'Perversion of self,
Defilement of nature,
Defies the natural,
Mortals always seek ways to challenge Heaven and Cosmos
Yet the way is flanked by melted Ice
Mankind's Pride shall be their fall'
"So, you're telling me that you didn't use any technique?" Gu Tian asks Nanming who is currently munching on a soup.
His way of eating it is messy, each bit and filling of the soup alongside its broth spilled out from either the spoon or from his mouth.
It's has been 15 minutes since Nanming woke up. And understandably no one was willing to be near him, except Wu Chen and Gu Tian.
"I do not learn any technique" Nanming said, still trying hard not to spill his soup every time he wants to scoop it.
"Impossible! Then how can you regenerate mid-combat!?" Gu Tian said, part curiosity and disbelief that this boy, who single handedly managed to cull down a lot of others. Even though they are a mere 10 to 12 years old, their martial prowess is still nothing to scoff at.
"Maybe it was his constitution" Gu Liang said as he stands a few paces away from Nanming, hands crossed out as he assumes a pose, striking annoyance from Gu Tian who said curtly
"If you wanted to act cool at least don't stand so far away…"
"I am merely anticipating of what's to come" Gu Liang replied, still cautious in his upbringing and way of speaking because he certainly doesn't want to insult someone like Nanming and strike his Wrath.
"Constitution?" Nanming asks, giving up completely on using a spoon and opted to just drink it straight from the bowl.
"You didn't know? Basically, it's like a special ability that comes when you are birthed" Gu Liang explained.
"I for example, has this. Ceaseless Pit of Greed" Gu Liang said as he opens the gap in between his robe, leading to his abdomen where a faint, vertical line can be seen.
"What does it do?" Gu Tian asks, she for once never knew her brother would have such interesting constitution, and with such cool name to come with it.
"It allows my intestine and guts to absorb every single nutrient and densely packed the waste in a way that it allows no room for gas to escape" Gu Liang explained, in an overly round-a-bout way that makes Gu Tian tilts her head in confusion.
"So, you cannot fart?" Nanming who sees through his tricks and can deduce the true abilities of his constitutions.
"…Lame" Gu Tian curtly said as she lost all interest in Gu Liang abilities.
"I-It is not!" Gu Liang counters, though he stammered his words.
Gu Liang, opening his eyes into a fierce lock down contest with Gu Tian as he vehemently praised his own constitutions.
"It allows me to down several serving of food and drinks without fear of releasing the bile and gas that comes with the process of digesting said food and drinks!"
"A perfect Metabolism it's what it is, it even allows me to eat things that are not supposed to be eaten!"
"Basically, your special power is not farting" Gu Tian held her laughs, to know her brother could easily lose his composure so easily is entertaining.
"But where does your gas escape if not through the hole?" Nanming presents his arguments, not in mocking tone but in genuine curiosity.
"That's what this stitch on my belly is for" he explained as he traced the faint line, the color suggests it's an old procedure.
"It allows the gas from within to leak out without emitting any sound nor smell" he said, his face then turned sour as he was reminded by the painful procedure. He was just 6 years old and yet his uncle cut open his belly to implant the Constitutions within him.
It took months of painful recovery as his body tried to eradicate the foreign implant to no avail, and even then, Gu Liang was forced to train until his body broke, all so he could prepare to skip the Post-Mortal Realm and directly towards the Celestial Realm, a two-tier skip.
The remolding process was so painful it's like having a molten iron poured inside your body as thousands upon thousands of venomous insect's crawl and bites into every single flesh and skin his body has.
Yet he has no heart to tell his sister this fact, for he cannot bear loading her with more concern than necessary.
So, he remains silent.
"Ewww… isn't that mean you are leaking gas every time?" Gu Tian giggles, now all a sudden those years of grueling body procedure and remolding were washed away as if it never happened.
'Her smiles are like rain' Gu Liang thought, as he couldn't help but to make a faint smile.
"Can I get a second?" Nanming said as he wipes his mouth from excess soup and its filling. The taste might be lacking, but Nanming never really 'eats' good food to begin with even in his days at Lady Hwang manor so he can't protest.
"Oh… Coming right away!" Gu Tian said as she picked the bowls up and sprinted away in haste. Gu Liang watches her playfulness with more giddy expression, though it was well-hidden.
"…You love her dearly, no?" Nanming comments, his purple eyes lock their gaze on Gu Liang. Eliciting awkwardness and a feeling that even his souls were being observed by Nanming.
"No" though he hides such fact, who knows how capable Nanming is at machinations and trickery. If Chen were able to do so much then what are the chances Nanming is the same? Gu Liang didn't like taking chances, so he opted to deny Nanming's answer.
"…" Nanming remain silent, though he closed his eyes as if saying that he wasn't convinced.
"That is a good thing for her…" Nanming said "To be loved and cared for is a sign of her bright future" he said as he decided to shift his gaze upon the many children who acted like they were adult or at least older than what they are.
"Not everyone here has someone that cared for them you know…" The way he said those words, it was as if he too, was among those unloved.
"…" Gu Liang cannot say a words, between him feeling empathy for Nanming and the fact he just penetrates his careful performance and mask so easily.
He then walks towards Nanming, steadily until he is just close enough to see his hair in detail but still far enough away.
