Legend Of The Transcendent

Chapter 2 - The Disgrace of Legends

Three years after the events that led to the downfall of the transcendent sect, Kai Zhou-Wan, at only sixteen years of age had become victim to torture. He awoke at the presence of ten guards, a mercenary group held responsible to protect the sect from any invaders to ensure the safety of the fifth generational leader, employed by the Central Ascension Alliance as part of the deal with the previous leader.

He was roped onto a wooden beam with his arms spread out. "Ah, look at this, lads. The filth is finally awake." the leader took a laugh. The Leader was unhealthy and unkept, with a large belly and broad shoulders. Scruffy hair and beard signify his low social standing and the current situation proves evidence of insecurity on his inferior standards to the rest of world. "What- What is happening" Kai barely manages to mumble as his bruised face and numb body feels heavier than ever. He summoned a vicious glare toward the leader, knowing he is undeserving of such crime.

"Oh-ho, Lad. You've got scary eyes. But nothing else to boot!" He laughs and the rest join in to create a terror in the scenario of Kai Zhou-Wan. "You are not here for negotiation, Kai Zhou-Wan, the weakest leader of the all-encompassing transcendent sect. Tell me now, where are the martial art scroll techniques and weapons that were left by the descendants of this place. Or else, you can kiss your life goodbye." he laughs and the rest join in once more. 

Kai only laughs, he knows of the promise that the Nine Monarchs had made, and that this is declared illegal for the sake of saving face for the Central Ascension Alliance. However, the mercenaries were unaware and at the sight of laughter a finger flew off of Kai Zhou-Wan's hand. Screaming soon accompanied thereafter. 

"Are you unaware of the promise?! The Nine Monarchs will send your heads flying if you kill me. That was the promise." He yells from the pain, his senses fully attuned and awakened at this point. The others look at each other in confusion, oblivious to the matters of the past. "Do you believe that the Ascension Alliance would leave any scrolls or weapons behind?! My life is doomed to be shallow from the start. However, the disciples of the Four Heavens they were forced to join but the minute they realize you murdered me they will kill you out of spite and revenge." He screams. The mercenaries now nervous and worried insisting their leader to let the young boy go.

With a grunt the leader left, "If you even dare to do anything suspicious, I will have your head flying. Don't forget that." and from there he walked out the door, the rest followed with him. Except for one, a younger man seemingly in his mid twenties who wore blue robes and kept a refined beard and donned long hair. "They didn't have to go that far." He reaches into his robe and pulls out a piece of cloth. "Here, use this to stop the bleeding." He sighs, handing it over to Kai Chou-Wan before leaving.

After the faint footsteps disappeared, Kai Zhou-Wan dropped to the floor, his blood soaking the cloth entirely and dripping onto the brick floor. Tears broke out of him and he let his lungs loose "You really believe anyone still cares about this ruined sect?! About me?" his voice croaked and twisted in it's broken accord. "They all are probably just waiting for me to die." His tears settle into the night's gust of horrid events.

Another day followed, Kai Zhou-Wan walked alongside the stairs of a destroyed palace that was at the epicenter of the slowly dissolving village. It is true that every single one of the martial techniques and weapons were taken away, however the true quintessence of the martial techniques was still alive and laid at rest within the Sect. Every single day Kai Zhou-Wan climbed to the highest point of the palace and looked out at the large village, obscure patterns that are thought to be decorations were engraved onto the bricks. However when the shadow is just right the entire city becomes a martial scroll written in an ancient tongue native only to the Zhou-Wan family. And only Kai Zhou-Wan could understand and read it.

It is the reason why Kai's father, taught him the language of the Transcendent rather than martial art techniques. So that Kai can master the secret art renowned as the greatest there ever was; The Origin Art of Transcendence.

Kai practices his 'Hidden Qi Manifestation' and Origin Arts while blacksmithing to make it less conspicuous and places his greatest effort, even more so than reading the actual art; to not seem suspicious when learning the Origin Arts. And as Kai Zhou-Wan's eyes traced along the many walls and floors of the nation, internalizing the martial art scroll, he saw that his only friend in this desolate wasteland was approaching in a run-down wagon pulled by a bull.

