Immortal's Paradox

Lei wiped the blood from his forehead as he surveyed the battlefield. The camp lay in ruins, littered with the bodies of fallen bandits and the smoldering remains of supply tents and watchtowers. His breath came in short gasps, his body riddled with minor cuts and an arrow still lodged in his shoulder. The Nanospirit had sealed his wounds, stopping the blood loss, but the pain still lingered.

"Not bad," Mao said, perched lazily on Lei's shoulder. "But getting riddled with wounds is hardly an improvement."

Lei ignored him, stepping over a broken spear and crouching beside the bandit leader, Huang Ba, who lay crumpled on the ground. His hammer was out of reach, his thigh bone shattered, and his aura diminished to nothing more than a flicker.

"I'm done playing games," Lei said coldly, gripping Huang Ba's collar. "You're going to tell me everything. Who are you working for and why are you abducting people?"

Huang Ba spat blood onto the dirt, glaring at Lei. "Do your worst. You'll get nothing from me."

Lei smirked, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "We'll see about that."

He placed a hand on Huang Ba's chest, sending a light qi pulse through the man's body. The bandit leader gasped as the pulse disrupted his heartbeat, leaving him momentarily breathless.

"Let's start again," Lei said, his voice calm but laced with menace. "Who are you working for?"

---

Huang Ba gritted his teeth, but Lei sent another pulse through his chest, this one more intense. The man's face twisted in pain, and his resolve began to crack.

"All right!" Huang Ba gasped. "I'll talk!"

Lei eased up, allowing the man to catch his breath. "Start from the beginning," he demanded.

Huang Ba hesitated, then spoke. "We're working for the royal family and the Iron Will Sect," he admitted. "Our orders are to gather resources—stolen goods, ransom money, anything we can—to fund their mission."

"What mission?" Lei pressed.

"To unite the country," Huang Ba said bitterly. "The royal family believes that by consolidating power, they can stabilize the region. But they don't care about the cost. People like me… we're just tools to them."

Lei frowned. The idea of uniting the country seemed noble on the surface, but the methods being used were anything but.

"Why abduct travelers and merchants?" Lei asked.

"To raise funds quickly," Huang Ba said. "Merchants bring in money through ransoms, and their goods are sold to finance the campaign. But it's not just about money. They're also trying to build alliances with the sects and families who support their cause."

Lei narrowed his eyes. "What about the children? You must know about Zhao family's experiments on them?"

"I don't know the details," Huang Ba said, panic creeping into his voice. "That's handled by the higher-ups in the Iron Will Sect. They've close ties with the Zhao family, always trying to create stronger fighters or qi slaves to do their bidding. It's all to ensure their dominance once the country is united. Zhao family is spread everywhere and so is their influence and power."

Lei sent another qi pulse through the man's chest, just enough to make him wince. "Don't stop now. Who's really pulling the strings?"

Huang Ba shook his head. "I don't know!" he said quickly. "But I've heard whispers… the royal family, Zhao family and the sect are just pawns. There are higher powers at play, forces that control everything behind the scenes. The same thing is happening in other countries. Every royal family, every sect—they're all caught in the same web of power struggles."

Lei's jaw tightened as he processed the information. The idea that the royal family and the sect were mere pawns suggested a far more intricate and sinister scheme at work.

---

"What higher powers?" Lei asked, his tone sharp.

Huang Ba shook his head weakly. "I don't know. No one does. But it's said that these powers have existed for centuries, manipulating kingdoms and sects from the shadows. They keep the countries divided, always fighting each other, so no one ever becomes strong enough to challenge them."

Lei stared at the broken man, his mind racing. If what Huang Ba said was true, then the chaos in this region—and possibly the entire continent—was being orchestrated by an unseen hand.

"That's all I know," Huang Ba said, his voice barely above a whisper. "You can kill me now. It won't change anything."

Lei stood, his expression unreadable. He glanced at Mao, who had been listening quietly.

"Well, that's certainly interesting," Mao said. "But I think we have other priorities right now. Like the merchant and his family."

Lei nodded, turning his attention away from the defeated bandit leader. "Nanospirit, confirm his statements," he said.

Analyzing heartbeat and body language, the Nanospirit responded. Subject's statements appear consistent with truth.

Lei didn't bother responding. He turned to Mao. "Lead the way."

---

The cat leapt from Lei's shoulder and padded toward the far side of the camp, where the cries for help had originated. Lei followed, stepping over the bodies of fallen bandits and smoldering debris. His thoughts were heavy, the weight of what he had learned pressing down on him.

When they reached the makeshift prison, Lei saw the merchant and his family huddled together, their faces pale with fear. The merchant, a stout man with graying hair, looked up as Lei approached.

"Please, don't hurt us!" the man begged.

Lei raised a hand to calm him. "I'm not here to harm you," he said. "I've dealt with the bandits. You're safe now."

The merchant's expression shifted from fear to relief. "Thank you," he said, his voice trembling. "Thank you for saving us."

Lei nodded, his gaze shifting to the chains that bound them. With a swift strike of his enchanted mace, he broke the restraints.

"You're free," he said.

The merchant and his family bowed deeply. "I owe you my life," he said. "If there's any way I can repay you—"

Lei cut him off. "Just get out of here," he said. "And stay safe."

---

As the merchant and his family hurried away, Mao hopped back onto Lei's shoulder.

"So, what's the plan now?" Mao asked.

Lei glanced back at the camp, his eyes narrowing. "Collect valuables as fast as we can from here. We need to keep moving," he said. "If what Huang Ba said is true, there's a lot more going on here than I thought. But first, I need to figure out who's really pulling the strings."

Mao smirked. "Always chasing answers, huh? What about about the merchant and his family? They were a good way to collect more books on alchemy. Although you have started crafting basic enchantments and talismans, it's not enough. You need a more steady way of resources and you need them as soon as possible."

"I've got a plan. If the royal family had eyes on him, then surely he wouldn't be a normal merchant", Lei replied, his mind already focused on the next step of his journey. The Kaelthorn family, the Iron Will Sect, the royal family, and the shadowy forces behind them—he would uncover the truth, no matter how deep the conspiracy ran.