DDD Chapter 140: Zayne's Fate

Several minutes later, I found myself in a pavilion located in the center of an outdoor courtyard paved with stone. After Lucius made his request, the North King gestured for Mom, Lucius’ parents, and myself to follow him. He led us outside of the feasting hall and through his palace, until we arrived at this place. The moment I saw it, I stopped and stared.

An unusual garden surrounded the pavilion. At least, I think it was a garden. I didn’t know what else to call it. Instead of plants and flowers, the garden consisted of metal statues. Each and every single one of them depicted individuals with glossy black skin, muscular physiques, and shiny bald heads. Each one also wore the minimum amount of clothing to preserve their modesty; all the better to show off their muscles, I assumed.

At first I thought these were all statues of the North King, since they looked similar to him. However, upon closer inspection, I realized that each one had different features from the others. There were even a few women, though it took me a moment to realize this since they were also bald.

I wasn’t the only one who stared at the statues either. Lucius and his parents looked around with befuddled expressions on their faces. Mom, on the other hand, paid the statues no mind. She followed the North King to the pavilion without even glancing at them. After a moment, I shrugged and followed her example. Lucius and his parents followed me right after.

The pavilion itself was a work of art. Like the rest of the North King’s palace, it was black and gold, and built from precious materials. A beautiful rectangular wooden table sat in the center. At the head sat a wooden chair that resembled a throne, while less impressive wooden chairs surrounded the rest of the table. The air had a bite to it, but not enough to bother us. It was quiet out here, except for the occasional breeze. I found it rather peaceful and relaxing, despite the garden of odd statues that surrounded the pavilion.

The North King sat in the throne-like chair. Lucius and his parents sat on his right, while Mom and I sat on his left. My uncle and Senior Lucille smirked at us. I scowled, pretending to be angry. Mom, on the other hand, pulled a bottle of spirit wine out of her storage ring.

“Want some?” She asked everyone.

No one accepted her offer. I didn’t know about the others, but I was too full from eating at the feast. The lingering traces of the divine-tasting food still lingered on my tongue. The food alone ensured that I would never forget this night, no matter how long I lived. It would remain etched into my memory for the rest of my life.

When Mom saw this, she shrugged before she drank straight from the bottle. For a brief moment, Senior Lucille looked at her with disgust. However, when Mom glanced in her direction, the disgust in Senior Lucille’s eyes disappeared.

“Now then,” the North King said, a solemn expression on his face, “I want to return to the feast as soon as possible, so let us not waste any time.” He looked at Lucius and his parents. “What is the nature of your grievance against Hall Master Nova and her son, Cultivator Darian?”

“Your Majesty,” my uncle said, giving the North King a respectful nod, “Some time ago, Darian attacked my wife and her nephew, Zayne, while they were out in the city. After he subdued them, he took them prisoner. I managed to free my wife from his grasp, but he refuses to let Zayne go.” He glanced at Mom. “We are not strong enough to rescue Zayne ourselves, so we are forced to ask for help. Please intercede on our behalf.”

The North King raised an eyebrow at him, before glancing at me.

“You subdued a Golden Core cultivator?” He asked. “With your cultivation base? How?”

“Luck and an abundance of talismans.” I said.

The North King’s lips twitched for a brief moment, as if he were resisting the urge to smile.

“It appears that you’ve followed in your mother’s footsteps and become a troublemaker.” The North King’s expression hardened. “Violence between the sects is forbidden here in North King City. I believe one of my liaisons explained that when you first arrived. By your own admittance, you violated that rule. Tell me, Cultivator Darian, why shouldn’t I punish you for that alone?”

I gave the North King a respectful nod before I answered.

“Your Majesty,” I said, “If I recall, the rule says that anyone caught fighting would be punished. I wasn’t caught, so therefore I shouldn’t be punished.”

Mom let out a snort of laughter at that. My uncle’s face twisted with anger and Senior Lucille looked ready to kill me on the spot. Lucius covered his mouth and turned away.

“You still violated the spirit of the rule,” the North King said in a dry voice, “If not the letter.” He made a dismissive gesture. “However, I don’t actually care about that. Not at this point. I just wanted to hear your answer.” He glanced at Mom. “You are your mother’s son, for good or for ill.”

Mom gave the North King an affronted look, before she huffed and turned away from him.

“For the sake of brevity, release this Zayne character and return him to his clan’s embrace,” the North King continued, “And before you give me any more cheek, that wasn’t a request.”

