A Tale of Forgotten Gods

Sorry for long Chapters, next one will be short.

Chapter 33: Location of Fleshweaver

The mirror pulsed with presence. The circle of salt trembled, grains shifting as if something beneath them was trying to speak. The blood lines darkened.

Xue Lan’s unmoving movie stared at the shard.

The flame slowly died. The cloth burned, fusing with the shard’s surface. The hue of the salt shifted from winter white to pitch-black night.

Xue Lan’s lips parted, but before he could speak, the mirror turned to face him.

Inside the mirror. He saw a room with no walls, and in the center of the mirror, a faceless woman stared back, her hands folded on a table made of bone. She had been waiting for a long time.

She tilted her head. ”Hmm, ’Expectically’ disappointing. You’re not the one I expected.” The wrong deliberate word hung in the air.

Xue Lan’s eyes squinted slightly. He already knew, Faceless would speak in a way that didn’t belong to any world. ”Who did you expect?”

The faceless woman’s fingers tapped the bone table three times. Tap, tap, tap. Each tap echoed in the room.

”The Dreamer of revenge, huh?” Her head tilted the other way. ”Dreamer Xue Lan, how many times does a Dreamer dreams knowing it’s a dream?”

Xue Lan said, ”You speak in circles; isn’t that an obvious habit of a thing without faces?”

”Dreamer, here, dreams demand a price. Anything that comes free will eventually cost you everything.”

”I don’t like inconveniences. Answer what I want.”

The faceless woman laughed. ”The Threadbinder’s artifact, the Curator of Flesh possesses, is in his palace at the western court of Shifurano Mountain. He ascended to Demigod this year.”

Xue Lan smoothed his robes, a small act of mask within mask. He was in his thoughts; suddenly the faceless spoke again. ”What? Aren’t you going to ’ask’ me that?”

Xue Lan’s gaze held for a moment, then dropped to the shard on the table. ”Is that so? What if I have no questions left?”

”But I have answers left.” The faceless paused. ”Dreamer, your father Xue Wei. The execution wasn’t meant for only killing. Your father is corrupted by the ancient worms. He knows the location of the Divine Dragon’s Blood Lake, and Overseer wants it.”

The faceless woman stopped to look at Xue Lan, who moved his hand in a gesture to continue.

”Though your father is tainted by the disease of corruption. He can not be saved.” The faceless woman tapped the table again. ”And when an Ascended dies without any hope, their souls get corrupted. Some are used for refinement, and others become the deadly spirits.”

Corrupted souls... Xue Lan heard of them, but his father was getting corrupted by the ancient worms. He clenched the fabric of his clothes.

”I free you now, Faceless.” Xue Lan knocked the mirror from the table. It shattered against the ground, pieces scattered around.

He stood and walked to the window, leaving the shard at the table. The moon already rose in the sky, pale and indifferent, casting long shadows across the courtyard below.

***

The cultists were still gathered, wandering like usual now. While some prayed, some were crying and some were simply standing, staring at the blood-soaked ground where their comrades had died.

And apart from them, Lovenia watched. Her face was calm. She was looking around at the cultists before she went inside. Her shadow didn’t move with the same movement.

***

Elsewhere, everyone sat around a table on each side.

The food was generic. Congee, slightly thin, with a few shreds of dried fish stirred through. Beside the bowls and plates were served pickled vegetables, sharp enough to make your eyes water. With a few steamed buns resting there that had gone cold, but were keeping their shape.

In five cups served simple weak tea, the steam emerged from the cup like a cloud.

It was the food of a temple’s simple life that had learned to make much from little; simple food over luxury was the sign of fullness and peace to them, which was only made for people who knew what hunger felt like.

Yi Jyuhan casually opened the door and spoke in a polite tone. ”Have a moment of peace. If needed, call out to me.”

They nodded.

Hao Yu stared at his bowl of pale rice, almost gray in the dim light. He looked at the adults sitting around, at the way they passed the ladle without speaking.

