~~~

They cook the worm over a campfire.

Not all of it, of course. The corpse of the All-Devouring Worm is a mountain of flesh. More than one even. Eating it all is far beyond their capabilities.

It is also not particularly appetizing. Alas, there are no poor meals for the hungry stomach, and the All-Devouring Worm makes for an exceptionally nutritious one. Its core may have been destroyed, and most of its Qi lost, but its flesh is still that of a creature in the Earth Realm. For people as exhausted as them, there is no better source of sustenance. They’d be foolish not to take advantage of it.

Indeed, it proves to be the final push a few of their number need to enter the Spirit Realm.

“I’ll never insult people by calling them worms again!” One disciple cries out, joyous at his breakthrough.

“Shh! Don’t be so loud,” says another, and not without reason.

The Rusted Plains are no longer empty. A veritable multitude of Spirit Beasts has gathered around the worm’s corpse to feast. The disciples of the Eternal Flame Clan slept on top of the dead worm and woke up to find themselves surrounded. Luckily, the Spirit Beasts do not seem hostile. The worm’s corpse provides so much food there is no need for them to fight over it.

Still, they do not want to test the limits of this truce by calling too much attention to themselves.

“We cannot stay here for long,” Liu Jin decides to start with the obvious. “More and more Spirit Beasts will be drawn by the corpse. Some of them will be more violent than others. It is only a matter of time until one attacks.”

Though he does not raise his voice too much, he immediately has the attention of the disciples present.

“Last night, we were able to see the stars. We know which direction is north now,” he adds. “That should help us make our way to the Eye of the Plains.”

“We lost some supplies fighting the bugs,” points out Fan Bingbing. “That will make our trip harder.”

“The bugs…. Those are… still in there, aren’t they?” asks a dark-haired disciple. He looks at the corpse they are on with wary eyes and shivers. “I agree with Brother Qing. We should leave this place before those get out.”

“We have some time before that happens,” Liu Jin reassures him. “Let’s rest and harvest some more worm meat before leaving. We’ll travel by night until we find a shelter.”

“I thought we were to go to the Eye of the Plains as fast as possible?” asks a bald disciple. His interjection is a hesitant one, as if he is not sure whether he is allowed to speak up.

“We will not make it to the Eye of the Plains if we are not all fully recovered,” Liu Jin counters. “The Dead Plains are full of all manner of dangers.”

As soon as he says that, a new presence enters their field of awareness. It is not the sudden intrusion of the All-Devouring Worm. This Qi is still miles away. Though smaller, this aura is far more controlled, denoting a higher degree of intelligence.

He speaks.

“This Duke has decided on his next meal. You are welcome to take some flesh with you, but this Duke has no desire to eat alongside you.”

Every single face around Liu Jin pales. Even Fan Bingbing’s usually unflappable expression cracks as the Qi of a single person reaches them from miles away to deliver his message. The Spirit Beasts do not handle things any better. They turn around and flee immediately, abandoning their source of food. Many are flattened and killed in the ensuing stampede.

“Re..” The bald disciple tries to say it only for his voice to give out. And who can blame him?

The Qi they all thought was smaller than that of the All-Devouring Worm only felt that way due to the distance and the cultivator’s control. Now that his Qi has washed over them, they understand precisely what it is they are dealing with.

Renegade Realm, Fifth Level.

One of the many mad warriors that wanders the Dead Plains.

“We leave.” Liu Jin rises to his feet. “Now.”

They still have not fully recovered from the fight inside the worm. A few have yet to fully stabilize after their breakthrough. Venturing further into the plains will put them in great danger.

Not a single one objects.

The disciples of the Eternal Flame Clan flee into the horizon.

~~~

The first viable shelter they find is a cave just a few miles away. They pass it by. It is far too close to the Renegade’s presence for their linking. It takes them a full day of walking to find another place that suits their needs. This one is not a cave, but a formation of red rocks eroded away by the wind into something loosely resembling an arc. It provides a rudimentary roof over their heads, and they move some of the rocks lying around to serve as walls. The protection they give is not ideal but necessary nonetheless.

It has been raining for the past several hours. The rain falls so heavily it forms a thick curtain of water that significantly limits visibility. The fallen rain flows across the ground, creating multiple rivers all over the Rusted Plains, completely changing the appearance of the place.

Despite how harshly the rain falls and how quickly the rivers flow across the hot land, the inside of their little shelter is almost entirely silent. Many of the disciples are shivering, but not because of the cold.

