121 Between Brother and Sister (1/2)
Two Ascending Dawn scouts were sent out to investigate the marshes, as per the Ivory Sword Saint's instruction.
The air was thick and wet, steam coating water. They did not even wait for dawn to rise, the pressing urgency calling them to action as soon as possible. Swarms of bugs hovered about and frogs sang as they always had.
”Did you find anything?” The male cultivator asked, hovering over the wetland on his flying sword.
His eyes scanned the landscape but he had no idea what he was even looking for. A spirit light hovered around to guide his vision but all he saw was swampland and croaking frogs.
His Shimei was looking without an uttered word, focused on the ground beneath her feet.
He sighed, they'd already been at this for a solid hour.
Perhaps it was all just a false alarm.
The reason why they were even out there in the first place was all because of that letter that found its way into the Ivory Sword Saint's study. An associate of his told the tale of seeing colossal beings burying themselves in the marshes.
But how were they supposed to find evidence of that?
Coming all the way out here in a rush, but they were not even given much detail on the creatures they were supposed to be looking for. Wasn't that a problem?
The young man did not have much time to privately complain about his situation. His Shimei waved him over to a particular part of the marsh.
She was hovering over a small body of water, her eyes pointedly glaring below. ”Come.”
”What is it?” He asked, curiously observing the surrounding area.
Upon closer inspection, it became clear that things were not quite right. For one, the water grass() in this particular area almost appeared gray, bent. No insects buzzed or swarmed around the water's surface, as though knowing about some sort of corruption that lay beneath.
It was certainly odd, but that didn't mean this was the thing that was detailed in the Ivory Sword Saint's letter, right?
”What's going on there?” The male cultivator nervously asked his Shimei, who rolled her eyes at him.
”How am I supposed to know? Let's find out.” Bring her hand close to her chest she signed out a few hand seals and called upon a spell.
A blast of air shot at the water's surface and exploded with a boom.
Beneath the surface and from the muddied depth there were long locks of black that shimmered almost blue in the light, like some kind of weird seagrass. Before the water could rush back and cover the area once more, the black strands slithered and moved. The female cultivator froze with horror as a deep blue face creaked out of the mud and stared blankly at her.
She didn't have the time to scream and only snapped her head to see her stupid Shixiong. He was screeching from the water that splashed up on him from the blast.
”Run!”
Angling her sword up for a quick escape was not enough. A large blue hand circled around her ankle and pulled her under.
”Shijie!” The male cultivator screamed, his mind uncomprehending as his Shijie disappeared from sight. When he went to look at the place she was dragged down all he saw was a thick smog of red that saturated the water and all the plants there. In the midst, he saw a large dark face.
Like a coward, he fled.
…
Liu Sumeng had neither time nor opportunity to find Chen Anyue. He was in the main hall, sitting with Chen Gaoyong and Chen Jiang. An anxious silence blanketed them.
The letter that the Ivory Sword Saint received from Hui Moxiang was set out in front of him. It was crudely written but its meaning and urgency were not missed. He had seen Fallen Gods march upon the wetlands. It was likely the reason why he himself had no understanding that the danger was that the Fallen Gods had already burrowed themselves into the wetlands by then.
The scouts were told to be quick.
Chen Jiang's face was twisted into annoyance as he busied himself with brush and ink. ”This isn't going to work.” He mumbled in complaint but still continued to write.
”Ju'er,” Chen Gaoyong sighed as he addressed his second born, ”I understand your apprehension but it's better than doing nothing.”
Chen Jiang sighed but added the last strokes to his letter. ”Hopefully, Dage will at least have some sense to return home.”
”Yes,” the sect leader nodded, ”I'm sure he will. I heard the north is doing a lot better… I'm sure they will have men to spare.”
Liu Sumeng did not share equal amounts of optimism as the Chens. He feared that even if the north was willing to spare them manpower, they were going to arrive too late either way.
”How goes the preparations?” The Ivory Sword Saint asked.
Chen Gaoyong's shoulder sagged a little, his eyes veering away, ”Ah, preparation? Right. Weren't you doing that? With my darling daughter. You would know better than me, no?”
Chen Jiang scoffed, ”Don't tell me you've been slacking? To think we even counted on you!”
Liu Sumeng's brow twitched in annoyance. His mouth turned taut, holding back complaints about how a sect leader needed to have more awareness. This was not his place. Plus, it was inevitable that he did not know how things had progressed the few days he'd been away.
Luckily, Sect Leader Chen was not a person who thrived on arguments and pointless finger-pointing. He did not like seeing his family members rioting against each other. ”Now, now. I'm sure the Ivory Sword Saint had been busy with things on his mind. Please be kind to each other, my children.”
The term of address was a little strange and Liu Sumeng did not feel entirely comfortable being called 'my child' by Chen Gaoyong. But he wasn't given much time to ponder the thought.
A harried young man burst into the hall, his face ghastly and breath heaving.