Immortal Paladin

353 Finger's Price

Dave and Joan exchanged another long look, and I could tell from the slight flicker of qi between their brows that they were still arguing through Qi Speech. Their faces were calm, but their auras betrayed the tension beneath. A faint pulse of golden light trembled between them before Dave finally exhaled softly, straightening his back like someone who had conceded a debate.

He faked a cough and said with practiced composure, "I believe we can make this work, My Lord."

"Thank you for your generosity," added Joan, though her tone still carried the faint edge of lingering stubbornness.

They began holding hands again, fingers intertwining, Dave's thumb brushing hers lightly. I couldn't tell if it was affection or an unspoken truce, but the atmosphere around them softened. Ugh… this wasn't a bad result, honestly. I had expected worse. If anything, I was relieved they hadn't started another argument in front of me.

Still, I wasn't entirely done. I leaned back in my throne and studied them both. Their faces reflected devotion and determination, but I could sense the friction between duty and sentiment. A rift had clearly formed between them, not from love or betrayal, but from purpose. There were two people torn between their own responsibilities.

And truth be told, Dave's duties to me didn't need to clash with Joan's to her people. If I could find a way to reconcile those paths, maybe both would grow stronger from it. I'd let them have their freedom, but under my conditions.

I faked a cough, straightened my robe, and said, "However, I have a condition."

They both tensed immediately, hands tightening around each other's. Joan's eyes sharpened, while Dave's expression turned solemn.

I revealed, "The two of you must regularly return here to the Holy Ascension Empire. Dave, you'll coordinate with the faith of the Great Guard. Since I'll be sending Da Ji away for a mission, you'll be working closely with Jia Yun for now. Make sure the faith remains stable in my absence."

Dave bowed slightly. "Understood, My Lord."

I continued, "As for you, Joan, I need you to look after Yi Qiu."

I gestured toward the massive man lying in front of the throne. His body rose and fell in heavy, rhythmic breaths, and a loud, thunderous snore echoed through the hall. The palm mark on his chest still pulsed faintly, though the divine healing I'd placed on him kept the corruption dormant for now.

Joan's brows furrowed. "You want me to tend to him?"

"Yes," I said. "The Martial Alliance has fallen, but Yi Qiu's knowledge, discipline, and connections are invaluable. His body's condition is… unstable, but I trust you'll find a way to manage it. Treat him as both patient and ally. I'll need him alive when he wakes."

Dave glanced at the snoring man and then back to me. "I meant to ask earlier, My Lord, but what is the Alliance Master doing here in this state?"

I smiled faintly. "That," I said, pointing lazily toward Nongmin, "is something he'll tell you himself."

Nongmin, who had been silent throughout the exchange, stepped forward. His silver robes fluttered as faint energy rippled from the formation still attached to his blindfold. "I shall do my utmost," he said with a slight bow. "There are layers of meaning and consequence to Yi Qiu's appearance here. You will understand once you've been briefed in full."

"Good." I nodded, then turned my gaze back to the couple. "Dave, Joan, I trust there's no need for me to repeat this, but don't neglect your cultivation. Your journey is both spiritual and practical, and I expect your strength to reflect that."

They both nodded firmly, their expressions disciplined again.

"Speaking of cultivation," I continued, "I have a personal request."

Their attention sharpened.

"Dave," I said, "take in Yuen Fu as your squire. I know, he's my disciple, but I believe he'd benefit greatly from your words. I will bestow upon him my Heaven Soul, and I want you to guide him along the Paladin's Path. Help him awaken his true potential. If all goes well, he should be able to reach Divine Transformation, perhaps even the Ascended Soul Realm. He has the aptitude for Martial Ascension, and I believe you're already familiar with its principles."

Dave nodded, eyes glinting faintly. "I am. I've read references to the Martial Ascendants in the archives back when I was the master of the Adventurer's Guild. It's a difficult path, but not impossible. With your Heaven Soul, the boy might truly transcend the mortal frame."

