Chapter 29: Chapter 29
Right. He was doing it again. Talking to Luna out loud like a psycho. In front of a child. Who could now cultivate. Because of him. Because she’d sworn an oath he didn’t ask for.
This was a disaster. This was a catastrophe. This was exactly the kind of thing that would make Liu Mei execute him immediately.
"Luna," Hunter said. "The system. The voice in my head that gives me missions and makes my life difficult."
"Oh." Mei considered this. "Is she nice?"
[LUNA] I’M VERY NICE (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧
[LUNA] TELL HER I SAID HI
"She says hi. She’s a menace. Don’t listen to anything she suggests."
"Okay." Mei stood up. Tested her new strength by picking up a rock. A rock that should have been too heavy for a seven year old. She lifted it easily. Set it down gently. "This is amazing. I’m strong now. I can help. I can fight."
"No. Absolutely not. You are seven—"
"...and you are not fighting anything. This is exactly why this is a terrible idea. I can’t have a child in combat. That’s wrong on every level."
"But you said we won together. Team effort."
"That was you being safe in a cave! Not you fighting squirrels!"
Mei tilted her head. "If I’m a cultivator now, I need to train. That’s what cultivators do. Train and get stronger."
"Seven and a half. And you said I could learn the copy technique when I was older and a cultivator. I’m a cultivator now."
Hunter’s brain blue screened. She’d trapped him with his own words. A seven year old had outmaneuvered him using basic logic.
This was his life now.
[LUNA] SHE’S GOOD (◕‿◕✿)
[LUNA] MEMBER #1 IS VERY PROMISING
"Luna, how do I undo this."
[LUNA] YOU DON’T ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
[LUNA] HEAVENLY CONTRACTS ARE PERMANENT
[LUNA] ONLY BROKEN BY DEATH OR BETRAYAL
[LUNA] AND BETRAYAL DESTROYS THE SOUL SO
[LUNA] BASICALLY PERMANENT
[LUNA] DID I NOT MENTION THAT PART?
[LUNA] ANYWAY CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR FIRST LEGION MEMBER
[LUNA] CURRENT COUNT: 1
[LUNA] GOAL: THOUSANDS
[LUNA] YOU’RE DOING GREAT SWEETIE ♥
Hunter sat there. In pain. In shock. Processing the fact that he’d accidentally bound a seven year old’s soul to his through a system he didn’t understand for a faction he didn’t want with a name he absolutely hated.
"Shadow Legion," he said weakly. "That’s the actual name. Shadow Legion."
[LUNA] ISN’T IT COOL?
[LUNA] VERY INTIMIDATING
[LUNA] VERY "MYSTERIOUS DARK ORGANIZATION"
"It sounds like a villain organization. Like something that would invade kingdoms and demand tribute."
[LUNA] EXACTLY! (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧
"That’s not a good thing!"
[LUNA] DEPENDS ON YOUR PERSPECTIVE
[LUNA] YOU SHOULD PROBABLY TELL EVERYONE ELSE
[LUNA] THEY’RE GOING TO NOTICE THE GLOWING CHILD
"Tell them what, exactly? ’Hey everyone, good news, I can apparently turn people into cultivators through soul binding contracts that can only be broken by death. Anyone interested?’"
[LUNA] THAT’S PERFECT
[LUNA] I’D ADD SOME MARKETING FLAIR BUT SOLID START
[LUNA] LOVE YOU TOO ♥
[LUNA] YOU HAVE A FACTION TO BUILD
[LUNA] EVEN IF YOU DON’T WANT TO
"Can I just die instead?"
[LUNA] YOU’RE NOT ALLOWED TO DIE YET
[LUNA] PLOT ARMOR IS STILL ACTIVE
Mei tugged on his sleeve. "Hunter? Are you okay? You’re talking to yourself again."
"I’m having a crisis."
"About me being a cultivator?"
"About everything. About all of this. About the fact that I accidentally created a soul binding faction and you’re the first member and I have no idea what I’m doing."
"Oh." Mei patted his head. The same way she’d been doing since they met. Three pats. Always three. "It’s okay. You’ll figure it out. You always do."
"You do. You just complain a lot first."
She wasn’t wrong. Hunter did complain a lot. It was basically his primary coping mechanism.
Outside the cave, he heard voices. Movement. The camp waking up. Going about morning routines. Completely unaware that everything had just changed. That the strange glowing light they’d probably seen was a seven year old girl becoming a cultivator through a system that shouldn’t exist.
