novelraw Chapter 385 - 384 - Price of Kindness
Chapter 385 - 384 - Price of Kindness
Lind watched as the distortion simply dispersed on the winds of the plains. The cave became visible but it was just a cave now. Lind had received the instruction of his master, the last lingering treasure of the Ruin.
It was sad to him that the spirit could not endure like the other version of him but the spirit assured Lind it had existed for millions of years and was happy to end with his disciple.
The medallion was not the only change in Lind. He was now a peak tier 2 Sky Realm. The Immortal Qi had been a massive benefit as he was taught by Younger Twin about that as well.
They spoke of the Dao of Elements deeply and Lind recalled how happy Younger Twin was on those days. He still withheld his name, but assured Lind he would know one day.
The Elysium Plains seemed unchanged but there was a strange smell in the air. It was a burning smell of meat that he had not detected before but mixed in was a smell he never wanted to smell again.
The burning of human flesh.
Lind wove his elements to blend in as he followed the scent.
It only took a short time to realize the direction was from the village. He frowned deeply as he carefully advanced. He had his senses trained to detect any formation or cultivator that he could.
He saw signs of recent activity but only of hunting beasts.
He moved down the path when his ears perked up. The sound of voices reached him not in panic, but calmly talking about the day. The voices were male and they seemed jaded as well as they spoke of horrible things happening in the village.
Lady Mara was being tortured in the center of the square!
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Things had improved after the strange elixir master left. Mara broke through! While her lifespan was not extended much, the vitality change was most welcome. She might live 50 more years!
The other elixirs made great changes in the village. Young Soul Realms tempered their cores diligently and World Realms did the same with their fonts.
Several adults faced their tribulations and succeeded in progressing on their own! The elixirs made them think and they could comprehend! Mara was stunned! The precious elixirs were few but the future of the village seemed secured.
For 7 years, all seemed well.
Then the Sword Breakers came.
The dark gray robed men were simply roving around the Elysium Plains for anything they could find and would normally ignore a village there. They were looking for Ruins and hidden caches others missed.
They would not be the first nor the last to do so.
Mara's village, however, drew the eye as one of their members noticed a child drinking water from the jade vial. It no longer held elixirs but the vials were not disposed of entirely. Mara had warned people to do so, but some parents indulge their children too much.
They had been at peace for too long to know fear of greedy men.
If it was just a dusty vial or cracked, the group would have simply let the child have it and moved on as it was clearly left by some past traveler, but the vial was shiny and new. It was clear.
The 20 men invaded the village and while most of them were Gold Tier, there were 3 Diamond Tier and 2 Tier 2 Sky Realms with them. The Sword Breaker Sect was a rival of the Divine Sword Sect, so their power was not small!
The group would be considered a bunch of outer disciples with maybe an elder or inner disciple with the Sky Realms.
The men brought out warmammers, shields, and maces as they captured the children. They demanded to know where the vial had come from but the child was too scared to answer.
Things were about to turn dark when Mara's tier 2 aura suddenly flared over the group. Caution came to them as they let the children go. Even if it was a remote village, they all knew the leader was a Sky Realm without exception.
A tier 1 or tier 2 was not too much of an issue, but if there was more than one, as happened on occasion when one was dying, then they would be more polite about their questions.
Mara's prowess was not great and she cursed the parents of the little boy who freely carried water in an elixir vial! They had doomed them all! Nothing she said, even the truth, would spare them, but she had taken an oath not to reveal the elixir master.
The Heavens would strike her down if she broke it.
Things did not devolve into a melee. Sword Breaker Sect was not in their territory and did not have the full facts at hand. They would not make themselves die in the middle of nowhere over just a vial.
The leaders apologized and Mara gave a rather believable excuse that they had to heal an injured villager but the elixir master left the vial behind. Obviously, a child found it pretty and wanted it. She admonished the child, in truth at that moment, about inviting dangers to the village without thinking!
The harsh scolding was real so the lie before seemed real. The possibility was not out of reach either as some healers were very kind. The men left and Mara thought that was the end of it.
Two more years passed before she came to regret not sending the villagers to the nearest one. She thought they were safe, as the elixirs remaining were of little use to any but Soul Realms.
It all started when some hunters did not return.
Issues crop up all the time so no one was overly worried but Mara tried to find them inside her range. Yet, nothing.
