The Jade Shadows Must Die [Cultivation LitRPG]

Rix let out a long breath as the man left his sight, his body finally feeling a modicum of safety. He'd been in fight or flight mode for what felt like hours. Too much had happened to process all at once, but one thing Breaker said was true. He did feel close to collapse.

Forcing his aching body to break into a jog, he began the journey back to the portal. He hadn't made it further than the Low Whisper zone the entire day, and thankfully he didn't encounter any fades on the way home. At that moment, he truly was devoid of resources. Belatedly, he realised it might have been smart to take advantage of the entropy field and refill some of his qi, but his mind felt pulled in a million directions. He wasn't thinking straight.

Yutaro and Kenzo had tried to kill him. That wasn't a surprise, of course, but it still left a visceral chemical impact that was only now starting to fade.

He was annoyed that he'd been caught off guard. Despite his best efforts, the week of inactivity had taken the edge off the threat and made it feel less immediate. He'd become complacent. That was a mistake he wouldn't make again.

At the same time, he'd survived. That was immensely satisfying, and said a lot about his progress. Admittedly, Breaker's intervention had played a part. Rix wouldn't have made it without that. But the world wasn't a fair place. In all honesty, Rix felt due a little providence. He sure as shit hadn't had much so far in life.

If he'd read the situation right, he was going to need an awful lot more soon. There was no way Han would let Yutaro and Kenzo's deaths go. The only hope Rix had to avoid further blowback was if the man didn't know they'd come hunting him. Perhaps then their deaths would be attributed to just another dive gone wrong.

There was no sense in worrying either way at this point. He'd spent long enough fretting about things he couldn't control. Yutaro had forced his hand, and he'd reacted as best he could. If things escalated again, well, he'd simply have to find a way to deal with it.

And maybe Breaker would help with that too. There was no denying that their interaction was deeply unsettling. The man had done an excellent job deflecting any sort of real questions. He was clearly powerful, powerful enough to see through all of Rix's secrets, but power and benevolence rarely went hand in hand. The fact was the stranger lived in the fractured realm. No, not just lived, but was trapped here. None of that obeyed the rules, as Rix understood them.

But towering over all of that was his offer. The opportunity to work at something stronger and more potent than the System itself. Rix still wasn't certain he believed that. It brought into question everything he knew and understood. But if it were true, it could be the answer to all his problems.

Spiritlock was quickly making it clear that Rix wouldn't catch up to Han on his own, let alone the other targets on his list. Advantages begot advantages on the Martial Path, especially in the prison where most were given only the minimum needed to survive. For that reason alone, Breaker's offer felt almost mandatory. Even if he was exaggerating the strength difference between the two, any source of further power couldn't be ignored. Rix's meagre supply of qi had already saved his life on countless occasions. With proper training and effort, who knew what it might offer him.

Though Breaker hadn't explicitly said anything, it seemed obvious that Rix shouldn't mention him within the prison walls. For one thing, Rix's own secrets were now wrapped up in this. For another, he didn't have enough of a grasp of the situation to even work out how to begin explaining it. What would he say? "Has anyone else spoken to a man who lives in the Fractured Realm and can change into a fadeborn?"? For now, he just needed to get out of the realm and decompress.

***

That night, Rix collected his meal — a bland stew and a hunk of dry bread — and found an empty spot at one of the less crowded tables. The conflict with the Iron Hand was far from ideal, but it did have the upside of making nobody really want to have anything to do with him.

He ate mechanically, the exhaustion from the day's events hanging heavy from his bones. He was halfway through his meal when a hush fell over the nearby tables.

"Where the fuck are Yutaro and Kenzo?" Han's voice cut through the quiet, tight and laced with anger. Rix looked up. The man stood over his table, flanked by another Iron Hand member, a slim, cold woman Rix didn't know. Han looked like a storm about to break, his jaw clenched, his big hands balled into fists at his sides.

Rix drew a deep breath. He'd hoped for a little more time.

With Han so close, he felt a brief, almost overwhelming urge to strike then and there. He'd waited so long for his chance at retribution, to hurt these people even a fraction of the way they'd hurt him. And now one of them loomed over him, just feet away, unaware and unprepared. With Energy Surge, Rix could be on him in a blink. He'd get in at least a few clean punches.

But it would be a futile gesture.

Rix simply wasn't ready.

Reining in his emotions, he tried to play dumb. "I don't know."

It didn't fly. Han slammed a fist onto the table. "You think I don't keep track of my people? I don't know how a dreg like you survived, but I promise it's temporary." He reached out and stabbed a meaty finger into Rix's chest. "You're as good as dead. You mess with one Iron Hand member, you mess with us all."

The man's rage was like a tangible thing in the air. It should have cowed Rix, but instead he felt a steely resolve settle over him. Han had made his decision. No matter what Rix said now, he was going to try and kill him. In a strange way, that was liberating. It meant he could let the mask drop, at least a little.

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Rix met Han's glare, then shrugged. "Seems like maybe they shouldn't have messed with me."

The man's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. Rix wasn't afraid to admit that felt good. The situation with Yutaro and Kenzo was regrettable in many ways, but the fact that it cut at Han this deeply was like a balm to Rix's soul. He wanted the man to suffer.

"You think this is funny?" Han spat. "I will cut you into so many pieces the fades won't even want you! I don't forget when someone takes something from me."

Rix let out a dark little laugh. The scar on his palm seemed to burn against his clenched fingers. "Neither do I."

Han looked momentarily confused, but he shrugged it off. "Next time you step into the realm, you're dead, runt."

The man held his gaze for another moment, then turned and stalked off, his lackey in tow.

Around Rix, the room still seemed to be holding its breath, but gradually, people returned to their conversations. He sat back in his chair, staring down at his dinner. Unobtrusive was no longer an option.

