Quest Maker: 390

Title: A Prophecy Realized (4)

Bo Saixi cannot help but witness the chaos unfold before her eyes. It has been a long time since she entered any form of conflict, but the use of strategy is not lost on her. Yes, sometimes tactics fail thoroughly, and a Spirit Master must adapt, but a chaos of this extent? Her emerald eyes stare at the loudest battle as thick ‘bars’ of purple goo protect her.

Admittedly, Bo Saixi cannot witness the speed of Bibi Dong’s and Silver Dragon’s movements with her eyes, but she can feel the very core of her Law-enforced soul quaking as those two monsters clash with everything they can muster.

Bibi Dong is out of control in this state, her attacks flying in her ally’s direction at times. But she is still wielding her Divine Weapon admirably. Bo Saixi cannot even imagine the toll it must take on Bibi Dong. After all, she never came close to wielding the trident placed on the island.

Then there is the team of women attacking Ja Sun’s body. Bo Saixi actually knows Lan Ruo, Zi Ji, and Bi Ji. Snow and Ah-Yin, however, manage to print a lasting impression on Bo Saixi. Ah-Yin’s blue-silver vines are no less powerful than the waves of slime threatening to devour them. Snow actually descends on Ja Sun’s body fearlessly, dancing upon the surface of the purple sea to create a mighty snowstorm that continuously freezes chunks of his body, only to be devoured by Zi Ji as they break apart. Lan Ruo, however, only acts when any attack aims for Bi Ji.

Bo Saixi further looks at the spatial maelstrom brewing upon Ja Sun’s body. It is clear that most of his reflexive thoughts are occupied at this spatial doorway. If not, he would be using many other Spirit skills to enhance his attacks, but just because he lost his control does not mean he can make full use of his abilities. The loss of control makes Ja Sun in the manner that he no longer has any inhibition, what little of it he did have before, anyway.

Then she looks at the edge of the island with an irritated expression as she observes two figures chatting calmly and laughing among themselves as if they are long-lost friends.

Absolute Chaos.

And Bo Saixi soon realizes how she may be contributing to this frustrating chaos.

After all, as some joke of fate, Ja Sun is only susceptible to her words and gestures. He is only protective of her and the island.

“Do something!” A loud snarl breaks Bo Saixi out of her musings as her emerald hues fall on Zi Ji, huffing furiously.

What should she do?

Pray to Ja Sun?

What a Joke.

Bo Saixi quietly closes her eyes. She decided to see the consequences of her choices till the end. The world be damned. After all, others around her are not any better. Why should she be the tiniest hint of sanity in this chaotic mess?

Ja Sun is Daoliu’s disciple, yet the man is talking about breakfast with the newcomer. The rest are trying to save Ja Sun, she admits. But could they not have dissuaded him from challenging the Gods in the first place?

As for the rest of the island, didn’t her duty stem from Poseidon?

Her immediate family’s been dead for years. She willingly estranged herself from the spirit beast, who took care of her, so Xiao Bai doesn’t incite Poseidon’s fury by coddling his priestess to the point she evades her duties.

What should she care about?

“Can you hear me, you mute bitch!” Zi Ji roars again.

“Way to go requesting someone’s help,” Snow purses her lips as she feels the coldness of death dance above her head. They may look at ease, but Ja Sun’s attacks are ruthless. The tiniest slip can cost their group an arm and a leg as a whole!

Bo Saixi keeps her eyes shut.

“My disciple didn’t pass some crude comments on you to incite such rage, did he?” Daoliu’s voice finally reaches her. Her eyelids jump open in confusion. Daoliu seems to be in a similar situation to her. His previous divine-granted power fizzled out of existence. So, he shouldn’t be able to chat with her by compressing his voice.

“I can see your confusion. My most recent well-wisher is assisting me to speak.” The black-furred behemoth waves his hand with a toothy grin as Daoliu speaks, “And Ja Sun clearly doesn’t think I’m a threat to you, or my voice would not have reached you.”

Bo Saixi feels a similar intent surrounding her, encouraging her to voice out as she ignores the screaming Zi Ji spitting all sorts of Drake insults in the distance.

“What do you want, Daoliu?”

“To cultivate peacefully, hmm, also take care of my disciple’s children. I feel they have good potential, and I don’t want their minds wasted by Ja Sun’s nonsense. Not his eldest, at least. I’ll leave a few of his middle children to themselves to see what sort of things they cook up.”

“That is not what I asked!” Saixi vibrates in irritation. She cannot even keep her usually dignified calm in such a situation, unlike the perpetually comfortable Daoliu.

“If only you are so impatient for the right things,” his sigh rubs Saixi the wrong way as she scowls.

“You’ve been rid of Poseidon’s essence, right?” Daoliu questions, “Why not return the favor by using your connection with my disciple?”

“What favor?” Saixi narrows her eyes, “I am weak, the Island I’m meant to protect is at its end, and my people worship Ja Sun as some savior when he is the true cause of our dire straits!”

