48 – The Truth of Xuan

Dozens of figures blitzing through the Golden Plains of a thousand Buddhas. their silhouettes cutting through the endless sea of golden grain like predatory shadows. At the forefront, the leader moved with the fury of thunder, each stride slamming into the earth with a resonant boom before he accelerated again, leaving afterimages in his wake. The others chased desperately behind him, refusing to fall behind.

They are so persistent. I glanced around as I wove between the ancient statues. Some were small, no larger than roadside shrines, while others towered like solitary mountains, their massive stone bodies casting long shadows across the swaying fields. Yes… I’m definitely still heading south. Not taking the wrong direction again.

A fresh barrage came from behind, bursts of fist Qi, sword slashes, whipping chains, and who knows what else. I dodged them all with the First Step of the Great Thundergod Steps, my body flickering through the gaps like lightning. But I had already reached the limit of the First Step. If only I could pull off the Second Step, I would have left them to dust already as there’s a limit of dashing and stopping and repeating in comparison to a constant sprint. If only I wouldn't break my leg when using it.

As for why they were chasing me, it all came down to the five brands burning inside my body. They were much weaker than the ones I had placed on that clone, but when the clone died, fragments of the brands had transferred back to me. Now they could track me across distances. I’d considered the possibility that people in this world might seek revenge, but I never expected them to be this fast. If only they are as fast as a dwarf.

The end of the golden plains are in sight. A narrow valley between the start of the southern mountain range. A sizable town sitting quite a distance from the gap. A plan comes to mind.

I kept leading the pursuers straight toward the gap. The moment I reached the narrow pass, I unleashed a thick cloud of black fog, halting the entire group in confusion. Without wasting a breath, I split my Qi in half and poured it into two new clones. While they took off, one to the south, one to the west, I used basic earth manipulation to dig a tunnel beneath the pass and sealed the opening above me.

Concentrating and controlling two bodies at once while using the Great Thundergod Steps felt like trying to walk on four legs is disorienting as hell. Dispelling the fog as the two clones speed to their respective directions. Each should only be able to do five First Steps.

Back in my real body, I sank into my sea of consciousness. The five brands flickered like tiny soul flames, each pulsing with stolen fragments. I picked one and hesitated. Fuck it. I throw it into my mouth and start chewing. I have eaten souls before, what's a few more fragments. The taste is revolting, overly sweet, disgustingly salty, and excessively sticky like a cursed candy. But I power through and swallowed one. It’s not the worst thing I forced down my mouth.

I reached for the second one when the world suddenly screamed.

Storm clouds boiled overhead, swallowing the daylight and turning everything near pitch black. Thunder roared. Constant flashes of lightning were the only source of illumination. An overwhelming divine sense slammed down across the entire area, freezing my blood solid.

Then the earth above me tore away.

Not just the dirt covering my hiding spot. The entire landmass, along with chunks of the mountain, rose into the sky with a deafening rumble. Landslides cascaded down the slopes.

Floating beneath the uprooted island of earth was an old man in excessively ornate robes. His face, bearing a clear resemblance to one of the five campers I had killed, is twisted with pure wrath. He held a single finger raised, as if lifting a city-sized chunk of land was nothing. His body, radiating oppressive Golden Core aura. Besides him, four more figures appeared.

Oh… it’s so over.

“Xuan Danxing! You killed my daughter! Now I ground you to dust!” The old man flicked his finger downward. The massive floating landmass hurtled toward me like a falling mountain.

I could only raise my arms over my head in a pathetic attempt to shield myself.

But the impact never came.

“Wuh!?” I let out an embarrassing sound as the deafening crash thundered to my left and right as the landmass slammed into the ground, split cleanly in half. The shockwave blasted dust and debris everywhere, yet I remained completely unharmed.

Before I could process what happened, an even more terrifying presence descended. The sky bled crimson. The raging storm and thunder vanished instantly. A single step echoed through the heavens, and the five Golden Core cultivators were slammed flat against the earth.

“WHO DARES BULLY MY SON?” A familiar, booming voice rang out. The crushing fear in my chest instantly flipped into pure relief.

“YEEEES!” I thrust both arms into the air with a triumphant shout as my old man appeared.

