Untamed Deaths (short story (kind of???))

14: How the GusuLan Sect ended.

XiChen, Cheng, Zhan and Ying watched SiZhui, and waited with baited breath to find out what happened to GusuLan Sect.

SiZhui again took a deep breath then began. 'Well, first I need to tell you that XiChen officially recognised me as he nephew the day after your burial and so did all the other sect leaders. So when the time came, I became Sect Leader of the GusuLan Sect. Ten years after you both died, Uncle XiChen and Uncle Cheng held a full sect remembrance for two days. Every GusuLan Sect Member was in attendance and others also was there ....' He smiled at Cheng. 'So ten years to the day after Uncle XiChen and Uncle Cheng died ... I held the same remembrance for all four of you ... but it was the worst mistake I ever made to choose those two days .... If I had chosen two days before or two days later ... the GusuLan Sect would have continued or at least enough to restart the sect.'

'Wait, what happened that stopped the whole sect.' XiChen asked as he could not work out what would destroy a whole sect as large as theirs. 'We were on such friendly terms with the other sects. What kind of war ....'

'And we remained on friendly terms till the end, there was no war ... well, on the evening of the first day, we were all having our meal, your favourite song was playing then just as the last note sounded the ground began to shake ... kind of like those years before you died Uncle XiChen, Uncle Cheng. The ground shakes a little, the buildings shake a touch, the trees sway a bit ... we all had a bit of a laugh and righted our cups and went to continue on with the celebration, but .... then ... it was like the mountain came alive, no one could climb to their feet. There was a lot of yelling and screaming. The buildings were breaking and falling down around us. The ground seemed to be opening in places and people falling in. Many building fell in also. The trees were falling and sliding throughout the whole place and an unbelievable amount of dirt, rocks and boulders followed and smothered everything ... everyone. The sounds that came from the ground were like a dragon was roaring, trying to crawl it's way to the surface. We were all so terrified by this time, however, some of us managed to get on our swords, all but I were quickly over come with the landslide. I thought I had managed to escape but ... at the last moment ... it was as if god didn't want any of us to survive ................'

Ying went to talk but Zhan indicated for him to wait until their son could continue.

'................ A tree hit me from the side and the next thing I know, the sun is up and Ning, surprisingly still alive, found me. He told me I was the only person he had found alive, he detected no life at all.' SiZhui covered his mouth with his hand to stop the cry that wanted to be released, he had to finish telling them everything. He took a deep breath. 'I was the last ... but I was so badly injured, I knew I was not going to survive and as luck would have it, the back hills were almost untouched. Some trees had fallen, the bridge over the water had been destroyed but other than that, I saw no damage. So I had him carry me to the cave and I placed my sword beneath the two pairs of swords already gathering dust. No matter how often I go and clean them, they gather that dust so quickly. I then told Ning to leave because I was going to block the entrance off but he said he had no family left and he wanted to end that life ... with his last family member. I realised what he was saying so I agreed and closed the entrance on which we both carved powerful talismans, then he carried me over to the swords and asked me one final favour.'

'To end his life.' Ying said softly as he wiped his eyes.

'Yes. He told me if I didn't do this, he would be stuck in that life ... for an unknown amount of time. So I used my sword to ... end his life ... then I placed it back with yours. Then I remember living for a few more minutes in prayer to the five of you and my partner, our children and grandchild. I gave prayers to all the GusuLan sect members who died the night before .... Then I think I died while in prostration.'