Chapter 347: Right Hand

~~~

Qi glows faintly around Liu Jin as he floats in the center of the room. Ever since he reached the Heaven Realm, leaving the ground has become all too easy. As if that were what is natural. His existence has become one that yearns for the sky. Alas, he cannot reach for it. To leave the palace in any way would be utter stupidity. One could argue that it is a fitting punishment for his actions. He made himself the enemy of many, and now, he has become a prisoner in his own house.

Naturally, he must find a way around that problem.

Liu Jin takes a deep breath. His Qi flows through his meridians with impeccable precision. His middle and lower dantian work in perfect unison. Already the third one begins to stir, but he does not need it right now. Body and soul are enough for what he has planned. After many hours of meditation, Liu Jin holds out his hand in front of him.

He cuts it off.

Though Liu Jin disabled his nervous system in preparation for this, the act still makes him flinch. He grabs his severed appendage before it can fall, not wanting it to touch the ground. Already, his regeneration is hard at work. Bone grows quickly ,and muscles, nerves, and arteries spread over it. In a few more breaths, he has a new hand that is not inferior to the old one.

Liu Jin focuses his attention on the hand he cut off. The flesh and bone bubble as he works his Qi inside it until it becomes a single quivering mass. Liu Jin holds it between his hands, squeezing and kneading it as though it were dough. The fleshy mass seems to grow as he does. It is not quite the same as what the Death Fashioning Scripture uses to make their creatures, but it will have to do.

His middle dantian thrums as he moves to the next step. Reaching the Heaven Realm has put his soul more completely under his control. Things that would have been hard before now require a simple thought to be put into action. A wisp of his soul swirls in his hand and takes the shape of a pure white snake. Its crimson eyes glow as it sees the mass of flesh and dives right in.

Liu Jin is hit with the familiar sensation of being in two places at once. He exists as his own person while simultaneously existing within the mass of flesh. He has no eyes or ears, no nerves or brain, yet he is. To call it disorienting would be an understatement. Things like these are exactly why it is so important to establish a hierarchy when creating a soul fragment.

However, Liu Jin deliberately chose not to do that. For what he has in mind, he requires there to be no distinction. He needs his soul, all of it, to be his soul and nothing else. Because the soul knows the shape of the body. Even though it has been separated, the soul remembers, and that memory resonates with the memories within his flesh.

The mass grows at an accelerated pace. Bone and muscles take shape, forming arms and legs. Organs appear inside the body, and blood rushes to flow through its veins. Only when everything is working as it should does Liu Jin finally establish a hierarchy

Liu Jin stands in front of Liu Jin.

“Congratulations,” the copy says, patting his own body. “I seem to be in perfect condition.”

“Vital systems?” Liu Jin asks as he floats around the copy.

“New but complete,” the copy says. He takes a deep breath. His Qi rises. “Interesting. I seem to lack dantian.”

“Really?” Liu Jin asks, intrigued. “I assumed the soul would form it naturally.”

“You did,” the copy replies. “However, the Qi is generated by the soul fragment that comprises me. It seems to have formed a core in my center. That makes me more like Spirit Beast, I suppose.”

“Interesting,” Liu Jin says, his feet finally touching the ground. “I was not expecting to accurately copy Serene End’s technique, but I also did not expect so many differences. Hers had a complete set of dantian.”

“Her copy possessed no soul. She was just projecting her consciousness,” his copy says. “You wanted to give me more autonomy, but you already knew that.”

Liu Jin nods. Even this conversation is relatively needless. If he wishes, he can synchronize his thoughts with those of his copy, instantly sharing any information the other might know. Talking to someone who is him just happens to be a unique experience.

“Is there anything you need?” Liu Jin asks.

His copy looks down.

“Clothes would be nice.”

~~~

“I like this,” Lu Mei says, seeing Liu Jin standing beside Liu Jin.

“I do not,” Xiao Fang says. His left eye twitches uncontrollably as he looks at the two Liu Jin. “I very much do not like this.”

The two are seated at a long table along with many others of Liu Jin’s closest confidants. Liu Jin has gathered them for dinner and plotting. That seems to be the norm nowadays.

“It is a necessary measure,” Liu Jin says as he sits down. He looks at his copy, wondering if he would like to sit, but the copy shakes its head. “I cannot leave the palace, and Xiao Nan will need proof that the message he receives is coming from me.”

“I could-”

“No,” Liu Jin, Xiao Fang, and Bai Wen interject at once. Xiao Shuang pouts.

“Besides,” Liu Jin adds, “if he followed my advice, there is a high chance that Xian Nan is with the Duke. He is someone I need to address personally, or at least, as close to personally as I can.”

