Encircled - Devil Cultivators

"Alright, alright. Enough with the theatrics. Swords are drawn, beasts have encircled. You have our attention. Are you gonna show up or keep wasting our time?"

Gojo stretched lazily, his joints popping, before turning his gaze toward the space above the Flaming Striped Python's cave. And right on cue, a massive black crow emerged from the sky, cawing endlessly, its dark gaze locked onto them with eerie intelligence.

But Gojo wasn't interested in the crow itself. His attention was on the dozen figures standing calmly atop its back, sizing them up from above.

"Interesting…" His lips curled into a small, curious smile before he waved up at them fearlessly.

The massive crow swooped down, perching atop the cave. As it settled, the figures aboard leapt down in a practiced, fluid motion, landing before them with unsettling grace.

Gojo scanned them with the Six Eyes. In total, there were eight of them, dressed as if auditioning for roles in a horror movie. Out of them, only two stood out.

The first was the man in the lead. He had a big, friendly smile, yet Gojo saw the fiendish glint in his dark eyes, something deeply unsettling. He was gaunt, skeletal, his bald head and sackcloth attire giving him the appearance of a wandering monk who had long abandoned the path of virtue. Crisscrossing scars marred his flesh, each one a tale of pain and cruelty.

But the most shocking thing? The walking corpse had a cultivation at the freaking Yuan Dan Realm. Gojo didn't even bother checking the exact stage—it wouldn't matter.

The second figure was all too familiar—the green-robed boy who had spied on him earlier.

Beside Gojo, MeiYing tensed, her grip tightening around her sword as her Yuan Power circulated instinctively.

"Friends, friends," the skeletal man spoke, his voice deceptively warm. "I am Mo Xie of the Northern Devil Alliance. Welcome to my Blackwater Region. Is there anything I can serve you? Anything?"

'Devil Alliance? Devil cultivators? That explains a lot…' Gojo thought. Then his frown vanished, replaced by a small smirk.

"You." His gaze snapped to the green-robed figure. "The little fish to the left. We've met before, haven't we?"

Rather than entertain Mo Xie's hospitality, Gojo went straight for violence. Even MeiYing shook her head at his direct approach.

The green-robed figure slowly removed his hood, revealing a wrinkled young face with a buzz cut.

"I wanted to apologize for the time I attacked you," Gojo said. "Normally, I get punchy when people sneak up on me like that. But seeing your ugly face and that tragic hairline? Man, I want to beat you up some more."

The air went still.

"How dare he disrespect Little Lord Hei Yan?!"

"Does he have a death wish?!"

"Courting death!"

The devil cultivators bared their teeth like feral beasts, but Mo Xie silenced them with a raised hand. Gojo smirked.

"Haha, little brother is not as simple as he looks," Mo Xie mused. "May we know your names?"

Gojo scoffed. "People call me Chen Zhen, but you and your little boy band can call me Father."

A deafening silence followed. MeiYing, usually cold and composed, nearly choked on laughter, while the devil cultivators looked as if they'd swallowed bile.

Mo Xie's polite smile chilled. "I admire little brother Chen's enthusiasm. But while I am civil, my men are not. If they attack you suddenly, I might not be able to stop them…"

"Is that a threat? What a nice way to put it," Gojo chuckled, hands in his pockets, completely unfazed.

"No, no." Mo Xie's eyes gleamed. "I simply cannot allow my followers to kill a Saint Physique wielder and the descendant of the Great Empress. If my research is correct, you must be Zhou MeiYing, the next Great Empress of the Great Zhou Empire… and the current wielder of the Seven Emotions, Six Desires Physique."

For the first time, MeiYing's calm wavered. Her grip tightened, her Yuan Power nearly bursting forth.

Gojo's eyes narrowed. 'So he's done his homework.'

"So what?" Gojo shrugged. "The type of enemies I hate most are schemers. You cook up a whole evil plan only to get cooked in the end. It's not worth it." He gestured to the beast horde. " This. All this wasn't worth it."

Mo Xie clicked his tongue. "It seems little brother Chen has figured something out."

"I've known from the start," Gojo admitted. "My instincts screamed at me to leave, but I stayed. For two reasons."

MeiYing stiffened. 'This idiot knew all along?! He deserves a slap.'

"One, I wanted to prove to myself I was right. You won't get it. It's an ego thing." He smirked at their confusion. "Two, I stayed because I wanted to let you know your plan was… ass."

Mo Xie's smile twitched.

"I disagree," he said smoothly. "And I'm sure your senior martial brother and sister would too."

At his signal, two figures were dragged forward—skin deathly pale, eyes lifeless, bodies covered in scars. Inner Court disciples of their sect.

MeiYing's face turned pale. Gojo, however, simply stroked his chin. "Human puppets, huh? Not bad."

MeiYing gritted her teeth, trying to stay calm.

"You could have attacked us from the start," Gojo mused. "Unless… you weren't sure you could win."

Mo Xie chuckled. "Never underestimate your enemies. But if I had killed you outright, I would've lost a divine talent for a battle puppet… and her."

His gaze flickered with vile intent. Gojo's smirk twitched. "A zombie cultivator and a pedophile. What a unique combination."

"Surrender quietly," Mo Xie said. "I'd hate to damage such quality goods." His henchmen advanced. "Copy that. Just give us a second to say goodbye," Gojo said.

He turned to MeiYing, stepping close. She instinctively pushed against his chest. "Oh, come on, just play the part." To outsiders, it looked like an embrace, but his lips barely brushed her ear. "I'll head into that cave," he whispered. "That's their hideout. Mo Xie won't let me waltz in and out for nothing. When I pull him in, you run. Don't look back."

MeiYing's breath hitched. "Are you mad?! You'll die! He's a Yuan Dan Realm cultivator!"

"Exactly," Gojo murmured. "I can't beat him, but I can buy time for you to escape. If we both stay, we die." Gojo pulled back, his smirk returning. MeiYing stared at his back, imprinting the moment deep into her heart.

"So," Gojo said, cracking his neck. "Our response? Two words. Fuck. You."

"Capture them!" Mo Xie snapped. The devil cultivators lunged.

And the battle erupted.

A/N: Ill throw in another chapter for three reviews. Who's up for the challenge?