Story 8 Extra - Tribulation Troubles (Part 16.1) - Vignette 1 - First Reaper (Patreon)

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Author’s Note: Before you worry, This is not the chapter for this week. It's an extra for you wonderful Patrons. I wrote this after last week's chapter for you all as a surprise so you'll still be getting a chapter this week! Actually, I'd planned to write another extra that showed Little Spring going through the heritage area but as some of you know, I became sick again. I wasn't able to do any more writing this week because of my sinus issues making my head fuzzy. On top of that, my kid suddenly became sick with two ear infections. I barely managed some rough edits on this extra. 😭

Because I'm sick, the actual chapter for this week will be running late by a day or two. So please be patient with me! And thank you all so much for your support. If you're ever wondering how my progress is, feel free to ping me on Discord. Pings do not bother me.

This is a little rough but I thought some of you might be interested in what the plan looked like from the enemy's perspective.

Vignette 1 - First Reaper

The assassin, First Reaper, stood in a tree and while flipping through the disguise technique manual he’d received as part of his payment for this mission. This was the transcendence rank technique that he’d been dreaming about for decades. Even if he was a consummate professional, he couldn’t resist skimming through it and attempting to decipher its contents while his subordinates were away. Now and then, he sent messages to them to see how their search for the targets progressed.

Those damn stage 5 beasts ruined his perfect plan. His teams had accepted two missions that were in the same area. One that would deal with a fellow Golden Core cultivator and another that was supposed to be easy — taking care of a couple of Qi condensation kids. Sure, they were supposed to be strong, but even the strongest Qi Condensation cultivator couldn’t punch up two realms.

Those kids had been with a flame haired sword cultivator who’d been stronger than First Reaper had originally thought, but the teen was still just a Foundation Establishment cultivator. A mere fly to a Golden Core like himself. All it would take is a bit more effort on his part to kill him. Of course, the hard part was finding them in this messed up forest. Fortunately, he’d already killed one of them. The other would be as easy as slapping a mosquito.

Funnily enough, just as he was thinking of bugs, one flew onto his neck. He smacked it. As he lifted his hand, he expected to find a gross mess. Instead, a buzzing noise sounded as the pest zipped away from him. First Reaper’s face darkened.

From the information he received from his client, the little girl was considered the Indomitable Will Sect’s Great Martial Aunt. To him, that just showed that the greatest sect on the continent was about to lose its title.

He was a little worried about that Nascent Soul who’d initially brought the children deep into the forest. That one had ruined his initial plan to chase them down when they first entered the tiger’s head. He’d had to switch to Plan B and search for a Golden Walnut tree in that direction to intercept them. He and his teams had fought well, but those damn beasts were like a natural disaster. When everyone scattered because of them, he’d only just managed to grab the so-called Martial Uncle with his Majestic Crimson Rope and kill him off by using the beast. That murder had been too easy. Very unsatisfying. Once he caught that little girl, he had no plans to let her die a quick death. For ruining his plans twice, she needed to suffer.

A sudden attack from some bushes below caused his specially trained reflexes to kick into gear. He ducked down as a massive, powerful blade of sword Qi flew towards where his dantian had been. The energy sliced off the top of the tree and caused parts of it to shatter.

Shit! That was dangerous even for him! Though it wouldn’t have killed him, the amount of power would have left a mark.

To avoid getting hit by the canopy, he jumped down and ran toward where the attack came from. It was that fire-haired teenager! He quickly needed to capture him and torture the location of the little girl out of him! And the best weapon to do that would be his Crimson Rope.

He pulled it from his bag, infused it with his energy, and sent the tip toward the sword cultivator. The man ducked under the attack, causing it to slice part of his clothes. He pulled it back, expecting it to wrap around the young man, but the teenager had already started running.

Tch. With his sneak attack unsuccessful, he was attempting to get away from First Reaper. Unfortunately, that sword cultivator had underestimated him.

He sent out messages to his subordinates to return to help him corner this insect. Then he chased after him.

***

Maybe it was the impressive techniques of the continent’s best sect, or the harsh training every disciple there went through, but ‌even though the First Reaper was trying his hardest to capture the little Foundation Establishment cultivator, he couldn’t. Every time he made the attempt, the brat would get out of his grasp by a hair’s width.

Even when he used his cultivation base to pressure the damned son of a bitch, he’d only pale and keep going like it was nothing.

Then he’d either toss out a temporarily debilitating trick pill or use some flashy footwork to get further from him.

His face turned red with anger as the teenager once more dodged his attack. If he wasn’t careful, he’d let his fury overtake his reason, and he’d stop trying to capture him and go for the kill instead.

But the fire-haired SOB didn’t have as much energy as First Reaper. He neared a hill with a recent slice cut out of it. What? Was the brat thinking he could use the terrain there to his advantage? Ha! He would show him the difference between Golden Core and Foundation Establishment! That it didn’t matter how skillful someone from a lower realm was, they were helpless against a higher realmed cultivator.

As soon as he entered the debris-covered valley, the sword cultivator yelled, “Senior Lin! Run! They’ve discovered us!”

That was when First Reaper saw the little girl. This idiot had led him right to her.

“I’m not leaving without you!” The little girl said. So childish. Was this little girl really worth the transcendence rank technique? This kid was the most powerful sect’s Great Martial Aunt?

Now that she was in First Reaper’s sight, he wouldn’t let her go a third time. Of course, he’d first have to take out her idiotic protector. That attack of his could do significant damage to him if he allowed it to hit him. Damn sword cultivators.

The annoying brat tossed another of those damned trick pills at him, forcing him to pause for a second. There was no reason to hold back his killing intent anymore. He sent his Majestic Crimson Rope in a whiplike motion toward the teen in a powerful assassination strike. It was perfectly aimed. This was going to kill that irritating rascal once and for all!

Except that something happened that he’d never seen in his life. A lowly Qi Condensation cultivator, someone he could crush with one hand, sent a sword Qi strike in just the right location to cause his rope to veer off course, missing the two entirely. To do that must have required the knowledge that it was possible, an excellent blade, the skill to pull it off, and the ability to calculate exactly where to hit his weapon.

Impossible!

He was so shocked that he froze for a second, long enough for the little girl to throw the teen over her shoulder like it was nothing and run away.

It didn’t matter. He could still crush her easily. And his subordinates were already almost here to join him.

Just when he was about to go after them, the two returned. The fools. Did they think he couldn’t kill them?

He sent more whip-like attacks toward them. Their figures collapsed under his onslaught. Then they vanished. No! An illusory technique of some kind? Did those righteous bastards practice such things?

Then that meant—

A sharp pain caused his mind to blank for a moment. He coughed up a mouthful of blood. His training took over, and he jerked around to see the two laughing at him. Him! He would show them.

He threw attack after attack at them. Since his precious rope didn’t seem to work, he took out an expensive poison needle hidden weapon that would cause their skin to swell and explode. He pulled the lever. It shot into their faces. As expected. They screamed and their heads blew up.

It had taken too long, but he’d finally—

Attacks flew at him on all sides. He couldn’t dodge it. He screamed as he lost his hand. This wasn’t right. No!

Blood poured from his mouth. More strikes rained down on him. It was only as he was about to die that he’d realized the truth too late. The file on the brat said that she was an array master. But he’d never thought she could create an illusion-slaughter formation that could even kill a golden core! Fuck!

The worst part was, he hadn’t had time to decipher his precious manual.

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