For a brief moment, the North King released his aura. He didn’t use it to pressure or harm me. Even so, just releasing it was enough to make me break out into a sweat. The North King retracted it a moment later. No one else reacted to this, so I must have been the only one to feel it. That scared me even further. Any cultivator could release their aura. However, it took a great deal of control to direct it at a single person.

“Of course, Your Majesty.” I said, a slight tremble to my voice. “However, there has been a misunderstanding. Zayne Wind Dance is not my prisoner.”

Senior Lucille stood up, her nostrils flaring.

“How dare you lie to His Majesty!” She said.

She released her aura as well, and unlike the North King, she held nothing back. Her aura slammed into me. I gripped the table with my hands to avoid smashing into it face first.

A moment later, the pressure from Senior Lucille’s aura disappeared. I looked up to find her sitting in her chair, a stricken expression on her face.

“Regardless of your grievance against Cultivator Darian,” the North King said in a cold voice, “He is still my guest, and therefore under my protection. You dare attack one of my guests right in front of me?”

My uncle grabbed Senior Lucille’s hand, before bowing his head towards the North King.

“I apologize for my wife’s behavior, Your Majesty.” He said in a panicked voice. “Zayne is her favorite nephew, and she has been distraught ever since. Please, forgive her.”

The North King regarded the both of them for several seconds, before he nodded.

“Very well,” he said, “I shall forgive her this one time. However, if it happens again, I will erase your little clan from existence.” He sighed, before looking at me. “Explain. What do you mean Zayne Wind Dance isn’t your prisoner?”

“He was my prisoner, Your Majesty,” I said, “However, I released him earlier today. He’s a free man now.”

My uncle narrowed his eyes at me.

“Then why hasn’t he returned to us?”

I looked him right in the eyes.

“Why don’t you ask him yourself?” I turned towards the North King. “Even though I freed him, Zayne is still at Divine Beast Palace. Why don’t we summon him here so he can explain the rest?”

The North King frowned at me. Meanwhile, my uncle and Senior Lucille started to look uneasy.

“Fine.” The North King said, sounding exasperated. He looked off into the distance for a moment. Was he communicating with someone through telepathy? It appeared so. “There. I ordered some of my soldiers to fetch him.” He looked at Mom. “Give me some of that. This matter is turning out to be more annoying than I expected.”

The North King pulled a cup out of his own storage ring, which Mom filled with wine. The two of them drank, while the rest of us sat there, silent and unmoving. We stayed like this for almost an hour, until Zayne showed up. However, he was different from when I last saw him.

The most noticeable change was his cultivation base, or lack thereof. It appeared that he had gone ahead and unraveled his cultivation. He was mortal once again. The second most noticeable change was his clothing. He no longer wore the blue and silver robes of Clan Wind Dance. Instead, he wore the red and black uniform of Crimson Fiend Hall. The third most noticeable change was his expression. He looked colder and harsher than before.

Zayne walked up to the pavilion, shivering. Oh. Right. He was mortal now, and the robes he wore weren’t enough to protect him from the cold.

“Oh, Zayne!” Senior Lucille called out. “What have they done to you?”

She stood up and rushed over to Zayne. However, when she reached for him, he stepped away from her.

“Don’t touch me!” Zayne snapped, glaring at Senior Lucille with undisguised hatred in his eyes.

Senior Lucille stared at him, stunned. Zayne took this opportunity to sit beside me. I heard his teeth chattering, so I showed him some mercy and warmed up the air around him. He glanced at me and nodded, before he went back to glaring at Senior Lucille.

“What did you do to him?” My uncle asked, a dark expression on his face.

I glared at him.

“Told him the truth.” I said. “Zayne knows what your wife did to him, and why.” I let out a disgusted sound. “You should be ashamed of yourselves. Instead of nurturing Zayne’s talent, you decided to exploit him for your own gain.”

Senior Lucille gave Zayne a hurt look.

“You believe them?” She asked. “After everything I’ve done for you, this is how you repay me? You’re breaking my heart, Zayne.”

The North King cleared his throat.

“Someone explain to me what is going on.” He commanded.

Mom spoke up before anyone else could.

“That one…” She gestured to Senior Lucille. “… Turned that one…” She gestured to Zayne. “… Into a human cauldron in order to steal his cultivation. She became dependent on this method, and now can no longer cultivate without it. That is why she is so desperate to reclaim him. Otherwise, her cultivation will stagnate and eventually regress.”

I stared at her, mystified. How did she know all that? She wasn’t there for any of it. Wait, nevermind. Mom had spent her entire stay in North King City entertaining herself by spying on people. She probably watched it all happen with her powerful spirit sense.