"That's the idea," I said simply. "But don't let him overtake you, okay?"

For a moment, the only sound in the hall was Yi Qiu's snoring. I let the silence stretch, then dismissed them with a wave of my hand. "You may go. Nongmin will brief you on the situation, and he'll escort you to the infirmary."

Dave bowed low. Joan followed suit, though her gaze lingered on me a moment longer, as if she wanted to say something but thought better of it. Dave then bent and carefully lifted Yi Qiu's massive frame onto his shoulder with surprising ease, his holy aura flaring briefly to support the weight.

Nongmin inclined his head and turned toward the corridor. "Follow me, please," he said.

The three of them, Dave, Joan, and the sleeping Yi Qiu, followed Nongmin out of the hall. Their footsteps echoed against the polished floors until the sound faded entirely, leaving only me, Alice, and the faint shimmer of the formation lights.

I leaned back, rubbing my temples, feeling the tension ease just a little.

"One problem down," I murmured to myself. "A thousand more to go."

It sucked being so busy.

With a single thought, I sent my intent into the Heaven Soul. The moment my will reached it, reality seemed to hum. The sky over the western border darkened as a divine presence stirred. The giant eye, wreathed in spinning wheels of white fire and layered with halos of golden glyphs, opened once more. My Heaven Soul had been patrolling the borders, ensuring the Union's little armies behaved themselves.

I could already imagine the terrified soldiers down there, looking up and seeing that enormous eye with its endless wings blotting out the heavens. They'd probably shit their pants again. Good. Fear kept fools from doing stupid things.

Through the Heaven Soul, I sent my thoughts to Yuen Fu, who was stationed nearby.

"Yuen Fu," I said through the divine link, my voice reverberating in his mind like thunder rolling through eternity, "you are to meet Dave. He will become your mentor from now on. Prepare yourself… your cultivation path remains the same, but under his instruction, you should be able to improve faster."

I felt his spiritual energy spike in alarm, then calm into obedient acceptance. Satisfied, I withdrew my consciousness from the Heaven Soul and refocused on my throne room.

Ru Qiu's voice immediately broke the silence. "How long are you going to make us wait?" he barked, irritation bleeding through his tone.

"Please, calm down," said Gu Jie, shooting him a warning glance.

To my surprise, the infamous Heavenly Demon actually obeyed her. His expression softened, and he clasped his hands behind his back like a scolded servant. My eyebrow twitched.

Was he… trained? Conditioned? I nearly laughed aloud. The thought of Gu Jie treating Ru Qiu like an obedient dog amused me far more than it should have. The so-called Heavenly Demon, once the scourge of empires, reduced to this? Heh…

"Father," said Gu Jie, stepping forward, "I wish to leave the Empire with this group." She gestured at Hei Mao and Ru Qiu standing beside her.

"I refuse," I said flatly, not even pretending to think it over.

Her expression faltered, but I continued before she could speak.

"Your eyes are too precious, and don't forget that we still have no idea why the Heavenly Temple is targeting you. Did you already forget? They sent platoons after you with Tenth Realm experts and entire detachments! If that demon mutt next to you hadn't interfered back then, you'd be nothing but ash."

I waved a hand dismissively. "And your cultivation? Terrible. That little goldfish, Jingyi'er, already surpassed you! I'll admit, part of that is my fault. I made you juggle administration, research, and crafting duties… but still."

I leaned forward, voice sharpening. "Focus on cultivation first. How about this…? Reach Ascended Soul, and then you can go. I won't even bother you with work anymore. You'll have five hundred years to yourself. By then, I'll have kicked the Heavenly Temple's ass so thoroughly that even their ancestors will feel it."

The throne room fell silent. I hadn't raised my voice, but my tone had an edge that cut through the air. It wasn't just a command. Instead, it was a concern. Harsh, yes, but born of something deeper.

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She was my daughter. Not just my disciple, not my subordinate, but my daughter. And that meant something far heavier than any title.