At last, one speaks.

“I can’t believe we ran into a Renegade.”

That seems to be the trigger. Within moments, the disciples are all talking over each other.

“I had never even seen a Renegade before!”

“I thought being eaten would be the worst thing that happened to us here!”

“I have lost decades of my lifespan! I’m sure of it!”

“I thought he’d eat us!”

The last comment draws more than a few odd looks towards the speaker, who immediately blushes.

“Eat us?” Fan Bingbing echoes. She blinks twice with almost deliberate slowness. “Why would you think he’d eat us?”

“Because… that’s what Renegades do, isn’t it?” The disciple looks around, trying and failing to find any support. “They are mad… Right? I didn’t even think they talked!”

“Of course, they can talk,” Liu Jin says. “The madness of the Renegade Realm does not set in right away. It is a gradual process that a cultivator can overcome with mental and spiritual fortitude. Otherwise, we would have no Emperors.”

“Forgive his ignorance, Brother Qing,” a bald disciple tells him. “He’s from a minor Sect, so his education is not the best.”

The disciple’s face bristles. “Minor? The Bright Phantasm Sect is the greatest in Night Forest Nation!”

The bald disciple scoffs. “Being the best in a country that doesn’t matter doesn’t matter. That you can boast of it just reflects poorly on you.”

As the two disciples start bickering, Liu Jin pays a little more attention to the former member of the Bright Phantasm Sect. He had not noticed it before, but his hair is somewhat blue and his features oddly reminiscent of Wong Shou’s. Perhaps he is a distant relative?

“Regardless, Brother Qing is right,” Fan Bingbing says. “One does not lose their sanity upon entering the Renegade Realm. A person who has just entered the Renegade Realm will be little different from how they were before doing so.”

“We still send them to Pyre’s End,” notes another disciple.

“For safety, not because they are an immediate threat,” counters Fan Bingbing. “Renegades that do not lose their way are remarkably rare, but they exist. The one we just met was on the Fifth Level of the Renegade Realm, yet he did not seem to have lost his sanity.”

“He was sane enough to warn us to stay away from him, at least,” Liu Jin says. He hums as he looks up and rubs his chin. “He called himself a duke.”

“Is that a sign of madness?” asks the blue-haired disciple. Liu Jin shakes his head no.

“Merely a curiosity. Tell me, are there dukes in Night Forest Nation?”

The blue-haired disciple looks startled for a moment, not having expected Liu Jin to ask him a question. As soon as the shock fades, he puffs his chest, glad to have the opportunity to talk of his homeland. “No, the title does not exist in our land, though I suppose the members of the Grand Forest Council would be the equivalent to it. Ah! The Grand Forest Council is the alliance of-”

“No one cares,” cuts in the bald disciple. “Brother Qing’s point is that there are not many people who can claim to be a duke.”

“Noble titles exist within the Crimson Cloud Empire, but they are all held by the major Sects. It has been that way for generations,” Fan Bingbing adds. “Patriarch Feng has a noble title, but unless he was visiting the Emperor, no one would bother using it. Being Patriarch of the Eternal Flame Clan trumps all else.”

It arguably trumps being Emperor. There is no one who would say the Emperor of the Crimson Cloud Empire is stronger than Patriarch Feng Zhang.

“In other words, that man introducing himself as a duke means he comes from someplace where the title still holds meaning. Or did once upon a time.”

After all, they do not know how long that man has been in the Dead Plains. It could be years. It could be decades.

Perhaps even centuries.

“That does not really narrow things down, Brother Qing,” says the bald disciple. “If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather not think about that Renegade any longer. Such things are not good for my health.”

Liu Jin looks at the faces assembled around him. Only Fan Bingbing looks engaged with the subject. The other disciples are just varying shades of uncomfortable.

“I see. It seems I was being inconsiderate.”

“Ah! No! Not at all, Brother Qing!” The bald disciple frantically waves his hand in front of him.

“Sister Fan,” Liu Jin turns to the girl in question. “Can you play for us?”

Fan Bingbing’s eyes widen ever so slightly before the smallest of smiles appears on her face. She raises her hand, revealing a spatial ring on her finger, and taps it once to take out a flat, seven-stringed musical instrument, a guqin. She places it over her lap.

