Chapter 6: Eastern Sisters, Sakura and Belle (Patreon)

Are you really leaving, just like that, sir?

The new leader of the Way of Great Peace stood clutching a thick stack of documents awaiting approval, watching Gusttave shoulder his travel pack with an expression caught between tears and despair.

"I've left you the rules. Just follow them," Gusttave said, waving a hand without turning around. "If you run into something you're not sure about, flip through the Governance Compendium I wrote. It's all in there."

"But, sir—"

"No buts. I didn't train you so you'd come running to me over every little thing."

Gusttave paused mid-step, turning his head to sweep a calm gaze over the disciples behind him, all of them reluctant to let him go. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

"You're the future of this age. I'm just a passerby."

The words came out light and easy, yet everyone present felt their eyes redden at once.

Among them were orphans the Way of Great Peace had raised since childhood, disowned branch-family scions cast out by their clans, and outcasts abandoned by the demon race—it was Gusttave who had given them the dignity to keep living and the strength to change the world. Now this master and leader of theirs was simply walking away. How could anyone not feel the loss?

But Gusttave gave them no chance to hold him back. A pale golden streak of light shot up from the ground, and in an instant his figure vanished beyond the edge of the sky.

Inside the chat group.

[March 7th: That's so touching... He really does see himself as just a passerby.]

[Zhongli: To step back once the work is done, unattached to power or position—such a temperament is rare indeed.]

[Hu Tao: So now he's off to chase foxes?]

[Silver Wolf: One second he's waxing philosophical, the next he's beelining for the romance route. Checks out.]

[Elysia: Build a new world, then go see the person you want to see? What a romantic life~]

The scene shifted, and Gusttave had already arrived in the Southern Kingdom.

The dense forests of the Southern Kingdom stayed damp year-round, the air thick with the mingled scent of rotting vegetation and new growth.

Vines hung down from the branches of towering ancient trees, like countless blood vessels reaching out from the earth, weaving the entire rainforest into a web of somber green.

Gusttave moved through it all, his footsteps so light he might have been treading on cotton.

His profound cultivation let him blend seamlessly into his surroundings—even the venomous insects resting on leaves never sensed him pass.

Ahead, the trees thinned, and the faint murmur of a stream drifted through the air. Gusttave pushed aside a hanging cluster of vines, and the view opened up before him.

A stream, clear all the way to its bed, wound its way through the rocks. Beside it lay a broad stretch of pebbled shore, and sunlight filtering through gaps in the canopy scattered across the water's surface like countless flecks of golden scale.

Two figures sat on the pebbled shore.

Two women, to be precise. Or more precisely still, two women who looked strikingly alike.

One leaned against a bluish stone by the stream, her pale pink hair falling nearly to her waist, the ends curling slightly, softening a face so delicate it bordered on unreal.

She wore a plain white gown, its hem damp in places—she'd clearly been washing something at the water's edge. Now she tilted her head back slightly, letting the sunlight fall across her face, her expression as tranquil as a painting.

The other crouched on a rock in the middle of the stream, her hair the same shade of pink but tied up in a crisp high ponytail, its tip flicking up in a wild, untamed way.

She'd rolled up her sleeves and pant legs, hands submerged in the stream, feeling around for something with total focus, muttering under her breath. "Don't rush me, sis, I'm about to catch that fish—it definitely slipped right through my fingers just now—"

"Belle." The woman by the bluish stone spoke, her voice as gentle as a spring stream. "You've been at it for half an hour already."

"That's because this fish is just too sneaky!"

"We could buy one in town."

"Bought fish never tastes as good as one you catch yourself!" The girl called Belle spun around, revealing a face nearly identical to her sister's but far more animated, her eyes bright with indignant energy. "Besides, you know we've barely got any silver left. We have to save it—"

Her voice cut off abruptly.

Because she'd spotted Gusttave standing on the opposite bank.

"Who's there?!" Golden flames suddenly bloomed in Belle's hands. "You'd better come clean, or you'll be sorry!"

Gusttave's pupils contracted, just for an instant.

Not from the threat.

But because he recognized both faces.

Two faces that had no business appearing in this world.

The image on the screen froze on the three figures facing off across the stream.

[Elysia: Oh my, I didn't expect Sakura and Belle to be in there too.]

[Evanescia: Those two look just like me!]

