Dancing on the golden ashes

Eun-Woo silenced the man by stuffing a pinecone he'd found on the ground into his mouth. Without wasting any more time, we moved deeper into the forest.

Eventually, we came across a small cave. Jieun, ever resourceful, conjured a rope from her celestial energy, and we used it to securely tie up the idiot we had captured.

"So, are you going to be obedient and answer all our questions, or would you prefer to Dual Cultivate with that pinecone still in your mouth?" I asked coldly, locking eyes with him.

His body trembled violently, and he nodded his head in frantic agreement.

"Good. Start by telling us your name."

I slowly stepped closer, keeping my gaze fixed on him as I pulled the massive pinecone from his mouth. It was disgusting, but I had to maintain the bravado. If I showed any hesitation, he might think we were all talk.

He looks like the typical coward... barks only when dealing with those weaker than himself. But today, he'd barked up the wrong tree.

"I'm Huang Gou Dan, an outer disciple of the White Tiger Sect!" he spat, his tone laced with newfound arrogance. "If you dare harm me, I'll have your heads fly! My master will be here soon—I'm sure he's already sensed something amiss, since we were supposed to meet up shortly. You don't know who you're dealing with!"n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Suddenly, his cockiness resurfaced, emboldened by the mention of this supposed master.

"So, dual cultivation it is. Good. I like this guy," I said with a cold smirk. Then I turned to Jieun. "Jieun, go play outside. You're not allowed to watch this."

"Eh...? Why?" she whined, her golden eyes wide with curiosity. "I wanna see what dual cultivation is! Pleeease!"

I sighed, shaking my head. Some things were better left unseen by kids. Read latest stories on empire

"No talking back. Now go and guard the entrance," I said coldly, my tone leaving no room for argument.

"Fine..." Jieun pouted but obeyed, stepping out of the cave.

Once she was gone, I cloaked the entire cave in black energy, masking it from the outside world.

"No! I was just kidding!" Huang Gou Dan's voice trembled as panic set in. "Please, no! I'll be obedient! I promise—I swear!"

I clenched the pinecone tightly, and soon, the cave was filled with screams of agony that echoed off its walls.

Twenty minutes later, I emerged from the cave, dragging the still-tied man behind me. His face was pale, his body trembling as if the fight had been drained out of him.

Eun-Woo stood beside me, his expression tense, and kept casting me uneasy glances. He had been there the entire time, holding the man down during the process. I could tell the experience had shaken him.

But if I didn't teach certain people proper manners, how else would they learn to be obedient?

The entire experience left me feeling sick to my stomach, yet a part of me... enjoyed it. Am I crazy? I wasn't sure. But at least now, he'd talk.

"Big Sister Gaon, you're finally out! It was so boring here..." Jieun pouted, crouched on the ground playing with some insects. Then her eyes flicked to the man. "Eh? Why is he crying? Did he not like that Dual Cultivation?"

Her innocent question almost made me burst out laughing, especially when the man visibly shuddered at her words.

"Oh no, not at all," I replied with a grin. "I think he enjoyed it a bit too much."

The man was reduced to tears, his eyes vacant and hollow. As he shuffled along, his legs awkwardly wide apart, it was almost comical—almost. But one thing was certain: he'd never dare to be cocky again.

"Now, tell us—what did you mean when you said we're in the Soul Bend stage?" I asked, holding him firmly by the arms from behind as we walked.

"What do you mean? It's basic knowledge..." he muttered.

"You want another round?" I replied coldly, my tone cutting through his hesitation.

His body stiffened, and he quickly changed his attitude. "Soul Bend is the second realm of Immortal Cultivation. You're all in that realm," he said, his voice now trembling with compliance.

"Good. Now tell me all the stages you know."

I needed to memorize this information well since the useless Goddess of Fire had left me to figure everything out on my own. This was the perfect opportunity to fill in the gaps.

"There are ten stages known to me," he began, his voice steady but cautious. "The first is Soul Birth. Every person is born in this stage—it's impossible not to possess it, as it forms the foundation for all creatures. It's the most basic stage, where one learns to control the soul energy within themselves."

He explained slowly, his gaze darting nervously as we paced in circles around the cave.

"Continue," I urged, my tone firm when he paused for too long.

"Each person must overcome nine challenges to advance further," he explained cautiously. "These challenges vary for each individual. Some need to delve deeper into understanding themselves, while others must study ancient scripts to comprehend the soul's nature better. But as long as your soul grows stronger, passing the challenges becomes almost automatic."

