Chapter 36 - The Issue

"Heeey." 10 year old Alden said to grab someone's attention.

He was in a Chinese courtyard and houses were around it rectangularly. There were two tree in front of the room on the either side of the corner.

Alden was looking at a room with anticipation of the answer.

"Big sis ling why are you always in that room?" He asked in a rather cute voice.

"No! You shouldn't come here. you'll be cursed too!" The girl from the inside replied. Judging from. her voice, she was at least 13 years old.

Alden sat down and placed both of his hands on his chin, "You say that everyday. But aren't you bored no one meets you? You don't even have friends."

"No. It doesn't matter for me. As long as everything is going peacefully on your side, I'm happy...as well." The girl named ling said but her hesitation could be heard from her voice.

"Really? I thought you'd like to play with us as well..." He said in a disappointed tone, "The people from the Ning family ask about you occasionally too."

"They do?" She asked.

"Hm yeah, it gets in the way of our games too. But what's even more annoying is that they say all about how you're cursed or possessed by demons." He said a bit annoyed.

A moment of silence spread in the courtyard, ling broke it, "Don't worry. Don't worry, let them say anything they want. Besides, demons are cool too."

This confused Alden, "Demons are... cool?" He asked.

"Yeah! Imagine fighting your whole life to the point you can defeat entire armies by *Cough* yourself. Cool isn't it?" She asked coughing.

Alden's eyes widen and he realized what she was trying to say. But a voice called out to him from the outside.

"Brother Alden! We are waiting for you! Let's go explore that new cave we found out!"

Excitement crossed Alden's face and he smiled, "Sure! wait a few seconds." He turned around, "Don't worry sis ling, mother loves you and she'll always continue to do that! Even if she can't meet you for too long."

Ling didn't respond and Alden said, "Whatever this curse may be, I'll find a cure for it and save you! But until then my friends are calling me."

"I'll be going now, bye!" And he stomped out of the courtyard.

There were three people here. His most trusted friends. And 8 more waiting at the back.

"Hey." Young Luo Xiaobo spoke.

"Ehhh! Let's go there right now 'cus I can't wait to get treasures out of the cave!" Ding Yunru said.

"..." The quietest one of them, Pan Cheng didn't say anything, he just smiled.

These three's hairstyle was similar to their grown self.

"I guess everybody is ready to for the new activities." Alden said, "Let's go!"

Step Step Step

Everyone heard the walking of multiple people coming at them.

They stopped outside the courtyard. There were atleast 30 people. Many of them were quite young.

"The Ning family has given you enough time and shown you mercy. However the time for the demon to be exorcised is near now. For the cursed cannot be allowed to live on any longer." The person at the front said with incurious expression.

He had long hair and medium bangs at the front looked to be 18 years old.

"Ha? What do you think you're doing?!" Ding Yunru said, "Coming here all the time to cause trouble for the Shun family?!!"

"Who is that guy?" One of the people at the back of the Alden's group asked.

"He's the young master of the Ning family. The family which controls this city." Someone answered.

"A... city? They are from such a high ranking status?"

Alden stopped Ding from talking any further and spoke to the Young master directly.

"I understand what you're saying young master Sun, but please my Ling isn't cursed."

Sun just looked at him unimpressed, "That is for the Ning family to decide. You from the Shun family doesn't have a say in anything."

"But she's my sister!" Alden shouted little.

"And a Demon." Sun replied.

Alden clenched his fist but didn't say anything. Sun started going inside the courtyard.

Alden was about to cry, he felt powerless against the person but there was nothing he could do.

"Please stop!" Alden shouted and kowtowed in front of him.

"Please don't kill her I beg you!" He said while crying.

Swoosh, woosh

All of a sudden Alden's follower drew out their weapons and were ready to charge at any moment. Anger came across their faces.

"...You all are defying the will of the Ning family? Want to embrace death that much?" Sun asked and drew his sword as well.

