Chapter [B5] 9 — Reunion

Chapter [B5] 9 — Reunion

Labby froze, her cup falling to the ground. Her sudden action made both Zhang and Yan Yun look at her, their eyebrows raised.

But before they could ask about what had happened, Ash stiffened up too, and even Sheldon let out a wave of uncontrolled Chi. Labby looked at Sheldon and Ash, both of who were looking towards the direction of the Seventh Peak—the same direction she’d sensed it.

“Master’s back,” she whispered almost reverently, feeling the subdued connection she had with her master come back to life.

—

As soon as I saw who was sitting on the dragons, my eyes widened in excitement and I almost laughed. Labby, Liuxiang, Yan Yun, Zhang… all friends I had so dearly missed.

I was about to wave, but before I could, Labby leapt from her dragon as soon as they got close and barreled into my chest. Her weight hit like a thrown sack of spirit rice; I let myself fall and bled the force off through my stance so she didn’t bruise herself. I hugged Labby tightly, hands landing on instinct at the middle of her back where she always knots her Chi when she’s overwhelmed, ready to unkink it if she spasmed. But before I could laugh and tease her, I heard her wracking sobs against my chest. The sound wasn’t the shaky sniffling she did when she wanted extra snacks. This was the kind that started deep, shook her core, then broke its way out.

My mouth parted slightly as I gently cradled her, rubbing soothing circles on her back, guiding her breathing the way my master had drilled into us for panicked disciples.

“Labby, Labby, it’s fine. I’m back. I’m sorry for worrying you. I’m so sorry for worrying you.”

Labby didn’t say anything; her sobs only descended into an even more intense fervor as she hugged me tighter and tighter, like an iron vice. I tapped two fingers at the junction of her shoulder blade and spine, a tiny nudge of comforting Chi to loosen the knot there. Her breath hitched, then steadied. I let her cry.

Yan Yun too seemed to wonder if I was actually real as she hovered on the dragon still, boots not quite touching scale.

It was Liuxiang, unsurprisingly, who recovered the fastest. Her eyes flicked over me once, taking in my posture, blood flow, and the thin crackle of residual lightning on my skin, then made her decision. She descended from her dragon and murmured, “Are you actually real? Lu Jie, is it you? Are you fine? Is everything okay? We… we thought you died.”

I laughed awkwardly, because I hadn’t prepared an answer that would make sense and not make it worse. “Well, I did get injured by the demon god and there were some extenuating circumstances, but I’m back now.” For how long, I did not know, but of course I would not mention that to them. A year at most. If Ki couldn’t stop the demon god with all the power of the earth, what chance did any of us have?

Liuxiang nodded once, and in that small motion I read the same thing I always do: she accepted my answer because there were more urgent tasks than interrogating it.

My words were enough to break both Yan Yun and Zhang out of their shock. Yan Yun was the next to jump off the dragon, Zhang following closely behind her, and Zhang, to my surprise, also bowled me into a hug. Not quite as chaotic as Labby’s, but strong enough to clack armor plates. He gripped my shoulder and looked at me with an intense gaze that didn’t blink.

“Brother… it really is you?”

“It is me, Zhang,” I said, chuckling. I squeezed his forearm. He was running a little dry on Chi; the drain had touched him too.

“I cannot believe it.”

“But the demon god, how—” Yan Yun began, nodding at Zhang’s words. “The tree, that tree, it is related to you, right? We all sensed a bit of your aura in it,” she said.

“It is. Remember how I mentioned I had a seed growing in me, which bloomed into that tree with the help of a Qilin?” At this, all of their eyes widened. “I allowed that seed to bloom outside of me and helped seal the demon god. However, that seed will only last for a year, maximum. Before then, we must find a way to take down the demon god.”

“How?” Yan Yun said, her gaze lowering, jaw clenched as if she wanted to bite the answer out of the air.

Zhang separated himself from me.

Labby too seemed to have had enough of crying as she looked up, red-eyed, and said, “Labby always knew Master would return. Labby knew it. Labby told all of them, but they wouldn’t believe me.”

I patted her gently on the head, chuckling. “Yes, yes, Labby is the wisest. My friends can be quite dumb sometimes.”

At this, I looked at my three friends with a teasing smirk, which made all of them chuckle too.

“That is true,” Yan Yun said. “I’ve seen you do some truly unbelievable things. This is only a matter of course, really… practically inevitable. You staying dead… that would be impossible.”