Wae Chong was a warrior and disciple to the transcendent sect that though only knew defensive arts and was declared the weakest of the group, had unmatched loyalty to the sect, especially to the young master, Kai Zhou-Wan. He was taught as an orphan a cultivation art that he could use by Chou Zhou-Wan, Kai's father. Chou was the only person that accepted Wae Chong as a disciple, everywhere else treated him as a burden and an unwanted person. "Oh-ho, Young Master, you are tall now! You seem to be doing well" he lets out a warm laugh before a sharp inhale of shock replaces it, witnessing the finger that is wrapped in bandages. "Did the forsaken mercenary group do this again?!" He says with anger building in him. "It's nothing, Wae Chong. Don't worry. They didn't do anything. I hurt myself while blacksmithing" Kai said hastily, feeling guilt for lying to his sole comrade in this terrible world. Kai looked at the wagon and witnessed the three massive bags stocked with food and medicine and glimpsed back at Wae Chong. "This is too much. You have to start taking care of yourself, who knows how much longer you have left. You should cherish it for yourself." Kai says, worriedly. However Wae Chong only lets out a gentle smile "I cherish the days I bring you food, Young Master. I feel like I am slowly repaying the un-repayable debt that I have for your father." 

Kai sighs, "So what's happening in the world right now?" He says with excitement, learning about the world was always a curious matter for everyone. "Ah, there is this martial artist named Yang Dao-Lo, the son of Yang Tah-Ma, one of the nine skies. He said he was going to beat the one hundred martial artists challenge and defeat one hundred prominent masters across the world. So far, he has already defeated over ninety people with no loses and is called the Rising Heaven of the Yang Family. Despite being known for having strange training techniques." Wae Chong laughed, imagining what it'd be like to have such skill, power, and fame. 

Kai laughs along with Wae, and as the night begins to rise Wae Chong signals that he is required to leave once more, and with a large sigh from the both of them, the luggage was dropped off and they hug each other and wave their goodbyes. "Thank you again, Wae Chong, For everything." Wae laughs before leaving his large cart tugging him along out of the sect and his figure shrinks throughout the stretching distance.

Beyond the brick walls, the mercenary guard that offered the bandage to Kai Zhou-Wan hides himself, paying watch and witness to the young boy's sad state. He does not notice any Qi, nor any signs of martial art techniques from Kai. He sighs, feeling bad for the boy that walks as though he has no purpose in life, gazing at the skies atop a tower and blacksmithing for the sake of killing time. A poor way to live, despite the grandeurs of a title that was offered to him 'The fifth leader of the Transcendent Sect'. "How far they've fallen."

His thoughts were interrupted however, as he bears witness to a hawk flying through the air with a piece of paper wrapped around it's legs. A messenger hawk. Only the top nobles of the Central Ascension Alliance had a messenger hawk, thus granting it major significance.

"FUCK! What the hell are they thinking bringing in the representatives of The Drake Wing Association?! This isn't a shopping center! It's the ruined transcendent sect that is nothing but a shabby desolate place in a even more shabby desolate wasteland." the leader of the mercenary group sighs. "Vice Leader! Rebuild the largest house you can find as fast as possible, as best as possible!" The mercenary leader sighs as the blue robed vice captain, Tah Lee, the same person that offered the bandages to Kai Zhou-Wan nods "Understood!"

As the night deepens Kai Zhou-Wan enters the palace once more and is welcomed with a dark room that is completely unlit, however he sees a trail of bloody footprints which strikes fear and suspicion into Kai's mind. As he approaches the trial he finds the laying body of a young lady whose shoulder is twisted inwards in a spiral, a famous sign of Qi Poisoning, and a very high level one at that.

Kai looked at the body in contemplation, putting his hand on the woman's wrists to feel for a pulse, which faintly existed. And he sighs before letting the night ease in. Another day of hard work was approaching soon.