DDD Chapter 130: A Conversation with Zayne (Patreon)

After my friends and I returned to Dragon Palace, I headed towards Big Sis Sidra’s courtyard. As a favor to me, my eldest sister kept Zayne here within an unused room. I would’ve kept him within my own courtyard, but there wasn’t any space. In addition to myself, my courtyard housed the snake twins, Willow, and Harlow. While we could’ve made room if we wanted to, I hadn’t wanted to inconvenience any of my loved ones for Zayne’s sake.

Besides, keeping him at Big Sis Sidra’s courtyard turned out for the best. According to Elliot, who I tasked with looking after Zayne, the latter made several escape attempts. However, all of them failed due to a combination of Elliot’s skill and Big Sis Sidra’s mastery of arrays. If I had kept him in my courtyard, he might’ve escaped. The chances of that happening were low, but not impossible.

Big Sis Sidra’s courtyard was similar to mine, though larger and more luxurious. However, it felt emptier. Like her abode back at Flame Fiend Peak, Big Sis Sidra didn’t have any servants attending to her. She preferred to keep others out of her private spaces, with a few exceptions. As her younger brother, I was one of those exceptions. Elliot was another.

Big Sis Sidra was busy with her duties as the vice hall master of Flame Fiend Hall, and I told my friends that I wanted to face Zayne on my own, so I arrived at my eldest sister’s courtyard alone. I followed Elliot’s instructions and soon stood before Zayne’s room.

With my spirit sense, I noticed all of the arrays that Big Sis Sidra put in place to keep Zayne contained and imprisoned. I didn’t know exactly what they did, since my mastery was far below my eldest sister’s, but I knew they were all profound and powerful.

I took a moment to compose myself, before I opened the door and entered the room, unimpeded by the arrays. After all, their purpose wasn’t to keep me out.

Like the rest of Dragon Palace, Zayne’s room was beautiful and opulent. It was almost the same size as my bedroom. Several pieces of expensive furniture decorated the room. A pleasant floral scent lingered in the air. Large windows afforded a view of the outside world. However, I didn’t know if this was a cruelty or a mercy. Zayne could see through these windows, but never go beyond them.

As far as prisons went, it could’ve been worse. Not that I expected Zayne to appreciate that fact. I wouldn’t, in his shoes. A cage was still a cage, no matter how gilded the bars. As part of a clan that sought to become dancing winds, free and unfettered, Zayne would’ve found any prison unbearable.

As for Zayne himself, I saw him curled up on his bed and covered in a blanket. I made no attempt to keep quiet or hide my entry, yet he didn’t react at all. Was he asleep? If so, then he was in for a rude awakening. However, I soon learned that this wasn’t the case.

“Just leave the food on the table and leave.” Zayne called out in a despondent voice. “I’m not in the mood for your company, Snake.”

I snorted at Zayne’s words. It amazed me that he maintained his arrogant attitude, even while imprisoned. A part of me found it impressive, in a twisted sort of way.

“Unfortunately for you,” I said, “You’ll have to bear with my company, whether you want to or not. You have no choice in the matter.”

Zayne’s blanket flew up as he sat up in bed. He looked much worse than I expected. His hair was a frazzled mess, his clothes were unkempt, and his complexion was haggard; a far cry from the arrogant young master from before.

“Hello, Zayne,” I said, baring my teeth at him in a smile, “It’s been a while.”

Zayne stared at me in disbelief, his mouth hanging open. I was in my human form, so he had no trouble recognizing me.

“Darian?” He asked after regaining his composure. “How are you here?”

I raised an eyebrow at Zayne. Was my presence that much of a surprise? He should have seen me when I fought with Senior Lucille at the House of Heavenly Pleasure. I thought about it for a moment. Or maybe not.

When I attacked Senior Lucille, I used a Divine Speed Talisman meant for Golden Core cultivators. Perhaps I moved too fast for Zayne to get a proper look at me. And everything that happened afterwards was a chaotic mess, one that even I found confusing at the time.

