Luo Ming stood side by side with Elder Qisi, looking at the huge, ancient door standing straight in front of them, spilling out an unnerving sense of power.
The symbol of the Luo Clan, a screeching black raven with crimson eyes, was beautifully, sinisterly etched into the smooth surface.
The two of them were deep within the Luo Clan, in a place whose exact location no one knew except the High Elders and the Patriarch.
Even to get here, Luo Ming had been completely blinded, his other senses sealed as well by Elder Qisi.
He made no fuss over it.
The Clan rules were clear and strict.
Still, he couldn’t deny a hint of curiosity about the location.
His thoughts came to a stop when Elder Qisi wordlessly approached the door.
She lifted her hand, holding a jade talisman with runic inscriptions running across its surface, and pressed it to the door.
The door glowed as Qi spread through it, lighting up a sea of inscriptions that shifted into numerous shapes. The simple sight made Luo Ming’s heart shiver.
Instinctively, he used his Soul Record on the door at that instant. He didn’t expect much, and yet...
[Door of the Main Treasury of the Luo Clan.]
[Artifact Rank: Unknown (Your rank is too low)]
[Description: A door filled with inscriptions meant to kill anyone who doesn’t hold the Jade Entry Talisman.]
’Oh my.’ Luo Ming marveled inwardly.
He had been wondering whether his Soulblade might work on objects, and not only on people.
This was the first proof. And the proof he needed.
’Sweet. With this, I can hope to find something good for me inside.’
With hope burning in his heart, Luo Ming watched the heavy door crack open down the middle, revealing a room so dark it felt as if the shadows themselves were alive — twisting, hissing, churning around themselves.
Elder Qisi turned her head to look at Luo Ming over her shoulder, a hushing wave of air gushing past them, and her voice echoed a moment later:
"Let’s go."
Luo Ming, however, didn’t move.
"Before we enter, High Elder, please allow me a moment of your time." He said, his face serious.
Elder Qisi paused, then turned fully toward him. Behind her veil, she arched a curious eyebrow.
"For what?"
"My situation." He replied, stepping closer to her, "I’ve been proven innocent of what they accused me of. You saw it yourself."
"So?"
"Help me find the one behind this." He proposed, now standing a couple of steps from her, "This frame wasn’t aimed only at me. It was aimed at my mother too, and you know that whoever did this doesn’t wish this clan well. I’d say this is no longer just my problem."
He paused for effect, then dropped his voice to a whisper.
"But ours."
"You might be right." Elder Qisi replied, her voice still steady and smooth, "And I do plan to look into it. But in my own way. I don’t need your help."
"You might, actually."
"You?" She said, in an obviously dismissive tone.
Luo Ming smiled knowingly, "Elder Qisi, you’ve lived far more years than me. You know nothing sharpens a man like a woman wishing his downfall. I’m no longer the Luo Ming I was before."
"I can see that. But it doesn’t change anything."
Luo Ming fell silent for a moment, watching Elder Qisi attentively. He wanted a High Elder at his side, to be able to act more freely.
But this one was proving difficult to win over.
’How can I convince her? What do I have that could help?’
There was his Soul Record, and...ah well, his looks too.
He hadn’t used Soul Record on her before, believing she was too strong for it to reveal anything.
But what if he did see something? He didn’t need everything.
Just something he could use.
With that in mind, Luo Ming decided to take a leap of faith and secretly activated his Soul Record.
A panel flashed in front of him.
[Name: Luo Qisi]
[Age: 87 years.]
[Cultivation Realm: Unknown.]
[Alignment: Righteous/Demonic Path.]
[Description: Her heart is in turmoil over the path ahead, torn between two states. She hopes to strengthen her resolve while searching for the one who framed Luo Ming. And yet, despite everything, she can’t help but find her descendant oddly beautiful.]
’Descendant? Beautiful? Me?’ Luo Ming thought silently, unable to help a smile, which surprised Elder Qisi, who was watching him.
’And if she’s torn between the Righteous and Demonic Path...I just need to push her toward the Demonic one. With my second Soulblade, that would benefit me greatly. But how?’
That was the question.
How does one make someone choose the Demonic Path?
What was the very essence of the Demonic Path, anyway?
To Luo Ming, it was following one’s own desires, no matter what.
Doing anything to achieve your path without a care for laws, morality, rules, or anything imposed by Heaven or by humans themselves.
So for Elder Qisi to walk the Demonic Path, she just needed...to be honest with herself and ready for anything.
With that in mind, Luo Ming took a step closer, his heart pounding in his chest at his own daring, and stopped just an inch from her.
Elder Qisi raised an eyebrow behind her veil. She stared at him, her mind once more entranced by his silver eyes.
"Forgive me for what I’m about to say," he began, "but after what happened to me, I’ve decided to live according to my own truth."
"What are you doing, Luo Ming?" Her voice was sterner than usual.
"I’m trying my best to get you on my side."
"By getting close to me?"
"By being honest with you. But honesty must be shared." He said, "Are you being honest with me?"
Elder Qisi was almost amused by Luo Ming, yet she couldn’t deny the subtle tension that had suddenly settled between them.
"You’re speaking to a High Elder. Behave."
Luo Ming knew that well. But it was too late to back down now.
"Tell me what you want." He said, his silver eyes dead serious, "Tell me your wish, and you’ll see I can be of help."
"You can’t help me."
"What do you want?" He asked again, "More benefits from my mother? Resources to help you improve faster? My mother is the King’s daughter with connections, she can help you. Or even..."
He tilted his head innocently.
"...help you decide between two states?"
Instantly, her eyes went wide.
"You!" She lost her composure for a moment, unable to believe what she’d just heard.
She stared into Luo Ming’s silver eyes and saw nothing but her own perfect reflection in their mirror-like surface.
Her heart began to pound uncontrollably in her ears.
"Well?" He said, "Maybe you need my help—!"
Elder Qisi moved fast — incredibly fast — grabbing Luo Ming’s throat before he could even blink.
He gasped, his eyes narrowing in pain, his breath caught in his throat.
"What...did you just say?" Her voice was cold, a deep, deathly aura spilling out from her.
Luo Ming felt his back run cold at the sight of it. However, what was done was done.
And he knew she wouldn’t kill him.
She couldn’t.
So he smiled, a forced one, deciding it was time to bluff.
"See?" He managed to croak, "I’m not as useless as you think, High Elder."
"I said, how did you know?!"
"If you strangle me like that, my mother will see the marks." His eyes smiled, "And you’ve angered her enough already. This time, she won’t stop until the whole clan tastes her wrath."
At his words, Elder Qisi’s mind stalled, and her anger, shock, and confusion began to settle, giving her back some control over her emotions.
She glared at Luo Ming, sensing the truth behind his bold words. She set her jaw tight and released his throat, sending him staggering back a step.
He coughed a couple of times, then lifted his head again, staring at her.
"You can’t kill me, and you can’t hurt me. My mother certainly left something on me to protect me after what happened." He said, straightening his back, "That leaves only one possibility."
He smiled beautifully, massaging his neck.
"Let’s talk, High Elder."
—End of Chapter 12–