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Epilogue - The Price of Failure
🕑 Added 2024-04-11 22:00:01 +0000 UTCOnce again, Sha Xiang found herself standing before Kong Huizhong with her head bowed. They were well outside the sect territory this time, and as soon as the emissary of the Sunset Court had arrived, Sha Xiang knew why. The anger of the Nascent Soul cultivator was a physical presence. Hot and heavy, it weighed on the gathered servants of the Court—for that was what they all were, Sha Xiang to herself. Whether they liked it or not.
Cui Bao didn’t seem to mind. He was like her that way; willing to do what he needed in exchange for power. Qiao Xia and Xiao Jun, on the other hand…
Sha Xiang glanced to where Xiao Jun had thrown himself to the ground at Kong Huizhong’s feet, prostrating himself before the stronger man. She fought back a sneer. As much contempt as she had for Xiao Jun, she also knew that his groveling was the proper response to the emissary’s anger. He’d been warned, after all, and now he reaped the fruits of his failure.
“With all you have been given, still you fail, Xiao Jun,” Kong Huizhong said. He’d been at this for some time now, berating Xiao Jun, and listing his exhaustive inadequacies.
Sha Xiang had learned quite a bit over the past half hour or so. She’d learned that Xiao Jun had always been a disappointment. That he’d always been a sniveling coward, used to pushing around those weaker than himself. Hungry for power, but too afraid to take it. That’s why he hadn’t used the demon core himself. That’s why he’d given it to her.
The core shifted as she thought of it. It had grown since the last meeting with Kong Huizhong, the pills he’d given her feeding its power. It’s awareness. The howling laughter was sounding more and more like speech. The vague impressions of whispers had become more distinct. During the tournament at the sect, she had almost thought that she could understand it as she would someone of genuine intelligence.
She wasn’t entirely sure how to feel about that.
Granted, it had given her more strength than she had ever before managed to gather for herself. It had allowed her to defeat nearly all comers in the tournament—even the barbarian girl. It hadn’t let her defeat He Yu though.
Thinking about that embarrassment filled her with a rage that wasn’t wholly hers. The demon core itself howled for his death. Screamed for her to tear his head from his shoulders. Sha Xiang suppressed a shudder at the thought.
Yes—she hated He Yu. Although she couldn’t exactly remember why anymore, she knew it was true. A feeling that had been hers for longer than she’d had the demon core. If she were honest, she did want to kill him. But in a way that was more fitting of her status—less barbaric. She was an inner disciple of the Shrouded Peaks Sect now. A true lady of the Way.
Shouldn’t she act like one?
She almost thought she could feel the demon core laughing at her.
“This one begs forgiveness,” Xiao Jun said, face pressed to the dirt. They were gathered at the bottom of a rocky depression somewhere north of the sect territory and hidden in the foothills of the northern reaches of the Shrouded Peaks. The sides of the depression were gentle enough to simply walk up and only rose about a dozen feet over their head, but they still felt claustrophobic under the weight of Kong Huizhong’s presence.
“I did not bid you speak. You have been given opportunity enough to prove yourself. I have no more use for you.” The emissary turned to Sha Xiang then and saluted her. “Lady Sha,” he said. “You will take this failure’s place. Serve the Court well, and we will repair the damage you have so far inflicted upon yourself with the demon core. Hopefully, such a boon will motivate you such that you will not disappoint.”
Sha Xiang returned the salute, not daring to speak. Not daring to refuse. Although both she and Cui Bao had lost their semifinal bouts in the tournament, they’d made it into the inner sect. That had been the only requirement placed upon them. That she could still gain such a precious reward—fixing the twisting of her meridians that had only grown worse since her tournament bout with He Yu—was far more than she ever could have hoped for.
Off to the side, Qiao Xia shrank in on herself, somehow becoming even smaller than she normally was. Like Xiao Jun, she had failed to gain entrance into the inner sect. Good riddance, so far as Sha Xiang was concerned.
“You and Sir Bao will lead our efforts in the inner sect,” Kong Huizhong continued. “Do what you will with those you have grudges against, but remember your duties. Your first priority is to increase your rank. With rank comes prestige, and with prestige comes respect. That will make your second duty all the easier. Increase the reach of the Court. Be cautious in whom you approach, however. We are not yet ready to reveal ourselves in full. Gather strength, and build support. But do so discreetly.”
“Yes, Lord Kong,” Sha Xiang said.
“However, know what price failure brings.” The emissary turned back to Xiao Jun. “Stand,” he ordered.
The disgraced cultivator did as he was told, but his features were stricken and his jaw tight. With a single, swift motion, Kong Huizhong struck Xiao Jun just below the navel.
Xiao Jun screamed. A burst of uncontrolled shadow qi surged out from him. For an instant, Sha Xiang almost thought it was some sort of technique, but she quickly realized the truth.
It was his cultivation base. With her spiritual sight, she could see the damage even before the surge of Xiao Jun’s qi faded. His meridians were cracked and his dantian shattered. He was a spiritual cripple. In her eyes, it was a fate worse than death. Condemned to a short life of helplessness, always knowing that once he had been strong.
As Xiao Jun huddled on the ground, clutching his midsection, Sha Xiang glanced a Qiao Xia once again. Her eyes were locked on their former benefactor. She was terrified, and with good reason.
“Lady Qiao,” Kong Huizhong said.
Qiao Xia threw herself to the ground in kowtow, but at least had the presence of mind to keep her mouth shut.
“Xiao Jun has failed me three times now. You have only failed me once. You will take over his position in the outer sect, and coordinate our efforts with new disciples over the next year. You will then carry them to the inner sect. I trust that you will succeed where your predecessor did not.”
“The honored emissary is most merciful,” Qiao Xia said into the dirt, sounding for all the world as though she were ready to begin sobbing in relief. “This one will not fail.”
“See that you don’t,” Kong Huizhong said.
The demon core laughed, a high-pitched howling sound. It was far too good for her, Sha Xiang thought. But Qiao Xia wasn’t her problem anymore. She’d left that coward and weakling behind, and she already had ideas of who she could tempt within the inner sect.
As far as Sha Xiang was concerned, her star had only begun to rise.