Not only that, but Willow’s kin, who had also been there, knocked Zayne unconscious before tying him up. He didn’t regain consciousness until after we imprisoned him. Keeping all of that in mind, it was entirely possible that Zayne never even saw me that night.

“Haven’t you figured it out yet?” I asked with a snort. “I’m the one behind all of…” I gestured to the room around us. “… This.”

Zayne’s mouth opened and closed several times before he responded.

“You did this to me?” Zayne asked.

I nodded, before I frowned.

“Most of it.” I said. “Willow’s kin were the ones who knocked you unconscious and carried you here, but it was my idea to bring you along in the first place.” I nodded towards Zayne. “Elliot, the one who has been taking care of you for the past few days, is one of my people.”

Zayne stared at me for several more seconds, before his expression twisted with anger. He reminded me of my uncle somewhat. While their appearances differed, they both glared at me with hatred in their eyes.

“I’ll kill you!” He screamed.

Zayne leapt out of bed and rushed towards me. To his credit, he moved faster than I expected. Despite his mediocre aptitude and lack of diligence, Zayne was still a Wind cultivator. However, it wasn’t enough. Zayne seemed slow when compared to Cultivator Flo.

Zayne raised a fist to punch me, but I evaded his attack with ease. I then grabbed his arm and put him into a hold, using one of the moves from the Grasping Serpent fighting style. Zayne struggled to break free, to no avail. He sucked in a breath, as if to use a mystic art, but I punched him in the abdomen. My blow knocked the wind out of him, and he struggled to breath afterward.

Why was I going through all this effort to subdue Zayne rather than giving him a beating right away? The answer was simple. I didn’t want to rush my revenge. Instead, I wanted to savor it.

“Don’t bother trying.” I said. “Things are different than how they were back on Mt. Wind Dance. I’m no longer the weak mortal that you used to pick on.”

I pushed Zayne away from me. He stumbled forward, before he found his footing again. After he regained his breath, Zayne looked at me and his eyes widened in shock.

“You’re in Foundation Establishment.” He said, as if he couldn’t believe it. No, as if he didn’t want to believe it. “That can’t be. How? How did someone like you reach Foundation Establishment in…?”

He trailed off as he realized that it had only taken me six years to reach Foundation Establishment, while it took him more than twice as long.

“No,” Zayne said, shaking his head, “That can’t be. That’s impossible. You’re nothing more than a weakling, a failure who can’t even cultivate. There’s no way someone like you reached Foundation Establishment in such a short amount of time. This is a trick. It has to be.”

I couldn’t tell if he was speaking to me, or himself. Either way, it didn’t matter.

“I was always capable of cultivating.” I said. “My uncle just never gave me the opportunity.”

However, that turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I wasn’t suited for Clan Wind Dance’s main cultivation technique, Dancing Wind. If I had cultivated with this technique, I wouldn’t have made much progress before my maternal family took me back from Clan Wind Dance. It wasn’t possible to switch cultivation techniques while in the middle of a large realm. I would’ve had to undo my cultivation and start all over again.

“However,” I said, spreading my arms out, “If you still think this is a trick, then come at me. I’ll keep defeating you until you accept the truth.”

Despite his assertion earlier, Zayne didn’t attack me. He just gritted his teeth and glared.

“So what if you’re a cultivator now?” Zayne spat out. “You’re still just a filthy demonspawn! It doesn’t matter how powerful you become. Tainted blood runs through your veins. That will never change.”

I shrugged.

“You’re right,” I said, “I am the son of a demon. That will never change. I’m not ashamed of that. Not anymore. I’m proud of my heritage. In fact, I’ve even become a demonic cultivator myself.”

I switched to my Demon Form. Zayne stared at me, his eyes filled with fear, as he took in my demonic appearance. He scrambled back, putting more distance between us.

“Get away from me!” He shouted. “Don’t come any closer!”

A part of me felt a small measure of petty satisfaction. Back when I lived on Mt. Wind Dance, I always had to keep my head down and mind my words in front of Zayne. Whenever I didn’t, he always gave me a beating. Rather, he would give me a beating regardless of what I did. However, things were always worse whenever I “forgot my place”, according to him.

