Chapter 025

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‘ ‘ for thoughts.

“ “ for speech.

<> for non-verbal communication like telepathy

Please point out any mistakes/inconsistencies you find and feel free to comment on anything regarding this FF.

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Warning: May contain mature content (18+) of an adult nature. Read at your own risk.

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Note:

Although the full name mentioned here are Chinese style, (example: Fang Hao, surname Fang first then given name Hao), the names clubbed with descriptions are description and then given name instead of description and surname (example Fatty Hao and not Fatty Fang).

Btw, I read all your comments, but may not reply to each and every one separately.

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Old Man Zhu was viewing a tetragonal crystal projected as a vivid scene projected from it before him. In that scene, an obese meatball was running while being followed by almost a dozen incensed people. Whenever someone got close, the meatball would whack him with his club before running away. The meatball was fleeing at top speed while saying “So shameless… my team members are attacking me. Have you got no shame?”

One of the pursuers was equipped with a slender single edged wooden sabre looked furious as he shouted, “Fang Hao, you humiliated me the last three times I fought you. I will beat you to death.” The meatball sniggered and said, “Sure… but this lord will leave all of you plebs in his wake.” As soon as the meatball referred to himself as a lord, almost half a dozen people who were following the meatball turned on their companions.

They attacked their companions out of the blue, as one of them shouted a battle cry, “All hail Lord Lard!” The meatball who was running away, turned to face his opponents as he shouted, “Witness the glory of this lord!” and began to decimate opponents with a sturdy wooden club. Less than half a dozen people were standing after the brawl concluded. The meatball had a solemn look on his face as he said, “Remember, that this lord rewards his followers and decimates his enemies!” following which he flicked his sleeve and almost a dozen grayish pills flew towards the others. The survivors grabbed a couple of pills each as they shouted “All hail Lord Lard!”

The meatball in the crystal projection was sitting cross-legged next to Old Man Zhu as he had a satisfied and expectant look on his face. “Master, is this entertaining enough!” Old Man Zhu laughed heartily as he summoned a couple of crystal goblets. He then summoned a large jug which seemed to be made of intertwining vines. The vine jug poured golden amber liquor into the summoned crystal goblets, as the fatty grabbed it. Old Man Zhu drank a mouthful and sighed. “You did good disciple! It has been a while since I was amused as such! You qualify to taste the new wine I acquired.”

Fang Hao had an impatient and expectant look on his face as he cupped his hands and said “Disciple feels grateful for this undeserved praise!” before grabbing the crystal goblet with the golden amber liquid, and taking a small sip. ‘The last wine master gave me already stopped boosting my spirit. Oh the humiliation I have to go through for these stat boosts…Worth it!’ As he swallowed his sip of wine, he could taste a metallic bitter-sweet taste as a strange feeling originated from his dantian.

He circulated the 8th layer of the Sublime Qi manual as a buzzed feeling clouded his mind. Indeed, the biggest challenge for making effective utilization of the spirit wine was circulating his Qi according to the scripture before he got too drunk to control it. While he took another sip and concentrated on circulating his Qi cultivation manual, his master Old Man Zhu had a flash of alarm pass over his usually placid face.

“Disciple, something has come up. Drink this on your own…I will see you out.” Said Master Zhu as he handed Fang Hao the jug made of intertwining vines. He then grabbed the buzzed fatty’s collar, and kicked him. Fang Hao was in a daze, barely managing to hold the vine jug as he landed outside the Assignment Hall. ‘OK, some shit is stirred up apparently. I got my ass kicked but got some sick wine...so no loss there.’ thought Fang Hao in a cheerful move as he made his way to his courtyard. As he reached his cottage Fang Hao had a frown on his face as he looked at his vine jug of spirit wine, ‘I got some good stuff today. Still what is this lurking sense of unease there…”

Meanwhile, old Man Zhu had a stoic face with a hint on unease in his eyes as he disappeared from the outer assignment hall with slight ripples trailing where he was. He appeared in a hall. The hall had a football field sized wooden round table, with thirteen marble chairs. Twelve of the chairs were occupied by various people with grim expressions on their face. As Old man Zhu appeared, he took the only empty seat. He glanced at the seated people and said, “This better be of significance, fellow Daoists.”

A hook nosed man with crisscrossing scars across his face sneered as he said “What exactly was so important that you delayed the council’s summons?” Old man Zhu snorted as he replied, “Now don’t be too stuck up, fellow daoitst. It has been a while since I took in a disciple. He has been entertaining so far…” A Demure looking lady who had her face veiled by muslin gasped as she said, “Senior Brother, did you finally take another disciple? How exactly is he outstanding?”

Old Man Zhu, who had an expression of indifference till now had a look of scorn on his face as he replied “That is for me to know and you to find out, slut.” A cultivator who surprisingly looked like he was in his early teens snarled with rage as he said, “Zhu! Don’t go too far and leave some face for my Dao companion! Or don’t blame me for being rude!!” Old Man Zhu was about to respond when a muscular dark skinned youth with tattoos all over his body slammed his fist on the table. “Enough! Most of you are centuries old. Don’t behave like little turds. The Dreamer has woken!!!”

Immediately everyone on the table had a look of shock and horror on their face as Old man Zhu’s jaw hung open. A coal-black man white shoulder length white hair said, “Do tell us the circumstances of this…predicament, Senior Brother.” The dark-skinned tattooed youth didn’t reply a he snapped his fingers. Immediately above the large wooden table, a scene began to play…

Above the table, a sleeping youth appeared floating in nothingness. He suddenly awoke, standing as his closed eyes started bleeding. The lifelike image of the handsome youth started rapidly aging as he opened his bleeding eyes. Now he looked like a pot-bellied middle age man. His eyes looked like a field of stars as he spoke. “Calamity approaches. Demons, Devils and Xiuzhenists…Unite! Our only hope for survival. At most we have a couple of millennia….at least we have a few century.”

Everyone had a worried an ugly expression on their face. The cultivator who looked like in his early teens had a bitter smile as he said. “The Dreamer’s Prophecies are not to be ignored. Especially since this augury dropped his cultivation dropped three whole realms! If we do not take appropriate measures…I fear that we face total annihilation.”

“Let’s consolidate our strength then. I propose the Infernal Bitch to be our liaison to the demons. Any Objections?” said the veiled, demure female cultivator. No one raised any. The muscular tattooed youth sighed, as he said “Brother Zhu we can only depend on you to liaison with the devils.” Old Man Zhu had a frown on his face as he sighed. “All right. But take care of my disciple till I return… I am hopeful of his potential”