NOVEL FROG Chapter 25 - The Crimson Dragon Faction
Transmigrated back into the body of her child self, can the mighty Celestial Bing Meilu survive in a Xianxia world all the while staving off the advances of arrogant young masters and wannabe protagonists alike?
Why is life so hard for the Icy Beauty?
Any corrections or criticisms are welcome, I hope you enjoy Chapter 25 - The Crimson Dragon Faction
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The still form of a young girl sat within a wintery paradise. Snow and ice covered everything around her and yet she seemed unbothered, breathing in and out rhythmically. Her long ebony hair contrasted against the pure white background like a dark void, fluttering in an unseen wind.
'Just a little further-'
Bing Meilu's meridians greedily swirled as a river of crystalline Qi poured into them. Within each meridian aperture, a complex system of lines swirled, self-similar to the whole system of meridians.
This was the Qi Condensation step of the Crystal Providence Absolute Tome, which required a practitioner to fashion each aperture into its own system of meridians, drawing on a profound law of the cosmos.
That which is above is like that which is below, and that which is below is like that which is above. The macrocosm becomes the microcosm, the microcosm becomes the macrocosm. A law of this level could only be found in a primordial tome created by an ancient god, like the Crystal Providence of yore whose inheritance Bing Meilu had received.
A shuddering pale blue light blossomed from the young girl's jade-like skin, making her resemble an immortal fairy, as her cultivation broke through another stage. In most cultivation manuals, each such breakthrough was followed by the unpleasant expulsion of impurities- no such thing occurred here.
Bing Meilu would simply ask, which impurities? Would any measly impurities dare exist within the body of this Lord? Courting Death!
"That will have to be enough for now," the pale-skinned girl sighed, rising. "Any further so quickly and my foundation will be unstable."
She inhaled, the snow and ice around her slowly dissipating to reveal the inside of a living room. Her cultivation had advanced to the ninth stage of the Qi Condensation Realm.
"It shouldn't be out of the question to become an immortal in a few centuries," Bing Meilu decided.
She strode forward, opening the door of her assigned dorm, and stepping back out into the open air of Port Snake. Multiple disciples were milling about in the area outside the communal dorms.
"-Shi Weng's become a Core Disciple. So early too-"
"Damn those Greedy Snake Brigade bastards! Once we-"
"B-but Li Lu- I love you, don't leave-"
Bing Meilu ignored the lowly mortals, walking over to a random boy. His Qi seemed to be around the fourth stage of Qi Condensation.
"You there!"
"M-me?"
"Where can I find the Crimson Dragon Faction?"
"Huh? What do you want with them?"
Bing Meilu stared at the boy in silence, expressionless eyes somehow still caring annoyance.
"Oh- I think they mostly hang around the east of the Iron Skin Ape Enclosure?"
Answer in hand, Bing Meilu immediately began to follow her map in that direction, ignoring the random boy's questions as she strode away. The Armada used plenty of tamed Demon Beasts, one such kind being Iron Skin Apes, who were used to patrol the land sections the sect controlled. Bing Meilu arrived near one of the large enclosures of Port Snake, where Iron Skin apes were held behind a translucent barrier.
Just by a large rock outside the encolure was a large group of Inner and Outer Disciples or 'Lieutenants' and 'Privates', to use the Armada's own terminology. Each had a Crimson Dragon badge pinned to their robes. There were about fifteen Privates, Randing from the third to the Seventh level of Qi Condensation, and three Lieutenants in the Foundation Establishment Realm. One, a bald, muscular youth with a red dragon tattoo marring the bronzed skin of his face, and at the fifth stage of the second realm was obviously the leader. The rest of the disciples were circled around him, fawningly and the two other lieutenants stood by his seat atop a large rock.
The leader has modified his robe to expose his muscular tanned arms. He was smirking at a kneeling girl from atop a large rock, while his subordinates jeered and laughed from around her.
"I'm sorry, but that's not enough to pay off your debt," he chuckled.
"W-what do you mean? It's all there, fifteen spirit stones?" the kneeling girl's face paled.
"Interest darling. If you'd paid last week, when you were supposed to it's been fifteen now- For makin' me wait let's say eighteen! By this week, or the debt will just keep goin' up"
The subordinates chuckled menacingly at that.
"We can't afford that-" the girl gasped. "Please-"
"There's always another way for you to pay," the muscular boss said, winking, before dragging his eye over the woman in a vile leer.
His subordinates, as if qued, all wolf-whistled and fist-bumped each other.
The girls turned to one of horror. "No way! I'm no slut!"
"Why do you think your boyfriend sent you instead of coming here himself?" the bronze-skinned man laughed.
"That- I'm- I'm not interested in that!"
"Look girly, I'm already been mighty generous offering an alternate payment plan- If you want to spit on my generosity I guess me and my boys are going to have to start breaking kneecaps. Do you think your little boyfriend can afford an injury, so soon to his exam? I guess you don't love him as much as you said you did-"
At that, the subordinates all laughed mockingly.