“And if I do?” I asked. “What are you going to do about it?” I gave him a serious look. “What’s to stop me from hurting so much that you feel, deep in your bones, that you’re nothing more than an insect that I can crush anytime I feel like it?”

Zayne just stared at me and didn’t respond. I felt a little disappointed by that. My words were almost identical to the last sentence Zayne said to me back on Mt. Wind Dance, before Big Sis Astra rescued me. It appeared that I was the only one who remembered them.

“When Aunt Lucille finds out what happened,” Zayne said, mustering his remaining courage, “You’ll regret it.”

I let out a mocking laugh.

“Don’t you remember what happened?” I asked, sneering at him. “You called for Senior Lucille back at the House of Heavenly Pleasure. After she arrived and tried to kill almost everyone there, I defeated her and took her prisoner as well.”

Of course, I only succeeded due to luck. If I didn’t have so many Golden Core talismans on me, Senior Lucille would’ve killed me.

“You’re lying!” Zayne shouted.

I smirked at him, before I pulled Senior Lucille’s sword out of my storage ring. It was a beautiful weapon and a Golden Core level magic treasure. It had a sky blue blade, and a white and gold handle.

After I defeated Senior Lucille, Elliot picked this sword up, along with her storage ring. I planned on sorting through the latter after the Rising Heroes Tournament ended.

“Recognize this?” I asked.

Zayne’s expression fell and despair crept into his eyes.

“No.” He whispered. “It can’t be.”

I chuckled.

“But it is.” I said, before placing the sword back in my storage ring.

Zayne’s expression hardened.

“Uncle Dominic will rescue us,” he said. “When that happens, he’ll make you pay for this!”

He made this too easy. Little by little, I would crush his spirits until nothing remained but despair.

“Uncle Dominic already rescued Senior Lucille.” I said. “He did so on the first night. However, he left you behind. In fact, he never mentioned you at all. The only one who expressed concern for you at all was Lucius.”

Zayne’s expression turned despondent, as if he had expected this.

“Though, to be fair,” I continued, “Senior Lucille was still unconscious at the time. Otherwise, she would’ve asked for you. Not that it would have made a difference. She doesn’t have the strength nor the influence to rescue you from my grasp.”

“Peak Master Righteous Fury will come for me then.” Zayne said. “I’m an inner disciple of Flowing Sword Peak and Uncle Dominic is sworn brothers with him.”

Despite his words, Zayne sounded uncertain. By now, it must’ve been clear to him that I had some kind of backing. The clues were all there. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have gotten away with any of this.

“No, he won’t.” I said. “You know it as well as I do. This is an internal matter of Clan Wind Dance. Besides, Peak Master Righteous Fury is, well, furious with Uncle Dominic for keeping my existence a secret. Even if he were inclined to intervene, he wouldn't risk angering my mother, not for Uncle Dominic’s sake.”

Zayne regarded me with a resigned expression on his face.

“Your mother?” He asked.

I grinned at him.

“Hall Master Nova of the Dawn and Dusk Sect.” I said. “Though you may know her by her moniker, the Frenzied Fiend.”

With that, the last sparkle of hope in Zayne’s eyes died. His shoulders slumped as if weighed down by a heavy burden. It now dawned on him that I had him in my grasp, and there was nothing he could do about it. No one was coming to rescue him.

“What do you want, Darian?” He asked in a tired voice. “Revenge? Are you going to kill me? Is that it?”

“Well, I’m not going to kill you, Zayne.” I said. “As much as I hate you, you didn’t do anything to me that warrants your death.” My grin faded away and I regarded him with a solemn expression on my face. “However, you’re right. I want revenge. You owe me a debt, and I intend to collect. Afterwards, when the Rising Heroes Tournament is over, I’ll release you and we won’t have to ever see each other again.”

Zayne sneered at me, before taking a stance.

“If you think that I’d meekly submit,” he said, “Then you’re sorely mistaken. If you want your revenge, you’ll have to earn it.”

I chuckled.

“Perfect,” I said. “I would’ve been disappointed otherwise.”

With that, I threw myself at Zayne.

