ng's in charge.
-----
ng waved her hand, the weaker qi signatures fluttered for a mont and all fell to the ground, their minds wrapped in illusions so tightly that they would be lucky to escape before the sun exploded. There were just two remaining. "Co on out, we can have a little chat. I'll even swear on the heavens not to attack you first!" shouted ng.
*If they agree that should help buy Bing and Feng plenty of ti to get away from here. I don't know if they have any others chasing us so far, but I doubt it. It's not like they have infinite manpower to throw around.*
"I'll take your deal!" shouted the voice, ng could vaguely recognise. "If you also promise not to trap is in illusions unless we attack as well,"
*Damn. Well, I didn't expect to get away with it anyway.* "I accept. In the na of the heavens, I promise, that for the next 24 hours, or until I am attacked, I will not place illusions down without permission, nor will I attack first," said ng.
The sound of lightning crackling above seed to prove that her vow had been accepted… but she'd seen more than one person get out of promises to the heavens. Why people trusted them so much, she wasn't sure.
It didn't take long for the two attackers to make there way there, and they were easily recognisable to ng. The first was an older man, Elder Shun. He had a long thin beard that he kept neatly trimd and a head of slicked back black hair. Of course, ng knew he used dye for the hair… the fact that his beard was grey made it easy to figure that out. ng really wanted to know why, but had never asked just in case the original ng had asked once before. Apparently he was a mole, so it might not have mattered.
The other attacker was both more, and less, of a surprise. It was Jian, Master Marksman. He'd belonged to the organisation almost as long as she had, and it was a surprise to see him standing there so casually. "It seems my betrayal was anticipated if you're already here Jian. I'm surprised, really, what gave away?" asked ng.
"Technically ng, nothing. This was a test. You were given what you desired… a family. You didn't exactly hide it, and you made it very easy for the higher ups to figure out how best to put you on a leash. If you'd told them you wanted to keep the kids…" Jian was interrupted when…
ng cut him off, "Yeah they'd have been used as a perpetual weight around my neck. They would be hostages in all but na, and perhaps including na, and I wanted nothing to do with that,"
Jian shrugged, "You are a powerful cultivator ng, and apparently you can raise powerful children. You could have had a much greater role in the running of the organisation and sure we'd implant a bomb into your kids, but they'd get the best of resources and only have to run a few missions every now and then. It's a pretty good deal… if you were loyal to the organisation at all,"
ng let out a barking laugh, "Oh Jian, all I've ever wanted was a family, yet being barren ant I couldn't even have that. Then you just hand children on a silver platter and you expect to be anything less then the best mother I can to them? I'm sure you saw arguing with Feng's blatant disrespect before, but I still took the arrow for him. Why would your offer look even remotely enticing if I'm willing to take a potentially lethal hit even when I'm furious with my kids?"
"Oh it wasn't an offer anymore ng, that was what you're missing out on. Besides, it might've been lethal for the kid… but it's not particularly lethal. Well, not by itself anyway," said Jian with a grin.
ng rolled her eyes, "It's poisoned isn't it,"
"Indeed, I have managed to harness perhaps the deadliest poison the continent has ever seen. While I was stationed here watching over you I didn't have much to occupy my ti so what I did was I took so venom from a Swamp Alraune, blended it with-" once again, Jian was cut off.
By ng of course, "With Undead Manticore Venom and Thousand Needle Berry picked on the night of the full moon?"
"How!" hissed Jian.
"Oh, Jian, you sweet sumr child," ng's smile stretched wide and madness started to glint across her eyes, "You think I've never been contracted to kill a Rank 4? Of course I have you fool. Plenty of tis. One of my riskier missions was killing a Rank 4 cultivator while I was still Rank 3… I'm sure you've heard of it… didn't you ever wonder how I managed it?"
"The silent killing of Master Shoa…" whispered Jian in horror.
"Yes," hissed ng, her tongue snaking out, with an illusion wrapped around it to look even more like a snake. She was after all, willing to have illusions placed on herself. Perhaps it would spook them a bit too, if they noticed. "I've forgotten more about exotic poisons then you've ever learnt Jian. You were always so… lazy when it ca to anything that wasn't cultivation.
"Even your little baby hobby about poisons… it's sad honestly, that you thought babies first Rank 4 mixture would be enough to off . It's actually a little insulting," ng let out a long sigh, like she was disappointed in a naughty child.
"Impossible! I made it so that poison has no antidote! It doesn't matter that you know what it is, you shouldn't be able to escape from death!" yelled Jian.
ng nodded and explained, "Sure, you're right there's no antidote… but it's super easy to build up a resistance to this stuff. I think I only needed ten batches? Then again, even the first ti I suffered through it, I barely needed to use my poison purging techniques. It's a strong poison sure, but it takes forever to activate. You need to get soone while they're asleep otherwise it doesn't work properly. Honestly, it uses Alraune extract. What were you expecting?"
Jian just grit his teeth and didn't say anything so ng turned to face Shun. "Anything you want to add elder Shun? I'm a little surprised you were a mole, I didn't take you for the type…"
Shun just shrugged, "Eh, I cut a deal with the organisation. It's nothing personal against you, and I don't even mind the sect… but I'm old ng. I've been stuck at Rank 4 for over a thousand years. I've been lucky and found quite a few precious treasures to extend my life, and I can stick around at least another 500 years… but I'll never make it to Rank 5. So… when they made the offer to help my kids get there… I took the chance,"
ng scoffed, "The organisation hasn't had anyone at Rank 5 for centuries, I doubt they can help you with it,"
Once again Shun just shrugged, "Eh, if they can help that's great, if they can't I'll just live with the disappointnt. I was the only elder that worked out you'd replaced the original… and I had a good guess as to who was pulling the strings. So I jumped onto their ship. I don't care much for the sect, it was likely going to die this generation anyway. Too much mismanagent from the grandparents you know? Better to leave with my wealth and a few bonuses. I'm sure you can understand,"
"I'm sure you realise I can't just let you go Shun?" said ng.
Shun shrugged, "Are you sure about that? I already said, nothing personal. If you break my legs and steal my storage ring, I won't be able to chase after you for so ti."
"Why are you giving her ideas!" hissed Jian.
"Because unlike you Jian, I'm not getting emotional over one deserter. This is purely a business transaction on my part, and clearly your poison wasn't up to scratch. If she gets away, sure maybe I'll get punished but I'm an old man, and I'm used to it. If your lot tries to go after my kids? I'll just make a few more and try to deal with you guys a few hundred years later," said Shun with a careless shrug.
"How can you not care?" asked ng. "Why would you want them to reach Rank 5… if you don't care?"
Shun smiled, "Ah but I do care, sowhat. You see, to be a cultivator is to walk the fine line between respecting, and attacking the heavens. I love my children, but if they should be slaughter as punishnt for my actions, then that too must be the will of the heavens. If they defy that fate, their cultivation will be strengthened, and my love for them will grow. I want them to have chances ng, not a free ride,"
ng growled, "I can see why you're buddies with my old organisation now,"
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