Chapter 68: Home I

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    Liu Jin throws up as soon as hes finished.

    He walks through Poison Fang Canyon in a daze. A minute. An hour. Liu Jin does not know how long it has been. He does not know how much time has passed since

    His muscles tense. His teeth gnash against each other.

    Dont think.

    Keep walking. Keep walking.

    Stay angry. Grab hold of it. Dont let go no matter what.

    If he does If he does

    His fist lashes out, striking a tree next to him. Splinters fly all over the place as the tree cracks and breaks under his strength. It falls to the ground a second later.

    He needs to get out of here.

    It is the one thing Liu Jin knows for sure. He needs to get out of the canyon. Left foot. Right foot. Keep walking. Left. Right. Left. Right. Keep angry. Stay angry. Left. Right. Left. Right.

    It is dark all around him. It is always dark inside Poison Fang Canyon. The trees have been left free to grow for centuries, their leaves forming a dense canopy that prevents most sunlight from breaking through. Only a few stray beams of light make it to the ground, leaving the rest of the canyon shrouded in darkness.

    As Liu Jin is right now, the darkness doesnt make a difference.

    Liu Jin isnt even looking at where hes going. He is too lost in his thoughts for that. Still, he does not make a single misstep. Constant trips to Poison Fang Canyon and back have left a mark on him. His body knows the way by heart even if his mind isnt thinking about it. His stumbling, dazed steps manage to avoid every single exposed branch on his way. That is how familiar Liu Jin is with his surroundings.

    And yet, he falls all the same.

    It catches him by surprise. One moment, Liu Jin is walking through the canyons depths, lost in his inner turmoil. The next, he is falling towards the ground, his eyes widening. The shock jolts his reflexes into awareness. His palms come forward and push against the dirt, using the momentum to bring the rest of his body forward as he performs a flawless somersault through the air.

    His landing is perfect. Not one speck of dirt gets on his clothes.

    Slapping his palms together to shake off the dirt, Liu Jin turns around to see what caused him to trip. He expects to find an exposed branch or maybe the corpse of a Spirit Beast left behind by one of the many creatures inhabiting the canyon. Such things are not uncommon.

    Liu Jin finds a person instead.

    He lies unconscious with his face facing the ground. Even so, Liu Jin is fairly sure it is not anyone from Eastern Port City.

    After all, he has never seen armor quite like that in the city.

    Rectangular plates made of some sort of black metal are laced together in horizontal rows to form body armor that protects the mans torso and upper legs. His pauldrons, bracers, and helmet are made of the same material. A lone blue plume rises from the tip of his helmet, one of the few bits of color in the otherwise dark ensemble.

    The armored man is dying.

    Had Liu Jin been in his right mind, it would have been the first thing he noticed. As it is, the realization is slow to come, like drops of water spreading through a dry cloth. When he does finally realize it, Liu Jin immediately dashes over to the mans side, inwardly cursing himself for his stupidity.

    Poison Fang Canyon is not friendly to visitors. Certainly, the outer areas are safe for cultivators to explore. However, the high-toxicity areas near the center of the canyon can kill even high-level cultivators in the blink of an eye! Many had tried to prove otherwise over the years, and many had died stupidly as a result. The only reason why Liu Jin is able to walk freely across all parts of the canyon is because he has been taught how to deal with the poison.

    The same cannot be said of this person.

    Liu Jin turns the body over, revealing the mans features. Physically, he appears to be in his twenties with a square chin and thin lips. Dark spots color his face, and Liu Jin doesnt doubt the same can be said of the rest of his body. The ambient poison of the canyon is already at work. At the rate it is going, the man will not last for much longer. Had Liu Jin stumbled upon him even a minute later, hed have found a corpse.

    A corpse.

    The word echoes in Liu Jins mind until his lips form a thin line. His fingers curl into fists.

    No.

