Short Stories: Love

Ascension

I held my sword steady as I looked in the eyes of the enemy. Or is he really the enemy? Around us, I can smell the stench of rotting corpses and fresh blood. The corpses of my fellow sect members are scattered around me like flies. Either way, I didn't care. My sect members barely showed a lick of kindness. For them to receive this fate is merely karma at its finest. The man before me happened to be the most well known (and well hated) man in the world of civilians and cultivators alike.

Zhou Feng, the patriarch of Death, cursed by all for his demonic deeds.

Or so they say, I know better, having been the one to track him down for years now. I was supposed to be mere cannon fodder, simply put, I was given a suicide mission. Yet I'm miraculously alive despite his fearsome reputation. In fact, I might be the only one left alive of my sect now.

"So we meet again Wu Liang, I must apologise for killing the rest of the WuTian sect," Zhou Feng's voice washed over me, calming and gentle, as if speaking to a frightened little animal.

I didn't blink. Instead, I smiled at him. "It's quite alright, they never cared for me anyway, even when I broke through to the Core
Foundation stage as a teenager."

Zhou Feng clicked his tongue. "Disgraceful, you should be treated as a treasure, not a slave."

"I could say the same for you. After all, you took on the demons that came rushing from the previously sealed Hua Mountain by yourself." I've always admired him ever since I learned the truth of how he had turned to this path. Such strength, both physical and mental, with both, he could bend iron and slice down mountains. How could I not admire such a man who lived a life of freedom, something which I have always craved.

Zhou Feng moved closer, the corpses around us dropping like puppets without strings. He reached a hand to stroke my face.

"Such big praise," he whispered, "You think too much of me."

I scoffed at this. "Please, you took on hundreds of demons alone and managed to continue your duties by closing any portals to the demon realm. Yet, instead of praise you are greeted with hatred, how strange..."

The man held me into his arms suddenly, his eyes glowing red with spiritual energy. "You... You should learn when to save your praise. Come, let us go some where far more appropriate for such a discussion." Black smoke swirled around us and together we appeared in what I assume to be his home.

The home is a more like a palace, red pillars and engraved doors, the inside of it screamed opulence as servants, those who cultivate like Zhou Feng and a few corpse servants bustling about.

He paid them no mind, his arm still around my shoulders. It seemed a bit too intimate and ambiguous to the outside eye. I hoped they wouldn't be jumping to conclusions but knowing the human mind, well... My face began to turn red at this.

As he continued to walk through the halls, I realised where we're heading. He's bringing me to his bedroom! Setting me on his bed he said, "Now we can continue."

I gulped. "Well, seeing as I am now the last of my sect, I have no where else to go."

"You've been chasing me for so long. Why not stay with me?" I considered his offer and thought about it carefully.

Through out my years chasing him, I learned much about his true character. How he had fought against the demons by himself, how he had kept up his duties by guarding and closing the portals from the demon realm, how he had been slandered for falling onto the demonic cultivation path when in actuality, he had used his own spiritual energy to guide the demonic energy into doing what he wanted. He treats his sect fairly and his students with grace, having founded the so-called Demonic sect 'ZhouShi'.

It doesn't take much effort to understand my decision. "I'll join you."

Those three words are the words of a person with no regret. I have nothing but my name and my way of cultivation.

Zhou Feng smiled at me. "Good."

My heart felt lighter and my soul at peace. I found my home and I'm willing to stay.

Twenty years later, here I am at his side, watching as the newest batch of disciples decided which path to cultivate. Those who do choose to cultivate my path will be taught under me while those who choose cultivate under Feng's path will be taught by him. In just five years, our friendship had only grown stronger. The world had learned to despise me as well. My cultivation may be righteous by their standards but the fact I stand by Feng proves me to be an 'amoral monster'. Hearing those words, I can't help but laugh. We have already become well matched, my own cultivation has already reached Nascent Soul stage and we can stand side-by-side.

"Liang, are you busy tonight?" Feng asked and I shook my head.

He grinned and then took my hand, "Then together let's go to the Star Cavern. I have something I wish to show you."

I nodded my head and smiled.

Later that night he held my hand and lead me to the cavern. We stopped at the lake where the spirit crystals are the most dense. All of them shining and brilliant, like little stars trapped within this space. The lights danced over the water of the lake, twinkling and blinking. It's there that he held my hand, dropped on one knee and brought out a little box.

"Wu Liang, you have been by my side for twenty years and yet, it feels as if I've known you forever. I ask you here and now, will you be my cultivation partner?"

Cultivation partner... My heart stopped beating and my breath caught in my throat. To be cultivation partners would essentially be the closest to marriage. And much like how I knew I wished to join him, I knew I wanted to be with him forever.

"Yes. I will."

He stood up, smiled, and whispered to me. His lips a hair's length away from mine.

"Good."

He kissed me.

Author's note!
And this is born for my recently rising love for both Transmigration stories and Xianxia ones. :^) In case you aren't familiar with Chinese novel genres, a Xianxia novel is (and this is from Wikipedia so don't sue me for this) a type of Chinese Martial Arts novel genre developed from the Wuxia genre that is heavily influenced by Taoism and Buddhism. Protagonists (usually) attempt to cultivate to immortality, seeking eternal life and the pinnacle of strength. Contrary to the Wuxia genre, Xianxia novels have more elements of fantasy, complete with magic, demons, ghosts and immortals.

Hehe, the name is Ascension because the goal is to become immortal aka Ascending into immortality.

Term definitions:
Core foundation stage- typically cultivating has different stages that shows how strong you are and what level. The stages go like this: Qi Condensation->Foundation Establishment->Core Formation->Nascent Soul->Immortal Ascension

Cultivation Partner- As previously stated, it is the cultivation world's version of marriage.

As for the Sects and their names... Well, I took a bit of creative licence(aka I did it on the spot) and took a leaf out of The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by naming the sects after the location and the name of the founding family. In this case though, I used founding family and then location Ehe. Also, yes, that's their full names. Apparently, they don't leave out the last name (aka the first name spoken, following the last name-first name format) in writing or terms of address unless close, so yes.

Geez, I hope I did a good job with this! If there are any problems (seeing as this is my first time playing around with such a genre) don't be afraid to point it out!