[Silver Wolf: Maybe you're all parallel-timeline counterparts of each other?]

Southern Kingdom, sisters. These two are probably playing the script meant for Dongfang Huaizhu and Dongfang Qinlan. Gusttave studied the pink-haired sisters by the stream, and the pieces clicked into place at once.

Sakura's gentle composure and Belle's spirited wariness lined up almost perfectly with how he remembered Dongfang Huaizhu and Dongfang Qinlan.

Add in the demon-slaying divine flame in Belle's hand, and Gusttave was certain of their identities.

"I'm just passing through, gathering some herbs. No ill intent."

His tone was flat, his aura reined in completely, so that he looked like nothing more than an ordinary wandering Daoist.

Sensing no killing intent from the man across the stream, Sakura raised a hand and gently pressed down on Belle's flame-wreathed wrist, shaking her head slightly.

Still wary, Belle nonetheless reined in some of her fire, hopping across the stones to the shore and planting herself in front of her sister. She glared up at Gusttave. "Passing through? Out here in the middle of nowhere? What kind of person avoids the proper road and goes wandering deep into the forest?"

Gusttave's gaze passed lightly over the two of them, settling on the golden light still flickering at Belle's fingertips. "I cultivate the mortal Dao. I'm used to walking the wilds, hunting herbs, taking in the scenery along the way. As for you two... lingering out here, aren't you worried about running into mountain demons, or bandits passing through?"

"Demons?" Belle scoffed, her ponytail flicking up like a tail. "Ordinary demons can't run from us fast enough."

Sakura tugged gently at her sister's sleeve and stepped forward half a pace, inclining her head toward Gusttave. Her voice was soft and courteous. "Forgive us, Daoist. My little sister is a bit hot-tempered. We're simply passing through and resting here for a while, nothing more. Since you're only gathering herbs, let's not trouble each other."

Her plain gown lent her an air as gentle as water, though a faint, barely noticeable weariness and distance lingered in her eyes—clearly the marks of a long journey.

"In that case, I won't trouble you further. Only, this forest hasn't been peaceful of late—cultivators and demons clash here often. You two would do well to leave sooner rather than later."

With that, he turned and walked off into the depths of the forest, his figure soon swallowed by layers of green shade.

Only once he was completely out of sight did Belle let out a breath, patting her chest. "Finally, he's gone... He looked so unremarkable, but something about him felt unfathomable."

Sakura gazed in the direction Gusttave had gone, her brows knitting slightly. "No demonic energy, no malice—but his cultivation far surpasses ours. To walk freely through a place like this, he can't be an ordinary Daoist."

"Who cares." Belle shook the water droplets off her hands. "Let's hurry up and catch a few fish, then get out of this dump. Find somewhere safe to hole up."

Sakura nodded, but her gaze lingered on the depths of the forest for a long while before she finally looked away.

Meanwhile, Gusttave hadn't actually gone far.

He circled back and climbed to a rise, standing atop an ancient tree with his hands clasped behind his back, watching the two slender figures by the stream. A flicker of thought crossed his eyes.

Sakura and Belle appearing in this world was clearly another product of the dungeon crossover.

Since they'd taken the place of Dongfang Huaizhu and Dongfang Qinlan, what lay ahead of them was the Southern Kingdom's Poison Emperor, Huandu Qingtian.

And the conflicts with the Wangquan Clan, Jin Renfeng, and the entire Daoist community would all play out right on schedule.

With the sisters' current strength, they stood no chance against the storm about to sweep over them.

"Forget it."

Gusttave let out a quiet sigh.

Since he'd run into them, he couldn't just stand by and watch them repeat the original story's tragedy.

His form flickered, and he vanished from the treetop, leaving behind only the faintest trace of presence, quietly watching over the two sisters by the stream.

[Elysia: Sakura's still as gentle as ever. But they look like they're having a rough time.]

[Silver Wolf: You can tell at a glance—these two are about to have some bad luck ahead of them.]

[Yae Miko: This gentleman says he won't interfere, but his actions say otherwise~]

Following the sisters' path, Gusttave arrived at a deserted, uninhabited town—though he reached the one inn with people in it before they did.

The moment Gusttave's foot crossed the threshold, a sword thrust toward him, stopping right at his throat.