The intent of his sword was enough to shatter the will of most of the people, but there were few who didn't flinch. The first three of Alden's followers and two in the back.

This commotion brought many people to them from the village.

They charged at him all at once but they everyone was stopped by an even greater force from somewhere.

!!!

This pressure made everyone tremble in fear including Sun.

"..." He looked at the where the pressure came from and looked at the group back, "10 flower sect is taking in disciples?"

"Today you are spared, but next time you will not be so lucky." He said and went with the people he came with.

"Lord Alden are you ok?!" Luo Xiaobo asked with worry and helped him get up. His other friends came to him as well.

Alden robbed his eyes, "Yeah I'm alright." He said with empty smile.

After making sure nobody was hurt Alden said, "I have to get strong."

Watching him from behind Pan Cheng had a sympathizing face ans he said, "Don't say that Lord. It was us who failed to become your strength. We failed as your companion."

"I agree with Pan Cheng. If someone should get stronger it is us." Luo Xiaobo agreed.

"Yeah! You don't need to fight as long as we are here!" Ding Yunru said.

After watching the three to their commitment, others got the encouragement they needed as well. They all agreed with the three and their resolution of getting stronger for their Lord, increased.

"Everyone..." Alden was getting emotional but he didn't cry instead showed determination, "I promise to you that I will become someone who protects my cherished people!"

The last ray of the sun shines on him, "As long as I'm here, our group will forever be immortalized."

The darkness and sadness in the surrounding disappeared everyone regained their confidence back.

Meanwhile the darkness had appeared somewhere else.

'...Cured.' Ling who could hear everything from the inside, said with a burden on her chest.

"Why am I like this? My brother who is younger than me is trying his hardest to protect me. Our mother is constantly pressured by the villagers to get rid of me."

"My existence is a burden to my family..." She said to herself. She looked at the rope made from a blanket, "Maybe I should..." As if she was hypnotised she went to the rope and started making a knot.

"I don't want to live anymore... This will at least make my family's miserable life better. *Cough* *Cough*" She said almost half chuckling and coughed. Her heartbeat was getting stronger.

"Yeah... Dying is the best solution here. I want to die." After tying the rope to the ceiling she slowly brought it to her neck.

That day, she failed to kill herself. The commotion brought forth many people one of them being their mother. She stopped her daughter from the tragedy that she was about to commit.

But, when things were thought to have calmed down even just a little bit, another tragedy happened one week later.

•••

The 4 friends were walking outside the forest in the ice cold weather. They were carrying vegetables and fruits with them.

"Lord Alden, why are we getting these vegetables for?" Luo Xiaobo asked.

"Eh?! Why you asking him such a question?! You idiot or something bro?!" Ding Yunru said.

"..." Pan Cheng didn't say anything.

"Haha, guys come on. My mom and I wanted to open a shop in the village, you see?" Alden responded.

"A shop in this cold weather? Your family sure is impressive." Luo Xiaobo spoke.

"Yep, she said we could use some money here and there."

"That lady from before was kind enough to let us stay for a few more hours in her house." Alden said.

"True, because of her we can go on in this freezing temperature." Said Luo Xiaobo.

...

"Don't you think the weather is warmer than before?" Alden asked looking around.

"...Indeed." Pan Cheng said.

"Now that you said it, yeah. That is true." Luo Xiaobo agreed.

"Well, I guess this is great. The weather was freezing!" Ding Yunru said.

Faint smile appeared on all three of their faces but it quickly vanished when they say their village.

Hissing, Crinkling

Snip-Snap woosh!

The houses made a terrible noise as the dying branches and twigs gasped for their last breath before trembling into ashes. The flames made even the cold weather seem nothing in front of it.

Alden in less than a second, felt all kinds of emotions. Surprise, anger, worry, hate, anxious, hopeful...

He sprinted to his house to find his mother.

Crinkling!

It was all burned down. Only the remaining last wooden pillars of the houses were remaining.