“I suppose I can entertain you,” Fan Bingbing says. She plays a few notes to ensure the instrument is properly tuned. “Normally, I would begin by playing something like Falling Leaves or Reflections of Snow, but those are a little too dour for our circumstances. Does anyone have any requests?”

Once again, the disciples of the Eternal Flame Clan speak all at once, each wanting their favorite song to be played first. Liu Jin smiles and leans back against the rocks.

For now, this is fine.

~~~

They walk across the Rusted Plains for the next two days. During that time, they face a vicious sandstorm that lets them see no further than the tip of their noses and blazing heat that distorts the air around them and causes mirages. This is in addition to the occasional encounter with wild Spirit Beasts. Thankfully, even the few that prove beyond their ability to fight are not beyond their ability to escape.

On the dawn of the third day, their destination can be seen ahead of them. It is as if a line has been drawn across the horizon. On one side are the Rusted Plains. Nothing but red earth with little in the way of vegetation. On the other, a carpet of green stretches as far as the eye can see.

That is the Eye of the Plains.

“We made it!” says the blue-haired disciple. He throws his fist up in the air and smiles widely.

“This Duke would like an explanation.”

He is right behind them.

The disciples of the Eternal Flame Clan freeze. He is there before they can do anything about it. Though his words are delivered calmly, they are the words of a Renegade, and they carry the aura of a Renegade with them. At such a close distance, the weakest among their number immediately fall to their knees. Their faces are white with terror. For them, it is impossible to even move.

Liu Jin does.

He turns around and drops to one knee. That seems to serve as a signal for the others. Those capable of it imitate his movements.

“Honored Duke,” he says. “You honor us with your presence once more.”

“It is indeed an honor for you to lay your eyes on me,” the Renegade replies, “one far greater than thieves such as you deserve.”

Despite his pose and bearing, the man is dressed in rags. Perhaps even calling them rags is too generous. It is a wonder that what little cloth preserves the duke’s dignity has not yet fallen apart. His body is covered in slime, other fluids, and bits of flesh, all of which Liu Jin is sure come from the corpse of the All-Devouring Worm.

Did he chase after them only after he was done eating it?

“Great Duke, this one does not understand. We have stolen nothing from you,” Liu Jin says. “Upon receiving your magnanimous warning, we immediately left you with your prize.”

The duke’s eyes narrow. For an instant, his presence increases to the point Liu Jin feels a hand grabbing him by the head and squeezing. A gasp of pain leaves his mouth.

“Do not lie to me, child. This Duke is already showing you the kindness of conversing with you. Where is the core of the Spirit Beast?”

The Core! Liu Jin’s eyes widen. The duke probably searched the All-Devouring Worm’s corpse for its core and found nothing.

“Great Duke, we do not have the core.”

Liu Jin’s head is slammed into the ground.

“Brother Qing!” A disciple shouts. He moves as if to stand up, but Fan Bingbing grabs hold of him and keeps him in place. Had Liu Jin been able to, he’d have nodded to her in gratitude.

“Do you expect me to believe the core was removed by wild Spirit Beasts?”

“No, Great Duke. I would never try to deceive you that way,” Liu Jin says, coughing as he returns to a kneeling position. “In our weakness, we had no choice but to destroy the core to bring down the All-Devouring Worm. Had we known it’d inconvenience you, we’d have surely tried to find another way to kill the beast.”

Liu Jin feels the eyes of the duke focus solely on him. He does his best to bear it, knowing the slightest show of weakness could be perceived poorly.

“I see,” the duke says after a while. “It seems I have acted rashly once more. It is not you who have inconvenienced me, but I who have inconvenienced you. Reparations are in order.”

The duke raises a finger and points towards the grassy plains.

In an instant, his aura spikes so much it flattens all of them to the ground.

“There,” he says, lowering his aura to normal levels. The disciples gasp for air, their attempts at propriety forgotten. “Now, you shall have safe passage across the Eye of the Plains for a few days. That is enough recompense.”

“The duke is most merciful.”

“Naturally,” the duke says. He meets Liu Jin’s eyes and frowns before shaking his head and turning away. “I must return to solitude once more. It will be for the best if our paths do not cross again.”

He vanishes as suddenly as he appears, no different from the harsh sandstorm and the fierce rain. The disciples of the Eternal Flame Clan are left dazed and frightened.

“If I ever have to be in the Dead Plains again for as long as I live, it will be too soon.”

It does not matter who says it.

No one disagrees.

~~~