Dance between Mortals and Immortals

Chapter 5.1

Blood dripped slowly into a small puddle of blood giving a small splashing sound that echoed throughout the room.

*drip*

*drip*

*drip*

A man stood chained up in a nearly pitch black dungeon save for the torch light that filled with the smallest semblance of light. Blood dripping down his entire body pooling near his feet.

His body was haggard, beaten, and his hair was grown out and wild. It was obvious that he had seen many nights of beatings from his tormentors. The last beating was too much for him and he was slowly bleeding out from months of wounds that had not healed properly. His body was chained up against the wall so his arms were forced to hold up his body as his legs lost all power to try and relieve the burden on his wrists causing his skin to warp unnaturally.

Over the man stood a masked figure who wordlessly watched as the life eked out of his eyes. A sadistic look flashed across the eyes that peered out from them. The man began to weep with the last of his strength as he lifted his eyes to see his tormentor. A look of pure dread filled his face with the realization that he would soon be dying, followed by a sea of anger.

*gak*

"The gods will punish you! Someday you will pay for this you will hang from the Phoenix gates of Xi'an" he said weakly coughing out a small amount of blood that dripped down his bottom lip.

"Bwahaha!" a sweet seductive left escaped the attacker's lips "really? Now I don't know, about that it isn't like the gods to be that caring is it."

“Yo--you are t--the devil.” His breathing and speech began to slow as the last bit of energy drained from his body as his blood flowed.

“Don’t you think? That if your deity you served really cared they would walk alongside us? Or perhaps do something to stop this torture?”

The man who had given what little energy he had left to argue with his torturer did not even try to explain this...his deity he had devoted himself to had completely been silent even in his dantain...there was nothing...no comfort.

“Don’t worry while your death is meaningless at least you die enlightened to the true nature of the gods of Sato.”

The masked figure crouched down beside the dying man. The mask hides the devilish smile on their face. "Besides how will I hang from the Phoenix gate when I will be the one sitting on the eternal throne you silly man."

Getting up the figure walked out of the chamber slowly their leather boots hit the ground feather like barely making an audible click. The door swung open slowly before the figure paused at the doorway looking back behind them.

"Oh and do me a favor and tell your precious deity on me It won't matter there is nothing any god can do to me that they haven't already done."

As the figure walked away the man's vision slowly faded away as he could feel his soul being tugged from his body. The last of his strength was released as his body's entire weight fell on the chains.

…

50 Years Earlier

Ryoma walked with pride as the crowds of people whispered to themselves an air of excitement to all those who saw him. He made showing himself to the public regularly made royalty seem less detached from the people. Of course Ryoma also liked to fancy himself an arbiter of justice; he was strict and uncompromising no matter who it was that broke his father's laws. If he had one criticism of his father who had little to criticize it was that he wasn't connected enough to his own people. Ryoma was determined to gain the respect and support of the people, something his father had, but lacked their adoration as well. His father was simply too disconnected from the day to day lives of the people he ruled over.

That is why when he demanded that little pickpocket to hang it wasn't out of spite. It was to give an example to all other pickpockets that age was not a factor in punishment granted the girl had tried the pickpocket the wrong person this day, had it been anyone else she may have simply got a severe lashing, but with that life came risk, you don't execute someone if they pickpocket a commoner, but nobility changed that. If he didn't show the people that they were indeed different they would get grandiose ideas of equality which just did not exist in this violent world. Those sorts of ideas led to rebellion and ultimately death for the common folks.

“My Lord? It is necessary to hang the child?” his young attendant asked.

“Law is clear on this. Quite clear. If I allow this child to get away with it others will think they can defy the royal family.”

The sound of the rope going taunt followed by the snap of the young girl's neck caused Ryoma to flinch and tense up his body even as he kept his calm exterior he took no joy in what just happened.

"What a sad day, this should not be celebrated" he whispered to himself.

Present day

Cui Xinya stood up before two disciples who were kowtowing to her asking her if she would take them as her first students.

Yawning she looked down at the mediocre talents "fight each other" she said stretching a look of disinterest on her face.

Both of them looked at the master with a little confusion "Sorry master you said to fight?" they both said in unison.

"Yes show me you are worth the effort." Cui Xinya said in a bored disinterested tone.

The two boys glanced at each other before leaping in opposite directions the first one muttered a quick prayer to his deity which was a minor river god. Condensing his ki he let loose a single ball of energy that had changed to take on the characteristics of his gods blessing his attack becoming a stream of pressurized water. The stream shot past the other disciples head cutting a few strands of hair from his head.

The other disciple leapt up into the air giving his deity a prayer as well before his muscles seemed to engorge themselves, his arms becoming twice their size. His god was Baul the god of labor so it was slightly surprising that he had already understood exactly what his gods blessing would do to him. It wasn't uncommon for disciples to immediately have innate knowledge that went more on an instinctual level once blessed by their deity. This wasn't something that all disciples could do however and I proved their innate talent was at least of the first layer of the silver level.

Cui Xinya was mildly impressed that the two were already this skilled with their deity; they didn't have reason to think that they wouldn't be worth tutelage under any other master, but Xinya had higher standards than this. They are…predictable. So unfortunate. When your ki changed you had innate knowledge of some of its functions ingrained on your soul. So it wasn’t that impressive that they could use their abilities quickly.

The other student descended his fist colliding with the ground leaving a small fist imprint into the ground missing the other students by no more than a meter, as he used his fluid like movements to dodge around him to strike him from behind as he was in his crouched position. The other muscle headed student sneered as he lifted his body into the air twisting around he sent his heel into the other students ribs with a sickening crack.

The first disciple's eyes widened as he was sent flying into a tree his slumped against the tree spitting out a mouthful of blood. The impact caused the surrounding onlookers to winch for the second disciple.

The second disciple rose up smiling bowing before his opponent before turning to who he thought would be his new master.

"Master Cui Xinya" he bowed "I hope that was satisfactory for you Master Xinya."

Xinya looked at the student lazily "ehh mediocre" the words fell like a hammer on the second disciple.

His face looked like it had been slapped by his lover, his face became red from embarrassment "bu-- but master! I clearly won that altercation and showed my raw strength!"

Cui Xinya sighed and looked at him slightly annoyed as she lifted herself to sit up properly in her chair that she had been slouching on. "Really? You were sloppy and had your opponent been any other person you would have been killed in really combat. You left your back open to that other student's attack. You were brash and thick-headed. Therefore I have no time for you. Many other Master's would have gladly taken you, but you in your arrogance thought that you'd be able to become my first disciple? Leave me." Her tongue stabbed out words like daggers that hit the large student to his core.

The second disciple went over to his opponent as he helped him limp away both of them their dreams crushed. Cui Xinya had little patience for inadequacy if they had not learned these basics from the outer court then she couldn't waste her time with them.

Cui Xinya was irritated already and the day had just begun.