Ru Qiu broke the silence first, thumping his chest with a proud grin. "Then I will protect her like I did back then! As long as she remains within my sight, no harm shall befall her!"

"Shut up," I snapped, glaring at him. "Heavenly Demon, I still don't trust you. You reek of trouble. And for the record… You always reeked."

Ru Qiu blinked, the grin faltering slightly, but his animosity was nonetheless stronger.

"Worry not, Father," said Gu Jie calmly. "Hei Mao will accompany me as well."

Hei Mao stepped forward and cupped his hands. "I shall not fail you, Master. I will protect Elder Sister with my life."

Brat… you were supposed to support my side, not hers!

Gu Jie met my gaze again, her eyes glowing faintly with that eerie brilliance. "I won't be reckless, Father," she said softly. "I won't reveal my identity as your daughter, nor act without care. But this journey must happen. There are forces at work… things beyond what I can currently comprehend. Ru Qiu's path and mine are entwined in this. His presence is vital for what's to come."

I frowned. "You're being vague again. What kind of 'forces'?"

She hesitated, her aura flickering. "Greater misfortune awaits, Father… vast, unfathomable, and closing in. The enemy this time is not like those you've faced before."

"How different?" asked Alice, her tone even, but her brows furrowed.

Gu Jie looked at me straight into my eyes and said, "I believe, Father… the enemy this time will be yourself."

The words hit like a blade of ice through my spine. For a moment, the hall felt smaller, the air heavier. I wanted to laugh it off, but her expression silenced any humor. She wasn't guessing. Instead, she knew.

She continued quietly, "Even revealing this much stretches fate thin. I should say no more."

I leaned back, fingers drumming on the armrest, heart beating harder than I wanted to admit. If it truly was me, that was very bad. A battle against myself? My future self? My reflection? My corruption? Any of those sounded terrible.

But no. Not this time.

I straightened, my tone firm and absolute. "No."

Gu Jie's eyes widened slightly.

"I won't allow it," I said. "Not now. Not until I understand what we're dealing with. Whatever misfortune is coming, I'll face it myself. You'll stay here and prepare. That's final."

I could almost feel Alice's gaze boring into me, but it had to be said this way if I wanted to drive the point home to Gu Jie. I knew how stubborn she could get, so I had to be extra harsh on her.

"There's no use talking to this pathetic inhuman," said Ru Qiu, his tone laced with contempt. "We should go, Gu Jie."

Black flames slithered up his arms like serpents, wreathing him in a dark corona that distorted the air. His Immortal Art flickered at the edges with challenge. The throne hall's temperature spiked, and the air was trembling under the oppressive weight of his world force.

I didn't even move.

Across from him, Alice's expression hardened. A faint hiss escaped her lips as crimson vapor seeped through her pores, the blood mist that heralded her incomplete Immortal Art. The scent of iron filled the room, and the space between them warped with killing intent so dense it made the spirit stones embedded in the throne hum in agitation.

Before the two of them could erupt, Nongmin stepped forward, his blindfold gleaming faintly with golden light. "Please," he said with quiet authority, "all of you, calm down. To display such unrestrained killing intent in His Holy Eminence's presence is a crime punishable by death."

Alice tilted her head, her voice smooth but chilling. "I'd be more than glad to deliver such punishment to him, though."

Of course she would. She was still irritated, probably because our spar had been interrupted at the best part. I could feel the itch in her aura, and that restless edge of frustration looking for an outlet.

Ru Qiu sneered, his flames flaring higher. "I dare you." His gaze shifted to me. "Da Wei, are you truly so much of a coward that you'd cage your own daughter? Are you so afraid of the world that you won't let her spread her wings? Is that what a father is to you?"

I sighed, dragging a hand through my hair. This idiot…

Honestly, I didn't know what irritated me more, his tone or the fact that he wasn't entirely wrong. I was worried. Unlike Dave and Joan, who could move from continent to continent with ease using their divine travel arts, Gu Jie's group had no such convenience. Even if I sent a clone with them, the Heavenly Temple was notorious for laying traps that severed communication and movement spells. Once that happened, even I couldn't reach them.