He needed to tell them. Needed to explain. Needed to somehow make this make sense when it didn’t even make sense to him.
"Mei," he said slowly. "When we go out there, people are going to have questions. A lot of questions. About what just happened. About how you’re suddenly a cultivator. About... everything."
"Should I tell them about the Shadow Legion?"
"No. I’ll tell them. Somehow. After I figure out how to explain it without sounding completely insane." He paused. "Actually, I’m going to sound insane no matter what. That ship has sailed."
"It’s okay." Mei smiled. Small but genuine. First real smile he’d seen from her since her mother died. "They trust you. You saved them. They’ll listen."
Hunter wasn’t sure about that. But he didn’t have a choice. The cat was out of the bag. The genie was out of the bottle. The seven year old was glowing with cultivation energy and asking about training regimens.
He forced himself to sit up. His body screamed protests. He ignored them. Years of forcing himself to go to work with hangovers had prepared him for this exact moment of pushing through physical misery.
"Alright," he said, more to himself than anyone else. "Let’s go tell everyone that I can turn people into cultivators through soul contracts. This will go great. Nobody will think I’m a demon. Everything is fine."
[LUNA] THAT’S THE SPIRIT! (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧
[LUNA] POSITIVE ATTITUDE
[LUNA] DEFINITELY NOT DENIAL
[LUNA] I’M SO PROUD ♥
Mei helped him stand. Her new Body Refining strength made it easier than it should have been. Another reminder that this was real. That she was actually a cultivator now. That he’d somehow done something that shouldn’t be possible.
They walked toward the cave entrance together. Hunter’s legs shook. His shoulder throbbed. His meridians felt like fire. But he walked. One step. Then another.
Sunlight hit his face. He squinted against it. The camp spread out before him. Makeshift shelters. Cooking fires. People moving about. His three disciples arguing about something near a tree. Han directing work crews. Qiu taking inventory of supplies.
Normal morning activity.
About to become very abnormal.
Han saw him first. His head snapped up. Eyes widened. "Hunter! You’re awake!" He started toward them, then stopped. His gaze dropped to Mei. To the way she stood. The way she moved. The subtle difference in her posture that spoke of newfound strength.
"Mei?" Han’s voice was confused. Wary. "What happened to you?"
"I’m a cultivator now," she said simply. "Hunter gave me cultivation."
The camp went silent. Every conversation stopped. Every head turned. Everyone staring at the seven year old girl who’d just casually announced something impossible.
Hunter opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. No words came out. His brain had frozen. Stage fright mixed with panic mixed with the certainty that he was about to make everything worse.
Qiu spoke first. "Explain."
Not a request. A demand. The merchant’s eyes were sharp. Calculating. Already seeing implications that Hunter hadn’t considered.
"I..." Hunter started. Stopped. Tried again. "There’s a system. That I have. That I can’t explain. And it does things. Impossible things. And one of those things is apparently turning people into cultivators through soul binding oaths. Which I didn’t know about. Until about five minutes ago. When Mei accidentally triggered it."
The silence deepened. Became oppressive. Everyone staring.
Tao raised his hand. "Master? What?"
"I said what I said. I know how it sounds. I know it makes no sense. But look at her." Hunter gestured at Mei. "She’s Body Refining Level 1 now. A mortal seven year old became a cultivator. That’s impossible. But it happened. Because apparently my terrible life has decided impossible is just a suggestion."
Han’s spear came up slightly. Not threatening. Just ready. "What kind of system allows someone to create cultivators from mortals?"
"The kind that exists in my head and talks to me and gives me missions and made me a bandit and won’t let me die and has a really annoying personality and uses way too many emojis."
"Don’t worry about it. The point is, I have something called the Shadow Legion now. It’s a faction. My faction. Apparently. And anyone who swears a sincere oath of loyalty to me gets cultivation. Body Refining Level 1 automatically. Talent barriers removed. Path opened. It’s... it’s a lot."
Qiu’s eyes went very wide. "Anyone?"
"Anyone who swears sincerely. It’s a soul contract. Binding. Permanent. Betrayal destroys your soul. Death is the only other way out. So, you know. Not great terms and conditions."
"But it grants cultivation." Qiu’s voice had gone quiet. Intense. "To anyone. Regardless of talent."
"According to Luna, yes."
"The system. The voice. The pain in my ass. She has a name. I didn’t pick it. Don’t ask."
The camp erupted. Everyone talking at once. Shouting questions. Demanding explanations. Some backing away. Others stepping forward. The noise was overwhelming. Official source ıs NoveI-Fire.ɴet
Han’s voice cut through it all. "QUIET!"