When Liu Jin was in the Dead Plains, he was helped by the Duke, a Renegade Realm cultivator who came from the Storm Dragon Empire. He had become a Renegade long before the Civil War, so he was shocked to learn what happened to the country in his absence.

He told Liu Jin that he’d kill him if he was not satisfied with the state of the Storm Dragon Empire upon his arrival, but that’s an unimportant detail.

“Usually, we send Renegades away,” General Peng says dryly. He is attending the meeting in place of General Nie Dan, who is organizing the army to strengthen their borders. “It is the first time I heard of a plan that involves bringing them closer to us.”

In the Earth Realm, the Earth will try to hold you down. In the Heaven Realm, the Heavens will strike you for daring to rise up. However, the danger of the Renegade Realm is your own self, your flaws and virtues taken to the extreme. Renegades often become a danger to themselves and others, which is why they are usually sent to secluded areas. Cases like the Yun Sect’s Yun Peng, who remained in Eastern Port City despite being a Renegade, are extremely rare.

For the Eternal Flame Clan, there is Pyre’s End. As of the last report Liu Jin received, Elder Chang, Warden of the Punishment House, is still there, working hard to overcome the Renegade Realm. He appears to have made considerable progress, but not everyone is so lucky.

In the Storm Dragon Empire, Renegades are cast out to the Dead Plains. In particular, Murong Bang forced several of his own men out of the Heaven Realm and threw them to the Dead Plains. None succeeded. They turned into wandering madmen or died. The latter usually followed the former.

And yet, Liu Jin wants to bring two Renegades to the Storm Dragon Empire.

“Unfortunately, our situation is critical,” Liu Jin says. “However, your concerns are well-founded. Assuming all goes well, we’ll need a place to house them until they have reached the Emperor Realm,” Liu Jin says. “I could contain them in the palace, but I’d rather keep them away from civilized areas.”

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“You want to build a prison?” Lu Mei asks him.

“Not a prison,” Liu Jin hurries to say as indignant looks begin to appear on Xiao Fang and Xiao Shuang’s faces. Xiao Nan spent years trapped by Bright Sword. Liu Jin would never subject him to something like that. “Putting aside the costs and other logistics, few things would anger a Renegade more. I just need a place where they can stay without harming anyone.”

“Sad as it is to admit, our nation is not exactly devoid of desolated areas,” General Peng says.

Liu Jin sighs.

“Murong Bang’s territory?”

“Aye,” General Peng says. “Most of the people there were either relocated or fled of their own volition. There is no better place for two Renegades. I recommend Cloudburst City’s arena. The place was made for battles between high-level cultivators.”

Should Liu Jin lament all the destruction Murong Bang wrought or be thankful he can take advantage of the aftereffects of his actions?

“We’ll prepare the arena,” Liu Jin says. “Next, we should decide who goes to retrieve them.”

Su Daji raises her hand.

“I want to go, Boss,” Su Daji says. “And I want it on record that I’m annoyed you didn’t invite me yesterday evening.”

“You would have just said I brought this on myself,” Liu Jin points out.

“And I’d have been right,” Su Daji says, crossing her arms and nodding to herself. “I still want to go. That witch toyed with me for years, so I want to enjoy my freedom.”

“You can go,” Liu Jin says, sighing. It is not completely safe for her to do so, but a trip to the Dead Plains is never going to be anything other than dangerous. Besides, a part of her is still a former Divinity, who managed to cling to life beyond all possibility, and the other part is a normal girl whose ego partially survived possession by said former Divinity.

She is not the sort who dies easily.

“Thank you!” Su Daji says with much cheer.

“It will take time to prepare for the trip,” Liu Jin reminds her. “An expedition to the Dead Plains cannot be done lightly. Even once we are there, finding Elder Brother Xiao Nan and the Duke will not be easy.”

“I have a suggestion,” Feng Zhuo says, cheerfully raising his hand. “Brother-in-law, do you remember the temple you found in the Dead Plains?”

Liu Jin blinks. The memory of all-consuming pain as golden light burned his body, unable to decide if he was human or demon, flashes through his mind.

“I remember it, yes,” he says cautiously.

“As you know, the Eternal Flame Clan has taken possession of that place,” Feng Zhuo says. “I was in charge of it until circumstances forced me to come to the Storm Dragon Empire.”

By which he means, until he discovered he had a sister and decided to abandon his duties.

“Since you are technically still a Core Disciple of the Eternal Flame Clan, they are obligated to welcome you,” Feng Zhuo points out. “Feel free to rest your head there while you look for my dearest friend.”