Chapter 9: Spirit Root Awakening (2)

"He's taking his time."

Shan was getting bored, should he even be present? Yes, he should. He should be here and he should observe. Wei Zu said that the Awakening was a critical time for someone with Inner Death. He was the one making the boy go through the ceremony, executing him in a way. Well, such was his fate. He was simply speeding it up a bit.

Suddenly, Shan frowned.

He could feel the scent of blood in the air.

…

Is something wrong? Wondered Xin while looking at his Spirit Root. It was absorbing Qi, that was normal, the problem is, it was doing that on its own. Once the Qi was entering Xin's body, it was immediately going straight toward the Root. Shouldn't he guide it or something?

Either way, there wasn't much he could do. Mostly because he was afraid. Shan has told him to do the awakening. In case of failure… Who knows what he will do.

The more energy the Root was absorbing, the faster it was absorbing, and greedier. Soon the tight sensation vanished from the air; the formation couldn't replenish Qi fast enough anymore. At that moment, something happened:

"Shi~"

Xin awoke from the trance and looked at the Spirit Root.

The absorption has stopped. Was the Awakening complete?

Good if so, he thought but then...

A strange tremble ran through the Root and the ocean of blood. It was trembling louder and louder. Wei Xin had a bad premonition. Something was wrong.

"Shi~!"

The blood started to swirl. It was getting faster and faster, absorbing by the spirit root. Slowly the ocean started to shrink.

Wei Xin gasped. Everything was wrong. He tried to stop the absorption and leave the meditation, but then his face paled.

He couldn't, he couldn't stop the meditation. Fear arose inside of his soul. He was panicking and made several more attempts, all to no success. Soon the sea of blood transformed into a devilish red whirlpool.

The boy could not even scream; he was imprisoned inside his own body.

…

Shan smiled, but there was no joy in that smile.

"Looks like there are really some problems…"

The boy was trembling and the scent of blood was so thick that it reminded him of his own Awakening.

What an unpleasant memory.

He knew that this will happen from the beginning, and still, he wasn't feeling much guilty. Xin's time was almost up already, he only had several years more.

Shan's plan was like that: he had to deal with Wei Zu, but he didn't know where he is. So, he had to lure him somehow. This mansion was an option, but Wei Zu could come here at any moment, and as of now, Shan was still weaker than him. Therefore, that location was unsuitable. He had to force Wei Zu to come to some other place. Now, there was only one thing that will differently catch the betrayer's attention: Xin. Of course, one could presume that Wei Zu wasn't planning to meet Xin ever again, why would he fake his death otherwise. However, Shan knew that man, that sentimental fool. Maybe in secret, but he will want to see his child.

But not with his corpse. Then he'll just go mad. Wei Zu doesn't have guts to take revenge or even kill himself.

Now, there was only one way.

"Sorry, but I need your name, Xin."

A genius avenging Wei Clan, who else could it be in eyes of Wei Zu?

He will impersonate the brat for as long as it will take to lure the snake out. The only problem was the real Wei Xin, he couldn't let him stay alive.

He was the only clue that could lead to Shan and, while he hated to admit it, Wei Zu was definitely smart enough to dig it out of anywhere but a grave. Or maybe that urn.

Of course, Xin will die soon.

But even that time could be critical.

So, to deal with him Shan has chosen the method that will make him feel less guilty: by the Awakening.

If it will kill him, then who cares. He had only a few years either way.

It the boy will miraculously manage to survive and cure his illness, then he will think a bit more about it. He wasn't so ruthless, after all.

But that will be bad, like a crack on his plan.

Still, for some reason, Shan could feel disappointment looking at the boy growing weaker and weaker.

"Hey, Xin, at least die like a man. You can't act like a clueless puppy for all your life, even if it's that short. Wake up!"

…

Wei Xin felt as if a hammer struck him on his head. Overly familiar feeling, but the pain wasn't something whose traces he wanted to follow.

Right, pain. At least it washed the panic off. The awakening call he needed so much. He can't panic now, he has to find a way to deal with the problem. At the current pace, the blood (or vitality) reserve will be exhausted in a span of an hour.

Xin tried to stop the absorption, to slow it down at least. But no use, nothing works!

Can't panic, can't panic.

Maybe the logical thing doesn't work, but something should, right?

For example… speeding it up?

That's, that's the way, right!

Shan has told him that the Spirit Root should be nourished gradually, or something bad could happen.

He didn't know what, or whether it will even work with his savage beast of a spirit root, but what else is there to do? Moreover, how worse could it get?

Wei Xin made the first attempt, the result immediately surpassed his wildest expectations.

At once, the blood took the shape of a tornado. His Spirit Root trembled, its bloody veins enlarged but the surface became even whiter.

No, no… For an entire minute, Xin was helplessly watching how the ocean of blood was shrinking to the size of a sea, then even less.

Will he die? He'll die, he's going to die!

Shock, pure shock far surpassing anything Wei Xin has ever felt before. The image of death smiling at him, weakness binding him to the ground. Death, he didn't want it, he… he didn't want anything but to live now!

It was the most basic desire of any living being, but for that lost, broken child it was similar to an island of light in the middle of suffocating sea of darkness.

Whatever guilt or confuse he felt before - it was nothing. He wanted to live, even if the entire world will have to die.

And that meant he shouldn't stop now. Wei Xin silenced all his emotions.

The continued speeding up the absorption.

The tornado grew, the lake shrunk to a pond.

However, nothing could stop the boy now; with a shocking calmness, he was blowing out the candle of his life, all for the slight chance that the flame will get stronger in turn.

"Wishful thinking", thought Shan while looking at the dying boy. Somehow, he was in a bad mood.

"Should I go for the urn now? The wind is strong recently."

Maybe the boy was insisting, that was admirable, surely. Sadly, there is no reward for an attempt. At this point, the scent of blood permeated all mansion.

Wait, what is that sound? Shan's frowned. He turned to the wall of the mansion when…

"Bam!"

His eyes and mouth opened wide.

That is...

"Ac-ch!" He started to cough because some of the dust from the broken wall got into his throat.

Only then he confirmed that he wasn't just seeing things. His body froze.

A large black sabre shining with purple radiance brighter than the sun itself has just broken straight through the stone wall. The most shocking thing, it was flying on its own.

The legendary weapon of Wei Clan, the treasure of Wei Family, Sabre of Violet Dawn.