"Trust me, we do not have any person that loved us, even if they do, I'm afraid it was more materialistic" Gu Liang said, with stern face.
"…I admit your past must've been hard enough for you not to react to this experience like them" Nanming replied as he points his fingers to a distraught boy.
"Mommy! Where are you?" He cries out, hands covering his face as he cowers from nothing. Face of utter terror, snot and tears mixed in his face as his eyes bloodshot. Looking everywhere, observing nothing and searching none.
Many of his companions were around, trying to comfort him to no avail.
"…Poor souls" Gu Liang commented, feeling pity that the horrors have reach that boy first. And he is not an isolated case, many of the children here succumb to the madness and thus, their minds were a subject to the torturous trauma and terror.
"…" Nanming hands trembled ever so slightly, the sight is easy to miss yet it cannot escape Gu Liang sight.
"Why are you trembling?" He asks
"…Oh" Nanming snap his head towards Gu Liang, his expression is still. Gu Liang is curious about his complete absence of expression, it's one thing to suppress one emotion, but Nanming feels like he had no emotion at all, or the inability to express them.
"Nothing, it's just that… I was to be blame for this, no?" He said, looking at the ground as he contemplates his action.
'If only I didn't lost control, if only I was fast enough to activates a counter-spell, if only I had enough mental power to resist the puppeteering, if only I wasn't so strong to begin with, if only I didn't ex—'
"Hey" Gu Liang words pull Nanming back from his repeating thoughts.
"Its not purely your fault, you are controlled, no?" Gu Liang said, his face is much warmer now despite him not smiling
"I thought it was a lie at first, knowing Wu Chen he could lie as easily as he breath…" Gu Liang shift his gaze towards the tent where Chen was treated.
"But seeing you like this, it does not make any sense that someone as sensible as you would commit such atrocity without any manipulation at play" Gu Liang give Nanming a slight smile.
Such action, such trust he had onto someone as pathetic as Nanming.
'…Weird'
That's the only thing Nanming can think about Gu Liang, so trusting.
"Why don't you try to help him then?"
"Should I? Am I worthy enough to offers help?"
Gu Liang was about to say something but was then interrupted by Wu Chen.
"Wow, you guys got along surprisingly well, no?" Wu Chen chimes in from behind, his entire face is bandaged.
'He looks ridiculous' Gu Liang thought
"You look ridiculous" Nanming thought the same, but he chooses to spoke about it out loud.
"Well, sis says that my body somehow injects more blood towards my face, causing some of my pores to excrete blood"
"A side effect of your Foundation? I thought you are already used to controlling yours given how easily you are at using it" Gu Liang asked, looking awfully curious about the side effects
"No, its still very much new… Anyway, if it's fine for you. Brother, let us meet some of my friends that will soon be yours" Wu Chen said as he shifted his gaze towards Nanming.
"…Alright" Nanming comply, he stands up and leave Gu Liang behind.
"…" Gu Liang watch their form as they steadily leave him alone. Only now did he realize…
"Didn't you ask for a second serving?"
"I'm baaack!" Speaking of which, Gu Tian returned carrying a fresh soup.
"Wait? Where is Nanming?" She said, already going with the first name basis with Nanming.
"He leaves with Wu Chen just now" he said
"What? That bastard…" Gu Tian growl, Gu Liang didn't know whether she refers to Wu Chen or Wu Nanming. She walks towards the way Chen and Nanming just went, as if already knowing where both are.
"…" Gu Liang was once again, left alone. He turns his head towards the boy that was previously cowering on the ground, seeing him already being comforted. Though his face is still grim, the reassurance of his companion does wonder to lighten him up a bit.
Gu Liang decided that it was not his place to become a hero, so he decided to sit in the spot where Nanming was a few moments ago. It was cold, even though he sat on it for a good minute or two.
"The Wu Clan" Gu Liang gathered his thoughts, connecting all the information about this newfound revelation of the Wu Clan.
First, Wu Chen. Same age as him, being 10 years old, yet he had the intellect and composure of an adult. He can certainly make an exception for himself since he too, act like an adult. But Wu Chen is far more composed for him to still be a child, is it because the danger of the South forces him to become like this? Doubtful, he met several other Southern children bearing from a great family, yet they still act like what 10 years old should be.
Second, Wu Lizha and Laiza. Identical twin to the point it was impossible to distinguish who is who if not for their hairpin. Not much can be said about those two for Gu Liang, they are very closed off and besides some pleasantry, and that one time he requests both to greet Wu Chen, they rarely interact.
Third, Wu Yuen. Not much is known, she was very hard to come by.
And finally, Wu Nanming. The anomaly, he is stupid strong. If a disaster is ever personalized, that would be Nanming, the way he could instill such hopelessness in less than 15-minutes of him fighting Nanming is a testament on how terrifying he is.
And yet, Gu Liang can't help but to feel that he is… weak?
"Just a few days here and all image of the south was being proven wrong" Gu Liang said, all the fact that Southerner are nothing more than a beast wearing a human skin is wrong.
They are very much just humans, though beast-like in their bearing they are not much different from the one in the East and West.
In the end, All of the Hazhui aside from the South is just a Beast masquerading righteousness.