Maybe not, a solemn voice echoed in the back of my mind. You should tell them. If you do have to sacrifice yourself—especially after you’ve come back once—do you realize what that can do to their state of mind?

I ignored that thought. I didn’t need to let go of hope yet. Maybe if I looked into methods, there’d be a way to take down the demon god. Maybe I’d not have to burn my soul and become one with the Dao, to truly cultivate the Fourth Law to seal the demon god. But maybe—just maybe—something, anyway, to increase the time I would have with all of them.

“But to think it would take you three months,” Liuxiang said, her fingers brushing the sleeve of my robe as if measuring time through fabric. “Well, then again, you did seal the demon god, and taking three months is only fair even for someone as insane as you.”

“Three months?” I echoed, confused.

“Oh, you mustn’t have felt the passage of time,” Zhang spoke. “Brother, it’s been three months since your battle with the demon god.”

My eyes widened. Three months could be both a short and a long time. I forced my breath steady and let my senses settle. As I looked at all four of them with a renewed gaze, no longer overwhelmed by first shock and able to really see them safe, I noticed many small differences.

Labby had grown taller and a lot scruffier. Considering that she was a rat that had transformed into human, she was already naturally scruffy, but now it looked more like the scruffiness that came with exhaustion, with tiredness that nourished itself day after day. She wore a short blade at the hip—new habit. I noted the callus at her thumb and forefinger from repeatedly loading and firing the weapons we’d given mortals; even Labby had picked up drills.

I looked at all their robes. With how strong their Chi was, Liuxiang, Yan Yun, or Zhang should not look tired, nor should their robes look anything but pristine. But right now their robes looked worn. Their skin looked parched. A faint gray along the knuckles. It was almost as if—

I let my senses spread toward the rest of the world. The natural Chi… it’s being drained.

“Chi is being drained,” Zhang completed for me. He had stopped waiting for me to say the obvious when the obvious was painful.

“Yes. The demon god wants to consume the world entirely.” Saying it out loud made it heavier.

My mind echoed—hypotheses already running. The first step would be to drain the Chi and completely destroy this world. Let all these creatures die and then… what after? Best case, he’d want a new start with a completely clean cycle. No traces of it being broken before, no chance of the heavenly laws even existing. The sky rumbled tiredly at that. Even the sound of thunder lacked spirit.

It was ironic that I could sense the emotions of the heavens—a bit disconcerting too, considering that the heavens had stopped responding to me a while ago.

But it was also a god made of death and vengeance. It could just as well choose to leave everything lifeless forever.

I forced away the frown that kept trying to furrow my brow and did my best to smile. “How have you guys been? Has anything changed?”

“A lot has changed,” Yan Yun said tiredly. “With the Chi running out, our bodies have begun to regain more natural functions—like the need to eat, to sleep. And crops… they’re rotting and dying with the Chi being drained by the demon god. Clearly, he is using it to manifest his full form, and even animals are dying. Without much explanation, most mortals are already bedridden, if not sick.” She paused. “And with the crops dying…”

“But it’s been months. How are they alive without any food?” I asked. Sure, maybe cultivators such as Yan Yun and Zhang—even if the Chi was scarce and they began feeling the desire to eat—could last for a few months. But normal mortals without food? It would be a miracle if they survived a week, especially when they were essentially being poisoned by the Chi’s fluctuations.

“Well, we’ve been doing some experimentation with the help of your master and also Granny Lang,” Zhang explained. “And we’ve been creating stronger and stronger fertilizers based on the five books you’ve written as a sage and our experimentation. With those fertilizers, we’ve been able to maintain at least a steady growth of crops—nowhere near enough—but enough to keep us alive. Enough that we won’t die off.”

“These crops… how long do they take to grow?” I asked, curious despite everything.

“A few days,” Zhang answered.

I nodded appreciatively. That made sense if they’d found the right balance of nutrient cycling and Qi-tuned catalysts. I’d probably have to look into it when I got back to the village, tighten the method, reduce waste. “Let’s get back first. I can inquire about more of the changes once we’re there.”

Nodding, they all looked toward the dragons hovering. The dragons didn’t seem to want to interrupt, so they’d not spoken. But now that we were finally done, the lead dragon said, voice low and even, “It’s a pleasure to see that you’ve returned. The one chosen by the sage.”

“Yes. Thank you for helping us,” I said, bowing from the waist. Dragons appreciate propriety when it’s not fawning.