He had until next dive to think of something.

***

His first stop was Tolson. The man had seen everything that had gone down from his vantage in the kitchen.

"You're in a lot of trouble," he said gravely.

"I know," Rix replied. "Not a lot I could do differently, though. What was I supposed to do? Let Yutaro and Kenzo kill me?"

Tolson's frown deepened. "I'm not suggesting that. You didn't need to provoke Han, though."

Rix shrugged. "It felt good. Besides, he'd made up his mind."

"You might be right," Tolson said. "I think it goes without saying that you need to stop diving."

"Not an option," Rix replied firmly. There was no path forward that didn't involve getting stronger. He was still only a Mid Whisper, which meant he was below the threshold where his body could fully tolerate the heartstone technique. To stop diving was to sign his own death warrant.

Besides, he was done hiding. Han hunting him added urgency, but the mission hadn't changed. Get strong enough to kill the man. And every path to that led through the Fractured Realm.

Tolson pursed his lips, studying him for several seconds. "I get that maybe there's something else going on here, but unless you're the next coming of Weitan the Slayer, I can't see a world where you step into that portal and survive."

"Did you ever ask the Shadow Runners they'd consider me?"

Tolson blinked several times. "I floated the idea briefly, but they shut it down straight away. Too much going on, they said."

"What if you told them I killed two Iron Hand?"

The older man's expression grew thoughtful. "I mean, maybe that would help? That is quite impressive, by the way. Two on one and both stronger than you."

"Think I just got lucky," Rix replied, trying to sound nonchalant. "But don't tell the Shadow Runners that."

Tolson managed a grim smile. "Look, I'm not sure it'll be enough, but I'll take it to them. Who knows?" The man met his gaze. "In the meantime, try to stay safe."

"No promises," Rix replied.

***

Next, he tracked down Luna. He'd occasionally seen her in the training cells after dinner on the rare nights when he went more than once, and he found her there now. She never seemed to train with Master Zhen. Instead, she spent all her time running through complex, rapid katas against the wooden dummy.

He took a moment just to appreciate how impressively she moved. Her style was like nothing else he'd seen in the prison. He assumed it was her sect's style, though how she'd managed to bring it here he didn't know.

Soon enough, she spotted him watching. "Didn't realise I had an audience, or I'd have done something more than basic forms."

Rix couldn't tell if she was joking or not. "You got a minute?"

She nodded and walked over to the gate. "Judging by that little show at dinner, your knack for making enemies doesn't seem to be diminishing."

"They say you have to have hobbies in here," he replied glibly.

Luna studied him for several beats. "Did you really kill both of them?"

"Is that a problem?" Rix asked. He was still working his way through their deaths. Perhaps if his situation was different he might have the luxury of fully interrogating how that made him feel, but with a fresh axe hanging over his head, this wasn't the time for introspection.

"No," Luna said. "They were trying to kill you, right?"

He nodded.

"Then they brought it upon themselves," she continued. "'The weak feed the strong', as they say. I'm more impressed than anything. They were both High Whisper. And there were two of them. That must have been a hell of a fight." She looked wistfully off into the distance. "To be honest, I'm jealous."

Rix couldn't help but grin. "Well, it's funny you say that because…how would you like an opportunity to take part in round two?"

She cocked her head, her lips quirking up. "Well, this is a twist. What happened to mister 'I work alone'?"

"He now has the strongest man in the Farm trying to murder him," Rix replied.

Rix didn't like being forced to do this. Asking for help was uncomfortable enough, not even considering the extra risk that working with Luna might bring. But the fact was, this was the best option he had left. He liked Luna. Trusted her, to a point. And most importantly, she was strong. He didn't know that she had what it took to actually hurt Han, but she was already proving herself to be a monster in the arena.

"I know you offered already—" he continued.

"I'm in," she replied.

He blinked. "I wasn't done with my speech."

She shrugged. "Speeches are boring. Save it. You want help fighting some people. I want to fight more people. What more is there to say?"

"To be fair, the goal isn't to fight," Rix said.

"The goal is always to fight." She gestured at him. "Right now, we're talking, but the goal? Fight. I'm just currently failing."

She said it with such earnestness that Rix found himself laughing despite the situation. "How about this? We'll fight…as long as the battle isn't certain death."

She made a face and opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off. "I know you're about to make some joke about how 'those fights are the most fun' or something, but I'm serious. These people want to kill me, Luna. I need you to fully understand what you're signing up for. You've seen Han fight in the arena. You know he's a monster. And if he brings enough friends…"

Luna's face grew more serious. In that moment, she looked almost as uncomfortable as he felt. "I understand. But if we're 'getting serious', you got me out of a sticky situation last week that I may not have been able to extricate myself from. The least I can do is help you out of yours." She looked him straight in the eye, a hint of levity returning to her face. "So yes, I will be your bodyguard."

Rix let out an exasperated huff. "I was thinking of you as more like an ally. A partner."

"Us High Whispers don't partner with Mid weaklings," she replied, injecting more than a little faux haughtiness into her voice. "Beat me in a duel and I'll consider us partners. Until then, I will protect you."

The aggressiveness with which she said that drew another laugh and he raised his hands in defeat. "Fair enough. Although I might take you up on that duel." It didn't seem like such a bad idea anymore. If they were going to dive together, she was going to see his qi in action plenty more. Either she'd work it out or she wouldn't. Training together wouldn't make a substantial difference. And it would be good to have someone to spar against. His session with Master Zhen had been fun, but those training hours were scarce, and that likely wasn't the best use of their time.

Her agreement didn't guarantee his survival, but nonetheless Rix felt a weight lifted from his shoulders. He had a plan. He didn't have to stop diving and cower in the prison like a mortal.