“You can’t possibly believe her, Your Majesty.” My uncle said. “That woman is a demon!”

The North King gave him a flat look.

“I do.” He said. “Demon or not, Hall Master Nova earned my trust by proving herself time and time again.”

My uncle became so angry and frustrated that his face turned purple. I feared his heart might give out.

“Let us get back to the matter at hand.” The North King said, before turning towards Zayne. “You there. Are you a prisoner of Cultivator Darian and Hall Master Nova?”

Zayne shook his head. Despite facing the ruler of the Northern Region, he maintained his composure.

“No, Your Majesty. I was, but Darian released me earlier today.”

“Why did you stay at Divine Beast Palace instead of returning to your clan?” The North King glanced at Lucius’ parents. “I already know the answer, but I need to hear you say it.”

“That is because I am no longer a member of Clan Wind Dance.” He threw a venomous look in Senior Lucille’s direction. “Not anymore. Now I am a disciple of the Dawn and Dusk Sect. Vice Hall Master Scarlet Demon of Crimson Fiend Hall offered to help me with my… Condition if I became his disciple. I accepted.”

The North King wore a thoughtful expression on his face as he studied Zayne.

“Hmm, very well. An interesting choice, and a difficult one. I commend your mental fortitude for making it.” He stood up. “With that, I declare this matter over and done with.”

“Your Majesty!” My uncle cried out. “You can’t-”

The North King silenced him with a sharp look.

“I did as your son asked and interceded on your behalf.” He said. “Cultivator Zayne is no longer Cultivator Darian’s prisoner. He is a free man. What he chooses to do now is none of my concern. If he wants to join the Dawn and Dusk Sect, that is his prerogative.” He glanced at Zayne. “And after learning about what happened to him, I don’t blame him for making that choice.” His gaze swept over the rest of us. “I am returning to the feast. Feel free to join me or not, as you see fit.”

With that, the North King walked away. An awkward silence fell over the rest of us after he departed. Well, not for Mom. She continued to drink from her bottle of spirit wine, unruffled. At this point, I think she had more wine in her veins than blood.

“I am returning to Divine Beast Palace.” Zayne said. “I don’t belong here. Not yet. Perhaps later, when I reach Foundation Establishment again.”

He stood up and started walking away. However, before he took more than a few steps, Senior Lucille launched herself at him. She moved so fast that I didn’t have time to react, let alone Zayne. However, my uncle caught her and held her back.

“You can’t!” He said. “He is a guest of the North King!”

Lucius, who had remained silent this entire time, aided his father in holding his mother back.

“Father is right, Mother! Stop, or you’ll doom us all!”

I stood in front of Zayne, to shield him from Senior Lucille. Ugh. I never thought I’d be defending Zayne like this. The world was a strange place. However, now that he was a disciple of the Dawn and Dusk Sect, I was obligated to protect him.

“You ungrateful brat!”  Senior Lucille screamed, a crazed look in her eyes. “I gave you everything! This is how you repay me? With betrayal?”

I glanced back at Zayne. He trembled with a conflicted expression on his face.

“You betrayed me first by turning me into a human cauldron.” He said, his voice cracking. “No. Betrayal implies that you were on my side in the first place. Was any of it real? Were you ever sincere towards me? Even just a little bit?”

Senior Lucille stopped struggling against her husband and son.

“Of course not.” She said with a sneer. “You were just as useless and pathetic as your father. It sickened me every time you clung to my skirts, whining over some trivial issue.” She let out a mocking laugh. “Honestly, I’m glad you found out the truth. This way, I don’t have to keep up the pretense.”

I didn’t know what to say. Senior Lucille was a much worse person than I realized. It baffled me that my uncle would love someone as awful as her.

“Why did you do it?” Zayne asked. “We’re kin. Why did you do that to me?”

“Your talent was wasted on someone like you,” Senior Lucille said. “I merely put it to better use.”

I snorted.

“By stealing his cultivation for yourself?” I asked.

Senior Lucille nodded.

“Of course,” she said, “I’m the one who deserved it. Why shouldn’t I use it for my own benefit?”

I realized that she wasn’t lying. She believed her own nonsense. Worst of all, she felt no guilt at all for what she did to Zayne. Neither did my uncle, based on the expression he wore. Lucius, on the other hand, stared at his mother with horror in his eyes.

“Let’s go,” I said to Zayne, “You don’t have to stay here and listen to this nonsense.”

Zayne nodded. He looked… Brittle. That was the most fitting word. Fragile and brittle, as if a single touch would shatter him. With that, any last lingering traces of resentment I felt towards him faded away.

