Black Onyx - Phoenix Resurrection

I stalked my prey slowly until we left the main road and entered a side alley. It was getting dark. I removed the badge on my chest and brought a Spirit Stone to my forehead, changing my appearance. And then I pounced.

[Hello, Brother. It is a cold night, and the moon is bright. Do you perhaps know where I could get a drink, to improve my sight?]

The man nearly jumped in fright as I spoke into his ear and turned around, pale like snow. “Again?! I mean… Yes, Brother, as you say it is so. Follow me, Brother, for a drink for the Soul.”

I nodded and gestured for him to lead me. We went through the back alleys and did a few unnecessary twists and turns until we came to a hidden bar. I already knew the way, but needed to pretend I didn’t so I wouldn’t raise suspicion. No need to make a bunch of drama when peace was an option.

A few people were standing outside, smoking herbs and drinking. They only gave us a glance as we entered and didn’t bother speaking. For Cultivators, they looked terrible. Gray patchy skin, dark bags under their eyes, and scrawny bodies. They were those on the bottom in the Sect, and it showed. It was hard to say whether they were older or younger than 30, but I didn’t care. They would not be living long either way.

The air inside was stuffy and smelled of old sweat and alcohol. It was way worse than what my memories prepared me for. I probably had better senses than Sicario.

My guide led me into the back, past early evening drunkards and scantly clad dancing girls on a shabby wooden stage. I went past while trying to ignore them and mask my disgust. The place was filthy, even more so than a few days ago. Clearly, they didn’t bother to clean every day.

We came to an armored door, and the Disciple knocked rhythmically three times. A mechanical click came from the other side and the door opened inward. I stepped inside.

Two guards stood on each side of the doorway, looking at me intently. The security doubled. How fun.

My guide remained outside and bowed, before taking a step back. The big boss sitting behind a table in the safe room looked at me warily. I just grinned in return.

[That is a nice sword.]

The man immediately frowned. “It is the only blade I carry.” Then he gestured to his guards. “Forgive me, but they will remain. Life has been a bit stressful lately.”

[Oh? Well, that’s fine.] I smiled and waited for the door behind me to close. I then took a seat and sat opposite the big boss.

[I have a few questions if you don’t mind. But first, what is your name?]

The guy visibly tensed and leaned back in his chair. “We don’t use names here. Standard protocol.”

[Ah, well… Then I’ll call you Big B. How does that sound?]

“Eh-”

[Great. Now, Big B, do you know why I’m here?]

Big B shook his head. I noticed the four guards position themselves at equal distances around me. If I wasn’t already expecting it, the action might seem intimidating. Instead, it was just funny.

[Then let’s begin, shall we? The first thing I would like to know is how long have you been working for the Brilliant Sword Sect.]

Big B crossed his arms and firmly denied it. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

My Soul tingled and I leaned in. [Come on Big B, you can tell me. We are all friends here.]

I felt a cold blade press on my neck. “I think it’s time for you to leave, friend.”

Glancing from the corner of my eye, I saw one of the guards holding a dagger to me. I just snorted and grabbed his hand, slowly pushing it away.

[I think you misunderstand. Do you see these robes? Did you think they are just for show? Did you think I would just bow down to your threats like one of your whores?]

My grip tightened and the guy screamed as his bones snapped. I then shoved him back and he slammed into the wall behind him and slid down, whimpering quietly. [So…] I turned to the boss. [About my question-]

“Kill him!” Big B shouted, and I heard more blades being drawn out of their sheaths. I just rolled my eyes as they struggled to even pierce my clothes, let alone my skin. [You guys are so lucky I am a merciful man.]

I turned around and with a backhanded slap, disabled all three of them. They collapsed to the ground with missing teeth and a broken jaw, releasing the weapons they held. They were all very short Spirit Swords, and I collected them all before turning back to the boss.

“Eeek!” Big B scrambled back and held his own longsword between us as sweet poured down his face.

[Come on, Big B… Don’t be like that.]

“Stay away! Stay away you-!”

I took the Soul Breaker, cut off his hands in an instant, and then stored the blade back into my pouch. Century in a Blink was such a fantastic technique against weaker opponents. They couldn’t react to it at all.

“AAAAAaaaaaah!” Big B cried as his sword clanged to the floor and his hands fell off like pieces of rotten fruit. I extended my hand towards him and he scrambled back, crying in a corner while his body trembled.

“Please! Please, don’t kill me! I’ll talk! I’ll tell you everything!”

I ignored his cries and summoned the fallen sword. It was a good blade, about the same quality as those I took from the Brilliant Sword Sect. Into my pouch it went, together with the rest of my trophies.

I also took his hands and burned them to ash. His Soul too, I absorbed his Soul hands so he couldn’t recover. Then I came close and leaned down.

“Please. Please…” He cried while defending himself with his bloody stubs. I didn’t even do anything, except look at him with disgust.

[How did you manage to get into the Sect? You seem quite well established here.]

“It was my uncle, my uncle!” He sobbed.

[You uncle, what?]

“He was part of the Brilliant Sword Sect. But I didn’t know, I didn’t know!”

I kicked him in frustration. [Speak clearly! And stop sobbing, I can’t understand a word you are saying.]