"This place is deserted. What are you doing here? Are you a demon?" the young man holding the sword demanded.

"I'm just passing through, gathering some herbs. No ill intent," Gusttave replied casually.

But the man paid no mind to the explanation. "Words mean nothing. Man or demon—one stab will tell."

With that, he thrust his sword at Gusttave.

Bang—

Before the blade could land, the young man's head burst apart like a smashed watermelon.

His companion inside the inn met the same fate a heartbeat later.

Gusttave walked into the inn without expression, not sparing the two corpses a second glance.

"Typical vermin from the immortal sects—so wrapped up in their own desires they don't spare a thought for other people's lives."

"Seems I still haven't scrubbed them out thoroughly enough."

"Whatever. Once I'm done dealing with this, I'll go back and kill every last one of them."

[March 7th: ??? What just happened?!]

[Kiana Kaslana: Why did his head just explode?! I didn't even see the move!]

[Yixuan: That's brutal... but the other guy did strike first.]

Outside the inn, the setting sun gilded the crumbling ruins of the abandoned town in a dull amber glow. Sakura and Belle, carrying the two fish they'd just caught, stepped carefully into the town.

"Sis, why does this place feel so creepy..." Belle hunched her shoulders, a golden flame flickering faintly in her palm to light the way.

Sakura glanced around, her brows knitting. The houses lining the street had their doors and windows shut tight, some already rotted through and collapsed, revealing the black hollows within. A stray cat darted across a wall, startling Belle so badly she nearly dropped her fish.

"There's light ahead," Sakura said softly.

The sisters followed the glow and found the inn with its oil lamp lit. The door stood half-open, warm yellow light spilling through the gap—jarringly out of place in the dead, deserted town.

Belle reached to push the door open, but Sakura suddenly caught her arm. Her nose twitched faintly, and her expression shifted at once—the smell seeping through the crack in the door was fresh blood.

"Get back." Sakura's voice stayed gentle, but carried an unusual weight now.

Before she'd even finished speaking, the door swung open from inside.

Gusttave stood inside, his plain Daoist robes spotless, a coarse clay bowl still in hand. He stepped slightly aside, clearing the line of sight, and the scene inside the inn lay fully exposed before the sisters.

Two headless bodies lay on the floor, blood winding across the old boards to pool into a shallow, dark-red patch. Where the heads should have been, only scattered bone fragments and spattered blood remained, as if some irresistible force had burst them open from within.

Belle's pupils shrank. The golden flame in her palm flared up, and her whole body went taut as she instinctively pulled Sakura behind her. "You—!"

"Just two washouts from the immortal sects." Gusttave set the bowl back on the counter, his tone as flat as if he were remarking on the weather. "They saw I was alone and decided to test their swords on me. They failed the test. So they died."

He said it so lightly, as if those two lives mattered less than the water in his bowl.

Sakura's gaze moved off the bodies and settled on Gusttave's face.

She didn't scream, didn't step back—even her breathing only faltered for an instant before steadying again. That composure made Gusttave glance at her a second time.

Sakura's hand, hanging at her side, curled slightly, though nothing in her showed fear. "You don't waste time, Daoist," she said quietly.

Gusttave glanced at the mess on the floor. "There are always people in this world who think that holding a sword in hand gives them the right to decide who lives and dies. I just let them experience it for themselves, once."

Belle stayed wary, golden flame still dancing at her fingertips. "How do we know you're not just putting on a show for us? What if you're some kind of villain too..."

"If I were a villain, you'd have ended up like them the moment you set foot in this town."

Sakura tugged at Belle, whose emotions were running high, and shook her head slightly. She could tell that though this man's methods were ruthless, he meant them no harm.

Along their journey they'd seen far too many hypocrites from so-called righteous, prestigious sects. A man this blunt about his likes and dislikes, hiding nothing, was almost reassuring by comparison.

"My sister and I are only passing through. We'd like to borrow a place to rest for the night and leave at dawn. We won't trouble you, Daoist."

Gusttave glanced up at the two of them. "Suit yourselves."

The sisters then picked out the best room and settled in.

An old man served here in the roles of both cook and waiter.

He'd been seized by those young sect brats and forced to wait on them, though part of him had also chosen to come along willingly.

His wife and daughter had both been taken by demons, and he wanted to watch those young brats avenge them.

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