Everyone stopped. Han’s authority was absolute. Twenty years of being in charge had given him a voice that made people obey automatically.
He looked at Hunter. "This is real? Not a trick? Not a hallucination from blood loss?"
"I wish it was a hallucination. But yes. It’s real. Mei is proof." Hunter gestured at her. "Check her cultivation. Use your spiritual sense. She’s Body Refining Level 1. Undeniably."
Han’s eyes narrowed. His spiritual sense swept over Mei. Hunter watched his expression change. Shock. Disbelief. Acceptance. The progression of someone confronting something impossible and having to believe it anyway.
"She’s a cultivator," Han said slowly. "Actually a cultivator. This is..." He trailed off. Seemed to be having trouble processing.
"Insane?" Hunter supplied. "World breaking? Going to get me executed by every major sect if they find out?"
"All of that," Han agreed. "But also... opportunity."
"That’s what I thought!" Qiu stepped forward. His merchant instincts had clearly kicked in. "Do you understand what this means? Cultivation is locked behind talent. Bloodlines. Resources. Most people live and die mortal. But if you can bypass that? If you can grant cultivation to anyone? That’s... that’s..."
"Revolutionary," Han finished. "Dangerous. Game changing. Every major sect would kill to have this ability. Or kill you to prevent others from having it."
"That’s why nobody can know," Hunter said quickly. "Outside this camp, I mean. If word gets out, we’re all dead. The sects don’t share power. They hoard it. Someone who can create cultivators is either an asset to control or a threat to eliminate. We’re definitely threat category."
"But inside the camp?" Qiu pressed. "The offer stands? Anyone can swear and receive cultivation?"
Hunter looked at him. At the desperation barely hidden behind merchant calculation. At a man who’d lost everything and was seeing a chance at something more.
"Yes," Hunter said. "But it’s permanent. Soul binding. You swear to me, you’re bound for life. And I don’t know what that means long term. I don’t know the full implications. I don’t know if there are side effects or costs or problems down the line. I just got this ability five minutes ago. I’m not exactly an expert."
"But it works," Qiu said.
"It works," Hunter confirmed.
"You don’t even know what you’re swearing to!"
"I’m swearing to you. To the man who saved my life. Who fought a C-rank spirit beast while bleeding from eight wounds. Who made four copies of himself despite it potentially killing him. Who protected people he barely knew because it was the right thing to do." Qiu’s voice was firm. "That’s enough for me."
"I’m a bandit," Hunter said weakly. "Allegedly. I robbed a village. I have slaves. This is not a good organization to join."
"But you’re offering cultivation. Real cultivation. A chance at power. At safety. At a future beyond scrambling for survival." Qiu’s eyes were intense. "I lost everything to those squirrels. My wagons. My goods. My livelihood. I was facing starting over from nothing at my age. But this? This is something. This is a chance."
Hunter looked around the camp. At the faces watching. Some scared. Some interested. Some calculating odds. All of them waiting to see what happened next.
This was it. The moment. The choice. He could shut this down. Refuse. Tell them all no and deal with whatever consequences came.
Or he could accept it. Accept that his life had become this. Accept that he was apparently building a faction whether he wanted to or not. Accept that people were going to swear soul binding oaths to him and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
The responsible choice was obvious. Turn them down. Protect them from a commitment they didn’t understand.
But when had Hunter ever made the responsible choice?
"Fine," he said. "But we’re doing this properly. Everyone who wants to stay, who wants to swear, needs to understand what they’re getting into. The oath is permanent. Betrayal means death. Soul destruction. And you’re binding yourself to me. To whatever I become. Good or bad. Success or failure. You’re choosing this camp. This life. This insanity."
He paused. Looked at Mei. At the seven year old who’d started all this with innocent words and genuine faith.
"It’s called the Shadow Legion," Hunter continued. "I didn’t pick the name. It sounds like a villain organization. Probably because it is. But it’s mine. Ours. And if you swear, you’re part of it. Forever."
"Shadow Legion," Qiu repeated. Tested the words. Smiled. "I like it. Has gravitas. Presence. The kind of name that makes people think twice before crossing you."
"It makes people think I’m evil."
"Same thing, really."
Hunter sighed. Looked at Han. At the man who’d trained him. Who’d seen him at his worst and helped anyway. "What about you? You going to swear to a bandit’s soul cult?"
Han was quiet for a long moment. Thinking. Processing. Working through implications with the tactical mind of someone who’d survived two decades through careful decisions.
