Beast Empress Sovereign

4. Returning to the Black Cloud Sect

"Stop dragging me! I can walk! My legs aren't broken, just my spirit!"

Lin Ardent stumbled as the two disciples shoved him toward the massive, obsidian-veined gates of the Black Cloud Sect. The heavy iron-wood doors creaked open, exhaling the scent of burnt incense and old cold stone.

"Shut it, trash. We're doing you a favor. If Elder Lu hadn't told us to bring you in, we’d have left you for the vultures to finish," one of the disciples, a thick-necked man named Gort, barked.

"Favor? You've bruised my ribs more than that 'purple explosion' did," Lin whimpered, his face covered in soot, eyes wide with feigned terror.

"Look at this place," another disciple, a lanky youth named Jin, laughed as they crossed the threshold. "Home sweet home. Too bad your master isn't here to tuck you in, Ardent. Oh, wait, you don't have a master!"

Inside Lin's vest, a cold, slender form tightened its coil.

Master, please... just one flick of my tail, Nila’s voice hissed directly into his brain, trembling with a dark, melodic rage. I can enter that lanky one's throat through his mouth and exit through his spine. It will be quiet. Like a whisper in the wind.

Stay. Still, Lin commanded through their soul-link. One ripple of your aura and we aren't going to a shack; we’re going to the executioner’s block.

But he called you a worm, Lord. A worm!

I am a worm with a very hungry dragon in my pocket, Nila. Be patient.

"Ho there! What's this?" a booming voice shouted from the guard tower.

Bao and Qiang, the two primary gatekeepers of the Outer Sect, leaned over the railing, their spirit-spears gleaming in the twilight.

"Is that Ardent? I heard Fang’s hunting party hit a nest of Abyssal Hornets and got wiped!" Bao shouted, his face twisting into a grin. "How is the trash still breathing while Fang is dead?"

"Ask the heavens, Bao!" Jin shouted back, gesturing to Lin. "Elder Lu says Fang tried to activate some forbidden relic and it backfired. Pulverized everything within a hundred yards. This one survived by falling into the ravine like a discarded rag."

"Luck of the devil!" Qiang spat. "Hey, Ardent! Where’s that fancy snake of yours? Did it slink away and leave you?"

Lin reached slowly into his inner pocket and pulled out the small, obsidian-black serpent. Shadow appeared limp, her eyes glazed over as if she were near death.

"She’s... she’s hurt," Lin stuttered, his lip trembling. "Shadow saved me. She took the blast."

"Useless creature for a useless owner," Bao laughed, turning back to his companion. "Let him in. Elder Lu wants the investigation hall to keep an eye on him. Don't let him out of the sect grounds without a pass."

The disciples dumped Lin on the cobblestone path just inside the gate.

"Get to your hole, Ardent. Try not to die of fright before morning," Gort said, kicking a cloud of dust onto Lin's tattered robes before walking away toward the barracks.

Lin waited until they were out of sight. He slowly stood up, brushing the dirt from his pants. The Outer Sect was buzzing. Groups of disciples were gathered under the lanterns, whispering frantically about the loss of an Inner Disciple like Fang.

"He was the strongest in our tier," a girl whispered as Lin walked past. "If a monster killed him, what chance do we have?"

"I heard it wasn't a monster," a boy replied, glancing at Lin with disgust. "I heard a curse followed the hunting party because Ardent was with them. He’s bad luck. A walking jinx."

Bad luck? Nila’s voice mocked in his mind. They have no idea that the 'luck' is currently nestled against your heart, and she hasn't had her dinner yet.

Focus, Nila. We need to reach my hut, Lin thought. I need to check if they’ve been searching my room.

"Well, well. Look who returned from the dead."

Lin stopped. Three disciples blocked the narrow path leading to the "Shack Zone," the slum-like area where the poorest disciples lived. In the center was Zhang, a petty bully who had made Lin’s life a living hell for three years.

"Step aside, Zhang," Lin said, keeping his voice shaky. "I'm exhausted."

"Exhausted? From what? Crawling?" Zhang sneered, cracking his knuckles. "I heard you lost the hunting party’s treasures. Fang had three Jade-Spirit cores on him. Where are they?"

"They’re ash, Zhang! Everything is ash! Ask the Elders if you don't believe me!" Lin cried, trying to push past.

Zhang shoved him back. "Don't lie to me. A trash like you probably found a hole to hide in while the explosion happened. I bet you went back and looted the bodies."

"There were no bodies left!" Lin shouted.

Master, let me just melt his feet, Nila pleaded. Just the feet. He won't be able to chase you.

No, Nila! Just let him talk, Lin replied.

"Hand over your bag, Ardent," Zhang demanded, his eyes glinting with greed. "Maybe I'll find a Core you 'missed'. Or maybe I’ll just take your serpent and sell her skin to the herbalist for three copper coins."

