"Did you do this?" I ask, my voice low as I glare at him.
"What are you talking about, I only gave her what she came looking for, I don't know why she's in this situation." Lao says with an annoying smile on his face.
I want to rip through that mouth right now.
"What is he talking about Soso?" I ask.
She remains silent, as if scared of opening her mouth.
I see so this does has something to do with him.
I bend over at Soso and hold her hands.
"Please tell me what's going on, I just want to know." I say to her calmly.
She slowly begins to tell me what happened.
She tells me about how not long after I had entered meditation, she and Lara went to meet Lao in his courtyard.
They went to ask for the pill he had said could help me out.
He refused giving an excuse but then told them there was another method.
If they could get a first rate martial artist to transfer some ki to me I could somehow manage to activate my dantian.
Of course that was bullshit.
He claimed to have a pill that could take them directly to first rate but it came at a price, a month after they became first rate they would begin to die slowly and painfully as all their inner energy disperses.
Lara decided to take it, feeling if it would get me to open my dantian it would be worth it.
Of course it was all a lie, it was plain poison.
Such stupidity, such love, even though I have been so unemotional towards them.
I was angry.
Yet sad.
it felt like I was drowning, like it was getting hard to breathe.
I stand up and slowly walk towards Lao.
I have to hold myself back, don't do anything stupid David, just ask for the antidote.
"Pl...please can you hand over the antidote?" I calmly ask Lao with my head down.
His smile widens as he sees me like this.
"Ohhh, I don't know what you are talking about." He says feigning ignorance.
Keep it cool David, just get the antidote.
"I know what you gave her wasn't a pill to make her a first rate, I know it was poison, the Anthrax poison, and it is always known to come with an antidote, anyone who wields it always has an antidote. Please!" I beg more.
"Ohhh you are quite knowledgeable about poisons, well what can we do I don't really quite remember where I placed the antidote.
I don't know, maybe something fun could help me remember it." He says with a smile.
I look over at Lara who could barely open her eyes.
She manages to shake her head left to right, telling me not to do it.
I give her a forced smile.
I close my eyes and turn over to Lao.
"What do you want" I ask calmly.
"Hmmm maybe we can start with kowtowing to me? I don't know, you don't have to if you don't want to you know?" He mocks me.
it's for Lara David, even if you can't protect anyone else, at least you can save one dear to you, yes, yes I can at least do that.
I take in a deep breath and begin to go down on my knees.
Just as my head is about to touch the ground, Lao stamps my face into the ground with his feet.
"Oh can you believe the great Ximen Yeong would willingly go under my feet? hahahaha" He taunts and laughs as he keeps stomping my head into the ground.
Hold it in, this is nothing, you can bear this, for Lara, do it for Lara.
Soso stays there crying unable to do anything.
From stamping my head he starts kicking me in the abdomen, his friends join him.
It was painful but I've gone through worse.
This continues for a while and they finally stop after being satisfied.
"I'll go get you the antidote". He says as he brushes his hair back.
They walk out the gate as I try to sit up.
Blood flowing down my face from the point of impact on my head I manage to sit up.
I cough out a little blood before turning to Soso.
She sits there now crying more than I had noticed earlier.
"Don't worry, at the very least he shouldn't go back on his words, Lara would be fine." I say to her forcing a smile, trying to comfort her.
I was trying to comfort her but why is she suddenly crying more.
I know I've never been good at...
That was when I noticed it, Lara looked weird, she looker... lifeless.
Naaa it can't be, the Anthrax poison is a slow poison so she should still have some time left, she should still have about three hours more.
I managed to stand up.
Staggering towards them I collapse before them.
She was unresponsive, no inhalation, no exhalation, she was gone.
Thats probably why Soso kept crying so much.
Yet again I couldn't save a soul.
I slam my hand into the ground in anger as I begin a train of thoughts.
My hand bleeds from the tears caused by slamming it on the ground.
I clench my fist and keep slamming the ground in anger.
It felt like my heart was in my throat suffocating me.
"Again David!! one soul!! one soul David! you couldn't even protect one soul you good for nothing." I didn't realize when tears began streaming down my eyes.
How can you be alive and let one of your people die such a futile death.
"Aarrrrgghhh!!!!" I yell out loud finally.
Lao doesn't come back that day.
We found a good spot on a hill to bury Lara as we offer our prayers.
After two hours I kindly ask Soso to give me some space alone with Lara as we both sit in front of her grave.
Soso leaves saying she'll be waiting for me inside.
I just got a new life and I'm already loosing people?
Naaaa that's bullshit.
I had made up my mind previously that this would never repeat itself but then... it did, because of me.
Out of my storage ring I bring out some treasured herbs I had been saving since for a while now.
Even though I was born by a maid I still received some valuable things every year on my birthday.
Some of which I exchanged for these herbs.
Im supposed to crush them gently and ingest them slowly but I feel so impatient right now.
I was about to begin the activation of my dantian.
And the breathing technique I had decided to use was that of the Heavenly Cult Leader.
It was the best I knew from my years in the Murim.
The downside are that it is extremely painful using it to activate your dantian and it comes with a characteristic red eyes and red hair.
I begin to chomp on the herbs before me.
Incredibly bitter but nothing compared to how heavy my heart is right now.
Keep going!
I finish the herbs and begin the breathing technique.
I had to first sense ki, that would be easy for me.
Now to circulate this ki.
Thanks to my almost perfect body, the process is quite smooth.
Circulating, gathering, circulating.
Now, the main part, to crack open the dantian and reshape it.
"Ughh" I groan in pain.
This is nothing.
Keep going!
"Urgghhh" The pain now so much more.
My veins bulge out as I strain in pain.
Almost there.
Almost...
I collapse to the ground passing out.
But I had succeeded just before passing out.
A few hours goes by.
Rain drops falling upon my face wakes me up.
I get up slowly on my feet.
My injuries now healed my dantian filled with ki.
My hair and cloth soaked under the rain I clench my fist and the only words I could utter were.
"Ximen Lao!"