Lin pushed her pickled vegetables toward Xin Yi without looking. Hao Yu ate slowly. Xin Yi broke her steamed bun in two and gave Hao Yu the larger half. He didn’t thank her, just took it quietly and both ate.

After everyone’s stomachs were full. They stared at each other, their eyes holding a glint.

Zhuo burped, the voice rough and slightly loud enough to hear. Lin’s head jolted at him. Zhuo quickly looked away, holding his mouth.

Lin sighed before turning to speak. ”Jian Yue, Mo Fei, Zhuo. First we need to decide, who will go to the Continent of Misfortune with Zhuo.” Her eyes darted to Jian Yue.

He put his hand on the table, his fingers wrapped together. ”I will go with Zhuo. You will stay here with Mo Fei and kids.”

Lin raised her hand. ”No, if the situation gets too dangerous on the continent, you won’t be able to handle that alone. I can at least create a path to escape.”

Mo Fei nodded in agreement and cast a brief glance at Zhuo. ”Yeah, escaping from there is almost impossible... I’ll go too.”

Jian Yue instantly denied it. ”No, Mo Fei, if you go there. Kids will come with you too.”

”No, they won’t. And without me you can’t find a way out!” Mo Fei argued back.

”Mo Fei, he is right; the kids can’t stay without you for now,” Lin replied. The tea was starting to get cold.

”Geez, what about the escape?” Mo Fei said.

Zhuo’s voice followed. ”Don’t worry, we... Will manage that... Somehow.”

”Ugh, that ’Somehow’ is the issue. I have been there. It creates an illusion, without keen observation you can’t escape.” Mo Fei replied and picked up the cup of weak tea; slowly he took a sip. ”Ahh, so bitter.” He complained.

Lin snorted. ”Have fun enjoying that. I only drink coffee, so I’m fine without it.” She waved her hand.

”Coffee?” Mo Fei’s voice was confused. ”I never drink coffee; there wasn’t even much of that.”

Lin slightly tilted her head. ”Huh? You mean you never got one. That’s weird; there were many cafes in the town.”

Mo Fei frowned. He looked at her like she was mad or something. ”Are you joking? That’s the most rare thing in China.”

Jian Yue turned his head toward him and looked at Mo Fei like he was a naive ancient guy. ”What do you mean? Aren’t you from 21st century?”

Mo Fei’s breath hitched at his words. ”21st century? IT IS 1989.”

Lin picked up the cup from the table, ready to throw it at Mo Fei’s face. ”Could you quit this? It’s 2025.”

Zhuo’s ear perked up, and he said, ”No, it’s 2023... If I’m not wrong, it has been a year since 2022, so.”

Lin and Jian Yue both were surprised and looked at Zhuo. ”What?”

Mo Fei darted his eyes around... Lin and Jian Yue were from 2025, as they said before they ascended together five years ago, and Zhuo was from 2022. How can this be possible?

”Wait... Are you telling me that you are from the future?” Mo Fei’s question hung in the air. Whatever the mysteries of these worlds were, they were getting more tangled than straightened.

”This... is getting more absurd.” Lin whispered quietly.

”We ascended from the same Qing street?” Jian Yue noted.

Lin opened her arms and pressed the table. ”How is this logically and scientifically possible? It creates so much absurdity!” She looked at Jian Yue. ”What is the truth? If Ascenders are pulled from timelines, won’t there be infinite Ascenders every second?”

”I don’t know what’s going on...” Jian Yue was equally confused.

”So there must be some flying cars or something.” Mo Fei asked, slightly curious.

”Flying cars...” She closed her eyes and a small chuckle escaped her lips. ”You’d be a lot more disappointed by what happens there.”

Mo Fei breathed... Everything was quiet now. His good eye widened slightly as he realized something. ”We are from different times.” Mo Fei began, his voice muffled as if deep in thoughts. ”If someday... We managed to win.” His voice got heavier. ”Then we will go to a different time... we can never see each other if we return.”

