Chapter 108 - What Must Be Done

“I was just startled-“ Medusa subconsciously took a step backwards away from the old monk as she tried not to show her emotions. “I didn’t expect to have company.”

“True, I did drop in unexpectedly…” Ming Ru rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he looked around the room. He glanced over at Medusa and let out a small huff of amusement as he smiled, “You don’t have to look so frightened, miss. I did not come into the forest hunting for you. We just happened to cross paths. I followed you out of curiousity.”

“I see.” Medusa bit her lip, uncertain where to place her gaze. Ming Ru’s placatory words didn’t do anything to soothe her nerves. Rather, she felt he was definitely lying!

Thank Deka that I didn’t go to the shrine… She thought to herself. This hiding space was only a temporary refuge with bedding and a few belongings. If she had gone to the shrine instead, her betrayal of the monks would definitely have been revealed!

“So this is where you’ve been the last few days. Why have you not returned to the temple?” Ming Ru asked calmly, clasping his hands behind his back in a casual manner befitting of a senior monk. “To tell the truth, we thought you died during the incident at the cabin.”

“I’ve been recovering- I was going to go back to the monastery in the morning.” Medusa said, though she was unable to hide her hesitation.

Seeing this, Ming Ru chuckled once more, “Is that so? Or have you taken your time because you don’t trust us monks? Yes, that must be it.”

“No!” Medusa countered, but Ming Ru raised his hand calmly to silence her.

“It’s fine.” He said, “I am the same.”

He sighed, shaking his head as he paced leisurely back and forth, “Ahh… What a mess this has become. Don’t you think?”

You’re one to talk. Medusa frowned inwardly. How many police officers did you murder that night?

“I can tell what you’re thinking. Don’t group me in with those blue robes!” Ming Ru said sharply as he wagged his finger at Medusa. “I want nothing to do with their business. I’m only here on a trip to help my disciple with his advancement.”

“Okay.” Medusa nodded, trying to sound agreeable. She didn’t care for his reasons, she just wanted him to go away.

“You don’t believe me.” Ming Ru frowned.

“I do.” Medusa said.

“You don’t. I can see it in your eyes.” Ming Ru frowned, “Come, tell me what you truly think. Spit it out, I won’t be mad.”

“I wouldn’t dare, please leave me out of it.” Medusa lowered her eyes. She trembled softly, unable to hide her fear of the monk. “I only wish to do fulfill my duties to my Lord. The Abbott promised me he would help. I don’t have anything bad to say.”

“Ah, yes. The God of Life, is it? The Abbott told me about your quest.” Ming Ru stroked his chin sagely, “True. You come from the south. That land is a mix of barren rocky wasteland and fetid swamp. It’s a wonder people can live there at all.”

“It’s only because of His blessings that we are able to grow anything at all.” Medusa said quietly. “But if I can bring Him back, He can replenish the life force of my homeland.”

“What a lost little lamb.” Ming Ru sighed, “Your fleece as white as ash. Your intentions are noble but I fear the shepherd that you’ve chosen to guide you to your master.”

“You mean the Abbott.” Medusa muttered as she hazarded a guess.

“You saw the monster that grew out of the cabin ritual.” Ming Ru nodded. “Though the police came and messed things up, let me tell you, that was no accident.”

“I don’t understand.”

“For such a ritual to fail so spectacularly, there must have been some intention behind it. The police didn’t sabotage the ritual, they only broke it like a bunch of rabid monkeys in a gift shop. So who was it? You?”

“Me?” Medusa asked incredulously.

“You were there with your tribe member, watching over the ritual.” Ming Ru said pointedly, “The other boy was just a clueless newborn Candidate. He couldn’t have done it.”

“Why would I have sabotaged it?” Medusa clenched her hands into fists as she fumed, “Do you think that’s something the Domain of Life would do? You think we would purposefully create such an abomination?!”

Ming Ru sighed, “If not you, then who?”

“Who…?” Medusa found herself recalling the strangeness of the energies that she had felt during that ritual. The energies of life were not pure, like she had expected, but carried a sinister tone. Hearing Ming Ru call it a sabotage only strengthened her doubts. “Now I remember… The afternoon before the attack, the boy said that his master had asked him to make a small change in the ritual… I don’t know what it was, I didn’t think much of it at the time…”

“The boy’s master?”

“The Abbott.” Medusa said, her eyes widening, “Th-that means the Abbott intentionally created the monster!”

“Ah… Let’s not go that far.” Ming Ru held up his hand to stop her, “This is only my theory. A hunch.”

Medusa frowned quietly, “A hunch? But to tell the truth, I have been feeling the same way lately.”

At those words Ming Ru grew quiet. He examined Medusa closely to see whether she was being honest. She bowed her head to avoid looking him directly in the eye.