Shadow’s body tightened. Lin felt his pocket growing unnaturally cold.

"Don't touch her," Lin said, his voice dropping an octave, losing some of its shaky quality.

"Oh? What was that?" Zhang laughed, turning to his cronies. "The trash is acting tough! 'Don't touch her'! What are you going to do? Sneeze on me?"

"I told you, Zhang. Step aside. I’m not in a good mood," Lin warned.

"I don't care about your mood! Hand it over!"

Zhang reached out, his hand swinging toward Lin’s vest.

In that split second, Lin felt a surge of energy through the Sovereign Brand on his arm. It was Nila, feeding him just a fraction of her strength. Lin didn't use a technique. He didn't even use Qi. He simply moved with a speed that defied Zhang’s logic.

Lin grabbed Zhang’s wrist. Crackle.

"AGHHH! MY WRIST! LET GO!" Zhang screamed, falling to his knees. "WHAT IS THIS? YOUR HAND... IT’S COLD AS ICE!"

The two cronies stepped back, terrified by the sudden change in Lin’s eyes. For a moment, the dull, brown eyes of a trash disciple were replaced by a cold, reptilian gold.

"I told you," Lin whispered, leaning down to Zhang’s ear. "Step. Aside."

Lin shoved him away. Zhang scrambled back, his wrist twisted at an unnatural angle, his face white with shock.

"What happened?" one of the cronies asked, helping Zhang up. "He just... he moved like a shadow!"

"He’s... he’s possessed! He must have picked up something demonic in that forest!" Zhang hissed, clutching his arm. "Wait until the disciplinary committee hears about this!"

Lin didn't look back. He hurried toward the outskirts of the sect where the trees grew thick and the grass was untended. Finally, he reached his shack—a sagging wooden structure with a roof that leaked every time it rained.

"Nila, stay alert," Lin muttered aloud as he reached for the door.

"I don't need to be alert to tell you your home has been violated, Lord," Shadow hissed, emerging from his vest and slithering to the floor.

Lin looked at the door. It wasn't just open; the lock had been smashed with a hammer.

"Bastards," Lin cursed.

He pushed the door open. The interior was a disaster. His thin mattress had been ripped open, hay scattered everywhere. His cooking pot was shattered. Even his spare disciple robes were torn into shreds.

"They were looking for the cores," Lin realized, clenching his fists. "They didn't even wait for the smoke to clear in the forest before they came to raid my hut."

"Humans are such efficient scavengers," Nila whispered, her form shimmering.

The small serpent's body elongated, the air thickening with a purple haze. Within seconds, the statuesque First Empress stood in the cramped, broken shack. She had to hunch her shoulders slightly because the ceiling was too low.

"Master, your nest is disgusting," she said, looking at the mess with a disgusted curl of her lip. "How do you sleep in such a hovel?"

"I’m poor, Nila. That’s why the hunting party brought me along—to be the bait," Lin sighed, sitting on a broken chair. "It wasn't much, but it was mine."

"Now it is rubbish," Nila said, picking up a handful of ripped fabric. She looked at Lin, her eyes glowing in the dark. "Do you see it now, Lin? The world of light you cling to? They don't want you. They want what you have. When you have nothing, they want to destroy what little remains of your pride."

"I know," Lin said, his voice hollow. "I’ve known that since the day I entered this sect."

"Then why do we stay?" Nila asked, kneeling beside him, her black-scaled armor clinking softly. "Give me the word. I can level this entire sect by midnight. We can take the mountain for ourselves. You can be the Sovereign of the Black Cloud Ruins."

"And the empire’s army would be here by dawn," Lin countered. "The Sect Leader is strong. He hasn't moved for fifty years, but he’s a beast in human skin. No, we stay because I need their resources. I need their library. And I need their high-tier hunting grounds to help you grow."

"Resources?" Nila smirked, touching the Sovereign Brand on his arm. "Master, your body is a desert. You are trying to grow a forest with a single drop of water. You need Spirit Stones. Many of them."

"I’ll get them," Lin said. "The Autumn Tournament is in two months. The winner gets a thousand high-grade spirit stones and a passage to the Earth-Grade cultivation caves."

"Two months is too long. I’m hungry now," Nila complained, leaning her head on his knee.

Lin was about to reply when Shadow’s head snapped toward the door.

"Master," she whispered, her form already dissolving into mist. "Hide the mark. We have a visitor. A strong one."

"Lin Ardent! Get your wretched self out here!"

The voice was like a whip-crack, carrying the resonance of a high-level cultivator.

Lin's blood went cold. He knew that voice. It was Han—Senior Disciple Han, the brother of Fang. And unlike his brother, Han was already at the late stage of Qi Foundation, only one step away from becoming an Inner Core disciple.

"Nila, hide," Lin whispered frantically.

Shadow vanished into the corner of the room. Lin stood up, forced his breathing into a jagged, panicked rhythm, and stepped out onto the porch.

