Writer's Note: One tough midterm later. Oh, and some parts might have a bit too much gore details as I explain many ways a man can die a few breaks down. We get to see Yang's thoughts when he is not among the others. What goes on his head as he sees the world as a human? I believe that character development must happen. This chapter will change everything. I cried a little while writing it. Whether people like it or not, it is my story. I want to explore the world I wrote. This is how I chose to do it. Enjoyed or not, thanks for reading so far.

Chapter 21: Shedding One's Self

"The caravan is lost and n bandits are left. Let's leave this gods forsaken valley," Shen Hua said.

"Gods?" Mei frowned. "You are religious?"

"No, but there has been a new rising religion. People claim that the White Dragon will protect us from the World Serpent, the terror that destroyed several cities and kingdoms over a thousand years ago. After the events of The Eye and the Snake, researchers of the ancient times have dug up records of its terror," Shen Hua said.

"Oh?" Yang said, grinning inside. "It existed?"

"Ah, right. You love snakes," Lin nodded and turned to Sima Qing. "Do you know about the World Serpent too?"

"Why do you ask me?" she asked.

"I may not have dirtied my hands and inexperienced in love, but I am no fool. I am Yang's older brother. You must be the imperial princess. Sun Yi's background, I know since the first day of school in my first year. Lu Jing, everyone knows his dad is the duke. That means the imperial who came to the academy under an alias must be you," Lin said, stunning everyone.

"She is?" Lu Jing cried, Yang rubbing his head half disappointment and half irritated.

"Yes. She is my sister," Shen Dong said. "Anyway, legends speak of a gold snake large enough to wrap itself around the Pangu Continent ten times with jade eyes that tore into the soul and sand-colored feather on its head like a lion's mane. It had the power to tear open the earth and create tsunamis, its affinity over earth and water above any snake in recorded history. It disappeared a thousand years ago. People assume it either failed ascension and died, or did ascend."

"I read about that too. I believe the snake was at the peak Sky Mortal Stage for the last thousand years, finally at the Heavenly Mortal Stage! According to the transmission bead mother gave me, the researchers back in the capital say that there are no initial, middle, late, or peak Heavenly Mortal levels. It is just the Heavenly Mortal Stage. Everyone knows Sky Mortals can exit the planet and travel the stars. The legends of the Elemental Sovereign of Darkness is true, so the legends of the Elemental Sovereign of Lightning is true," Shen Hua said.

"Are you somehow saying that the World Serpent intends to absorb the powers of the Elemental Sovereign of Lightning? Since it has the power over water and earth, all it needs is the power of lightning and light. Lightning represents the tribulations and light represents the very Heavens. Perhaps a fifth element is necessary. Like a human's Spirit Realm, there must be an element that can sustain and balance the four elements," Sun Yi said, fixing his glasses. "Are you suggesting the creation of the element of wood as well?"

"That's impossible. Even Guo Lin has to combine water and earth to manipulate wood," Guan Hai said as he joined the conversation, bringing an open air carriage and two horses. They used to belong to the merchants but were no longer needed.

"That's not a bad idea," Yang said, everyone turning to him as they rode the carriage toward the mountains to the west. "You see, the World Serpent is suspected of a high affinity for water and earth. With the power of lightning and light, it is as if it holds the power of the planet and the Heavens. All it needs, is a balance between the earth and sky. Like yin and yang, there must be a balance. Thus, wood represents that balance. Wood grows with the help of the earth, water, and light. Lightning brings with it, the rain. Snakes also thrive in jungles and marshes. If it possesses the power of the Elemental Sovereign of Lightning, the holy power of the Fragment of Lightning might make it be the first life form to naturally possess affinity for wood."

"I'll have the men search for more clues," Sun Yi said with a slight nod to Yang as the others brooded over Yang's words.

"We must kill the World Serpent. Such a thing might wreck chaos and mayhem on the land once more," Shen Dong said, the two other members of the Shen Clan nodding as Guan Hai stroked his beard. It took two days to reach the village near the foot of the mountains. Yang and the others had the food from the village, enough food to provide a city for years.

The bandits really valued three things: money, weapons, and supplies. Money and weapons spoke for themselves. They valued food because the bandit village was the central hub for all the bandit hideouts in the valley. Many merchant caravans were also poisoned and killed as they made rest stops in the village. Naturally, Yang and the others took all the demon spirit coins, supplies, and the few lower ranked immortal treasures.

