The Awakening of the Awakener

Part 16

Luckily it did not take long for everyone to clear themselves out, barring a few people stubbornly deciding to stay with Lu Ping and XiFan. Despite  the fact that Lu Ping had warned them, they refused. Apparently, they had some of the same emotions that he himself had towards the institute. Decrepit though it may be, it was rather important to them. It was a safe hold. Their people were running in the hills, and the least that they could do, that he would do for her sake, is to try and give them as best a head start as he could possibly give. It would not be a lot, probably would not even be enough, but it was the best thing that he could give at the moment. The only thing really, and he cared for the Windtakers, even if they were all absolute jerks. 

"Are you sure, these people are no mere cultivators, or fighters. They are powerful, and they delight in using that power against others. To great extents. Neither Senior Brother nor myself would blame you if you were to turn and head back up the mountain with the rest of them." Lu Ping warned them again, however it would seem as though they were quite determined, as nothing he would say could break them down. They were resilient. He supposed that it was not always a detriment to having help on the battle field, especially considering who it was that was coming, but he would prefer not to have them risk their lives. It was not something he wanted to force them into, or think they must do. However, at his attempted cajoling that failed to bring a dent in their stubborn will to help the senior brother and him (though he suspected that there was much more to do with XiFan than anything else) all that Lu Ping could do further was shrug at them. There was not more to do. He had warned them, and they had refuted his warnings. Their life was in their hands at that point. 

His fingers were twitching nervously, unable to really stop the worry that flooded him. At this point they were just waiting to be mauled. He bit his lower lip, and could really only hope that they were enough. He doubted it, but he could try his best to keep them away from the Windtakers. The ones that were currently fleeing the mountain but the reality was that he could not really do anything barring trying to stave them off. The would eventually bull doze over him and when they did it was only a matter of time before they catch up with Su Tang and the others. Dreadful thought though it may be it was really the only realistic one that he had. He could hope that they would get as far from them as possible, but really this line of defense would not hold for long. 

Perhaps once they saw him, and knew who he was he would be able to stave them off for quite a bit longer. After all, there were many ways that this could go. They were looking for their token. Lu Ping had their token. It was really just a matter of ensuring they do not go and start killing other people that he make everyone else leave. He did not want to have undue casualties. Assuming that he could not stop them, however, it would and more than likely inevitably, end in death for everyone that was a part of the WindTakers. Despite that, he chose to ignore that side topic there, and just hope that they could do this. Even if it was incredibly unlikely. He could try his best. He knew that it was just a matter of time before he was forced into making contact with the Mountain and Sea gang again, he just had hoped that it would be long in the future. Although, hope never really got him anywhere. 

"Well, well, well, look what we have here." Lu Ping straightened on instinct at that voice. He grit his teeth, but otherwise, stood stiff, eyes rapidly gazing at the two members of the Mountain and Sea gang that came sauntering into the pavilion. Lu Ping supposed that it was a good thing he had managed to get everyone but the few scragglers that were with him and XiFan out of the institute because anyone that they would have come across would either be dead or near dead by now. At least, if even just a few more moments, he had managed to save some. 

"It looks like some are desperate to prove themselves." That grating laugh that the man in black gave was like iron grating upon iron and Lu Ping almost wanted to cuff his ears to get the sound out. He was not able to focus on trivial things, however, he needed to focus on more important things, such as managing to get them out of here so that he could try and live, but he knew that was unlikely. Going up against them, he was likely going to his death, or something worse than that. Far, far worse than a simple death, the worst would be him being carted back off to the Gang, forced to once more endure their torments, endless torments. He could not deny that he was scared, scared of what could happen, and scared of what most likely will happen should he fail, which he inevitably will. 

Lu Ping shook his thoughts off of him, not wanting to dwell on things. He needed to focus. Or try to focus as best as he could right now. The people before him were no low level members, though when did the Gang ever truly have low leveled anyone?

"It would seem someone warned you that we were coming hmm?" The lady in purple questioned, her voice making Lu Ping want to rip her apart. He hated everything to do with the Mountain and Sea gang but really, could these people not talk normally?

"Well, if that was truly the case surely they told you what we were looking for?" The male asked, tilting his head to the side a bit. "A token, one of ours, seemed to get lost in the passing of hands. The old woman did not have it, the men who tried to help her in her capture or, what looked to be a capture, also did not have it and so the next best place to look? The people who helped her escape. The Windtakers." Lu Ping grit his teeth, boring down on them, not wanting to really say anything, but also desperately wanting to throw something in their face. It was a feeling that was too hard to deny, so as was his wont, he did speak. 

"A token, huh? It would seem as though the Mountain and Sea gang has a habit of loosing important things that they believe belong to them." He could not help it, the sentence was ripped from his throat before he could find it within him to stop the words from coming into existence. 

"The Mountain and Sea gang never loose anything, we just reclaim what has been taken." Lu Ping rolled his eyes at the words of the woman. 

"Is that so? I mean, it would seem as though you have lost quite a few things. Oh, apologies, have things you need to reclaim, within the last few years." XiFan stared at Lu Ping in muted horror. What was this reckless disciple thinking?