The Open Sect's Army Breakers

Under the orders of the Open sect, two disciples had left to deal with a hoard of monsters.

A pack of monkeys had suddenly turned into demons in mass and were terrorizing one of the few nearby settlements. When it was reported that casualties had appeared, sect elder Zao Zhen decided the matter must be dealt with immediately, to which her fellow elders tacitly approved.

It was decided that three teams of two disciples would venture out and search for the demons. Each team need to have at least one member proficient in detection techniques. Taizhou and Tian were among the first to volunteer, both brimming with heroism and aware of their detection techniques' prowess. The third team's scout was Yue. As Ageratum put it, 'Senior Apprentice Sister Yue's technique is uniquely suited to this mission'. Which is to say he didn't want to go himself, and Yue didn't mind being volunteered for a good cause.

...

And so it was that Yue found herself wandering the forest with one of her fellow disciples in tow, Batudai. Though he wasn't as outspoken, he was diligent. The sect was asking for volunteers and he had no hesitation about answering that call.

Yue flitted about the forest, seemingly at random. Her path meandered back and forth and her pace was inconsistent- sometimes walking slowly, other times skipping or leaping up onto the trees.

"So Batudai, do you have any experience dealing with demons in the forest?"

"Yes."

In stark contrast, Batudai maintained a completely even pace. He walked briskly and in as straight a line as a forest permits. With his powerful presence and Yue's wandering, it was like a steadily lumbering bear had a small bird following it, zipping to and fro but never wandering too far away.

"Got any stories to tell about it?"

"...No."

"I see... Anyway, that's it for this section. Next up is that ridge over there."

"Understood."

As if he loathed to waste any energy, he turned on a dime and continued his solemn march.

"I've done this before too, although I'm used to being a bigger group."

"I'm used to being alone."

"I guess this is a first for both of us then~"

"Correct."

Batudai continued as he always had, while Yue cheerfully pestered him to kill time.

...

With all her attempts at chatter deflected like rain sliding off of an umbrella, Yue was happy when her ears finally picked up the sounds of their prey. Pulling out a small stick of incense, she lit it, causing it to collapse into ash and waft into the air.

Batudai said nothing, but restrained his aura to the limit. He knew exactly what the incense was. It was a signal to reveal the location of the demons. If they ran into trouble, it would ensure that aid was coming, however the main reason was for a follow-up investigation on whatever it was that caused so many monkeys to all become demons in such a short time.

"Well, ready to head in and raise hell?"

"Yes."

"In the back I hear the breath of an older monkey. Based on the breathing, I'd say it's achieved the state of Iron Lungs. A grade 5 Grandmaster. If it's distracted, think you can take it out before the fight starts?"

"I can."

"Good. Then I'll be sure to make a nice and flashy entrance. Once the leader goes down the rest should all be fodder."

"Understood."

...

The herd of demons were settled into the side of the ridge. Hundreds of caves dotted the ridge, with more caves at the bottom than at the top. It seemed to be a sign of status within the herd as the auras within grew stronger the higher up the cave was.

Yue rose up into the air, charging her trump card. While it lacked raw power, it's aura was still plenty threatening. Under her control a blade of light crashed into the ridge and collapsed the caves!

"From the east, they cry out for justice! From the west, they sing my praises! The great warrior Yue has arrive to bring punishment on behalf of the heavens! Come out and accept your deaths with grace!"

One by one the monkeys bursted out of the collapsed ridge, their enraged howls forming a chaotic symphony. In Yunyun's words, they were saying "A mere grade 3 whelp dares break down my cave!? Courting death!" - or so Yue interpreted.

The last to emerge was the king of the hoard, his presence erupting like a volcano. Yet before his howl could join the herds'- "Leopard Hunts Goats." With the flash of a dagger, blood bloomed from the monkey king and signaled the start of a massacre.

The herd immediately broke into a frenzy, clawing for the man that killed their king. Hoping to overwhelm him pure numbers, only to be pulled into his Soul Scenery. In their minds, they were now alone, facing a mysterious foe capable of slaying their king. Their teamwork was shattered. What followed was of little surprise.