***

About an hour later, I emerged from Zayne’s room with a dreamy smile spread across my face. I was disheveled and covered in blood. None of the blood was mine. It all belonged to Zayne. Despite his bravado, Zayne’s skill in unarmed combat was abysmal. Subduing him took little effort on my part. Afterwards, I gave him the beating he so rightly deserved. So much so, that I ended up bruising my knuckles.

In a bit of a daze, I stood there for several moments before I noticed my mother. She leaned against a nearby wall with a bottle of spirit wine in one hand.

“Did you kill him?” My mother asked, an amused expression on her face.

I shook my head.

“No.” I said. “I beat him within an inch of his life and left him unconscious, but I didn’t kill him.”

My mother raised an eyebrow at me, before she took a sip from her bottle of spirit wine.

“A shame.” She said afterwards. “In your shoes, I would’ve killed him, collected his soul, and then tortured him for ten thousand years.”

I gave my mother a flat look.

“I’m not you.” I said. “I love and admire you, Mom, but I don’t want to be like you.”

My mother… No, Mom regarded me with a serious expression on her face, before she burst out into laughter.

“Good.” She said. “There’s only one of me, just as there is only one of you. If you tried to mimic me, you would’ve just turned yourself into a poor copy.”

I gave her a wary look.

“You’re not disappointed?” I asked. “Many parents want their children to be like them.”

Mom shook her head.

“No,” she said, “I simply want you to be happy and healthy. Who you are and how you live, I leave entirely up to you. Of course, I’ll offer you advice and guidance when you ask for it, but I won’t interfere with your life otherwise.” She paused. “Too much.”

I chuckled and shook my head.

“Anyway,” Mom continued, “Do you want to share a drink?”

She held up her bottle of spirit wine. I started to nod, before I paused.

“Let me find someone to look after Zayne first,” I said, “And then I’ll join you in your courtyard.”

Mom nodded, before walking off. I went to my courtyard and asked Elliot to look after Zayne’s injuries, before I made my way to Mom’s courtyard. When I arrived, she had set up two couches next to each other. She lounged on one, leaving the other for me.

A small wooden table stood between the two couches. Two bottles of spirit wine stood atop the table, already open. It was late afternoon by this point. The shadows deepened, casting the courtyard in darkness, as the sun started to set.

I laid down on the empty couch, grabbed the nearest bottle of spirit wine, and took a pull. It tasted spicy and sweet, burning as it went down, which I rather liked. A comfortable warmth filled me. Together with the winter chill that pervaded North King City, it made for an interesting contrast.

As I drank, I stared at the sky above. The light from the setting sun painted it with various shades of red, orange, and yellow. Mom and I laid there without saying a word to one another, drinking in silence.

“How do you feel?” Mom asked after a while, breaking the silence. “Now that you’ve gotten your revenge? I don’t mean just against that whelp, but against Clan Wind Dance in general. You destroyed your uncle’s reputation within the Thousand Blade Sect and ensured that none of them will trust him again.”

I snorted at that.

“He did that to himself by keeping my existence a secret.” I said. “If he had been honest from the start, things would have turned out differently for him.”

Mom shrugged.

“Even so,” she said. “You exposed his lies, so it counts.” She grinned at me. “So, I ask again, who do you feel?”

I took a moment before answering her.

“Satisfied,” I said, “Vindicated.” I frowned. “As well as empty and uncertain.”

Mom glanced at me.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

This time, I took even longer before responding.

“I resented Clan Wind Dance for the way they treated me.” I said. “They were my kin, yet they neglected me, abused me, and ostracized me. Zayne was the worst of them, but they all played a part. By getting revenge on them, I can finally cast off the Wind Dance name and let go of my resentment. From this day forth, the shadow of Clan Wind Dance will no longer haunt my heart.”

This wasn’t something I had planned when I started all this, but it felt right. In fact, I should have cast off the Wind Dance name a long time ago. I hadn’t because of my bond with Lucius, and out of respect for my father. However, it was now time to sever ties with the rest of Clan Wind Dance. I would have nothing to do with them, and they would have nothing to do with me. We were strangers to one another.