“Forgive us Elder Xuan!” The lead Golden Core cultivator begged, face pressed to the dirt. “We thought it was just an impostor taking your surname.”

“He lies!” I pointed and accused, the taste of his lie was disgusting in my mouth.

“Everyone in this world should know how that is impossible.” My old man said coldly. “Now… how should I punish you?” He glanced at me, as if seeking my input.

I grinned and pulled out my hammer, “Shatter their nuts!”

“Very well.”

The hammer vanished from my hand in a blur. Five deafening cracks rang out almost simultaneously. Followed by the unmistakable sound of something important breaking. My old man now stood directly in front of the five Golden Cores, bloodied hammer in hand.

“AAAAAAH”

“OOOH FUCK!” I screamed right along with the five Golden Core cultivators. half in shock, half in horrified delight at how fast and brutally he had carried out my suggestion.

“Now scram!”

“Thank you for your benevolence, Elder Xuan!” The cultivators wheezed, blood running down their legs as they fled in panic.

The crimson sky faded. The storm dissolved. Daylight returned, bright and calm once more.

—

I sat quietly on the small flying boat, steadily consuming the remaining soul brands one by one while my old man sat in silence beside me. Once I swallowed the last fragment, I finally spoke.

“So…”

“Shatter their nuts?” he interrupted, a hint of amusement in his voice.

“BAHAHAHA!” A loud, barking laugh burst out of me. The sheer absurdity of the moment hit me all at once, and soon my old man was laughing along with me.

“Oh my God, that was so satisfying,” I said, wiping tears from all six of my eyes. “Good thing you showed up when you did. I almost died back there.”

“I know.”

“You were watching?” He nodded. “Since when?”

“Since you agreed to that ridiculous trial from the monks,” he admitted.

“And you just watched?” I raise my projected eyebrows in disbelief.

“It was a good lesson for you,” he replied, turning serious. “By now you should understand how dangerous this world truly is.”

I let out a sigh. “It would’ve been nicer if you stepped in sooner.”

My old man shook his head. “What good would that have done? I knew you wouldn’t lose to five pieces of trash like them.”

“Trash?” I repeated, skeptical. They had nearly killed me twice. His standards seemed a bit high.

Seeing my doubt, he continued. “Since you’re a bit slow on the uptake, I’ll explain it clearly.”

“The first one you killed, Dugu Juechen, was a frequent troublemaker who constantly picked fights, only to call his family for backup when things went south. He has spent the last of his life saving talisman before fighting you.

Nangong Yaoguang, the family heiress, had been coddled her entire life. She fooled around with many men and had never faced real discipline. That’s why you were able to push her back so easily, and why she fled the moment things turned against her.

Gongsun Fendao fancied himself a strategist, yet all he ever did was send others to do his dirty work while claiming the credit. His greed is the only notable thing and he can't even control himself properly. His greed made him sloppy and allowed you to kill him.

Dongfang Pojun was a sham. He prided himself as an undefeated body cultivator. But his family arranged every victory and weakened the spirit beasts he fought for those scars. While he could be dangerous, he constantly wasted his time with senseless posturing.

Of the five, the only one somewhat adequate is Ouyang Jianxin. But even he neglected his personal cultivation in favor of family politics. You handled him well.”

I listened quietly. True, their coordinations were shit. The only thing notable was their first combined attack which mostly missed. Even then, it looks like a pre planned attack while the rest of their plan quickly falls apart as Juechen dies first. However…

“How do you know all this?” I asked. “I didn’t think you kept up with this kind of gossip.”

“I know someone,” he said simply.

“Baldy Tianjiao?” I guessed. The only elder back in the Tianhe sect who had ever interacted meaningfully with him.

My old man coughed. Masking a little smile there. “Don’t call him that to his face.”

“Of course.” I nodded. “Now then, I think it’s time you reveal the truth. Were you a murderhobo?”

“Murderous homeless man?” he repeated, confused.

“Does the phrase don't translate well? Nevermind that, it's a phrase from back home. Meaning someone that resolves all problems with murder.”

The old man scrunches his mouth up a little. “I will take that as a yes.”