Yue quickly entered the fray herself, picking off the monkey demons as quickly as Batudai. What she lacked in cultivation base, she compensated with overwhelming mastery of her techniques. Both were masters of creating openings and of dealing crushing blows when an opening was presented. He would stun the enemy with his barrage, only for her to crush them beneath her blade. An enemy would attempt to dodge his dagger, only to suddenly find themselves right in front of it due to her bizarre movement techniques.

Perhaps they weren't the strongest disciples in the open sect, but their talent in dealing with large crowds was without peer. They were the natural enemy of armies.

...

Batudai's gaze lingered on the piles of corpses, the meaning behind his actions unclear. Noticing Yue's curious gaze, he turned away: "You needn't worry. I doubt you'd understand."

She lightly leapt to his side and leaned forward, as if pouting: "Eeh? Why's that?"

"...Because..."

Then she ducked behind him, appearing on his other side, facing him while walking backwards: "-because I'm not all gloomy like you, and therefore must have led a far happier life? For your own sake you shouldn't think that way."

"..."

Did he question her claims but not wish to refute them, or was he just deep in thought? It wasn't clear. He let nothing of what was underneath the surface show.

For once, she stood still, as it to emphasize her words: "And to be clear, I really do mean 'for your own sake'. Your Tao of one is longing for something better, isn't it? If you yourself wish to become happy, then the first and most important hurdle is to accept that unhappy people can become happy as common sense. Your preconceptions show that deep down, you still have doubts."

Something clearly boiled under the surface, but she couldn't tell what. His stoic figure hadn't moved an inch since the conversation started. Everything the man felt was firmly crushed and held captive. All save for one question: "Can you say with certainly that such things are possible?"

After a slight pause, she placed her hands on her hips and a smile formed on her lips. It was an odd smile, neither happy nor sad. Was it a wistful smile, or something more complex?

"Well, let me think... You're from one of those northern tribes, right? In your terms, I was something akin to a matriarch for a tribe. I built upon the legacy of my ancestors and led my people to the future I envisioned."

"A tribe wouldn't send the next leader to a foreign sect let alone the current one."

"Well of course, but that hardly matters when there's no tribe left to lead. Someone rebelled. They took advantage of the greedy and stole away the minds of the diligent. I honestly have no clue how many I slew were innocent or guilty as a result... and either way I lost. The coup was successful."

"...I see... I'm sorry for your loss."

She motioned with her hands that they should walk while they talk, earning a solemn nod and the same perfectly measured footfalls as before. She in turn resumed her chaotic and messy way of travel, sometimes slow and sometimes fast, often winding around trees or randomly turning around to walk backwards.

"I'm sure it sounds sad, but it's a meaningless story. Every battle has winners and losers. I did everything I could and was found lacking. It's nothing more than that. So I moved on. A loser needn't stay a loser. An unhappy person needn't stay unhappy." She skipped ahead and posed heroically with her oversized weapon: "Heh. If there's any law of fate that says otherwise, then my Tao is to sever such worthless laws!"

"..." He once again grew silent. His thoughts on her story left unclear. He simply trotted along as if she'd said nothing at all.

"At any rate, you've gotta work on your preconceptions." She paused to hold up her hands like a child pretending to be a ghost: "With a Tao like yours, if you don't sort your heart out you'll be possessed by the devil sooner or later you know? And I've had more than enough of killing my own allies for one life. (Or two.)"

"...I'll bear that in mind..."

"Always so serious. That last bit was a joke you know? If you were going to fall that far the elders would do something about it first."

"I'll bear that in mind as well."

"..."

As if to protest his surly disposition, she stuck out her tongue and sped on ahead. He in turn raised his head ever so slightly, taking in the bits of night sky through the forest canopy. His pace didn't increase in the slightest. After all, her aura betrayed that she was waiting for him to catch up. A group of other auras were nearby as well. It seemed that the other two groups had caught up, and Yue simply raced ahead to meet them.