Big B wiped the snot and tears into his bloody sleeve and spread blood all over his face. He looked like his face had just been butchered.

“I was already in the Sect for ten years when I went back to visit my family. That’s when my uncle took me away and threatened me and my parents with torture and death if I didn’t do as he said. I was still a nobody back then, had no choice.”

[Coward!]

“We didn’t even do anything!” Big B cried. “We never hurt anyone. We were just gathering information and sometimes did some smuggling, nothing else, I swear! I don’t know anything!”

I felt my Soul tingle. He clearly wasn’t completely truthful, but I didn’t have time to waste with this worm.

[Who else works with you? Tell me their names!]

“I don’t know, I don’t know! We never use names, only coded messages. Like those you used. Please, I don’t know!”

I kicked him again. [Liar! Speak or I’ll tear your legs off!]

“No! Please! I’ll tell you! I- I just know that there is another branch in the White Minks, but I don’t know who they are or what their task is. We communicate by sending codded messages by birds. Please! That’s all I know!”

I snorted. At least he was truthful in the end. Still, I disliked him. He was a spineless worm, the worst kind of person. I leaned closer.

[I ought to kill you.]

“No! Please!”

[But I got a better idea.] I grinned. [Do you know what happens to traitors of the Sect?]

He shook his head in terror.

[Yeah, me neither. Why don’t we find out together, shall we?] I then stomped on his leg and shattered both his ankles. I did the same with his guards. They weren’t going anywhere anytime soon. I then took their pouches and any trinkets I could see that seemed to be worth something.

I then opened the vault door and stepped into the bar. Well, let’s just say the walls weren’t as soundproof as I was hoping them to be.

“Fire!” A man roared, and a beam of energy hit me in the face. It was so much energy! Everything went white and my eyes exploded in an instant, boiling off like a drop of water in a furnace.

The vault door behind me slammed shut at the same time, cutting off my path of escape. I could do nothing but endure. And endure I did.

A few seconds later, everything stopped. I saw a contraption that somehow reminded me of a cannon, only it had a large crystal at the end instead of an opening. Needless to say, I was regenerating my eyes the entire time while the rest of my face was protected by the Thousand Faces Mask, and when the attack stopped, I was nearly instantly back to full power.

More than a dozen men stood all around me at a distance, weapons drawn. The dancing women were nowhere to be seen, as I expected. They weren’t warriors.

The Cultivators all around trembled in fear, especially those who stood behind the cannon. I saw one of them nervously scramble to place another Spirit Stone into the machine.

As if I would let them.

[My turn.] I growled. They attacked first, so I was allowed to defend myself. Self-defense with appropriate force. My eyes began to glow white, and a beam of energy burst out, cutting indiscriminately through everything.

Sun Ray.

Limbs flew, blood sprayed, and people screamed as flames took hold of the old wooden structure.

A few men managed to avoid my gaze by pure chance and tried to stab or shoot me. I just roared with laughter as their blades bounced off my skin and simply turned my head, cutting them to pieces.

In less than a minute, the fight was over. Actually, not a single person died, though many probably wished they did. Getting crippled was sometimes a fate far worse than death.

I wasn’t crazy. Sect rules clearly stated that killing a fellow Cultivator was forbidden. I didn’t need the entirety of the Law Enforcement on my back just because I was getting revenge for my Brother.

I stepped over the wounded, taking any weapons or loot I deemed worthwhile. Any resistance was swiftly stomped out, usually accompanied by the sound of breaking bones.

The weird weapon was still mostly intact and it would just bring me more problems if I took it, so I decided to leave it. Not the crystal though. It was already craved with Runes and glyphs, so it wasn’t that useful, and a well-placed full-power fist shattered it beyond repair. I would leave them their weapon since disabling it was that easy.

I left the bar through the partially burned doorway and stepped into the night. There was nobody anywhere, the night was cold and dark, and I quickly disappeared into the shadows.

I visited the Law Enforcement Hall and banged on the door. A guard opened and looked warily outside.

“Who are you? What do you want?”

[A package for the Elders.] I said and handed over a cloth bag.

“A package?” The guard carefully looked inside. “A Memory Orb?”

[It is important. Make sure Elder Ting gets it tonight!]

“Elder Ting?!”

[Yes! Now hurry, if he gets it too late, it’s going to be your fault!]

“Yes, sir!” The guard slammed the door and I could hear him running. I had no idea if the Elders stayed at their place of work deep into the night, but that was my best chance.

The Memory Orb contained the confession of Big B as well as some memories of Sicario. It made it clear to anyone with a brain as to who was the culprit while avoiding any sensitive information that could identify me.

After leaving the Law Enforcement Hall, I changed my face for the second time and returned to my original appearance.

The vigilante that took down the nest of rats was no more. I had done my job, now everything rested on the Law Enforcement Grand Elder Ting. From what I understood, he was very loyal to the Sect, he even scolded his own grandson for bullying another Disciple. I trusted my judgment and left the mess for him to sort out.

I didn’t know what was going to happen, but traitors, once discovered, never lived long. Even if I only maimed them, their lives were still going to end very soon. There was no doubt in my mind. If nothing else, the other spies of the Brilliant Sword Sect would secretly kill them to silence them.