“No, it is our pleasure and our duty,” the dragon replied. His whiskers tilted in approval. Dragons have simple ways of showing that.

All of my friends hopped onto the dragons, and Labby dragged me toward ours by my sleeve.

“Ride with Labby, Master,” she said as she jumped on, and I climbed behind her too, settling my knees where the scale pattern would grip without tearing cloth. “Alright then, let’s go.”

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As soon as Labby yelled that, the dragons began moving, almost as if Labby was the fox-leader of the group. The thought made me chuckle—Labby, short but energetic as usual, leading an army at the forefront. She looked over her shoulder at me with a puzzled look that melted into a grin when she saw me smiling. That was enough.

The flight was brisk and quiet and I watched the world from dragonback, mentally cataloguing the changes. Forests patchy where Chi had retreated, rivers running lower than they should in late season, birds flying closer to the ground. We passed a ravine where cultivators would usually set up concealment arrays; the ground there was just empty. Formations had gone cold without Chi to hold them.

My eyes widened when I saw the settlement. No, calling it a town would be more appropriate. They’d needed to expand. Houses arranged in rings around the core formation, smoke rising in thin, almost reluctant threads from cookhouses.

As the dragons circled lower, more of the city came into focus: militia drill yards packed with mortals and low-realm cultivators; armories with racks of the rifles I’d designed and passed down; carts hauling ore and spirit wood to the new pill-and-weapon workshops; and storage barns repurposed into small factories. Qiao Ying’s system for logistics had matured—dedicated sections for pill lines and munitions, including fire arrows and explosive pills Granny Lang had iterated on, plus two new poisonous pills being stockpiled for emergencies. Production on guns lagged behind pills because ore was scarce and explosives training was risky, so they prioritized what they could craft in-house fast. The militia guarded the peak and the villages around it while most soldiers were deployed to the war front.

“Yeah,” Yan Yun explained before I could even ask. “The capital is uninhabitable, as you might see, and many cities lost their formations and barriers with all the Divinities dead and there being a temporary absence in divinity specialties.”

“We did not have the ability to build formations for all cities,” Liuxiang added, looking disappointed at herself in that way she does where the disappointment is precise, measured, and about a standard only she sees. “Naturally,” Liuxiang continued, “if I were only more capable, then I could have—”

“Don’t blame yourself, Liuxiang,” I said before she continued. “You did your best. All of you did.” I meant it. Guilt plows furrows that never grow anything useful.

Liuxiang nodded, and Yan Yun continued, “And so, since there was a formation here, and we were the ones who could best resist the droves upon droves of demon beasts, we transported everyone here. They needed residences, so these houses were built.”

Yan Yun looked at me with a soft smile. “But so many houses—wouldn’t it have been…?”

“One of the students we were teaching unlocked earth-Qi,” Zhang said, looking proud in a restrained way, chin lifted a fraction. “Convenient timing—perhaps a blessing from the heavens. With their assistance, we could build as many makeshift houses as we wanted to, even if they aren’t the best.”

Zhang’s influence was everywhere. Lines were tighter; patrols moved on time; the wall teams answered to clear signals. I caught snatches from the street—men calling him General Zhang without thinking, like the rank had already settled into place. He pretended not to hear, but the respect kept happening anyway. Even Lord Zhou had pressed the idea, because the rank would give Zhang the authority to command and inspire openly while we were split across fronts.

I smiled, inordinately proud of them. They managed without me, stabilized the region, gathered everyone, saved so many lives. Of course, I knew my friends were amazing and never dependent on me. But it was a comfort to see they’d be fine even without me. A thought came to mind, but I wiped it out before it could linger. I wouldn’t give up. They would not have to lose me. I’d find a way.

The dragons descended. Labby giggled in glee as it did so, in that innocent fashion that made me laugh along with her. She raised her hands like this was a carriage going down a steep road while the dragon pretended not to notice.

But as soon as we passed inside, the people bustling by—each clearly focused on their task, keeping the city alive in an apocalypse—looked up. When they saw me, all of them froze. For a second, there was complete silence as I dismounted. Then whispers:

“Is that—?”

“But how?”

And then, as if planned in sync, one person dropped to his knees and a wave of others followed.

“He’s back. The Divine Tree’s blessed—he’s back. We’re saved. He’ll save us. He’ll take down the demon god. All hail the Divine Tree’s chosen.”

“The one blessed by the divine. All hail, all hail!”