Lin’s breath hiccuped slightly; Zhuo’s gaze dropped on the ground.

Jian Yue went silent. He knew that sounds impossible, but if it’d happen someday, then they’d never be able to see Mo Fei. Even if they did meet, Mo Fei would be old. Lin was from his time; it was possible to see even Zhuo, but Mo Fei...

No one could answer, just silence in the room.

Suddenly someone knocked at the door.

Behind the doors Yi Jyuhan’s voice came through in an urgent tone. ”There were footprints going out.”

Mo Fei touched his temple. The faint threads were still there, leading out of the temple in the city. ”Someone was here,” he said. ”Traitor, perhaps.”

Yi Jyuhan glanced at him. ”How many?”

Mo Fei looked at the threads, and his good eye counted them. ”I can’t tell. They are tangled together.”

Jian Yue stepped forward. ”Where are they?”

”Outside the city, to the west.”

Yi Jyuhan turned his head toward the west. ”I’ll need to add barriers. Though it’ll only stop the dead puppets, not the alive member of his cult.”

They saw Lovenia and Alisa walking toward their room. Alisa’s hand moved to her mouth, and a soft, audible yawn came through.

Lovenia looked at the group through the door and gave the same warm expression. Jian Yue still seemed skeptical; he couldn’t prove what was wrong.

They sat down again when they reached back to the room. Jian Yue’s voice cut through the silence. ”Lin, you will stay here. Children are here; if anything happens, you can create a way to escape. Zhuo and I will manage it.”

Lin’s mouth opened to argue, but she stopped, though her eyes narrowed, not completely agreeing but had no choice. ”Okay, stay safe there, Zhuo. Once you get the pages, come back with that.”

Jian Yue looked at her in understanding. ”Rest assured.”

After that got settled, their eyes fixated on the table. One unanswered question still lingered in the air... ”What is ’The Qing Street,’ and what had happened to Qinghua?”

Jian Yue lost in his thoughts. He hesitated but still said it. ”Lovenia has been acting differently since then.”

Zhuo and Mo Fei glanced at Jian Yue, while Lin prepared a blanket for the children, did not look at him and asked. ”What do you mean? She is acting the same, and I didn’t feel any wrong presence either.”

Mo Fei nodded slightly in agreement. ”I also didn’t see; her threads were bright, no strand was dull.”

Upon hearing this, Jian Yue took a deep breath, finally dropping his suspicion. ”I guess I’m just thinking too much about this.” His eyes darted toward the kids who lay down in a corner curled together, their eyes closed, their breathing slowed down.

He was relieved by the sight and slowly stretched his arms. ”You all should sleep now; I’ll guard.”

Lin dismissed his words. ”It has been a few nights since you have got a good sleep. I’ll guard tonight so you may sleep.”

Jian Yue was ready to oppose her, but her stare hardened, and he nodded in acceptance. He finally lay down to sleep, and Lin sat beside the doorway and put the blade on her lap. Her hands rested on her knees.

***

In a quiet room, Alisa and Lovenia lay there, both of their eyes open and unable to sleep. Lovenia whimpered, her hand clutched her head. ”Ah! My head...”

Alisa turned to look at her face with a deadpan tired look. ”What?”

”Headache. It’s getting worse.” Lovenia paused and sat down. ”I’ll go and drink water and get some medicine. Wait here.” She stood up and left.

Alisa’s gaze landed on the ceiling. She closed her eyes, trying to sleep, but the memories of the chaos still haunted her.

Lovenia walked and reached toward a pot in the kitchen area. She quietly picked up a bowl, and pressed it to her lips. She swallowed the water, but then the bowl fell from her hand.

She clenched her head tightly, as if something were trying to pierce through it. She fell on her knees whimpering in pain.

....

Two bones pierced through her temples; her hands dropped. The bones slowly grew more, taking the shape of horns. Her eyes rolled back, and then chains clenched her eyes tightly from within, and like a mist, a cross appeared.