“To tell the truth, I have been looking for you the last few days.” Ming Ru said quietly, “When I found you tonight I came with one purpose, to discover whether it was you that sabotaged the ritual.”

“Of course not!” Medusa exclaimed. Her voice was particularly loud in the cramped quarters. “How could you even think such a thing?”

“This I believe, after talking to you.” Ming Ru nodded, “I feel your sincerity.”

“You’re… you’re one to talk about sincerity!” Medusa fumed, “Following me secretly, accusing me of sabotaging my own ritual! You’re the one who kill-”

Her eyes widened and she suddenly shut her mouth as she realized she was going to bring up the monk’s evil deeds to his face.

“What was that?” Ming Ru asked, so softly it was almost a whisper. “I’m the one who killed… all those officers that night. Is that what you wanted to say?”

His eyes grew dark as he stepped forward towards her. Medusa naturally slunk backwards as she began trembling. Her mouth opened and shut several times, but no words came out.

“Yes, it is true.” He said, his voice calm and cold as ice, “I did kill them. That is a fact. I even recognized a few of them. I killed them as they called my name and asked me for an explanation. That is the fact.”

“I didn’t mean to… to accuse you.” Medusa’s back hit the wall as she ran out of space to retreat. She felt an incredible killing intent coming from the Monk as she couldn’t stop shaking.

“You don’t need to take back your words. Like I said, it’s true.” Ming Ru said, “But you know, I didn’t kill all of them. I distinctly remember one man who nearly escaped. In fact, he would have, but he was caught by vines and dragged under the floor boards… Heh. I wonder who that could have been.”

Of course, he was referring to the officer that Medusa herself had killed.

“I…It was me, but…” Medusa felt a deep sense of shame even amidst the fear, “…It had to be done. I couldn’t let him go.”

“Ah, yes. That is understandable. It had to be done.” Ming Ru smiled, though his eyes retained their coldness. The killing intent faded as he stepped back, “So you and I understand each other, then. It had to be done.”

“Yes…” Medusa whispered.

Ming Ru stroked his chin gently as he seemed to ponder a thought, “What is it the Abbott is fond of saying again? Something about fields and dreams? Surely you’ve heard him say it.”

“If a dream lies across a field of embers…” Medusa said quietly, “Better to run across it with bare feet than to watch and sigh pitifully from the other side.”

“That’s it. At this point we are almost across the field. We’re already burning.” Ming Ru nodded, “We cannot stop now. We cannot turn back.”

“We?” Medusa asked quietly, “I thought you didn’t want anything to do with their business.”

“True. I had a hunch that the Abbott was involved in some dark dealings, but until I saw that monster I didn’t truly understand what was at stake.” Ming Ru sighed softly, “But regardless how I feel… It’s too late now. I don’t agree with the method he’s chosen, but if I stop him here, we’ll all be consumed in flames.”

“You’re talking about resurrecting Prince Deka.” Medusa stated the ‘dream’ that the Abbott had lured her in with. “…Right?”

“Yes, indeed. The Abbott speaks highly of you and your tribe. You won’t imagine how many sermons he’s given me about how the land is dying, and how he must do his part to save it, and how I must do mine.” Ming Ru said, rolling his eyes. Then his brows furrowed and he looked at Medusa with a dark expression, “But as you know too well, such a dream must be paid for in blood.”

“Yes.” Medusa nodded quietly. She’d long come to terms with this fact, despite never being at peace with it. “If I don’t do anything, nothing will change.”

She found herself growing calmer as Ming Ru seemed to accept her side of the story. Her spiritual intuition which had been blasting warning signals for the entire evening finally stopped.

“If it’s to bring back the God of Life, I cannot say I disagree with it. Nor can I say I agree with it. Both sides have merit, both paths take sacrifices.” Ming Ru said softly, “But what you have started with the Abbott cannot be stopped, so regardless of what I believe, I’ve decided to see it through to the end.”

Medusa nodded, a timid smile flickering on her lips before fading. She didn’t know what to say, didn’t know how to feel. “Then-”

She stopped speaking as her spiritual intuition suddenly triggered. Both her and Ming Ru glanced up towards the entrance of the hideout. She reached out to a vine on the wall, connecting to the network of sentry plants outside.

“What is it?” Ming Ru asked. His intuition triggered, but the sense of danger was only vague. He didn’t know what the situation was.

“Police officers. There are four of them out there.” Medusa said softly, closing her eyes as she listened to the plants, “Exalted. Domains of Spacetime and Body.”

Ming Ru didn’t say a word as his body began shifting with saturated reds and blues. He phased out of sight, leaving Medusa alone in the hideout.

“Don’t- don’t kill them.” Medusa suddenly spurted out to the empty room.

An illusory voice chuckled softly as it spoke in reply, “Are you sure, little lamb?”

“Don’t kill… unless it has to be done.” Medusa said quietly.

“That’s right.”