Nine Paths of Asura-Original Wuxia

Chapter 161-Water Spills Over

Whew I feel so old now. But my friends took me out to dinner and we got mochi ice cream. Good times. Lot of new followers lately, so to all new Daoists, welcome! And of course enjoy for those who have made it this far on the journey.

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For two nights and two days they stalked Dan and Xi. Finally, they caught up to the two traitors on the morning of the third day. There was no sun in the sky for the Death Qi was thick here. At the base of the mighty Pillar they confronted the hated enemy. It would be a bitter struggle.

"DAN! I trusted you!" Yu yelled as his sword left its sheath like a butterfly leaving its cocoon. Lineir likewise drew Mei,

"Xi...you wanted to see my blades. Well now is your chance! Watch when I take your head!"

The two sworn brothers charged down the traitors. Dan sighed gently, his bald forehead perspiring slightly. 

"Didn't expect you to catch up so quickly. Amitabha it will be I suppose."

Xi drew four blades of his own. Three were longswords and one was a shortsword. A strange pattern appeared on the gleaming blades of all four swords. It was a ripple pattern reminiscent of flowing algae upon the water of the river's edge.

"Lineir take heed. His swords are poisoned. Remember Dan can support him from a distance. You need to be careful!" Yu said as he let out a warcry.

"DIE!" His blade clashed against Dan's who jumped back and drew a thick wooden quarterstaff inscribed with runes.

Thwack!

The blade and wood locked and a ripple of force burst into the atmosphere from the collision.

Vrooooom

"Ohh? Amitabha such anger will condemn you to the Hells!" Dan retaliated by blocking with the top half of his staff and then as the sword was still in contact with the wood, striking with the bottom half!

Whooosh

The bottom of the staff rushed up towards Yu unchecked. Casually, as if practiced, Yu opened his left hand and a Hematoma fell out, silently floating between them. Dan's face rapidly paled,

"You bastard trying to take me with you!" He dropped the pretense of a monk! From within his quarterstaff a hidden blade stabbed out at Yu! Detaching the top half of his quarterstaff which was still locked with Yu's blade,f he turned and fled for his life. Yu was waiting for this however. As Dan tried to leave he raised out his empty hand and an all-encompassing violet light spread from it,

Almighty Attraction!

"You're coming with me whether you want to or not!" As the Hematoma was no doubt going to explode, Dan was sucked towards Yu's iron fist, Lineir was facing off against Xi.

"Stop! Or she dies!" Xi's voice came out as he revealed behind a corner, the limp form of Ting. Her mind was sealed and her eyes were clouded as if drugged. There was a bright red talisman seal laid upon her face which restricted her cultivation. However upon catching sight of Lineir and Yu she awakened and began to struggle. It was useless though as her cries were soundless against the talisman. Xi had his poisonous short sword on her neck and standing behind her smiled wickedly. "Drop your weapons!"

"In your dreams." Yu growled but he did not detonate the Hematoma floating between him and the fake monk. Dan was deathly still next to him. With but a single trigger Yu could blow them both to the Hells! Lineir stood somewhere between the two mortally locked enemies and Xi. He stared with cold red eyes at the situation, calculating possibilities, destiny, events. If he calculated any harder some would say he was engaging in Numeracy.

"How can I save her...this is bad Yu is tied up with Dan and Xi is at Celestial Pinnacle Realm. Maybe with Asura Strike?" Lineir thought intensely his Madness Eyes coming up with an infinite number of possibilities. However in every situation he was too slow! There was no way to beat the poisonous short sword held to Ting's neck. Obviously though he would never drop his weapon! Doing so would be suicide anyway.

"Who do you work for?" Lineir asked with a calm voice. Xi simply smiled,

"Hahaha, don't make me laugh, my hand might slip and my blade can kill with but a scratch. We can stand here for as long as you'd like. Even now my mission is almost complete. Behind me the Pillar's foundation is already poisoned and dying. My seniors will arrive soon and when they do, you will see exactly who I serve!" 

Lineir grimaced, unable to ascertain a winning decision. Should he strike? Risk it all? If it was just him he would, but this involved the life of his Senior Sister! Meanwhile, Dan and Yu were locked so close to each other they were practically embracing. Solid drops of sweat dripped down Dan's bald forehead as Yu held the bloody Hematoma in-between them. With but a thought they would both end here today! Lineir wracked his mind as Xi insanely cackled, his poisonous hand wobbling dangerously. How could he salvage this situation?

An entire heart palpitating minute went by like this. Lineir tightened his hold on the black blade in his grasp. He didn't know what to do.

"Think! Think..." He urged himself, pressured himself, but to no avail. Even in the depths of the Hellhole he had not sweat like he was now. This was inner turmoil, far worse than any physical pain. He already owed Ting a great favor for her role in helping in secure the Cloudsoul Necromorph's heart. When he had sworn to become her life and death brother he had not taken the oath in the moment. He had meant it and if she died here, not only would he take a great blow, he would probably develop an inner demon and suffer a cultivation deviation. Gradually Xi's laughter became even louder until it was uncontrollable. Every single idea Lineir calculated would end in Ting dying before he reached Xi, "Damnit why won't any of these paths work!"

"AHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! He's almost here! You all can go die now! Just stand there and watch what real power is!" He howled, the culmination of finally being able to reveal his true face after spending so long in the enemy camp stretching his flesh until it threatened to split!

"Lineir...I'm sorry to ask you this. But I need to for me. Save Ting. I'm going to detonate it. Get her, or at least yourself out of here!" Lineir received a quiet transmission from Yu amidst all the craziness going around.

"What?" He barely had time for his eyes to widen when-

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

The pointblank explosion of a Hematoma exploding next to him was deafening. Instantly time seemed to slow. In his mind he could see Yu smiling viciously and sadly as the bloodball erupted in his hand, chewing into his own arm and then encompassing him.

"Nooooo!!!!" Dan's shriek rang out before being sucked into the explosion as he was dragged in as well. The stoic monk finally lost his cool as death came to him suddenly. Xi's eyes were immediately drawn to the explosion as if magnetized, a natural reaction to a threat. This was a fatal mistake. Lineir, forewarned, and possessed with the calculating powers of the Madness Eyes was several steps ahead. Previously every path he had calculated had ended in failure because he was at an absolute disadvantage in cultivation and situation. However now with a moments distraction he made his move!

Flash