Due to Yang insistence, he only chose the millions of demon spirit coins instead of any lower ranked immortal treasures. He did not want to rely on them and would soon reach the Meteor Vessel Stage. That is the stage where he could bind and use middle ranked immortal treasures.

The others noticed that many people were disheartened and angered in the city. Guan Hai frowned as he secured a stable and area for the carriage and horses as the others entered an inn for a warm meal before setting off to the mountain path. The inn was full of people with multiple wounds and scratches on their weapons. Yang and Sun Yi smiled a little as they knew the plan had succeeded.

"What happened to cause such a scene?" Guan Hai asked as he sat with the teens and ordered their meal.

"Ah, a tragedy has happened," a waitress said as she gave them their drinks. "Many magical beasts at the Spirit Forming and Element Adept Stage have run amok in the area near the bridges. So far, they only destroyed the first bridge, but no on dares to tread any further. Many have died and there was no way to retrieve the bodies. No one knows why this happened."

"Yang, you know about magical beasts. What's up?" Mei asked.

"Well, I know snakes," Yang said. "As far as behavioral patterns are concerned, the magical beasts might be in the area because they are scared or there is a rare treasure in the area suitable for magical beasts. My guess, the treasure should be somewhere above the mountains. If this is true, there are many more magical beasts further down the pass."

The entire inn became silent as the waitress asked, "Are you saying that passing those magical beasts at the area around the first bridge is not the only danger?"

"Well, yeah. So many magical beasts in one place, it is sure to attract many more magical beasts. Magical beasts become strong by two methods. One, they become stronger as they age. It is the slowest but easiest method. The second method would be devouring life forms with spirit energy and magical beasts actually form magical beast cores. Those cores are the physical equivalent of a Spirit Realm. The difference is that one could absorb their power. I'm afraid those near the first bridge might just be the weaker ones," Yang shrugged. "If you're lucky, you die quickly. If not, you get eaten alive. Piece by piece, you'll be bitten until you die. That is, assuming the magical beast has teeth. That's also assuming there is only one. Just imagine running into a whole plain full of magical beasts with sharp fangs and claws. Whew. Just picturing them tearing and biting into one's skin is horrifying. Don't get me started on magical beast without teeth."

"If it doesn't have teeth?" Sun Yi asked, the people in the inn already pale-faced.

"That's where things get real interesting. If it is a snake, it can constrict around your body. Your breathing accelerates as the snake's cold scales press against your skin. Your arms and legs will be the first to break, the pain from the first few fractures making your mind blank with pain. Then, it breaks your ribs. Your breathing becomes too fast and your lungs burst as your ribs pierce them while your rib cage shatters. By the time it swallows your head, you would be praying you were already dead if you were alive. The rush is very exciting. Your only consolation would be if it bit you. You would either die violently as the poison ruptures your blood vessels or the poison paralyzes you and you get swallowed alive. Just imagine the pain of dying while being digested and without any ability to move a single muscle. At least, only one snake could kill you that way, at a time," Yang said.

"If it's a flock of fucking birds, you know you'll due under more than one. The cowards always travel in flocks. First, their talons would claw upon you. Those talons are not straight, but curved. They will Three talons will hook down in you, a bottom fourth used as leverage as they pull out chunks of bone and flesh. As soon as they can tell you cannot resist them, they will peck upon you with their beaks. Just imagine it. It's just like vultures flying in the desert sky above you, taunting you and waiting for your mind to crack and show weakness. The moment when you fall to the ground in despair as they fly down upon you with their talons raised to your face," Yang said, not showing any signs of anger which surprised his Mei and aroused suspicion. "That kind of death, is worse and more painful than being run through with a weapon." "There's also---"

"No more! Please," the waitress said as many also cried out in fear and covered their ears, evidently changing their minds in banding together and braving the danger.

"Let's get out of here. This is someone on a whole other level of terrifying," a man cried.

"Mommy, I'm scared," a boy cried as he rushed to his mother hugging her. "Will daddy be okay?"

"He will be. He must be. Let's go and see if there is any news," his mother said.

"Okay. So long as daddy and mommy are with me, I won't be scared," the boy sniffed and puffed his chest before grabbing his mom's hand as they left.

"Let's leave too," another man cried and everyone paid for their meals and started to leave the inn. Yang watched them go in silence, the maid trembling as she did not want to hear more. Their actions made Yang frown, but no one saw but Mei.

