Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Chapter 1082: The Cost of Mercy

Four days had passed since Elysia had helped to heal the souls of the sisters. The group established a steady rhythm as they traveled further west and left their campsite far behind them. They had stayed there an additional two days after Elysia’s treatment and then Borum took on the responsibility of carrying the two unconscious women during the last two days. The giant golem formed a wide cradle of soft earth suspended across his broad stone shoulders. The makeshift bed allowed Seline and Alys to rest securely while the group covered ground. Their bodies and souls were stable enough that the simple movement of traveling would not impact their steady recovery.

Evening fell over a quiet grove of silver trees and Li Yu called for a halt to set up camp. A warm fire crackled in the center of the clearing while Garren tended to a pot of boiling stew that Li Yu had made. The rich scent of roasted meat and wild herbs drifted through the crisp air and offered a sense of normalcy.

Faen sat on a fallen log while meditating and Borum rested near the tree line like a silent guardian. Li Yu sat near the fire and organized his spatial ring while enjoying the peaceful atmosphere of the wilderness. It was nice to not need to do anything at the moment and he enjoyed the down time quite a bit.

A sharp intake of breath broke the quiet murmur of the camp.

Seline opened her eyes and her vision blurred for a fleeting second before snapping into sharp focus. She stared up at the canopy of silver leaves swaying against the night sky and a rush of confusion flooded her mind as she quickly began to put the pieces together. She expected to wake up in the cold embrace of death or the small void bubble her treasure had created. Instead, she felt the soft fabric of a robe that Faen had put on her and a blanket resting over her while the gentle warmth of a nearby fire felt nice against her skin.

She immediately drew her focus inward and scanned her internal condition and the results left her stunned. Her body was well on the road to recovery without any extensive issues hindering the process. The right side of her face was no longer a raw wound burning with agony. Smooth skin stretched over her cheek and the charred tissue was already gone. She directed her attention to her missing limbs and found a new arm and a new leg halfway grown back from the original stumps. The new limbs felt fragile but they hummed with vibrant life energy.

Her ethereal foundation surprised her even more than anything else. Her soul burned with a steady light and reached around sixty percent of its original strength. The frayed edges of her spirit were bound together by an unseen force but it was clear to her someone had helped there as well. She knew her own physical resilience and the pills she consumed before passing out would not have gotten her to this level of recovery. It became clear that she was aided by an external source possessing extensive medical skills.

Seline shifted her gaze outward and scanned the surrounding grove. She saw the group of four sitting around the fire not far away at all and they had all turned to look at her as they sensed she had regained consciousness. She quickly evaluated their cultivation levels and the tension in her chest relaxed a bit.

She saw a Soul Transformation rock elemental stirring a pot and a Domain King golem standing near the trees. A female sat on a log radiating a Domain King aura while the human youth closest to the fire rested at the Karma Severing realm. Li Yu was a full three realms below her own Sovereign level. Even in her weakened state now, she knew these people posed no real threat to her safety.

She turned her head and checked the space beside her. Alys rested peacefully under the same woven blanket. Her younger sister was in good condition as her missing arm showed similar signs of healthy regrowth. A heavy sigh of relief escaped Seline as she confirmed Alys was safe and breathing steadily.

Li Yu stood up from his spot near the fire and walked over to the makeshift earth bed Borum had crafted. He offered a polite nod but kept a respectful distance.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," Li Yu said with a calm voice. "You have been unconscious for over a week now. Take your time adjusting and rest."

Seline noted she was in the clothes of someone else under the blanket and she quickly accessed her storage ring, which to her relief was still on her finger. A flash of light covered her form and she dressed herself in a set of dark leather armor that accommodated her growing limbs. She sat up slowly and leaned against the earthen frame.

"Who are you and what happened?" Seline asked while keeping her eyes locked on the human youth.

Li Yu sat down on a nearby rock and explained the events he witnessed. He detailed the chaos that erupted after she shattered the auction house ceiling and grabbed her sister. He told her about the battle in the sky against Lord Vance and Commander Seryn and how her invading army was slaughtered or bound to be slaves after she and her sister disappeared. Li Yu did not hold anything back and described the blinding explosion of her crystal lotus treasure.

He then explained what happened after she fled the valley. He told her about the arrival of the western coalition led by a man named Darius. He shared the rumors spreading through the streets and the revelation that the entire conflict was a scheme orchestrated by that coalition. Darius and his group intentionally arranged for Alys to be captured and sold to the Onyx Market. They knew Seline would bring her army to rescue her sister and they used that predictable reaction to weaken the two city rulers.

Seline listened to the story and her dark eyes burned with intense fury. She had just found out her sister got involved simply to serve as bait for a sprawling plot. She learned that all her loyal people who marched on the city were either killed in the crossfire or turned into slaves by the defending mercenaries. Li Yu finished the tale by revealing Darius claimed the city and set the remaining slaves free, whatever his reasons for it were.

Seline dug her fingers into the dirt and her jaw tightened. Her warriors bled and died for a scheme designed by a man she did not even know. Her sister and her getting involved and reduced to such a state because of others made her completely furious and rightfully so. They had not done anything to warrant such things yet they had to suffer for it nonetheless.

"I will tear his head from his shoulders and all those that follow him!" Seline hissed through clenched teeth. "I will march back there and burn that city to the ground."

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"You should continue to rest," Li Yu told her while gesturing to her half grown limbs. "You are better but you are in no shape to seek revenge or do anything else requiring combat. You need time to stabilize your soul and finish growing your limbs. Recover and then plot your own revenge."

Seline nodded her head to acknowledge his advice but her mind was spinning with rapid calculations. She took a deep breath to calm her raging emotions and focused back on her immediate surroundings.

"Were you the one who treated my sister and I?" Seline asked while inspecting the smooth skin on her right cheek.

