Chasing You (Arc 8+)

Beneath the Heavens (III)

A/N: The Sect names will be in pinyin... It just sounds weird in English especially since the last character of the Sect name is the leading clan's last name... *cough* hope you guys don't mind. 

Also, I know that there is a lot of names being introduced in this chapter but as we go along and new characters are being introduced, I will leave a character description at the bottom and leave their relationship with the already introduced characters.

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Although in truth they were only separated for only about twenty years, Ains' heart ached to see his loved ones. There was always that ambivalence and discomfort in his chest that made him feel congested. His heart's protective shell was wavering, and his destabilizing emotions were leaking out... It was strange for him to lose his composure like this as he was usually poised and didn't reveal much emotion, but he couldn't help it. The more he tried to restrain it, the more it built up.

It was like a cup being filled with water, and now, the water was starting to reach the top. What should he choose? Should he choose to go with his promise or should he stay with his loved ones? He was at a forked road, forced to make a choice on the two matters and no matter what he chose... In the end, there was no going back to walk the other road.

His heart was in chaos, afraid to not be able to be with who he loves but also scared of disappointing the other. Ains was constantly being pulled apart by these two options... But he instinctively chose the former option at the end; he would keep his promise.

Like the calm after the storm, the pandemonium raging in his heart settled and became peaceful once again. Consoling himself, he repeatedly told himself that they would be alright. He would be alright. Pulling himself out of his thoughts, he re-focused on where he was at right now. Knowing that once he opened his eyes, the person holding him would barrage him with questions, Ains needed the plot.

[Read me the summary of this world, Bao Bao.]

He was unable to access it himself in this state and therefore vouchsafe the job to his system.

[Host, here is the summary for the world.]

The current world was set in an Ancient China Cultivation theme with flying swords and yellow talismans. The main protagonist is called Mu Buran¹, he is the son of Mu Jiadie and the old Sect Master of Qiyun Mu² Sect. Along with two other children from two sects nearby, An Qingfeng³ who was cold and unfeeling towards others and Xiong Teyi⁴ who was arrogant and loud. An Qingfeng was from Longhu An Sect⁵ and Xiong Teyi was from Wudang Xiong Sect⁶.

There was one more large major sect called Qingcheng Fu Sect⁷. The four major sects would keep each other in balance, not letting any one sect become stronger than the others. All four worked in harmony with one another until the sect leader of Qingcheng Fu Sect passed away and his second son, Fu Yemu⁸ inherited his position. He was the youngest sect leader out of the four but the other three did not treat him as a child but as they did with his father.

The first five years went on without any trouble, then suddenly one day, the Qingcheng Fu sect launched an attack and decimated the other three sects. The sect leaders' children were taken and they were forced to comply with what they tyrannical Fu Yemu wanted, if they wanted their children's lives to be saved.

Mu Buran and his younger sister, Mu Yuyue⁹ were taken there and found that his two sworn brothers and their siblings were taken for collateral. Not only were the other three major sects targeted, even small sects were not spared. A mass of young masters and young misses from many sect were herded as if they were sheeps waiting for slaughter.

Even though they were young masters and young misses from their sects, they were treated without any consideration for their status. The sect members of Qingcheng Fu Sect would looked down upon them condescendingly, as well as treat them as if they were boorish commoners. Blatantly criticized daily and bullied by even the lowest members of the reprehensible Qingcheng Fu Sect. Many of them tolerated their treatment as for fear to what will happen to their sect if they retaliated.

They were 'hostages' in this kind of situation, but the Qingcheng Fu Sect was shameless and simply called it 'studying' in their sect.

They spent three years stuck inside of the iron walls of Qingcheng Fu Sect. During this time, Mu Buran and the others noticed that some of the young masters and young misses went missing. At first they had assumed that they didn't want to come out of their rooms but after so many days, there was so reasonable explanation for their disappearance. This made the group of five become more vigilant.