"Hey! Where's my food? I'm hungry," Yang said after a moment, the waitress nodding violently and rushing into the kitchens. This was a young boy who saw the true terrors in the world and not one she would dare anger or mess with.

"Sorry for the wait, sir," the waitress stuttered as she appeared and gave them their meals, bowing too many times before she left them to their meal.

"Ah, people can't stand to hear the truth these days. It is best to hear them so as to prepare your heart when you see it happen to someone else. You could lose your lunch if you're not prepared," Yang said, Shen Hua's face turning green.

"I think I'll eat later," Shen Hua said, Sima Qing nodding as she left with her.

"I better check on them," Lin said.

"No, we'll go check on them," Shen Dong said and the two boys left.

"Tut. Tut. Probably never killed someone yet," Yang said as he bit violently on a chicken leg. "Man I love chicken. Don't you guys love chicken? It can't taste better than pork or beef no matter how its cooked or what sauce covers it."

"I prefer beef," Sun Yi said as he cut a steak.

"Pork BBQ on a stick can't be beat," Lu Jing said. "I killed a few slaves in the gladiator ring and saw some people die. It really is like how you described."

"Does the capital have an arena too?" Yang asked Guan Hai. Guo Mei did not know what to think. Yang no longer seemed to care about his hate for birds. Something was wrong. He was too....calm.

"Sweet and sour sauce makes everything better," Yang said, eating some chicken pieces covered in the sauce before turning to Guan Hai with everything swallowed down. "So, what's the plan? We can't exactly fly over the mountain. There might really be avian magical beasts, or even a dragon can show up."

"We can go under the mountain," Sun Yi suggested, Guan Hai narrowing his eyes as he cleared the area in front of him and set down a map.

"Traveling beneath the mountain will take us to the capital four days before the tournament. It would save us two days, but we have to travel through the Mines of Gorgas before reaching the Underground City of Gorgas," Guan Hai said. "I'd rather not travel there, but we can't be late."

"You're an Earth Mortal. What's the problem?" Mei asked.

"There's something down there. Something ancient. Not even the imperial army visits the underground city to collect the many decades of taxes owed. Bandits also make their living there and there have been reports of people going missing there," Guan Hai said.

"What are we waiting for?" Yang said as Red Death swallowed some steaks. "The prince needs his victory."

"Tell the others we are leaving at dawn and to rest," Guan Hai said, Lu Jing nodding as herushed upstairs. "I will buy the necessary supplies in the morning, and will also rest after I send a message to the 3rd Concubine about the situation."

"This is bad. Look at his reaction," Mei said as only she, Sun Yi, and Yang remained.

"I have a plan," Yang said.

"You have a plan?" Mei asked.

"No," Yang said, stunning Mei as Yang never joked. "Go check on Lin and keep a closer eye on him. As he found out about Qing, he might suspect something about your and me."

"Right," Mei said and only Yang and Sun Yi was left.

"Sun Yi, thank you. Now, go and rest," Yang said, Sun Yi frowning with confusion and nodded before leaving. As he left, Yang took out a vial, Red Death pausing its lunch as it looked at the vial. It was a poisonous vapor which instilled sleep for a good ten hours. Of course, Red Death was immune to such a weak, harmless poison and thought nothing of it.

"Things are going according to plan, Supreme One," Red Death said as it turned its attention to him.

"Supreme One? No, other snakes are more powerful than me now. World Serpent will do. And yes, things are going according to plan. That little mess up in the village brought unexpected rewards. I got wood necessary to make a spear of the middle immortal rank. I just need the metal, and I now have millions of demon spirit coins. I think it's time I went to an auction," Yang said.

"Is that the true reason Sovereign only wanted the demon spirit coins?" Red Death asked.

"Of course. There are always contingencies and there might be a treasure sold in the auction that could positively and negatively affect my plans in different hands" Yang said and paused as he stared out the window. "Red Death, what do you see out there?"

"People?" Red Death answered.

"Yes. People. The more I travel this world, the less I see it as I once used to. I...had parents but have no love to them. Yet, I seem to care for my sister enough to care about her problems. She's supposed to be a tool," Yang said as he stared at the clouds. "What am I doing here, Red Death?"

"Isn't master aiming to conquer the world?" Red Death asked.

