With two weeks left before the tournament, Ming Ran needed to get the blindfold off at all cost. What better way than by visiting that place? A few months ago, back when Ming Ran was still finding his way through the mountain, he got lost. Sometimes when one follows the way, they feel helpless and find themselves lost amongst countless paths; Ming Ran knew the basis of what Daoism taught. To value ritual, nobility, and to let go of the world around us, to accept our small place in this world... or that was what some of the scrolls seemed to say. If Ming Ran was being honest, not everything was so clear. These scrolls were something that the enlightened wrote, it was hard for someone just starting out on their own way to comprehend. One day while wandering around, he had gotten himself lost in one of the thick forests that stood proudly in the twelve mountains. He wandered around, stumbling over branch and stone and uneven ground until he found some sort of peace in his surroundings. There was something rhythmic about how the ground lay beneath his feet and soon he found himself gliding along as though he was preforming some sort of dance. It was then that he found a giant hole in the forest. No, it was more than that.
Now as he came across this place again, he once more ruminated its place in this world. It was not simply a hole in the forest, a chasm in the earth itself. No bigger, this place was like a void, a yawning hole in the fabric of reality. A place where things came to rest. It lulled his senses so that he felt nothing and everything at once. As Ming Ran stepped down into the chasm he lost his toes that tread carefully beneath his feet until, that is, he lost his feet as well. It was the same sensation as before, loosing oneself to a bigger presence, until he was nothing. The world unraveled around him, spiraling into a white nothingness. This place was the origin, the beginning. From this vastness came fire and force as the great dragon pulled itself out of the void and into somethingness, fire and force gave way to earth and metal as the scales of the dragon shed and became stars. Stars collided and fought in endless conflict becoming metal and the dragon lamented the needless destruction of the endless peace that had once held dominion over this Spring. This sorrow became suffering. Yet out of the suffering came beginning, the universe came together from the dragon's will, and from the loins of the universe came the world who nurtured the very first essence of life. Water sprang forth and brought birth to the barren world, which brought living things, all of which would help uphold the laws of this world. The dragon continued to fly forth until it could no longer and came to dwell on this land for a time. Everything in this world must remain unchanging, however, and the dragon died leaving behind thirteen disciples, and returned to the Spring of Origins through this space.
It was from this space that one would become a part of everything, and everything would flow through one. A place that was filled with the peace that resided in the void before anything ever became...
...
It had been ten days since Cang Mu had last seen Ming Ran....
...and for whatever reason, his siblings were out to kill him. When had this started? Sword qi shot through the air for maybe the hundredth time. Cang Mu parried with his own qi and sighed.
"I already told you, I have no idea where he is." he glared at the man behind him. Wei Ning was probably the most troublesome of all of Ming Ran's siblings. Tall with dark hair and dark eyes. He was like midnight on a moonless night. He was one of Cang Yuan's disciples, and therefore not allowed to spar with other mountains. The thirteenth elder of the Twelve Mountains was an elusive fox (something most would call a massive understatement) and never allowed any of his students to dual with other peaks. Some of the elders believed that it was because he was hiding something, dangerous and with purpose. Cang Mu was aware of the true reason behind this one odd rule. How long ago had he met the old fox? If it weren't for his guidance, his hand in things, life would be much more different than it was now. "I won't duel you either, so stop attacking me. You'll get kicked out of his peak if you keep this up."
Wei Ning didn't answer, but he didn't sheathe his sword either. Cang Mu faced him,
"Cang Yuan knows what he's doing. Trust him."
"What does our master have to do with you?" Wei Ning coldly scoffed. Cang Mu snorted,
"You really don't know anything, do you? How long have you been his student?" he looked away, "Ming Ran's whereabouts are most certainly known by him."
"He says he doesn't know." Wei Ning gritted his teeth. Cang Mu rolled his eyes,
"Did he now?" he turned away, "I have a feeling you'll see Ming Ran again soon."
"And how would you know?"
"Husband's intuition?"
"You bastard!" Wei Ning rushed to strike again only to be blocked by a ferocious wind.
"Enough." Wen Quinn blocked his sword. They traded a few blows before Wei Ning finally withdrew. Wen Quinn sighed, sheathing his own sword, "You'll get kicked off the mountain like that."
"Do you not care? Ming Ran is missing." Wei Ning hissed. Wen Quinn stared him down,
"I never have seen you loose your temper like this. I must admit that I am not a fan." Wen Quinn sighed, "You have the ability to stay on this mountain indefinitely. Don't throw that away in a fight that won't gain you anything."
"But-"
"He doesn't know. Ming Ran went off without telling him anything. How many more times will you all attack him before you realize that?" Cang Mu began to laugh,
"You should listen to him. People like him are the types who can read the room better than anyone else."
"I would watch myself. You are aware who you are speaking to, yes?" Wen Quinn coldly turned to him, challenging him to say more. Cang Mu shrugged, disinterested.
"From a young age, you have managed to rise above everything. You have connections to each of the most powerful noble houses, have taken over countless projects for your father, and even won wars. Everything you've ever wanted in life is yours for the taking, but I'm curious about something. What will satisfy your hunger?"
"What?"
"I've watched you a long time, you're like a beast. Always hungry, always thirsty for blood. There is one thing however that you yearn for. I just wonder what it is."
Cang Mu turned to leave, whatever it was that Wen Quinn yearned for, it would be a weakness to exploit.