"Yes," Li Yu answered simply. "I was indeed the one who found you and healed your wounds."

She studied the Karma Severing youth and she commented on how he could possess such incredible skill. She knew exactly what kind of condition she was in before passing out in that field. The physical injuries were severe but the spiritual damage from her own treasure was lethal. For a Karma Severing person to heal her to this extent was a miracle in her eyes. Mending flesh was one thing but stabilizing a Sovereign soul required an understanding of laws far beyond his cultivation stage and her own.

"I have been a doctor for a long time," Li Yu explained while resting his hands on his knees. "I help those I happen to cross paths with when I have the means to do so. You can consider yourself and your sister lucky. You were very unlucky to be in such a terrible situation but you were lucky to be able to get help before your souls faded away. Only by living can one have a chance to impact anything."

"I see," Seline murmured as she looked at the roaring campfire. "I thank you for what you have done. You saved our lives and pulled us back from the abyss. On behalf of myself and my sister, thank you."

She spoke words of genuine gratitude but a cold and calculating logic was cycling through her mind. It was not just gratitude blooming in her chest. She watched the four companions going about their business and she started thinking if she should kill these four people to get rid of any loose ends. They might have helped her and even saved her life but they had also been in that city during the auction. They knew her face and they knew she survived the blast now.

They were now the only people in the realm who knew her sister and her were actually alive. If someone was trying to find her to eliminate any loose ends from the scheme, they would start by tracking down anyone who left the city. Darius could easily send scouts to find travelers and extract information. If Darius found this group, he would quickly learn that Seline and Alys were alive and well.

She and her sister were in no condition to fight back against a Tribulation level coalition right now or even within a week from now. This was a loose end that could cause her and her sister to be chased down to the very ends of the realm. Their Mirage Dragion race was highly sought after by powerful factions.

Their unique illusions and natural toughness combined with their beautiful humanoid figures were wanted by many organizations. Their Sovereign and Origin Awakening strength made them highly valuable fighting assets and prized guards to any group, pushing their value even higher. The fact that they were sisters would also add additional value to the right people.

Seline thought through all the variables while maintaining a calm expression. She weighed the moral weight of killing her savior against the risk of letting him go and possibly being hunted by Darius. She looked at her sleeping sister and remembered the horrific sight of Alys bound in chains on that auction stage and the horrific sight of herself and her sister after that explosion.

She would do whatever it took to ensure Alys or herself would never wear chains again. After everything she had been through over the last few weeks she decided she could not leave her survival up to the silence of strangers, even if they were the ones to have saved their lives. She made up her mind and decided to kill them.

This was the best way to ensure her tracks remained hidden and she swore to honor their memory by doing good deeds later on in her life. With her current recovery, she knew someone in the Karma Severing realm stood no chance against her even if she was missing half an arm and leg. However, she wanted to be safe and avoid leaving any recognizable clues behind. She planned to take out a specific treasure she found a long time ago.

It was a unique attack talisman holding the strength of an Origin Awakening realm expert. Using this item would hide her presence even more because the resulting damage would leave a different Qi signature behind as well as technique. Anyone investigating this campsite would find scorch marks and residual energy that did not match her red Mirage Dragion arts. They would assume a random wandering expert killed the group for their resources or something else.

She planned to crush the talisman and kill the four companions while saying sorry to them internally for the cruel necessity of the world.

Seline reached her hand toward her storage ring to pull the talisman out but a sudden jolt of terror spiked through her mind. She realized her body was frozen solid and she could not move a single finger or send a trace of Qi through her meridians. Her Sovereign strength was locked down tight and she was as helpless as a mortal statue. Li Yu watched her struggle for a moment and he let out a heavy sigh.

"You were right," Li Yu said to the empty air above the campfire.

A flash of white light illuminated the grove and Elysia floated down from the sky. The Ancestor wore a knowing smile and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Yes," Elysia said with a soft chuckle. "I told you so."

Seline could only move her eyes and she stared at the glowing woman in shock.

"Just because you save someone does not mean they will not turn on you, this is especially true when you save someone who is stronger than you." Elysia lectured while floating closer to Li Yu. "Such is the way of the cultivation world. Desperation breeds cruelty. If I was right about her intentions, I bet she chose to try and kill you because your group are the only ones who know they are truly alive."

Seline was stunned that her thoughts were seen through so easily. She was even more stunned to realize she was already enslaved and did not even feel the binding take root in her soul. She could not comprehend how a Karma Severing boy could plant a soul seal on a Sovereign expert who resided three realms above him without her knowing when she had scanned through her entire body.

However, she looked at the glowing woman floating above the fire and the mystery was solved. Seline felt the soul strength radiating from Elysia and it was incredible. It carried the crushing weight of ancient eras and boundless power. She understood now that it was the Ancestor who planted the seal while she was unconscious.

Li Yu stood up from the rock and his expression hardened.

"Should I just kill her and her sister right now?" Li Yu asked out loud while glaring at the paralyzed woman.

Being betrayed by someone he spent days healing made him furious. He poured his energy and his time into saving their lives and her first instinct upon waking up was to murder him and his companions. The cold reality of the martial path tasted bitter in his mouth. He did not expect anything out of her at all, that she would leave after being well enough to do so. But to go as far as killing them off to protect her and her sister was something else completely.

Elysia floated down and tapped a glowing finger against Li Yu's forehead. She passed the control of the soul seal directly from herself to Li Yu. That was another reason Seline did not realize she was bound until it was too late. The seal laid dormant under Elysia's control and only activated when Seline formed killing intent toward the group.

Now with the seal firmly in Li Yu’s control, Seline could not go against Li Yu at all. The human youth held the ethereal chains in his mind and Li Yu controlled their life and death with a single passing thought.