"To what end? I will ascend. The more I think about it, the more conflicted I become. I have a new form, a serpentine dragon, but I am not who I once was. I cannot level mountains or split oceans. I cannot kill phoenix magical beasts stronger than me, but I no longer have to rely on my poison for everything," Yang said.

"You did not voice these thoughts before," Red Death noted.

"Did you see those people run? They thought of me as evil. I....was always alone. Always alone. I would see others and envy them. Did you know? I seldom destroyed cities. I only destroyed military cities, only killing the guards of a city and wrecking homes. I did not kill humans with families for I had one and lost it. I had parents in this live, yet I felt nothing for them. I have siblings, but I see them as tools. I ask you, am I evil?" Yang asked.

"Master," Red Death said before Yang continued.

"I could not see past the hate, past the me who only saw the horrors and suffering of this world. I ruined many lives, taking their happiness away like mine was. I...am changing this country by being the old me. I am no fool. Shen Dong must have plans of his own. I even named you Red Death. I tame snakes, never making a magical beast contract. I am still alone. I see this now," Yang said, sighing and closed his eyes. Red Death's eyes widened as it felt a change in its body. "You are free, no longer tamed."

"Master, I have known you since birth. I think you freed me somehow, but I know not what to do," Red Death said.

"Bring a male human back from the kitchens," Yang said, Red Death nodding as it became its full size. It returned with a human who had a bump on his head and was unconscious.

"What are you doing?" Red Death hissed as it saw Yang inject his spirit energy into the man.

"Kill him," Yang said and Red Death bit into the man's neck the man waking up only to silently scream before dying.

"Go to the horde. You are at the Element Adept Stage. Those weaklings won't be able to kill you," Yang said and burned burned the body with poisonous vials, taking out a storage ring and putting most of his demon spirit coins and one of the five branches of the tree he got inside it. He also put most of the supplies from the bandit village inside. He bound the storage ring, replacing the one on his finger. Yang placed his original storage ring onto one of the dead man's fingers after he unbound the ring. Finally, he placed the Moon Lotus Spear on his palm, his blood on the spear head as he set it down.

"Are you faking your own death?" Red Death realized.

"I have changed. A snake isn't evil. It just is. It lays in the shadows, never in plain sight. Guo Yang is in plain sight. He is the chore of this group of participants. He is the most renown in Gold Lotus City. The old me, before I lost my first mother, was never like this," Yang said, breaks in his skin appearing. Red Death stared in awe as he peeled off his skin, revealing new skin and his hair had become more vibrant.

However, he did not look like Guo Yang at all. It was as if he physically shed his identity. Yang coughed blood violently, spreading his blood all over the floor as a neidan appeared. It was not his jade neidan, but that of the snake he killed.

"I don't understand. Why do this?" Red Death asked as Yang turned to leave and saw Mei there.

"I knew something was wrong," Mei said, seeing her brother changed and left a note on the table.

"Why did you come down? You should all be sleeping," Yang said and saw that she had black spirit energy radiate around her head at a thin layer. "Your control improved."

"Why do this?" she asked. "Did grandma's therapy truly work?"

"No," he said and moved to pass her but she blasted him back with her spirit energy, shocking Yang as she was at the middle Element Adept Stage. "You...hid your cultivation even from me?"

"Why did you change? How did you change?" she asked. "I heard everything. There is something you're hiding. What is it?"

"Don't mind it," Yang said, his hair now red as his eyes were the color of sand. "Just let me go."

"No. What is it that makes your heart ache?" she asked.

"My heart aches? My heart aches?" Yang laughed manically, tears going down his eyes. "That's right. My heart aches! I felt pain as I watched that son hug his mother. I felt pain as I looked into his eyes and saw the same fear I had when I was about to lose my own mother as he was scared for his father.....I saw myself!"

"Yang..." Mei began.

"Me! I saw me! I saw a weak, scared little boy who relied on the warmth and protection of his parents. It was all he had, what I had. I lost it all! ALL! I spent years crying in misery, that pain and grief turning to rage and hate. It was not just toward the birds, it was to the whole fucking world!" Yang said, tears going down Mei's eyes as well.

"You must have been young and scared," Mei said and saw Yang grab a chair and throw it against the wall, seeing the chairs limbs scatter in all directions.

"I was alone! I was hunted. I was beaten. Parts of me was eaten as I fought for my life. The part of me explaining about the birds, it was how I almost died! It was how my mother would have died! Did you know? I thought having feelings made me weak. I forgot hate and anger is also a form of showing feelings. It twisted my mind, letting me do whatever I needed to do to get what I wanted. I never saw the result of my actions," Yang shouted.

