Emphyreal Divide

Chapter Twelve

Jiang Nan let a glare fall over his features as he walked into the room, silence left undisturbed by all but the quiet hiss of candles burning down and the creak of worn floorboards underfoot. Scanning the dim room, he scowled— empty, or, at least, it appeared to be at the moment. He took another few steps in, glancing about as he did so for anything that could possibly be of use to him, but found little more than decrepit furniture and scattered papers with haphazard scribbles that could only barely be seen as legible.

"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right now," A voice said, the sound leaving him with a sinking feeling in his stomach, a feeling only exasperated by the cold point of a sword being held at his back.

"Because I'm here to make a deal. You like those, don't you?" He replied slowly, raising a brow as he glanced over his shoulder. The cold metal traveled up towards his neck, the sounds of soft footsteps following, until he was faced with the individual he had hoped to meet.

"You sound just like your father, how sweet. He wanted to make a deal too, look where that got him," The other man said with a smirk, adjusting his grip on the sword he held in hand so that the blade rested at his throat. "Dead, and now they've claimed him as war. A fitting moniker, don't you think, when anger runs so deep in your blood. What deal could you possibly want to make that would result in something different?"

He paused, swallowing once as he held the others gaze, simmering rage meeting cool amusement. "Unlike my father, I don't intend to let my anger get the best of me. Not only that, but I don't intend on letting others choose where to fight my battles— this time, I'll take it to their front door, then I'll break it down."

"And how," The other man paused, a toothy grin taking hold on his face, "Do you plan to do that? What army could you possibly have that would be capable of such a thing? Surely not those mortal cultivators following you, without an ounce of immortal blood in their body. They'd laugh before crushing you like ants."

"Not just them. Yu Jiayang—" He began, before being cut off by the other man, who gave a sharp laugh.

"Her? You'd best keep away from her, nothing good will come from the daughter of rain," The other man said, voice dripping with amusement. "Don't tell me you've taken a shine to her, any son of the two of you would only bring disaster— unless that's what you're wishing for? Certainly, that could be a plan."

"What are you talking about?" He shot back, frowning.

"You're unaware, how unfortunate. I suppose we'll just scrap that idea for now. What plans did you have, Jiang boy?" The other man asked, deflating ever so slightly. Jiang Nan returned his question with a confused scowl.

"Yu Jiayang is of equal competency to me, and I hope to bring her to my side," He began, and the other man rolled his eyes.

"Are you deliberately trying to recreate your father's failed battle? Is your entire family comprised of masochists that find the only adequate end is without a head? Truly, you are predictable, aren't you?"

"Yu Jiayang is leader of her own Sect as well," He continued on, unperturbed, "Not only that, but she has also recently come into the companionship of a snake spirit of... less than ordinary origin. Already powerful, even more so with training, I don't doubt this snake spirit could be a formidable ally. There's plenty of talent to be found. Even now a new Sect has been founded in the north, promising talent will be abundant following. You really think I'm incapable of finding the forces I would need?"

"If you're so capable of finding fighters of enough worth for your army, why seek me out? You said you wanted a deal, that implies something for me, does it not?" The man pointed out with a challenging lift of the chin.