Dong ZhenKang looked down from his seat of power. Far above the town where he had based his Silver Mountain Gang. The jewel of such a broken pce, sitting upon a mighty tree filled with spiritual energies that powered his array barriers.

  He was unquestionable. Beyond the reproach of anyone that called this pce home. Any that dared speak up disappeared quickly.

  Only rumors remained of them.

  Yet, no matter how he acted. How much pomp and fir he presented himself with. No matter what he said or how he said it, he and everyone here would be no more than this. Bandits. It was the limit of their fate currently.

  At any moment a dagger, hidden by the dark, would find him. His generals and advisors searching for any weakness they could take advantage of to usurp him. To be the person seated in this very throne he had built himself. Wear the mantle of Gang Boss.

  None are worthy!

  But that was neither here nor there. No coup or political ploys would happen if his Silver Mountain Gang did not exist.

  Dong ZhenKang called upon his Immortal Peak cultivation. Liquid Core Foundation realm. And the power of his dao and element. The wind answered with glee. Screaming and tearing at his surroundings. Picking up debris from the floor and trees to hide his figure. It gave him a mysterious edge.

  Presentation is everything! Impressions are worth gold!

  His body disappeared from his mighty seat. A flicker only for even the most trained eye.

  Dong ZhenKang reappeared near the edges of the barrier he had built. His greatsword appeared in his hands. Watching as the commotion grew louder before him. He stared, posing with as much flourish and pomp as he could, as his guards approached a pair.

  Two that had just entered his domain. One of them he did not recognize.

  People coming and going out of the raggedy town was quite normal. Refugees rushed to join them after his test recruitment drive. Sending arsons to burn their food stock and vilges tended to drive them to him like cattle. And those within the town left and returned to hunt, gather wood, and a hundred other tasks that needed doing.

  But this was different.

  When the girl entered and passed through the barrier. He learned exactly who she was and what her strength looked like. A common figure within these parts.

  Hu Shui. Guarded by my lovely Hu Jun.

  A Qi initiate from a supposedly illustrious family. Once in the past she had been important. Now the girl was nothing more than a vagrant that lived and leached off her cousin and guard. Hu Jun. No living members left in their family, just the two left to the wind.

  Perfect Hu Jun.

  Dong ZhenKang had to hide the smirk that crossed his face. That was a girl worth every moment it took to study her figure. Quick, intelligent, and with boundless potential to boot. Matching her beauty. She had even made it to the Gaseous Core at such a young age.

  His interest in her was the only reason many have not touched them yet. Keeping them from the bor camps or even worse fates. A brothel. That was the power of his favorable impression. If only the bitch wasn't so blind. Unable to see the position she was in.

  But time would fix that. As with all things.

  The Gang Boss looked down at the old man next to Hu Shui. Taking his time to study him. An anomaly he never encountered before. He hated anomalies. They always meant trouble for him and his peace of mind.

  He frowned. The very barrier itself seemed to rush away from touching him. It tore open, rushing with all its might from encountering him. Forcing his hand to repower that section with a wave of Qi that could have been used in a better pce.

  What treasure does the old man have? I need something like that—

  Dong ZhenKang’s frown deepened. His forehead scrunched. The guards spat on the ground towards Hu Shui. Dong ZhenKang had been very clear with them on what he expected of them. It did not include antagonizing every cultivator they saw—

  He gasped. Grabbed hold of his mighty bde. Every ounce of power within him surged. Nearly depleting his Liquid Core. The wind screamed and howled. A true storm whipped above the town making the trees snap back and forth.

  It did nothing to hide the sheer terror that crossed through his entire being.

  Hu Shui stepped back into the old man. “T-this is my Ancestor! Leave him alone!”

  It did nothing to dissuade the guards. If anything, it made them more irate and filled with bloodlust. They wanted a scapegoat. Someone they could beat for all they’ve had to suffer. It did not matter who as long as they fit the bill.

  “Death before dishonor!” the guards shouted.

  Pressure descended upon the entire town. Every person looked around, unable to understand what had happened. Too blind to see Mount Tai before them. They would doom everyone here without knowing what had happened at all.

  Six gazes locked onto them all from above. Connected to the old man.

  He was the source. Dong ZhenKang intended to cut him before whatever this pressure fell upon them. He gathered the storm within his hands. Sharpened it onto his bde. Gathered every iota of energy within him and prepared his most powerful attack.

  There was no way he would give the old man the chance to ruin everything he worked so hard—

  Silence descended upon the entire vilge. The wind died. His hands fell limp at his side. All the power he beaconed into his attack vanished. It did not exist any more. The core he was so proud of remained empty. It took everything within him to prevent it from cracking and ruining his whole life's journey.

  Dong ZhenKang met the Ancient Being’s gaze.

  Everything turned bck. Distant stars twinkled. Gaxies and things beyond imagination moved for the first time in eons untold. The primordial eras were children before this being. Something shifted within the stars. Locking onto him. Waiting for the command to turn him into dust. It waited with bated breath.

  How long does one need to exist for something like this to be reality? What kept such power hidden? How could something so ancient and destructive be alive for so long—

  Dong ZhenKang gasped once more. Reality returned. His wind snapped back and created a cp of sound.

  Six killing intents locked onto him. The ancient being leveled his spear at them. A mirage appeared in the skies. Six red dragons, glistening scales, anger and fury in their eyes. Each one rge enough to eat the entire town in a single bite.

  A smile of resignation crossed his face. They were all dead anyways so what difference did it make. Some left before others while some lived for eons. But at the end of the day, they would all eventually die. It was a w that governed reality—

  The guards screamed. Dong ZhenKang looked away to the sky. Past the six dragons that bloated most of it out. It would end with no one the wiser. Everyone, forgetting that a man named Dong ZhenKang had existed, struggled against all odds to get here.

  Cursed by that little Hu whore.

  He closed his eyes and waited. Then waited some more. The guards screamed some more. Shouting and fighting. But the inevitable doom and destruction did not appear.

  Dong ZhenKang snuck a gnce with one eye. He looked down to find all the guards alive. Wincing and grabbing at their wrists. But none of them were injured. Disgraced and embarrassed, but not dead. He remained confused until his eyes locked onto a new figure in the scene.

  Hu Jun!

  She stood graciously. Flourish. Bancing on one leg in a tree pose. A long staff held behind her. Perfection. Technique, timing, and beauty. Everything faultless and impeccable.

  He gulped.

  Dong ZhenKang made to approach them but stopped. His eyes creeped back to the little Hu girl.

  She called him Ancestor… Right?

  Closing his eyes did not stop the abrupt migraine. He allowed himself to slowly float away and back to his seat of his power. The magnificent tree seemed to lose its luster. His mansion seemed smaller, if not as rge as a can.

  All his hopes and dreams. Shattered.

  It took the matter of only a few seconds. Everything down the drain. But such was life. Giving and taking away with no obvious reason. Dong ZhenKang just needed to find another ultra-talented beauty to make his own.

  How the hell am I supposed to do that?!

  Zer0n1gh7s

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