“Do you really think the Dawn and Dusk Sect will treat you any better?” Senior Lucille asked in a mocking tone. “At least I ensured you lived in comfort and luxury. Everything you have, everything you are, I gave to you. Walk away from me now, and that all goes away.”

“Mother,” Lucius said, “Stop. You disgrace yourself.”

Senior Lucille ignored him and continued to focus on Zayne.

“Come back to me, Zayne.” She said, crooning at him. “If you do, I’ll forgive you. Everything can go back to the way it used to be, the way it was supposed to be.”

I wondered if Zayne would accept. Despite everything, Senior Lucille raised him as if he were her own son. Hell, sometimes she treated him better than her actual son, Lucius. Walking away from all that couldn’t be easy.

However, I needn’t have worried. Despite his fragility, I saw conviction in Zayne’s eyes. No, he wouldn’t accept Senior Lucille’s offer.

“I would rather die than go back to living as your chattel.” Zayne said.

When Zayne rejected her offer, Senior Lucille stared at him for a moment, before her face twisted with anger.

“You fool! Without me, you have nothing. Without me, you are nothing. You need me.”

Zayne shook his head.

“No, I don’t. Not anymore.”

Senior Lucille started screaming obscenities at him. The amount of vitriol in her voice surprised me so much that I took a step back. Disgust filled me.

“Silence.” Mom said. “I’ve heard enough.”

Her aura flooded the outdoor courtyard. It felt like facing the heavens themselves. Lucius, Zayne, and I remained unaffected, for the most part. However, I saw my uncle and Senior Lucille struggle to remain standing. Mom regarded them both with a cold expression on her face.

“You are perhaps the most repulsive being I have ever met.” Mom said. “The mere sight of you disgusts me.” She looked at my uncle. “As for you, none of this would have happened if you had kept your wife in check. Be glad that you are Connor’s brother. That is the only reason why you are still alive.”

My uncle and Senior Lucille stared at my mother with terrified expressions on their faces, unable or unwilling to respond.

“Leave.” Mom said. “I never want to see either of you again. If I do, I will erase you both from existence.”

She retracted her aura. My uncle and Senior Lucille rushed out of the courtyard, as if afraid that Mom might change her mind about letting them go. Lucius looked between Zayne and I with a sad smile on his face.

“This may be the last time I’ll see either of you for a while.” He said. “Goodbye, and good luck to you both.”

With that, he followed after his parents. After Lucius left, I let out a breath. Finally, that particular chapter was over. I hoped I never had to deal with those two ever again. The fact that I was related to such people made me feel dirty. Ironic, considering my maternal relatives were demons.

“If it makes you feel any better,” Mom said. “Not everyone in Clan Wind Dance is as selfish as those two. Your father wasn’t.”

I gave her a surprised look. How…? She smirked at me.

“As I said before, you’re very expressive. It makes you easy to read.”

I grimaced. I needed to fix that. However, that was a concern for later. I looked over at Zayne, who wore… I wasn’t sure how to interpret the expression on his face. It was as if his world had fallen apart, but this also brought him relief as well as pain.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

An inane question, but I didn’t know what else to ask.

Zayne shook his head. “No, but I will be.” He sighed. “Thank you, Darian. I now have the chance to become a proper cultivator thanks to you.”

I snorted.

“Don’t thank me,” I said, “I didn’t do it for you.” I nodded in the direction Lucius had gone. “I did it for Lucius. When he becomes the patriarch of Clan Wind Dance, he’ll need competent and loyal people by his side. I’m sure he’ll welcome you back into the clan, when the time is right.”

Zayne studied me for a moment.

“Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?”

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

Mom chuckled.

“He’s saying that you’re too softhearted for your own good,” she said, “To the point that you’re willing to help someone who abused you in the past.”

I crossed my arms and looked away from them, a scowl on my face.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Uh huh.” Mom said. “Well then, I’ll bring Zayne back to Divine Beast Palace. Will you join us, or will you return to the feast?”

After thinking it over, I shook my head.

“I’ll return to the feast.” I said. “If both of us disappear, people might start whispering, and I don’t want to deal with that.”

Besides, enjoying the comfort and company of my loved ones would be the best way to lift my spirits.

“Very well.” Mom said, shrugging. She stood up. “Come along, Martial Nephew Zayne. I’ll deliver you back to your master.”

Zayne nodded, though he gave Mom a wary look. I didn’t blame him. She could be… unpredictable. I still remembered the time when she threw me off of her palace in order to teach me how to use a flying magic treasure.

With that, the three of us left the garden of metal statues.