    I found you and had to drag your body outside the canyon before administering the antidote. Liu Jin pauses, then adds. You are welcome.

    IOf course, where are my manners? The man shakes his head as if trying to rid himself of any remaining dizziness. Young man, were it not for you, Id probably be dead. For that, you have this Lei Kongs gratitude.

    The man in armor bows his head to Liu Jin, one hand clasped over the other.

    Please, tell me how can I repay you for saving me. As long as it is within my power, this Lei Kong will do his best to see it done.

    Brown eyes look at him with a stubborn sort of honesty. They tell Liu Jin that Lei Kong will not accept the sort of answer where Liu Jin tells him to think nothing of it. Normally, Liu Jin would sigh at such a thing, but on this occasion, it suits his purposes.

    Anything that can help him occupy his mind is a good thing.

    Hmm, repay me? Liu Jin frowns as he pretends to think about it. Well, I guess a story would do.

    The man jerks his head back, surprised. His brow furrows in confusion. A story?

    I had to leave behind the herbs I had gathered to carry your body, Liu Jin lies. The beasts inside are likely on alert right now and will attack if I try to enter the canyon again. It is safe to say this day has been a waste, so at the very least, itd be nice if you could satisfy my curiosity. I can tell you are not from Eastern Port City. Otherwise, you would have known better than to approach Poison Fang Canyon so recklessly. If you want to repay me, the least you could do is tell me how you ended up in those circumstances.

    Lei Kong gives Liu Jin a long look before sighing and letting himself drop to the ground in front of him.

    I suppose that is something I can do. Itd be exceedingly rude of me to deny my savior such a simple request. As you may be able to tell from the way I am dressed, I am a soldier. However, I do not belong to the Crimson Cloud Empire but rather to the Storm Dragon Empire.

    A surprised sound leaves Liu Jins mouth, though for different reasons than Lei Kong intends. Liu Jin wasnt sure if Lei Kong would admit to being from the Storm Dragon Empire.

    A soldier in a country not his own is always a little suspicious.

    Our squadron was doing routine border patrol, but I was separated from the others during a confrontation with a beast. I was flung all the way here during the fight.

    Flung.

    Liu Jin cannot help but raise an eyebrow at the word used. Lei Kong could have just said he got separated from his comrades in the chaos of the battle, but he hadnt. He had used a very specific word.

    Flung.

    Is he really saying he was literally flung here all the way from the border? While Eastern Port City and Poison Fang Canyon are close to the border neither are exactly a stones throw away.

    Well, for high-level cultivators, a stones throw away might be a fairly accurate description.

    I wished to avoid a commotion, so I did not approach the city. Instead, I went into the canyon to seek shelter and perhaps see if I could kill some Spirit Beasts and harvest their cores before returning. Itd be cause for much mockery if I returned empty-handed after the way I was separated from the others. Lei Kong shrugs haplessly as he finishes his story. As you can see, I underestimated the canyons toxicity. Had it not been for you, Id be dead.

    Most likely, Liu Jin agrees. What will you do now then? If you are with me, you can probably enter the city. You could rest today and leave tomorrow.

    Lei Kong shakes his head, moving to stand up. No, if youll forgive me, I think I have seen enough of the Crimson Cloud Empire. Ill return to the border now. I doubt well meet again, but if we do, I hope it is under better circumstances.

    I see.

    To his surprise, Liu Jin feels a little sad he cannot convince the man to stay. Before he learned of his fathers past, he wouldnt have cared much, but now he knows this man hails from the same land as his father.

    The Storm Dragon Empire.

    Liu Jin wants to know more about it.

    Just one more thing, Liu Jin calls out to Lei Kong. The soldier, who is already walking away, stops. The Storm Dragon Empire. Is it a good place to live?

    Lei Kong does not say anything for a while, making Liu Jin wonder if he hadnt heard him.

    At last, he looks back, an unreadable expression on his face.

    It is home.

    ~~~