“Does this mean you’ll go by Darian from now on?” Mom asked.

I nodded.

“Yes. Or Flamewind.” I frowned. “Perhaps not. It’s not fitting, since I don’t have an affinity for wind. Dancing Flame? Dancing Fist?” I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. Regardless, I no longer consider myself a Wind Dance.”

Mom studied me for several moments.

“Is that why you feel empty and uncertain?” she asked.

I hesitated, before nodding.

“Yes,” I said. “Even as I resented my kin, I wanted their acceptance and approval. That’s why I spent so much time practicing the Dancing Wind Blade fighting style and why I endured my uncle’s humiliating treatment of me.” I shook my head. “I don’t feel that way any longer, but it defined my life during my formative years. Without it, and without the Wind Dance name, I’m not sure who I am anymore. Who exactly is Darian?”

Mom started laughing. It started out as a snicker as she tried to hold it in, before it exploded out.

“Oh, my youngest,” Mom said, her tone filled with mirth, “You’re turning this into a bigger deal than it actually is.”

I stared at her, upset by her dismissive attitude.

“What do you mean?” I asked. “The Wind Dance name was a big part of my identity. Without it, I don’t know who I am.”

Mom sighed, before she reached over and flicked my forehead. It didn’t hurt, but I still rubbed the spot she flicked and glowered at her.

“You are my son,” Mom said. “You are your sisters’ younger brother. You are the husband of two wonderful women. You are a core disciple of the Dawn and Dusk Sect. All these, and more, are part of your identity. More than that, none of them have anything to do with Clan Wind Dance.” She chuckled. “You are, as they say, making a mountain out of a molehill.”

I stared at Mom for several long seconds, before I realized that she was right. I stopped being a Wind Dance a long time ago, back when Big Sis Astra first rescued me from Mt. Wind Dance. Everything that happened after that point had nothing to do with my father’s kin, with a few exceptions. Severing ties with Clan Wind Dance and forsaking the Wind Dance name was simply a formality at this point.

“Well then,” I said, chuckling, “I feel silly now.”

Mom reached over and ruffled my hair.

“That’s alright.” she said. “Sometimes we need someone with an outside perspective to point out the obvious to us.”

I tolerated the ruffling for a bit, before I pulled away from Mom’s hand and gave her a scowl. She chuckled and went back to drinking from her bottle of spirit wine. I did the same.

“So, what are your plans now?” Mom asked several minutes later. “Are you going to found your own cultivation clan? I know that’s what Ellen wants, but is it what you want?”

It didn’t surprise me that Mom knew about that. Either she found out herself, or Big Sis Sidra told her. It wasn’t as if it was some great secret.

“I’m not sure yet.” I said, frowning. “The idea appeals to me, but I’m not sure if it’s worth the trouble.”

Mom smirked.

“That’s why I never founded a cultivation clan.” She said. “Too much of a hassle. Your sisters felt the same way, though for different reasons.”

I glanced at Mom.

“I wondered about that.” I said. “To answer your question, I’ll wait until I’m at least in the Golden Core realm before I decide whether or not to found a cultivation clan.” I shrugged. “Beyond that, I don’t have any plans except to cultivate and train.”

Mom nodded her head, but otherwise didn’t respond. Together, the two of us spent the next hour in silence as we drank and watched the sky grow darker. When evening arrived and the stars revealed themselves, I said farewell to Mom before heading back towards my own courtyard. She waved me goodbye, but didn’t see me off. That was fine. I hadn’t expected her to.

I had a little trouble making it back to my courtyard. Mom’s spirit wine was strong. It left me feeling warm and light-headed. While I wasn’t drunk, I wasn’t far from it either. In my current state, it took me longer to reach my courtyard than normal. I almost lost my balance several times. By some miracle, I only encountered a few people on the way back. They regarded me with amusement, but otherwise left me alone.

I planned on heading to bed right away when I reached my courtyard. However, when I arrived, I found Elliot and Harlow waiting for me. They both wore serious expressions on their faces.

“There’s something we need to show you.” Harlow said.