Everywhere one would look, they would see bodies of people lying around. Some half burned, some completely. Some people were even screaming as they died in front pf Alden. He even saw his friends' dead bodies.

Before he could contemplate about anything a voice called out to him.

"Lord Alden! Here!"

It was Luo Xiaobo's. Alden ran towards the direction it came from. He soon reached the house his sister was staying at.

Luo, ding and Pan were already here frightened and regretful.

'Shit! He-He might see something he....shouldn't have!' Luo thought while trying to think of something. Then it appeared to him.

"L-Lord Alden. You should stay here we'll go check it out!"

They didn't waste any time and started looking for someone in the courtyard and the house. However, Alden didn't listen to them and stormed in the house.

"Mom! Ling! Are you here?!" He shouted.

After getting no response, he went looked through the entire floor, but didn't find anything. Then he went upstairs, "Are you here?!" He asked again in disbelief and crying. His tears were evaporating in the fire and the temperature didn't allow him to get much further in the room.

Slash!

A slash of the sword cut through the flames. Pan Cheng's sword seemed to have gotten the situation under control.

"Lord go look for them!" He said and broke through another burst of flames.

But what Alden saw after traumatized him for his entire life. The totally burned body of his mother on top of his sister. Ling was wasn't saying anything, she was traumatized on the floor from the immense shock...

That day out of the 147 villagers, 74 died. 4 were Alden's followers.

Present

"Ling..." Alden said to his sister with wide eyes.

Soon 4 people emerged from the still burning house. The people who were supposed to be dead were alive.

"Weakling..." The undead said, "If you had been a little earlier... Just an hour earlier... You could have saved us."

"I-I could have?"

The undead moved towards him slowly, "We had lives, we followed you to the end. We thought you... would die for us just like we did for you." They said almost in front of Alden now.

"I didn't wanted that to happen..." He said.

"Why don't we find that my lord...?" The undead said and grabbed Alden's throat and moved him from the ground.

"If you want to help us so much...This is the only thing you can do."

Alden's felt intense pain in his throat like it would crush at any point. He didn't try to resist it. Slowly, and calmly, his heart rate dropped. Then, he started going in and out of consciousness for split seconds.

...

While he was on his dead bed, luan on the other hand...

"Help us!!"

They criminals were a handful of distance away from him. When it looked like they were about to grab him, every one of them were instantly smashed on the ground.

''Arkh!"

"You bastard!!"

Luan's fist was minorly injured to an extent.

Even though he didn't feel anything, he never let them touch even a single strand his hair. But, not enough to completely kill them.

"You! Why don't you help us from that thin-?!" One of them said. But the next instance he was killed by a red ray from above.

"That thing doesn't seem to attack you!" Another spoke.

"He must be the ally of that thing! Kill him now!!" They said.

Nevertheless to their attempts, they could not even get close to him.

Slowly and slowly, he was getting annoyed by them. He started killing them. One at a time, his kills soon doubled from before.

He noticed one thing pretty early, that there was not a single splash of blood to be seen. Everytime they died they would just disappear.

"I killed this guy before... " Luan said, "Him as well."

"...Undead?" He came to the conclusion.

He knew this was a trial and he had to complete it to escape from this place. He thought killing was the part of it, but now that seems to not be the case

"They aren't attacking him..." Luan spoke while looking at the other him.

"Good. So you noticed." The clone said, "One can not defeat others before conquering themself."

Saying this, he disappeared into thin air leaving luan to realize what it meant.

"...Conquering themselves" Luan spoke.

Luan concentrated on why he was doing doing this.

The people around seemed to have gotten even more violent as if they were commanded by someone.

"Kill him!!"

Avoiding every attack, he didn't try to counter them, instead he went on the defense.

The people seem to have getting 'angrier' after not getting any reaction from him.

"You psycho!"

"... Psycho?" He thought, "Psycho..."

"That's right. I'm that.... Psycho."