People began shouting, many kneeling. It left me unsure how to react. I never did get used to this level of worship, but I did my best to smile, to reassure them. I lifted a hand in greeting and kept my face from betraying any uncertainty. The old man always said a calm expression calms others faster than any pill.

Before I could do anything else, a big wolf bounded into view leaping onto a roof, then down before stopping a foot away. He looked me up and down, almost in disbelief. Then he said, “Master… you’re alive.” The tiny turtle on top of his head also stared, eyes wide, its eternal smile almost stiff for once.

I grinned, another weight lifted from my heart at the sight of them healthy and whole. “It’s good to see you, Sheldon, Ash. I’m so glad you’re safe. You’re fine.”

“Of course he’s fine,” Labby cut in, gloating. “Labby always said it. I’m not sure why you were ever doubting it, Ash.”

Ash looked toward Labby, ears twitching, then he lowered his head. “You’re right, Labby. Forgive me for my attitude.”

“You’re forgiven,” Labby said, proudly lifting her chin. “Just remember your Senior Sister is always right.”

I chuckled, patting Ash on the side and scratching Sheldon under the chin.

“Chirp.”

“I’ve missed you too. It’s good to be back.” For however short a time we had.

We began to walk toward my master’s house. Villagers kept watching as I moved, hands clasped or held to chests, eyes overawed or brimming with hopeful tears, basking in my presence.

I wondered if it would dispel some of that worship and tension if Ash knocked me to the ground like Labby had and started licking my face in front of everyone.

Probably not something Ash would agree to do, being the majestic wolf he was. Still, the thought made me laugh and that alone took the edge off their expectations.

Even outside the door, my sharp hearing caught the whispers within. Granny Lang and my master seemed deeply immersed in a conversation.

“Maybe add more flame-spirit herbs—no, we might need a few leaves from the Divine Tree,” Granny said. “Only then can we really make the fertilizer stronger. But getting those leaves will be risky. Who do we send?”

“Zhang might be a good choice,” my master replied. “But then Labby too, with her swift form, she should be able to dodge demons and get there. But then Yan Yun or—”

I opened the door, making both of them freeze and turn toward me. For a second, both of their expressions were blank and eyes wide. Then my master spluttered. “Am I… hallucinating? Is that… is that…?”

He approached me a little wobbly—his body had deteriorated after losing his cultivation—but even those movements exuded sheer excitement and confusion. He grasped me, touching my shoulders and arms to see if I was real, and I pulled him into a hug.

“It is indeed me, old man,” I said, grinning. “How have you been, Granny Lang?”

Granny looked at me like a ghost had come alive, then coughed and adjusted her expression. “I’m not surprised. You’re that old man’s disciple and have consistently pulled insane feats.”

I chuckled, pulling out of the hug to look at the alchemy setup on the table. “Is that the fertilizer?” A large cauldron with an almost blindingly gold elixir being stirred. The heat off it carried that sharp mineral bite of high-grade stimulant solutions.

“Yes… yes it is.” My master nodded gravely, still couldn’t take his eyes off me, like he couldn’t believe I was alive. “What happened? You were fighting the demon god and then you disappeared, and the Divine Tree appeared and…” He trailed off.

I glanced at Zhang and he closed the door behind me. I took a breath, glanced at each of them and decided not to dress it up. Granny Lang’s hawk focus, my master’s trembling hands, Liuxiang’s steady presence by the wall, Yan Yun’s folded arms, Labby pressed at my side, Ash blocking the entrance to keep people from crowding us.

“I guess it’s time to give you a proper explanation. I’m sure you’ve had your own assumptions.” I gestured them closer; I traced a few quick sigils on the doorframe to dampen sound, simple enough with what Chi remained. “Have you approached the castle recently?”

Granny coughed. “Of course we did, boy. Initially to know what happened to you, and then to grab a few leaves from your tree for the fertilizer—it’s becoming a necessity day by day. The demon god—the closer you approach him, the fiercer his minions are. They’re a pain even to someone like Zhang. But we got close enough to see your corpse lying to the side. If not for that sliver of your aura we could sense on the Divine Tree, we’d have… we did assume you were dead.”

My master’s expression grew grave. “We assumed you’d done something to create that seal and that tree, but we did assume you were dead.”

Granny Lang went silent at that, offering no argument.

