’s skin.

Even though the man is in the Ninth Level of the Nascent Realm, he should have been capable of leaving a wound on someone who stands in the lowest levels of the Spirit Realm. However, he was unable to even scratch Xiao Nan. The man struggles in vain, trying to push the knife into Xiao Nan’s hand.

The knife breaks.

“How?” The man asks with a pale face.

“Huh, a poisoned knife,” Xiao Nan says as he examines the blade. “Well, this level of poison would not have really affected me, so it was useless from the start. It might not have even killed Xiao Ding.”

The leader of the Black Bear Bandits dies knowing he had no hope of succeeding from the start.

~~~

Xiao Heng looks around in confusion. He cannot understand what just happened. He thought for sure he was going to die, yet now he is the one who stands over his would-be killers. Lun Shu and Lun Kai both lie on the ground.

Dead.

“Boss?” Xiao Heng turns to Liu Jin. The young child is looking at the corpses, an unreadable expression on his face. “What just happened?

“I tried to warn them. I really did.” Liu Jin’s gaze finally meets his, and Xiao Heng shivers. Liu Jin’s sad red eyes are hard to watch. When bathed by the light of the red moon, his Boss seems to gain an almost ethereal quality. It feels as if the child in front of him is impossibly far away.

“Heaven-defying luck? What a bad joke.”

~~~