So no, it wasn't cowardice. Instead, it was realism.

Ru Qiu's aura continued to grow heavier, but he wasn't reckless enough to strike first. His fight with Jia Sen had cost him several layers of immortality. The once-feared Heavenly Demon was weaker than he looked, and we both knew it. With the Hollow Star shining faintly at my brow, I didn't even need to stand. He didn't have a dog's chance in hell.

"Say something, Gu Jie," he said, his impatience leaking through.

I turned to Hei Mao, my ever-loyal but occasionally clueless disciple. "What do you think?" I asked, eyeing him closely. "Is there a reason why you're tagging along with your elder sister? What did she bribe you with this time?"

Hei Mao stiffened, flustered. "Ah, no, Master! I wasn't bribed. I just… I feel close to a breakthrough. I think I'm near creating my Immortal Art."

That got my attention.

He continued earnestly, "I spent what felt like an eternity in Meng Po's world, meditating on the powers of the universe and the mysteries of the Underworld. Since I couldn't increase my layers of immortality, I turned to contemplation. My Abyss Sight and Shadow Song are close to unification. I believe if I travel with Senior Ru Qiu and Elder Sister Gu Jie, I will find that final insight."

The room grew quiet again.

A cultivator's "good feeling" wasn't something to take lightly. To a mortal, intuition was fickle. But for an Immortal? It was practically a law of nature whispering truth. If Hei Mao, already an Ascended Soul cultivator, felt that this journey would bring him enlightenment, then I couldn't easily dismiss it.

I leaned back, crossing my arms as I studied the three of them… Gu Jie, Hei Mao, and Ru Qiu.

Gu Jie's eyes glowed faintly, serene and resolute. Hei Mao's determination radiated through his posture. And Ru Qiu, arrogant bastard that he was, stood proud, defiant, but honest.

'So that's it,' I thought. 'Gu Jie didn't come here just to beg permission. She came knowing I'd fold once she gave me reason to.'

She always knew how to play me, and I let her.

The thought made me sigh again. I didn't want to admit it, but she was right. An Immortal Art wasn't a small matter. I had two myself, and I knew the cost of their birth, the convergence of understanding, power, and fate. If Hei Mao truly stood at that threshold, denying him might cripple his cultivation forever.

Still, something in my chest remained uneasy. The Hollow Star pulsed faintly, as if sensing the thought. The universe was vast beyond comprehension, filled with powers that mirrored or exceeded my own. If something like the Hollow Star existed… there were likely worse things waiting out there.

Before I could voice my concern, Gu Jie stepped forward and bowed slightly. Her gaze was calm, but her tone carried an almost prophetic clarity.

"Father," she began, "you and Senior Ru Qiu share something deeper than blood or enmity. You both walk parallel destinies… different paths that spiral toward the same end. The Heavenly Demon and the Holy Emperor… two extremes of will born from the same storm. If the Hollowed World is to survive what is to come, both must grow stronger."

Ru Qiu smirked faintly at her words, folding his arms but saying nothing.

Gu Jie continued, "Letting us go will not harm the Empire. Instead, it will strengthen it. This journey will not only forge Hei Mao's Immortal Art but also temper the ties that will one day decide whether this world stands or falls. This is not just our mission, Father… it's part of yours."

It was my first time hearing such words from her, and before I could even respond, Gu Jie grimaced sharply and suddenly vomited blood. The bright crimson splattered across her sleeves.

"Elder Sister!" cried Hei Mao, darting forward to catch her before she fell.

"What is this?" barked Ru Qiu, his flames flaring as he looked between us, clearly alarmed. "Is this your doing, Da Wei!?"

"Idiot, are you blind?"

