Chapter 21.5: The Sacrificial Vow

  The Sacrificial Vow was an unbreakable vow that sorcerers made under the witness of as many people as they wanted, so long as they wielded a Regalia. Those who witness the vow will ‘hold’ the vow maker accountable by branding their family seals on any body part they wish. If the vow were ever broken, the brands would activate and pierce through the flesh it marked. It usually meant the loss of limbs. The gutsier ones would lose their lives.

  There was no other way to keep Ace alive. Moreover, the other Elders were more than glad to be rid of him, as it would allow them to consolidate power and tighten their grip over the world. By deliberately playing by their rules, it would be easier to get his way. Who wanted to keep a dog that could never be beaten into submission? Every time they thought they had finally got him to be obedient, he would walk the ground, talk to people and get shit hurled at their windows.

  I wasn’t made to complete that stupid Five-Point seal of yours.

  The Five-Point seal kept curses away from the God Hands. Maintained by Purists, Felix wondered how it was kept alive despite not having a single Flame Purist for thousands of years. It turned out that an impostor had been forcing the seal shut, but just barely. The family behind it? The Mengs. By carrying the memory of the Flame Purists alive, they reforged the seal into a much weaker one and tripled the guards patrolling it.

  “Wait, I did say I was making the Sacrificial Vow.” Felix breathed deeply. Talking to the Elders shirtless was a very liberating experience. “But I was not done talking.”

  “What is it?!” Langxian exclaimed.

  “I’m making the vow, so I make it according to my terms.”

  “State them,” Rixiu said simply with a wave of his fan.

  “You can only come for my head if and only if Ace is confirmed to have done anything that is against the interests of the sorcerer society and endangers the lives of the innocent. Perceived threats of danger and threats that are not supported by concrete evidence will not activate the seal.”

  There had to be no loopholes.

  “And the ones to judge would be everyone except the Elders, which includes me.” Felix addressed each Elder directly. “On top of this, I would like you to permit Dr. Lee to start his research on Cursed Essence. His work will be done for the safety of Ace and all of us. I’ll supervise this research, of course.”

  The rest of the Elders started murmuring among themselves. “That is preposterous! There’s no way we can accept this! Studying Cursed Essence in any way or form is the same as cultivating it. There’s only one thing that we need to know: we have to destroy every trace of it!” Langxian threw out his hands.

  “All right, if you do not accept my terms, then we’ll just have to settle this the old-fashioned way,” Felix shot back.

  “Fine by me.” Langxian brandished Golden Conquest. The golden tip was levelled so that it pointed between his eyes.

  “Try me, if you dare,” Felix gestured vaguely.

  “Langxian!” Juyi held him back and shook his head. He then whispered something into his ear.

  Langxian backed down begrudgingly. “So, what will it be?”

  “Shall we take a vote?” John asked.

  The moment the word ‘vote’ escaped his lips, the Ortus dimmed. The eye engraved high atop his throne opened fully, emitting an eerie white glow. The initiator of the vote would automatically gain one vote, as per protocol. André raised his hand, then John. Rixiu was the first of the Chinese sorcerers to raise his hand. The rest followed suit, and Langxian was the last to raise his hand.

  “So it shall be,” John said. “First Lady Meng, I believe it’s your turn to take the stage.”

  A flurry of violet petals swirled around every individual in the room. Felix reached out to catch one of them between his fingers, but it nimbly slipped past them.

  “First, the contract.” First Lady Meng’s raspy voice popped into his mind. “Venerated Elder Lee, please ensure that it is the true reflection of your terms.”

  Felix skimmed through the document that the petals presented. Everything had been written down, word for word, with no ambiguities. He nodded and handed it back to First Lady Meng, who strode back to her table.

  When she returned, she was armed with a platter that had five copies of the contract, accompanied by a needle and a ceremonial knife. It was rather plain for a ceremonial knife as it was only adorned with a single blue jewel at its hilt.

  “Next, sign it with your blood,” she said flatly.

  With the needle, Felix pricked his finger and left a drop of blood on each copy. Without needing First Lady Meng to give her next instructions, Felix proceeded to pick up the knife and slice the tip of his index finger open. “To initiate the vow, one has to choose what they are willing to sacrifice. You may take as long as you need to make your choices,” First Lady Meng said.

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  The first mark was on his solar plexus.

  The second was where his heart was.

  The third and the fourth took their place on his shoulders.

  For the fifth and final mark, Felix reached behind to the back of his neck and marked it.

  “I’m afraid the luxury of choice ends here, boy.” Juyi sneered in the manner of a bloodthirsty shark. Felix rolled his eyes.

