Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 761 - 760 - Understanding the Heart Demon

Ruby was usually a bundle of positive energy.  It was to the point many found it a bit irritating but usually welcomed it too.  She had no illusions about life as a cultivator but she had wonderful teachers and her life of no family had become full of family.

She had more siblings than she knew what to do with!

Now, however, she felt hollow.  She simply had no desire to do anything.

Her once richly dark red hair was frayed and dull.  Her eyes were empty as she simply sat in a garden with no sign of life.

[All pointless…]

A voice whispered in the back of her head but she ignored it.  She was beyond caring at that moment so silence returned.

She had fought with other cultivators and seen death but Sa had been her brother and seemed so strong.  He seemed invincible.

She knew he was not but they had survived training, battles, and so many missions.  How could he die like that?

[Weak…]

The voice spoke up again but she just kept sitting there.  Her skin was losing color yet she did not care.

"Ruby?!"  A voice she recognized called out but she only slightly turned her head.

Teela, it was Teela.  She was always so strong but Ruby began to resent that.  She despised how she was always the Emperor's favorite.  Everyone knew it but no one said it to her face.

It was said Hei and Zao fought over who would court her too.

She was popular with both boys and girls but no one knew if she had interest in anyone.

Ruby hated her!

The thought snapped her out of her lethargy.  Why had she thought that?  She did not hate–

[Oh but we do.  We do hate her.  We hate the world that stole Sa from us.]

She heard the voice clearly but rather than be afraid, her eyes dulled.  It was a comforting voice.  It was so right.

The world had taken Sa from her.  She was confident in his strength.  Only betrayal could have killed him.  It was the only answer.

A tiny voice tried to tell her it was wrong but a current of pressure kept it away.

The world seemed dimmer and even worthless to her.  Ruby was about to stand up when a slap sent her reeling.

"That is quite enough of that!  Ruby, I expect my little sister to be made of sterner stuff than that!"  A new voice shook the cage slowly building around her heart.  Ruby blinked to see a set of pink eyes and bright blond hair staring down at her.

"B–b–big Sis Shea?"  Wonder filled her and the brightness of the world came back.  Tears began to fall as she reached for the woman that led her to the best life she could have hoped for.

Shea, however, was looking at her sternly.

"I heard you mumbling.  Something about the world betraying Sa of all things.  How it was worthless.  Do you remember that?"  It was like her memory had become foggy but if Shea said she heard it, then it was true.  Shea did not lie.

"I–I can't remember."  In fact, Ruby felt like time had jumped lately.  She did not even know when she came to the garden.  What was the last thing she remembered clearly?

A sigh came from Shea but she finally enclosed the young woman in her embrace.

"You are going to have to try.  You have to remember and also you have to face what is happening like I did."  Ruby looked confused until Shea looked very said.

"I went back home to the Shanliang Peaks to find the place I remembered was devastated.  Places I played as a young girl were just barren and a lot of people were dead.  I thought I was ready but nearly lost myself as so many old friends were gone."  Ruby listened and did not notice Teela looking over them concerned.

Lind was behind her, holding her shoulder as they looked on.

"I am so sorry, Big Sis.  What happened?"  Shea smiled and spoke on the beast tide and the battle between 2 packs essentially.

She then spoke on what happened after.

"I felt guilty but I hid it.  I simply worked hard to support my people and my family.  All the time I missed that I was losing time and that people were looking at me oddly.  I was royalty however and had just had a shock."  Shea looked awkward as she recalled that time.

"Shea?"  Ruby's voice snapped her back to the present.

"Anyway, eventually I suffered Qi deviation.  I nearly died.  Because I let a heart demon almost take me away."  Ruby's breath caught in her throat.  Heart demons were the bane of cultivators.

Even the most hardy cultivator could make a mistake and then it would be lucky if they survived.  Their mind would become distracted by fears and other emotions tied up at critical steps of advancing.

The worst kind were those that went for full possession and destroyed the original person because they could not hold on to their mind.  All that was left was the heart demon and death.

Ruby suddenly paled.

Empress Qing and the healers that worked under her were experts in healing heart demons.  One of the key things taught to all Sanctuary Empire cultivators was symptoms and possibly triggers for heart demons.

The sudden loss of someone close was the greatest likelihood for such an event to occur.

"By the spirits, what have I let happen?"  As soon as she grasped what was going on, the foggy memories began to come back.  She had snapped at friends and nearly attacked a servant!  They had done nothing wrong but laugh!

She had been smiling while doing it too!

"Not quite yet.  I think you were about to sink right there when I found you.  I am here, so start talking.  I am not leaving."  Shea smiled and waited.

Ruby began to cry and spoke on her loss of Sa and others to those horrible Fiend agents.

Her hatred also spiked and Shea had to restrain Ruby to face that heart demon as well.  There were 2 heart demons!

Teela stood back with Lind and cried.  He patted her head and for once she did not swat his arm away.

"You can only do what we can but you were right to keep seeking her out."  His words soothed her but she then looked up at him.

"Did I not care for Sa as much?  Am I that cold?"  Lind smiled warmly and pulled her under one arm tightly.

"No, it means you have a much more stable mind.  You already spent sessions with Qing overcoming potential heart demons when you first started.  You survived a lot worse early on and chose to protect Ruby and Sa from it later."  He recalled how she had shielded them from him on that first day.

The scars on a 7 year old had hurt him.

"You should still talk with someone you trust to be safe but I think you are ok."  Lind, of all people, had a better grasp of heart demons after recently overcoming his own!

Teela wept and then walked over to the 2 women.  They all 3 embraced and he watched on but did not interfere.

He also made a note to speak to Qing to be safe.  He had no feeling beyond normal anger but best not to assume things.

"You should give her time, my son."  A shadow shimmered as Hei assumed his human form.  He looked on at the girls but looked conflicted.

"I was not there but Sa was always fast.  Even I could not keep up with him at times fighting in this body."  Hei was not as adept at his human form yet but he was hardly suffering from it.

There was also a difference from real battle and spars.  Hei likely would be surprised at how fast he could move under pressure.

"Remember him well, my son.  He was a good man."  Hei nodded but looked sad at the 3 women.  He pulled his son away and walked with him back to their quarters.

The world was not fair but he found it hard to break something to his son.  Teela would not return his feelings.  She saw him as a student or little brother only.

He had carefully probed the matter with his wives as it was not his business but he wanted to head off any drama if he could.  They had been like ninjas getting the information.

Teela and Ruby both saw his children as their own siblings.  Things may change but it could not be forced, yet the current moment could cause shifts none of them could see.

He patted his son on the head and worried when he did not slip away from it.  He then pulled him into a hug and they went in search of more of their family.  It was that kind of day.