I didn't think. With Zealot's Stride, I crossed the distance instantly and caught her just as her legs gave way. Her body felt cold and her pulse fluttered faintly against my hand. I pressed my palm to her back and released my Divine Sense, scanning through her meridians, her dantian, her soul threads… everything.

"Nothing."

There wasn't a single flaw, not even a fracture in her spiritual core. My brows knitted together in frustration. I wasn't exactly the best when it came to theoretical foundations, but this… this wasn't normal. Panic drove my next actions. I wove divine light through my hands and whispered,

"Divine Word: Life."

The light sank into her skin, but she still coughed blood. My jaw tightened.

"Blessed Regeneration!"

A second surge of holy radiance engulfed her, but again, her condition didn't change. My voice wavered despite myself. "You're not fine. Don't you dare say you're fine… look at you!"

Gu Jie forced a weak smile, even as blood trailed from the corner of her lips. "I am fine, Father."

"Fine?" I snapped. "You're puking blood, and you still want to go gallivanting off into danger?!"

Her smile softened, tired but unwavering. "It might stop," she whispered faintly, "if you let us go."

I froze.

I extended my Divine Sense deeper, past the limits of her body, brushing against the faint threads of fate themselves. No falsehood stirred within her. She was telling the truth. That terrified me more than anything. I realized something was restraining her, something that reacted against her trying to speak or act against fate itself. It wasn't poison or curse or even karma. It was destiny retaliating.

Ever since I gained the Hollow Star, my Divine Sense had evolved into something far beyond its limits. When I looked at my disciples, I could see fragments of their destinies, small scenes, faint colors, and glimpses of futures that might be. With Gu Jie, though, her fate had always been misty, tangled, and dark. Now, it felt like it was bleeding.

I exhaled slowly, tasting the bitterness of defeat.

"Fine," I said at last, my tone heavy. "I will permit your leave…" My hand clenched slightly before I added, "…but you're taking me along with you."

Before anyone could object, I lifted my hand and bit off my own pinky finger. The sound was a crisp snap, echoing faintly through the throne room.

I began the process of creating a clone in my unique method.

"Divine Word: Life."

The severed finger twitched.

"Blessed Regeneration."

Flesh and bone began to bloom from it like roots from a seed.

"Divine Word: Raise."

The new body shuddered, drawing breath for the first time. I then invoked the final technique, my voice lowering into divine resonance.

"Divine Possession."

A ghostly light emerged from my chest, the Ghost Soul, and descended into the growing form. The finger stretched, reshaped, and matured until a man stood before us. I wrapped him in flowing dark robes to match Gu Jie's group and summoned a porcelain mask to hide his features.

And then I blinked, seeing through his eyes.

The world doubled.

My awareness split cleanly between my true self and the clone. The connection pulsed like a heartbeat between us, the Hollow Star humming faintly at both centers.

I turned to Gu Jie, Ru Qiu, and Hei Mao through the clone's voice, calm but firm.

"This body will remain only at the Eighth Realm, the Heart Path. Consider it my way of consolidating my foundation while accompanying you." I folded my arms behind my back, the masked face impassive. "In this journey, Hei Mao is required to reach Divine Transformation. That's non-negotiable."

I let my Divine Sense flare just enough to make Ru Qiu's flames flicker. "And if anything happens to Gu Jie or Hei Mao," I added slowly, "I swear on the Hollow Star itself, I will gender-bend you, Ru Qiu, and send you straight to Jue Bu to live as a courtesan for the rest of your immortal life."

Ru Qiu's expression twisted somewhere between shock and outrage. "You wouldn't dare—"

"I would," I cut him off flatly. "So, you have to do well, you demonic bastard!"

A brief silence followed before Gu Jie chuckled weakly, wiping the last trace of blood from her lips. "Then it's settled, Father."

"Settled my ass," I complained, because that's the only thing I could do. "If shit went down to the level the lot of you can't take it, I am gonna 'Egress' you lot back here in the Empire, and then I will ground you for the next thousands years!"