  “Venerated Elders, you may claim your mark.”

  “I will claim the heart,” John stated. “I truly hope that yours is in the right place.”

  John held Celadon Destiny over the contract, and an Essence replica of the Regalia materialised in front of Felix, its tip settling on the skin right above his heart. Felix tore his eyes away from his body, trying his best not to scream.

  Yet, he did.

  Even though it was basic decency to claim a mark after another was done claiming theirs, Felix immediately felt pain shoot up the back of his neck. He let out a sharp cry, thrown off by how quickly it started. Langxian was holding Golden Conquest over his copy of the contract. His skin burned as the Jia family crest was carved into the back of his neck. He bit the inside of his cheek, enduring the pain.

  So eager to brand me! Fucking dipshit! Felix cursed.

  Blood mixed with sweat as the rest of the Elders claimed their marks. Juyi claimed his solar plexus, where his Golden core sat, while Rixiu and Daoyun claimed his shoulders. The replicas hovered around him as they started to brand him.

  Felix held his head high throughout, not making a peep of noise.

  “I will start the incantation now, Venerated Elder Lee.” First Lady Meng spoke up after what seemed like an eternity.

  “D-Do it,” Felix grunted through gritted teeth.

  First Lady Meng stood before him. The stitches in her lips were undone. Felix got on one knee before her and bowed his head. She started the incantation. After each verse, the respective replica plunged into his body, planting its seed in him:

  In steadfast heart, with resolute embrace,

  Let doubt and fear no longer hold their sway,

  For vows, once made, shall guide you on your way,

  A testament of faith, forever graced.

  Yet should you falter, veer from our embrace,

  A sacrifice must mend what's gone astray,

  In steadfast heart, with resolute embrace,

  Let doubt and fear no longer hold their sway.

  For broken vows demand a heavy trace,

  A price to pay, a redemption to portray,

  With steadfast will, you shall honour what you say,

  Rekindle the flame of commitment, the doubts efface.

  In steadfast heart, with resolute embrace,

  You shall bear the weight of your vows,

  Let doubt and fear no longer hold their sway,

  For vows we keep, our souls remain ablaze.

  By the time the ritual was over, Felix’s body was drenched in blood. Red seeped deep into the fabric of his white pants. Despite that, he kept his head high long enough to dismiss the Elders.

  “How are you feeling?” Langxian snarked.

  “Fine,” Felix spat as he gathered his discarded shirt. “I was thinking about how I should keep my shirt on next time I fuck someone because of how ugly your crest is.”

  How Langxian responded to the jab was a blur as Felix’s body waged a war with its own. A fiery will to heal and the newly implanted time bombs clashed within him, sending him into a feverish haze.

  ***

  To enter the Ortus, one had to descend to the depths of the sea. However, to exit, one had to descend from the skies. Felix rested on his throne alone until Chakrit’s boat arrived.

  The silent presence of First Lady Meng kept him company. “You can leave now,” Felix said.

  She simply looked at him and wrote down what he said.

  “Really? You don’t have to-”

  A sharp pain stabbed his chest. He groaned, wiping the perspiration from his forehead with his bloodied sleeve. First Lady Meng simply wrote what she saw. She set her pen down and looked at Felix with a concerned look on her face. She started to sign with her hands, but Felix raised a hand to stop her. “I’m fine. These wounds are mine to carry," he signed weakly.

  Felix’s phone beeped, a godsent distraction from the pain. Chakrit was here. Felix used the same binyeo to open the exit at the centre of the Ortus. He slowly descended from the skies, pressing against his chest and wincing in pain. He closed his eyes and hoped the pain would pass for one moment.

  The next thing Felix knew, Chakrit was slapping him to rouse him.

  Felix keeled forward and coughed up blood. His body ached, no doubt from his ugly landing. “Oi, you’re bleeding through your shirt!” Chakrit stalled the boat and pressed a towel against his chest.

  “I’m alright. Just a scratch.” Felix tried to sit up, but Chakrit pushed him onto his back.

  “You are bleeding your guts out, and you dare say it’s just a scratch,” Chakrit said reproachfully. “Fuck! Even your neck…”

  Chakrit propped Felix up to check on him. “You fucker…” Chakrit’s eyes became as wide as saucers as he realised what Felix had done. “Shit! That kid had better be worth it to do all this!”

  “It’s fine, I promise!” Felix brushed Chakrit off with a wave of his hand. “See? It’s already healing.”

  “Your face says otherwise.”

  Felix let out a small laugh. The pain today was nothing compared to the pain of losing an innocent life. He would endure it to let Ace live to see another day.

  Until I find him, Felix thought as he fought against his heavy eyelids.