Then he smiled. Small but genuine. "Someone needs to keep you alive. Might as well make it official."
"That’s not a ringing endorsement."
"It’s the truth. You’re powerful but stupid. Skilled but reckless. You need someone who knows what they’re doing to keep this operation from imploding." Han’s expression turned serious. "But I have conditions."
"I’m not swearing to a bandit. I’m swearing to protect these people. That’s my oath. To keep them safe. To train them properly. To make sure your terrible decisions don’t get everyone killed."
"That’s basically the same thing."
"It’s not. But if it works for the oath, I’m in."
Hunter looked at Luna’s presence in his mind. She was practically vibrating with excitement.
[LUNA] IT’LL WORK (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧
[LUNA] THE OATH ACCEPTS SINCERE INTENT
[LUNA] HE’S SINCERE ABOUT PROTECTING PEOPLE
[LUNA] WELCOME MEMBER #2!
"It’ll work," Hunter said aloud. "Luna says sincere intent is what matters. You’re sincere about protecting people. That’s enough."
"Good." Han planted his spear in the ground. Formal. Ceremonial. "Then I, Han Qiuyu, swear to join the Shadow Legion. To protect its members. To train its fighters. To serve its purpose for as long as I live."
The air shimmered. The same golden glow that had surrounded Mei wrapped around Han. Brighter. More intense. He gasped. His cultivation base, already at ninth level Body Refining, surged. Broke through. Energy flooded his meridians.
The glow faded. Han stood there, breathing hard, eyes wide with shock. "I... I broke through. Just now. Just from swearing. I’ve been stuck at ninth level for five years and I just broke through like it was nothing."
"Body Refining Level 10," Hunter confirmed through his spiritual sense. "The oath pushed you through. Congratulations. You’re officially Peak Body Refining now."
"This is impossible."
"Welcome to my life. Where impossible is just Tuesday."
Han flexed his hands. Tested his new strength. "This is... I can feel it. The barrier is gone. I can push toward Foundation Realm now. The path is open."
"Yeah. That’s what the Shadow Legion does. Removes barriers. Opens paths. Makes the impossible possible." Hunter looked around the camp again. "Anyone else? Now’s your chance. Swear the oath, get cultivation, join my accidental soul cult. Great benefits. Terrible name. Permanent commitment. Who’s interested?"
Qiu stepped forward immediately. "I swear. Right now. Before you change your mind."
"I’m not going to change my mind."
"Yes you will. You’re clearly terrible at commitment. So I’m swearing now. I, Qiu Hengdao, swear to join the Shadow Legion. To serve its master. To pursue its goals. To remain loyal until death. Also I’d like to negotiate profit sharing later but that’s a separate conversation."
"You can’t negotiate during the oath!"
"I just did. Now give me cultivation before I die of old age."
The glow hit Qiu. He laughed. Actually laughed. Joy and wonder and the sheer relief of someone who’d given up hope suddenly finding it again. Body Refining Level 1. Not much. But everything to someone who’d been mortal.
"It worked!" Qiu spun in a circle, testing his new body. "I can feel it! The qi! The strength! I’m a cultivator! At my age! This is amazing! This is incredible! This is the best business decision I’ve ever made!"
"It’s not a business decision," Hunter said weakly.
"Everything is a business decision. But this one is particularly good. Return on investment: infinite. I’m very pleased with this transaction."
Others stepped forward. Slowly at first. Then faster. One of the wagon drivers. Two of the guard survivors. A elderly woman who’d been traveling with the caravan. Each one swearing. Each one glowing. Each one transformed from mortal to cultivator in seconds.
Hunter watched it happen. Watched his accidental faction grow. Member by member. Oath by oath. Binding people to him through contracts he didn’t fully understand for purposes he hadn’t chosen.
This was his life now.
Shadow Legion. Population: growing rapidly. Leadership: one very reluctant former insurance adjuster who just wanted to go home.
[LUNA] CURRENT COUNT: 8 MEMBERS (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧
[LUNA] GOAL: THOUSANDS
[LUNA] YOU’RE 0.8% OF THE WAY THERE
[LUNA] MAKING GREAT PROGRESS ♥
"I hate everything about this," Hunter muttered.
But he didn’t stop it. Couldn’t stop it. The oaths kept coming. The Shadow Legion kept growing. And somewhere in his chest, beneath the panic and the dread and the certainty that this would end badly, was something that might have been hope.
Probably resignation.
But it felt close enough.