“Weak? You have the ability to get strong for the first time in your life,” Qian Daoliu retorts. “The same path as Tang Chen! How is the ability to walk one’s path a weakness?”

“What of the rest?” Saixi raises an eyebrow.

“An honest mistake,” Daoliu replies without missing a beat, causing Shrek to burst out into laughter.

A low snarl escapes Saixi, and Ja Sun’s body responds to her anxiety, shooting an errand bullet of slime in Daoliu’s direction to be blocked by a shroud of green wind from Shrek’s side.

“Hmm, to think you would raise your hand at your master, and for a woman, no less,” Daoliu stares at the mindless slime as he shakes his head, “I should have taught you better. Then again, you only learned what you wanted to.”

His blood-red eyes fall on Saixi again.

“I know what you’re going through.”

“I doubt it.” Saixi looks away.

“To see someone fulfill dreams you imagined, or getting close to it. To see them achieve whatever you desire and live their lives with no fear holding them back, mastering their fates and not falling under anyone’s command… it is frustrating, isn’t it?”

Saixi stills and slowly looks back at Daoliu. But he is no longer looking at her. Instead, his gaze rests on Bibi Dong’s battle with the Silver Dragon King, or at least, where he thinks they are battling because his gaze cannot follow them either.

“The worst part of it is that we have similar standing now, me, my son, and my disciples. But… I don’t know if I will ever get to their level. It’s not a question of talent. I never doubted my talent. It’s a question of faith, I suppose. I gave up my pursuits after becoming Angel’s priest, spending my faith on someone else. I wonder if I will ever have enough faith in myself to walk the road the rest of them are walking.”

Saixi stares at the veritable picture of talent, admitting his weaknesses openly. To them, it is always about the mindset.

Daoliu returns her stare with a short smirk.

“Tang Chen would have laughed at our faces if he saw us like this.”

Her expression grows complex as she looks down slightly.

“So, I understand if you want to give up. You can tag your stubbornness with any reason you wish, but the truth is, if you’re truly pissed at Ja Sun, you would want to slap him with your hands and not let a mindless, innocent incarnation of his rot to doom.”

“Manipulation of this caliber will not work on me,” Saixi replies with a notable calmness in her voice.

“I suppose,” Daoliu presents a quirky grin. “But I did not lie. Besides, see that woman over there? The one with brilliant blue hair?”

Saixi looks at Ah Yin calmly pulling Bi Ji from yet another attack, looking back at Saixi when she feels their stare.

“She is Ja Sun’s wife. I think his first wife. But she and Bibi Dong are pretty much tied for that spot. She is fighting for her newborn.”

Saixi rolls her eyes.

“Really? That is the level you are stooping to?” She snaps back.

“I would have been persuaded by now,” Shrek pats Daoliu’s back with a warm smile and consoles the man, causing Daoliu to smile widely.

Daoliu and Saixi grow silent before she musters, “What were Tang Chen’s end moments like?”

“He was… happy. I don’t think he ever regretted his decisions, even when his divine trials were tampered with. Saixi, while I admit to empathizing with what you are going through, I cannot say for certain what you went through is… acceptable for you. You were collateral damage.”

Saixi’s expression darkens.

“If you decide against helping Ja Sun, that is fine. Maybe others won’t even need your help and will find something on their own. But don’t decide on things out of vindictiveness just when your path and choices open up. That’s my advice. Hell, if it’s revenge you seek, you can act as Ja Sun’s eldest tutor, play with his heart as he grows, and stomp on it later when he professes his undying love for you.”

Saixi blanks out by the end of it before releasing an exhausted groan and waves him off.

Daoliu does not converse with Saixi anymore and turns to look at the playful behemoth, “Thank you.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Shrek shrugs. “I’m only a guest of this world for a short period now. And you can think of this as me repaying a favor your disciple is about to do for me.”

“The spatial gate?” Daoliu questions as the former Dragon Prince grins.

“Not just any spatial gate. Hmm, look, it’s about to show a wonderful reaction shortly. I don’t think even Ja Sun realized the output of this ability if he isn’t there to control it actively.”

Daoliu looks at the giant spatial gate curiously as Shrek continues, “I just hope it’s connected to an interesting plane of reality.”

***

Alternate Title: The Therapy Daoliu at Work Again; Shrek has That Dawg in Him; Keikaku of This Level Does Not Work on Me—Saixi (Probably); Zi Ji Has A Repository of Draconic Insults; Saixi in Jojo Voice: I Refuse; Everything is a Jojo Reference; A Playful Behemoth; Ja Sun’s World Ending Honest Mistakes… Part 69; That Time When I Almost Devoured the World—Ja Sun; The Hidden Second Martial Soul at Play; Daoliu Feeding Saixi Some Diabolical Plans; A Faith Spent Elsewhere; Power and Freedom isn’t Everything When the Mind is Chained; Repaying a Favor in Advance; Ja Sun and Shrek Would Be Bros in Another Verse Perhaps