“Well… I did die,” I confessed, making all their eyes widen. “To an extent,” I continued, and their expressions shifted back into confusion. “I met the Qilin, the Divine Tree’s spirit. She brought me back from death.” To become a sacrificial pawn in her game, I added in my mind, but squelched the unworthy thought. That wasn’t fair to the Qilin; she had been clear, and she’d given me a choice and a path where there hadn’t been one.

“She used the last of her strength to buy us time, hold the demon god from destroying the world for now, but we only have a year to figure out another way.”

“Is that considering the time you were unconscious too, or after you woke up?” Yan Yun asked, eyes narrowing.

I opened my mouth and then shut it again. A very good question. If it counted the time I’d been away, then we had only nine months. My throat went dry. Nine months could be a lot, considering it had been only a little over a year since I entered this world. But it also felt infinitely short against an enemy like the demon god. How were we supposed to defeat him? I had no clue where to begin. Everything was destroyed. All the experts were dead. Who would I even ask? My master? Granny Lang? Those were my only real options, right?

A somber silence settled over the room at my words. The cauldron’s surface ticked—tiny popping sounds as bubbles broke. I watched them just to give my eyes something that wasn’t despair.

“Nine more months,” Liuxiang finally spoke. “That is quite a short period. Do you know a way to stop the demon god, Lu Jie?” she asked, almost desperately. Hidden well, but obvious to anyone who knew her.

I opened my mouth, then closed it again. Did I? Truly? Could I tell them it came down to sacrificing myself? Bring them pain now? It would be necessary when I eventually had to do it.

If I had to. I still might find another way. That wasn’t guaranteed. Until I was completely sure there was no way out, I didn’t want to reveal it. No need to bring pain in advance over something that may not be necessary at all in the end.

So I simply nodded. “I do have a surefire way. But I need to research it a bit.”

At this, Liuxiang nodded, relieved enough to let tension out of her shoulders. The others took the breath with her. Hope, however thin, has weight; you feel it ease when you put it down.

“You should go visit Zhou Fang,” my master said. “The boy has done an admirable job keeping the Seventh Peak running and assisting us, and knowing that you are alive will remove a large burden from his shoulders.”

“I shall.” I said, when I realized I hadn’t seen Qiao Ying, Su Lin, or Cao Chen yet, “Where’s Qiao Ying? Su Lin and Cao Chen, those two should be hanging around you, right, Granny Lang?”

“They’re helping the spirits in the North,” Granny Lang explained, “They should be back soon. Your retainer will probably come back sooner than Su Lin and Cao Chen, those troublesome brats.”

I nodded in realization. It was a pity they weren’t here, especially since I wanted to see them too, but hey. They’ll be back soon. Standing up, I moved towards the door and was about to open it when my master’s voice stopped me.

“I truly am glad you’re back, Lu Jie.”

I flashed a smile at my master. “So am I, master.” I then opened the door, stepping outside.

Zhang followed behind me.

“I can get to the lord’s castle myself, you know,” I spoke.

Zhang shook his head. “I am, will be, and was your personal sword, brother. I’m not letting you go alone.”

Labby popped up behind him, nodding so vigorously her hair-fluff bounced. “Labby will follow Master too.”

Sheldon and Ash exited the room as well, looking at me determinedly. Yan Yun and Liuxiang also stepped out, clearly about to say the same thing.

Granny Lang’s voice echoed from inside, interrupting them. “We do need help to get the leaves and continue our plans, remember?”

Yan Yun groaned, and so did Zhang. He looked immensely conflicted, glancing toward the house and then back at me.

Duty is simple when there’s only one thing to do. When there are two or three or a dozen, it stretches you thin.

“Don’t worry, Zhang, I’ll be fine. How about this? I’ll take Sheldon, Ash, and Labby with me. Surely you don’t think they won’t be able to protect me? Surely you don’t think I won’t be able to protect myself?”

I laughed at the notion. I was one of the most powerful people here, traditionally speaking. Few could pose a threat to me now, except the demon god himself and maybe some of his closer minions. And even then, there’s a difference between threat and inevitability.

Zhang still looked conflicted, but then he gave a slow, hesitant nod. He looked at Labby and Ash, then at me, then at the house again. He made the right call, the hard one, and turned back to help Granny Lang.

I smiled at him as I watched them head back into the house. For a second, it made me feel almost lonely that their plans didn’t involve me. But then, once again, I felt glad. I was happy they’d begun adapting to do things on their own. I didn’t want them dependent on me. Not when I might—

I didn’t complete that thought; sirens interrupting me.