Bing Meilu raised an eyebrow, watching the event. Even ignoring the karmic insinuations of such immoral activity, did none of these cultivators have even the slightest bit of pride or self-respect? Fawning subserviently over every slight joke their boss made, clapping with every word, it was like they were servants kissing the ass of an emperor rather than cultivators seeking to challenge the world itself.
"No one so submissive can ever challenge the Dao of Heaven," Bing Meilu shook her head. "What wasted direction."
Call her a little partial, but even the average disciples at her Crystal Providence Absolute Palace were not so foolish and contemptible.
Having had enough of watching, the young girl strode towards the group, her flaring Qi noticeable to all of them.
The boys quieted, looking over at the approaching disciple.
"Who are you?" the boss asked, narrowing his eyes. "I don't know who sent you, but tell them you're a little too young to be 'paying debts' here-"
"This is the Crimson Dragon Faction, correct?" Bing Meilu interrupted, voice imperious.
"Yup," the boss answered. " And don't interrupt me-"
"Wonderful. We are going to fight. Whoever wins will take ownership of the Crimson Dragon Faction," Bing Meilu said, smiling politely.
The muscular teen did not respond, eyes slowly narrowing into a glare. A fiery Qi erupted from his body, visible swirling around him like a coiling snake. His aura was aggressive, tainted with killing intent, and backed by the power of a fifth-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.
"You look very young. To have reached the eighth stage of Qi Condensation so fast is a sign of great talent, but talent is meaningless before power. There is nearly a full Realm between us. To even entertain the idea of a spar would be spitting on the face of all Foundations Establishment cultivators! Why don't you run back to your papa now," the leader waves dismissively, shooing her with his hand and retracting his aura.
"I always overestimate the intellect of the average mortal," Bing Meilu audibly sighed. "If you'd paid attention to my words, you'd hear I didn't ask for a duel. I said we would be fighting."
The man only had the opportunity to blink, as the small child blurred towards him, a spear of ice savagely thrusting towards his throat.
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Chains of Steel clamped around Xia Xuefeng as she was dragged into a courtroom by two officers, blood and gore dripping from her unwashed body. There was a man in regal judge robes sat behind a desk, who raised an eyebrow at the sight of her.
"What's this now?" he frowned.
"Captain Ji Longyi sent her in, Judge Tongxi," one man said gruffly. "Said he found this Demonic cultivator milling about outside the sect."
"Alright, Ji Longyi? Yes, I'll deal with this!" the judge waved his hand and the two guards dropped the girl onto the floor.
"Name and Sect," the judge began, bored.
"My name is Xia Xuefeng- and I swear sir, this is not what it looks~"
"I said name and sect. Not name and sob story!" the judge cut in.
"Xia Xuefeng. No sect."
"No sect? You're a loose cultivator?" the judge asked, narrowing his eyes.
"No, well, yes- well- I'm the servant of a disciple here, and we planned to have me formally apply to become a sect member in the next trial."
"...You expect me to believe a disciple of our righteous and orthodox sect would take you, a demonic cultivator as a subordinate?"
The judge's tone made it very clear how ridiculous he found the idea.
"Yes! Uh, I mean, I'm not a demonic cultivator, but I am subordinate to a sect member- her name's Bing Meilu- I'm sure she can vouch for me!" Xia Xuefeng explained in panic. "If you'd just ask her-"
"Not a demonic cultivator, girl, I can sense the clear aura of blood around you! Who do you think you're fooling?"
Xia Xuefeng shrunk into herself under the man's exasperated glare. Tears prickled at the corner of her eyes.
There was no way Bing Meilu had given her some unorthodox, illegal cultivation method? She wouldn't do that to Xia Xuefeng...right? Yet the judge seemed very certain that she was a 'demonic cultivator' as accused.
To be honest, Xia Xuefeng didn't even know what a demonic cultivator was, other than that they were evil people you had to avoid.
'Don't stay up late at night or the demonic cultivators will come to eat your kidneys!'
If she knew the actual definition, she might be capable of arguing
her case, but as it was she could only meekly sob while the judge glared down at her.
"Now, explain what you were doing outside my Port Snake?"
"I was just hunting in the forest. I need animals for my cultivation but I can't buy them until I enter the sect."
"I don't believe you. You were scouting out our sect for some nefarious purpose, correct?"
"No! Look, please just get Bing Meilu, she'll be able to explain everything I'm sure-"
"I've never heard of any Bing Meilu girl, but you were brought in a Captain Ji Longyi, a famous genius. If you think you're getting out of your punishment when his name is attached to this case, you are mistaken."
Xia Xuefeng's shoulder shook again. This couldn't be happening. The judge didn't even seem to want to allow her any chance to argue her case. She could only stay silent, anxiety growing as the judge's glare deepened.
"I think I know exactly what to do with you," the judge eventually decided. "Take her to the dungeons. She can be used as an obstacle for a prospective disciple during the next examination. Oh and don't forget to give Captain Ji Longyi his fifteen sect points for arresting a criminal."
"Yes, Judge Tongxi!" the guards picked up the chained Xia Xuefeng and began to drag her despondent body out of the courtroom.