One day, Mu Yuyue had somehow offended the young master of Qingcheng Fu Sect, Fu Aozi¹⁰. He had been her fiance since birth but had a contemptuous mind and felt that his engagement was disparaging. He had never placed his fiance in his eyes and hadn't even bother to know how she looked like. Fu Aozi had finally encountered that fiance of his that he derided so much as an coincidence. He fell for her innocent beauty and wanted her for his own.

Approaching her, he offered her a 'unrefusable' offer in which she didn't hesitate to callously refuse him. His pride and ego wouldn't let this go and Fu Aozi attempted to grab her wrist as to not let her leave. He was stopped by a much larger man and beaten up for trying to assault their younger sister.

The fool, Fu Aozi hadn't even recognized his own fiance when he saw her and had only recognized her status after until Mu Buran rescued her. Only then did he realize that the beauty that espied him was his own fiance.

Upon getting home, Fu Aozi complained to his older brother Fu Yemu. They sent a group of sect members to bring the two of them there. When the group had arrived at the small courtyard that held Mu Buran and Mu Yuyue. Just as they were going to succeed in dragging the two of them back to Fu Yemu, they were discomfited by the combined forces of Mu Buran and an unheralded figure, An Qingfeng.

This made Fu Yemu have to come and deal with them himself. He brought along some of the senior disciples from the inner circle and subdued the trio. The difference in their cultivation were too great and the three of them of had been easily put down. An Qingfeng's younger half-brother, An Zhangyi¹¹ had come at this moment and charged in to save his brother only to be taken as well.

Sealing their acupuncture point and using a heavy flogging stick, he beat Mu Buran, An Qing Feng, and An Zhangyi until he was satisfied. But that wasn't all that he had in store for them. He did not choose to deal with them as he usually had, as wanted to test something out.

Ordering his minions, he threw them into an underground room sealed with many spirit-fending talismans and a high level array that was placed to keep something in.

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¹Mu Buran: '穆不染'. 'Mu' means Solemn, reverent, majestic & 'Buran' came from the idiom: '一尘不染' [yīchénbùrǎn]: untainted by even a speck of dust (idiom); selfless and incorruptible / spotless.

²Qiyun Mu Sect: '齐云穆氏', '齐云' [Qiyun] means neat cloud. The 'Mu' is the same 'Mu' from above. Literal English translation is: Neat Cloud Reverent Sect.

³An Qingfeng: '安清风', '安 '[An], meaning calm, still, quiet & '清风' [Qingfeng]: cool breeze / fig. pure and honest.

⁴Xiong Teyi: '雄特异', '雄' [Xiong] meaning grand, imposing, mighty, & '特异' [Teyi] meaning exceptionally good, outstanding.

⁵Longhu An Sect: '龙虎安氏', '龙虎' [Longhu] means outstanding people / water and fire(in Daoist writing), and the 'An' is the same meaning as from An Qingfeng's name. Literal English translation is: Quiet Water and Fire Sect.

Here's a link if you're interested in learning more about Water and Fire [In Daosim]:

⁶Wudang Xiong Sect: '武当雄氏', '武当' [Wudang] means military wherewithal. 'Xiong' is the same character as the one listed in Xion Teiyi's. Wherewithal is a tricky word for me... Best meaning is I can find that would it in this particular translation is capability or necessary.

⁷Qingcheng Fu Sect: '青城浮氏','青城' [Qingcheng] means misty green city wall & [Fu] means to float, drift. Literal translation: Misty green city wall floating.

⁸Fu Yemu: '浮夜幕', the 'Fu' is the same as the one above. 夜幕 [Yemu] means Curtain of the night/ gathering darkness.

⁹Mu Yuyue: '穆愉悦' 'Mu' same meaning as above & [Yuyue]: joyful, cheerful.

¹⁰Fu Aozi: '浮傲自', 'Fu' same meaning as the one above. '傲自' [Aozi]: pride / overbearing.

¹¹An Zhangyi: '安仗义', 'An' is the same as the one above. '仗义' [Zhangyi]: to uphold justice / to be loyal (to one's friends) / to stick by.