"So, what about the second stage—the Soul Bend you mentioned?" Eun-Woo interjected.

"Tsk..."

"Did you just click your tongue at us!?" I snapped, my aura flaring as I fixed him with a cold stare.

"No, NO!" he stammered, his body stiffening in fear. "The second stage is similar, but the challenges differ. In this stage, one must learn to control their soul energy. The better your control, the faster your strength grows and the quicker you can reach the next stage!" His voice rose, almost a scream, desperate to avoid another punishment.

"Then what stage are you in?" I asked, my tone calm but firm.

"I... I'm a stage above you. I just reached the Soul Orb stage," he muttered, his voice barely audible. His embarrassment was clear—losing to us must have stung his pride.

"Explain," Eun-Woo barked, his voice sharp and commanding.

"I-It's the stage where one forms an orb inside their soul," he stammered. "Nourishing that orb drastically increases soul power. Each challenge in this stage is tied to the size of the soul orb. For example, when one forms the basic orb, it's typically around ten centimeters in diameter. Some geniuses, though, can form orbs as large as a meter—but those are as rare as phoenix feathers..."

His tone turned flat, almost resigned. "I don't have a cultivation method for this stage yet. I only recently joined the sect and advanced to the Soul Orb stage. I swear I don't know much."

Then, as if sensing an opportunity, his demeanor shifted. "But if you follow me back to the sect, I can vouch for you! My master would love to accept disciples like you—especially you, Big Sister. Your talent is unparalleled, unmatched in this world! Even the gods would bend to you!"

His sudden attempt at flattery made my stomach churn. Does he think sweet-talking me will get him out of this? Pathetic.

"Enough," I said sharply. "We need to think this through. There's no guarantee you wouldn't sell us out the moment we stepped foot in your sect. Then what? We'd be dead. Is that your plan?"

Huang Gou Dan struggled briefly against his bindings, but after a moment, he stilled. "No, of course not... I swear I'll keep you all safe in there!" he said, his voice dripping with insincerity.

I could almost smell the lies pouring out of his mouth—or maybe it was just his breath, which reeked so badly it was hard to tell the difference.

That's when I noticed the small pouch holstered to his hip. Without hesitation, I snatched it. "What's this?" I asked, inspecting it closely.

"Ah! That—it's nothing! I swear, there's nothing inside! Please, I beg you, don't search my soul pouch!" he exclaimed, his voice rising in panic. His sudden shift in behavior was almost comical—but also suspicious.

"Is that so..." I said, narrowing my eyes as I reached into the pouch. His gaze darted nervously, and his expression twisted into something strange when I found... nothing.

How odd. His reaction wasn't fake... of that, I was certain. But if there was truly nothing inside... perhaps...

I channeled a small amount of soul energy into the pouch, and suddenly, my mind was overwhelmed by a vast, endless void. Inside, I saw towering mountains of small, shimmering blue gems.

Soul stones? I thought, mesmerized. Their beauty was breathtaking, and the pure energy radiating from them was almost intoxicating. I knew immediately—I'd hit the jackpot.

Curious, I directed a larger amount of energy toward the pouch, and my mind quickly calculated the haul. Seven hundred thousand soul stones... My thoughts raced. Wow.

But that wasn't all. The space was filled with an array of weapons and scrolls, which immediately struck me as suspicious. Hadn't he just claimed he didn't have a cultivation method?

Focusing my energy on the scrolls, I felt the pouch react. A brilliant multicolored light burst forth, and at least ten scrolls emerged, landing neatly on the ground beside me.

Huang Gou Dan's face drained of color, his terror unmistakable.

"That! No—wait! My brain must have been acting up!" Huang Gou Dan stammered, his voice frantic. "I just remembered—I have short-term memory loss! Yes, that's it! These are cultivation scrolls I obtained not long ago... hahaha... how could I have forgotten?" His laughter turned manic, desperation oozing from every word.

He knew that there was no escaping his fate this time.

"You're now useless to me," I said coldly.

With a flick of my finger, flames erupted around his body. His screams echoed through the cave as he flailed, consumed by the fire. Moments later, the screaming stopped, and nothing remained but a pile of ashes scattered across the ground.

I stared at the remnants, unflinching. I would never spare anyone who harbored malicious intent toward me or my friends.