Standing there, surrounded by five followers, was Han. His white robes were spotless, and his jade-pommeled sword reflected the moonlight with a murderous gleam.

"Senior Brother Han!" Lin said, falling to his knees as a sign of respect. "I... I was just about to report to—"

"Quiet!" Han roared, the pressure of his Qi slamming into Lin, forcing his chest against the dirt. "My brother is dead, Ardent. His life-tablet shattered in the ancestral hall at the exact moment you say some 'ancient treasure' exploded."

"It’s true, Senior! I saw it!" Lin gasped, his face in the mud.

"Liar!" Han stepped forward, his boot heavy on the back of Lin's neck. "My brother was careful. He wouldn't touch a forbidden relic unless he was certain. He had an Iron-Claw Eagle to protect him! How did you, a trash-level speck of dust, walk away while he was vaporized?"

"I... I fell into the ravine!"

"The ravine? Elder Lu said the ravine was also scorched," Han hissed, pressing his boot harder. "Tell me the truth, or I’ll tear your tongue out and feed it to the crows. Did you sabotage him? Did you poison his beast?"

"I wouldn't dare!" Lin screamed.

Master... can I kill him? Nila’s voice echoed in his head, a cold, vibrating threat. His foot is touching you. He is sullying your skin. I can take his leg off at the hip before he realizes his blade is still in its sheath.

Wait, Lin replied. If we kill Han, the Elders will hunt us for certain. Let me handle this.

"Look at me, you worm," Han demanded, lifting his foot just enough for Lin to turn his head. "If you found a single jade shard of my brother's, give it to me now. If I find it on you later, your death will last for weeks."

"I have nothing! Search me!" Lin wailed, offering his empty pockets.

"Search him!" Han ordered his men.

The disciples descended on Lin, ripping at his tattered clothes. One of them found the wooden luck-charm and threw it into the mud. Another found a small pouch of copper coins and pocketed it.

"He’s clean, Senior Han. Nothing but trash," one reported.

"Then he must have buried it in the forest," Han mused, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the dark shack behind Lin. "Or perhaps he’s hiding something in that hovel. Go. Tear it down."

"No! Please!" Lin cried, feigning panic. "It’s all I have!"

They are entering the shack, Lord, Nila whispered, her tone sounding amused. I am currently standing in the shadows, six inches from their throats. Shall I show them what's truly 'trash'?

Do not reveal yourself, Lin commanded. Unless they touch the black scroll.

Suddenly, one of the disciples stumbled out of the shack, his face pale.

"Senior... it’s... it’s empty. But... it feels wrong in there. It’s too cold. My skin is crawling," the disciple said, rubbing his arms.

Han frowned, stepping toward the door himself. He sniffed the air, his brow furrowing as he felt a residual aura that he couldn't quite identify—something ancient, vast, and fundamentally predatory.

"An odd chill for a spring night," Han whispered, drawing his sword halfway.

Lin held his breath. Nila was in there. She was hiding in the darkest corner, her emerald eyes watching Han’s throat like a spider watching a fly.

"Well?" Han shouted into the dark shack. "Who's in there?"

Silence.

"Probably just the smell of your own rot, Ardent," Han spat, slamming his sword back into its scabbard. He turned back to Lin, pointing his finger at his chest. "I’m not done with you. The Elders might be satisfied with the 'explosion' story for now, but I know my brother. I’ll be watching you, trash. Every step you take, every meal you eat. If you even cough in a suspicious direction, I’ll be there to cut the throat of the man who outlived his betters."

"I understand, Senior!" Lin cried, bowing low into the dirt. "Thank you for your mercy!"

"Mercy? No," Han laughed coldly. "I'm just waiting for you to lead me to the treasure. Let's go."

As Han and his group walked away into the darkness, Lin slowly got to his feet. He walked into his shack and shut the door with a trembling hand.

Nila emerged from the shadow of his bedpost, her tall, elegant form radiating a murderous intent that made the air hum.

"He touched you," she whispered, her emerald eyes burning. "He put his filth on your neck."

"It’s just mud, Nila. It washes off," Lin said, exhaling a breath he felt like he’d been holding for an hour.

"The mud of a dead man," she replied, looking toward the door. "Master, your path is blocked by small, annoying gnats. We must grow stronger. Faster."

"I know," Lin agreed, looking at his right arm. The Sovereign Brand was pulsing, demanding energy that his weak body didn't have. "We need to study that scroll. If there’s a secret to my own cultivation hidden in it, I need to find it before Han loses his patience."

"The scroll... it has more secrets than just me," Nila whispered, slithering back into her serpent form and curling around his wrist. "Rest, little Sovereign. Tomorrow, the 'trash' begins to learn how to bite back."

Lin collapsed onto his torn mattress, staring up at the leaking roof. The hunt in the forest was over, but the war within the Black Cloud Sect had only just begun.