"You were just a snake. You didn't have to feel all that," Mei said.

"Exactly! I'm not a snake anymore! I was raised a human! My hate and anger showed signs of weakening, allowing my feelings to return! Since my Yin Yang Divine Tattoo changed, I started becoming like the old me. I was the World Serpent again. However, it did not feel like me. Did you know, I felt disgust for bandits. The old me would not even spare a thought. I felt envy and jealous of the warmth between the mother and son. Something changed in me slowly and it suddenly burst, like a broken faucet!" Yang cried as he broke a table with a bang of his fist. He fell to his knees crying. "Why? Why do I feel my old pains? Why? Why?"

"Yang," Mei said as she went to him, pulling his head into her arms as she knelt on both knees before him. "We humans are emotional creatures. We seek love. We seek affection from others. Whether it is their admiration or fear, love or hate, respect or envy; we seek it all. Our intelligence is on a higher level. Emotions, we always attempt to understand it. Sometimes, that emotion fades as we age. It is okay to cry. You haven't cried at all. Let it out."

"I can't. I feel like I am betraying myself as I keep crying. I have to stop," yang said, tears still streaming down his eyes.

"Then let me cry for you," Mei said, her tears falling onto his head. "You're not alone. You have me, your sister. The note I placed on the table will make others believe someone killed you and took me away to be sold as a slave. It would mock the others for boasting how it made them all fall asleep and do all this under their noses. Let's leave the Pangu Continent and explore the world. I don't believe the Pangu Continent holds all the Fragments of Lightning. The Elemental Sovereign's body was shattered, right? It must be all over the world unlike the Fragments of Darkness."

"You would leave the others behind?" he asked, stunned as they stood up and looked at each other. Mei discarded her Gold Lotus Sword and scattered some of her possessions on the floor to make it look like a struggle. Then, she turned to Yang.

"I know what I have inside me. Others will target our clan to possess me and take the Eye of Darkness for themselves. That's why so many experts came. However, no one knows the truth. As you said, the world is cruel. There is bound to be others who would even kill their own sons for power. You want to leave, so I will go with you. Let us see the world together," Mei said, holding out her hand. "Let's live the lives we should have before all the pain. We can return, one day. Are you ready, little brother?"

Yang breathed deeply several times and took her hand. "Alright. Where will we go first?"

"South. I heard there are bounds of land where mages and practitioners live. We can learn magic and become true adventurer's," Mei said as she dropped her guild card on the ground. "We are fifteen. We have our whole life ahead of us."

"We must go to the capital," Yang said after a moment.

"Why?" Mei asked.

"The auction house. We'll need rare artifacts and they should be sold in an auction house if it is based in the capital. Most of the merchants are going to take the northern path around the mountains. It will take three weeks, but we will arrive in the capital safely. By then, the tournament would be over. I am confident Guo Lin will succeed. My death and your capture will finally influence him to pursue cultivation. His mind is not fragile. He will not go down the path of vengeance with Shen Qing beside him," Yang said.

"We could also create an alias for yourself as you don't look like the old you. I'll have to change my appearance somehow," she said.

"No. No one has seen your face in the capital and your spirit energy is in the midst of fusing with that of the Eye of Darkness. Otherwise, there would be no way you would be awake from my sleeping gas. When we apply for a guild card, we'll also accept a mission to the southern continent. In this way, we'll have a connection and an easier time traveling there," Yang said.

"We will do as you say, brother. I'll keep my name though. I'm not so quick to adapt as you," Mei said. "Well, shall we go?"

"...thank you," Yang mumbled, Mei smiling and pretending she didn't hear him as she lead him outside. Red Death was watching silently. It smiled as it became small again and slithered toward the kitchens, planning to leave through a different path.

"This is how one sheds one's self. To finally leave the past, and cast its pains aside to look forward. It seems master finally found what held him back in the Mortal Realm: a place to belong and be free of the pain that haunted him. The pain of loss and the fear of being alone. The World Serpent will return. This time, he will be a true king and not a lone tyrant. In the meantime, I will gather our brothers and sisters, The dragons and phoenixes remember the World Serpent. His rage and fury protected us and cared them to the point of never hunting us, whilst he lived. Perhaps this time, he will lead us into a better future," Red Death hissed and slithered through an opening into the kitchen.