It was only when a sudden black cloud appeared and a bolt of black lightning cut the sky that her heart fell. A broken oath. It was broken willingly too.
Karmic retribution would not have come from a coerced confession. The punishment would have struck the person forcing their victim as well. The Heavens were fair in that way about oaths.
The next day, the men returned but they were only 19. One of their Diamond Tiers had been killed by the Heavens. Their faces were not so forgiving anymore and they demanded compensation.
They were not forceful about confessions anymore, they knew oaths were in place, but the Ruin nearby was well known and they demanded Mara lead them to it! She made them swear not to harm the villagers while they were gone nor allow them to be harmed.
It seemed they would come to an agreement when a woman wailed to realize none of the men had returned. Mara knew they were dead but she could no longer keep the villagers in check.
The leaders sneered as pitchforks and hoes were all they had. The villagers may as well have used paper to fight for all the good it did. Arms were shattered and legs broken but not a single disciple was injured.
They smiled at the villagers' pain as the 2 Sky Realms glared at Mara. She had to surrender and took them to the Ruin. The distortion was there as always and they easily entered.
Unlike Lind, they knew most of the caverns were empty, but when they got to the final room, there was no door! It was gone! The blank stone wall also withstood any attack they unleashed.
Frustration led to anger but Mara swore on Heaven and Earth she had no idea what happened in the Ruin. The oath made the men back off a bit but then they dragged her back after binding her cultivation.
It was then that the object lessons began. The villagers that fought against the disciples were healed only to have their limbs broken over and over. Mara could only watch, helpless.
She was secretly glad she was old as she was saved the deprivation that followed. Still, her anger burned in her amber eyes but that only entertained their captors more. They never killed a single person since the group of hunters.
It was clear they were simply viewing them as toys and their suffering as a spicy sause to their entertainment.
The Sky Realms, however, were getting bored.
They had nothing to show for their trip and even lost a disciple. He had only been a Diamond Tier, and a bad one at that, so they were not too worried about the higher ups, but they had nothing to do after a few months.
It was then they hit on the idea to see how much Mara could take.
At first it was like the other villagers, but she refused to break. She stoically rode out the pain of broken bones and torn muscles as they were healed by pills. She, however, was quite expensive to heal.
They stopped that as they realized they would waste too many grade 5 pills so they changed tactics.
It started with arrows, then daggers, and finally fire. It was all about getting her to scream without dying. They even placed bets if she would or not. Some of the World Realms got involved and now it was the great game.
Grade 4 pills were not as effective but for the injuries inflicted on her, they did the job. It just took a lot more. Grade 4 was trash to them so they burned them like water.
Still, Mara never bent. It was only when a villager was set next to her that she wavered.
"You scream after I hit you, or she dies. You love these ants, as family, don't you? So choose, your pride or her life?" The Sky Realm had dark eyes that looked feverish at what was to come. His skin was too pale to be a true warrior but he enjoyed bullying a great deal. His dark gray robes were too clean compared to the rest as well.
His close cropped dark hair was slicked with sweat as he held a dagger up. It reflected the cheery sunlight as if mocking Mara. She knew the villager was just as dead even if she screamed. The other Sky Realm was smiling to the side. His lavender skin revealed his demon heritage but he had pale blue eyes and his Qi was normal.
He must have awakened his bloodline a bit to get the skin coloring of a demon.
Mara felt it then. She should never have accepted those elixirs. She should have fiercely rejected his offer knowing where it could lead. The price of kindness was to constantly guard against the greed of men.
If the powerful are kind to the weak, it invites tragedy like now.
She was about to speak when a suffocating aura flooded the village. Terror filled the villagers' eyes unlike anything before while the disciples quickly assumed stances and formations.
They were looking to the sky and the ground for any source but they saw nothing. A gravelly voice spoke like a god in judgment.
"Leave the village now and do not harm a single hair more on their heads, or die." Mara felt hope bloom in her heart. It was different but she recalled the power of the strange elixir master that day. He had killed a peak Diamond Tier boar as if it was nothing to him.
The Sword Breakers did not bow to threats and their own auras rose, but then dark laughter filled the air.
"So be it. You brought this on yourselves." It was the last words spoken as the sky changed. A storm gathered as if summoned and all faces paled. Such power was the sole venue of mid tier Sky Realm and above!
Chaos was unleashed at that moment and Mara never looked away as the battle began.