NOVEL NEXT Chapter 14 - Raw Emotions
Jun broke the silence first.
"You are our ancestor." Jun said.
I am?!
It wasn't a question. Rather a statement or fact she had somehow discovered. Yin Hu wasn't sure how she reached that conclusion. He was not about to ask or look a gift horse in its mouth. The need for every and all misunderstandings in his favor required it.
"Recognizing the family's great tree so quickly," Jun shook her head. "An offshoot, but still the same in essence. Part of its mighty form."
Yin Hu reached with his hand. Touching the leaves and almost petting it like a tiny animal. He could feel it greedily soak up Qi from him with every brush. It almost seemed to preen at the attention and treat it had been offered. Its main trunk, thin and bending due to its own weight, began to straighten out. Cracking like an old person's spine.
Jun stepped closer to him. "It even recognizes your touch."
Greedy thing would recognize anyone with Qi!
He wondered if all trees in a cultivation world would basically be horror, murder trees if they get a chance to become anything more than mundane wood and greens. Especially if they had an appetite as voracious as this thing had.
"Is it true?"
Yin Hu turned to look at her. Confused.
Jun's eyes were brimming with tears. "The stories. They say you planted it with your own hands. Blessed it and the land it grew on with a mana pool. Giving rise to myth and legend." She paused. Then whispered too low for him to hear. "Is any of it true? Any of your tales?"
He nodded sagely. Not catching that last part nor the whisper it came out as.
This is good! Make more assumptions!
Kneeling before the tree but not touching it. Yin Hu wasn't about to get drained to death by this thing. Even if it supposedly had been planted by him and taken care of by his progeny. Mostly because they weren't true. None of it was.
"It is so," Yin Hu tried to keep his voice deep. But he was still unpracticed with speaking. It came out a harsh, raspy whisper. "Many, many years ago. I planted a tree—"
In his backyard as a kid. His mother was not pleased with the mess of digging and mud he made in her perfect little garden. A memory that kept coming back to him, reminding him of his great nemesis. The isolated island's big tree.
He began pressing his hands into the ground. And immediately regretted it. The tree's little roots had not been dug deep enough, catching his palm. It took a big gulp of his energy. Again.
Yin Hu tried not to snap his hand back.
Fighting against all his primal urges to get away from the Qi sucking demonic tree.
"—watered it. Propped its weakened trunk with grace. Watched it grow when others would have cut it down in its infancy."
Perfect lines! I have a talent for this!
It was quick to the point and a few words all together. Setting him up perfectly. He couldn't have done better if he tried. Yin Hu stood back up. Hid his hands in his sleeves but still refused to look directly at Hu Jun in case she somehow figured he wasn't who he claimed to be.
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Hu Jun laughed. It was not a good sound. Derisive. Laughing at him and herself.
Yin Hu turned to look at her in confusion.
"That tree. The land. People. My family and your progeny!" Jun balled up her hands into fists. Tears dripped from her face. Her voice increased in volume and octave. Struggling to stop it from cracking. "Everything was destroyed! Salted and barren! The entire Hu family is gone because of you! Our homes burned to the ground!"
All he could do was stare with wide eyes. Shock hidden behind his facade. Yin Hu had no clue what to do. How to deal with this. Or what the hell happened to cause such an intense outbreak.
The reality was simple: he wasn't their ancestor no matter how much he tried to sell it.
He couldn't possibly connect to what it felt like to lose everything and everyone. With the person that should have done something missing. Their guardian against the dark tides swallowed and vanishing in their most needed moments.
"Why don't you say something?!" Jun screamed. She wiped tears from her face. It did not help.
"I…" Yin Hu knew anything he said would be wrong. It didn't matter what words he chose.
Anger still morphed her face, even with the trails of tears dripping without anything to hold them back. She stalked up to him. He froze in his spot, unable to move. Yin Hu forgot his plan to escape if she approached too close.
Hu Jun jabbed a finger into his chest. "Where were you when my mother died?" She screamed.
She jabbed him again. Voice growing weaker. "When the clan elders and patriarch all sacrificed themselves to reach you?!"
Yin Hu let her release all of her pent up energy.
"Why didn't you answer their pleas for help?! All of us could have used your guidance. Your wisdom in our darkest time!"
Hu Jun hit his chest with a hammer fist. It did not hurt at all. Not even shift him slightly. Yin Hu thought she put no power behind it, not seeing the unintentional usage of Qi with it. Hu Jun started hitting again and again getting closer and closer.
Screaming and shouting unintelligible words he could not understand.
Unlike Hu Shui, her memories were crystal clear. The fear, panic, understanding what had happened. The consequences of the actions taken that day. Their journey until this point. Her and Hu Shui were both too young to be out here alone. Not in what amounted to a bandit camp.
Jun slowly lost strength. Slumping to her knees and covering her face. Sobbing.
Yin Hu lowered himself to her level. Holding her shoulder. Uncomfortable with the raw untainted emotion. It hurt to see something like this. Even if it was meant for someone else. A private conversation he was butting in without any real stake previously.
But not anymore.
"Where were you when we needed you?" She whispered only for the two of them to hear. Leaning into him.
He hugged her. Much like he had done for Hu Shui not that long ago. Jun may have been the elder. The protector. Hu Shui's guardian and parental figure all in one. But at the end of the day, she was still a young lady lost in a world that was renowned for being callous.
Only the strong survived. Even then only for as long as they maintained their incredulous growth in power.
Yin Hu let her cry into his shoulder. Patting her back.
"Please," She said. Desperate. Begging. "Don't leave us again. Keep us safe. Please. These people they want to hurt us. I can't do it anymore. Those evil looks. The Gang Boss. I… He… I don't…"
He grit his teeth. All his plans had been ruined. Even his backup plan of running worthless. It made sense the way she had acted so far. The fake exterior of ultimate confidence and capability. To keep the pariah's and wolves away.
But it was too much pressure for a kid.
This amount of stress broke stronger and older people all the time. The insanity of always searching for their next meal, protecting herself and Hu Shui at all times, and a constant paranoia for everything and everyone around her.
Yin Hu wasn't some ridiculously powerful ancient primordial ancestor. No fireballs or tornadoes to throw around. No earth shattering strength or Qi powered techniques to destroy his enemies. Just mundane human strength and abilities.
But he did have an advantage. A cheat he would use to its fullest potential.
The rice bag shifted in his robe. Eons worth of rewards given to him by the system. Maybe he couldn't unlock its power himself, but he had access to a world shaking amount of incredulous weapons. Cultivation techniques. Manuscripts. Resources. Spiritual herbs and pills and a hundred other items that he would use without shame.
Miraculous items each and all.
Dragonslaying this, world ending that. Universe devouring those and Phoenix burning hither. All primed to be used in his creation process. They would turn into nukes, whether they liked it or not. Blasting everyone he couldn't deal with yet until he could.
But first he had to secure their loyalty. Hitch them to his fate beyond a shadow of doubt. If he was going down, then all of them would go with him.
"I won't leave." He said.
Plans and preparations churning in his head. There was too much to do before a big baddie arrived or their ancestor decided to make an entrance. Hopefully he would have established enough good will to run away with his magical items.