“Enough of that. Now listen well, I will tell you the truth.” I lean forward, eager to hear all the fuss of being Xuan.

“What do you think of Fortune?” The old man asked. “Beyond mere physical wealth.”

“Like… luck?”

He nodded. “Luck. Fortuitous encounters. Heaven’s favor. Miracles. All of it.”

He paused, then began.

“This story was passed down from my father, and his father before him. Long ago, before our ancestor rose to prominence, he was simply another sword cultivator among many. There were other families with the surname Xuan. One day, he heard a saying. That someone’s fortune is decided, or tied, to someone’s name. Then an idea came to mind. To kill everyone else bearing the name Xuan, in surname and given name. So that all the fortune attached to the character ‘Xuan’ would belong solely to him.

The old man raised a finger.

“There is only One Xuan under Heaven.” 

The family creed rang out like a decree. A chill ran down my spine, as if the words themselves carried dread and warning to anyone who heard them.

“He proclaimed the sentence, not only as a feat but an oath to the Heavenly Dao after he rid an entire world of those bearing the word Xuan as their name. You might think that he gained immense power from stolen arts, manuals, and treasures, and it might be true. Even the ancestor admit it is too at the time. But the real change came in the next generation. Every child born carried great Spiritual Roots, Comprehension, Talents. The children are as powerful as the father, if not more. There’s no more room for doubts after.”

He looked at me. “What do you think happened next?”

“They moved to other worlds.” Remembering the lesson of World Gate and Realm Gate.

He nods. “Mortal grade realms can only have one Realm Gate. Connecting to other Mortal grade realms or a powerful Earth grade realm. But an Earth grade realm can have multiple Realm Gates. Sometimes dozens, most leading to other Mortal grade realms, one or few to an equal Earth grade realm, and one, leading to the most powerful Heaven grade realm.

But this is not important. That generation led the slaughter to countless worlds. No one was spared. If a royal family bears the name Xuan, the entire family is killed. If a sect bearing the name, it is destroyed until not even its history remains. If spiritual beasts, they are hunted until extinction. Mortals. Even those that hastily change their name or surname are not spared. Until eventually, all the Xuans are scattered.

He continued gravely, “That is why you will never meet another person with the surname Xuan outside our family. Not in this world, nor in any other you may visit in the future.”

My mouth fell open. I closed it slowly, then shut my eyes and spun a finger beside my head, trying to process everything. Uh… What is the word? These people are nuts!

No wonder no one likes us. Bet many Xuans can kill willy nilly and not much that can do anything about it. In fact, I bet that is exactly what the old man did during the war. We are bullies of bullies. And I had been adopted into this family! 

Thinking back, I guess it is only the old man that is crazy enough to adopt me when I wake up in my new chimeric body. I probably owed him my life more than I realized. I don't know how I will end up without him or I will be dead already.

Ah, well. Too late to back out now so I guess I have to roll with it. But there’s one thing…

“If the Xuan is blessed with such fortune, does that mean I am a great fortune for you?” I tilted my head and joked.

“Don’t get cocky now.” He warned, though the corner of his mouth twitched.

“I promise that I will try not to.” I promise then sigh. Already thinking whether if I can uphold the expectation and reputation or dying in a ditch somewhere.

“Don’t worry too much,” he said, sensing my unease. “You’ve performed… adequately. There’s still plenty of room for growth.”

“Adequately?” Barely holding back my objection.

The old man smiled. Already prepared to grill me for my objection.

“Nevermind that. Let’s save it for later.” I hastily backed down. Too exhausted for another heavy discussion.

“Name tied to fortune huh?” I said with concern.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“My name… (旦星) means Morning Star?” The old man nodded. “Well that’s bad luck then?”

“How so?” He asked, eager to hear more.

“Well, the name is tied to a series of very jealous goddesses from three different myths revering the same celestial object. And well, it is also tied to the Devil. He, uh, rebelled against God and took a third of heaven with him in his rebellion.” I tried to explain the cultural context.

“That’s a great name then. Tied to such figures while also symbolizing your new life.” The old man nodded in approval.

“Ah well, when you put it like that.” In the end I shrug it off.

This is an entirely different world.

Surely nothing bad would happen.