Oh. I think we mostly deal with ghosts, but even monsters prefer the nighttime... [ Maybe? He hasn't gone night hunting much at all so maybe he's... wrong about that. ]
No, no. Let us continue. Perhaps a bit more light.
[He feels like they are going to break their necks if they keep walking around. So, deciding he needed to make it at least safer, he pulled out a talisman to cast a light spell. It was a lot better than the fire talisman, brighter, and floated. Proud Immortal Demon Way might be a shitty cultivation novel, but, at least in some ways, the low fantasy setting wasn't as low fantasy as here. One thing to be grateful towards Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky, he knew the minimum amount of power fantasy needed in his cultivators.]
[ Mo Xuanyu doesn't hide the way his eyes widen and his jaw drops a little as he stares at the light. It takes him several seconds before he snuffs his fire talisman, and then he's scrambling towards Shen Qingqiu. ]
Master Shen, um...! If you don't mind, could I see that talisman? I've never seen a spell like this! Is this something your sect came up with?! It's amazing!
[Yes? No? Maybe? Hell if he knew. This was very basic and generic. Expected even, especially if it was in such a shitty cultivation world.
But, he was starting to consider the differences. Despite the low fantasy of Proud Immortal Demon Way, he might describe this world more as a historical fantasy rather than low. Or horror. When considering that, it made sense, the way abilities were used.
Oh, but... what should he say?
He pulled out another talisman and handed it over.]
[ Mo Xuanyu quickly takes the talisman and holds it close, studying it carefully. Now that he's looking at it, it seems like such an obvious thing, but he's pretty sure he's never seen anything like it before. Maybe there's a drawback to it that isn't readily obvious? Does it also have too much yang energy and scare away prey? Is it because it's obviously unnatural? Is it because the fire talismans are also useful as weapons? But surely there would be uses for this even outside a night hunt! He makes a mental note to bring this spell back to Jin Guangyao and ask about it. He would know the reasoning behind it.
Mo Xuanyu hands the talisman back to Shen Qingqiu. ]
Thank you very much. I've already learned so many things from Master Shen.
Then, let's go. Like this it should be much easier to find some of the houses.
[ Slightly invigorated thanks to the new knowledge, he resumes picking his way across the loose ground, but his first small slip reminds him he needs to be careful where he places his footing and he starts to take slower steps. ]
[If they were not buried below the earth at least.
But, now with light they could at least walk around without breaking their neck on a foot turn. Though, at this point, he was wishing he could just sit under a tree and watch. He hadn't expected it to be so... gritty when he had volunteered.]
Quite. Hopefully, we won't have to dig.
[Because it wasn't like he had brought a shovel with him.]
Oh, no, of course not! I'll do any digging that we need. Master Shen doesn't have to worry about that sort of thing.
[ Obviously the disciples are the ones responsible for anything messy like that! Why, Shen Qingqiu is already indulging him more than enough just by following him through the remains of the landslide.
But with that he continues to make his way forward, studying the area around him as he goes. He doesn't have much of an idea what he's looking for, mostly hoping that he'll stumble into something that's obvious and worth investigating. ]
[Well, that was convenient. He didn't have to feel guilty or anything now.]
Very well. I shall keep watch over here, and if you have any questions or issues, please come and see me.
[And, he actually went looking for somewhere next to a tree that might have a lot of nice fluffy grass and was ready to lay out a large cloth to sit on. Because yes, indeed, he brought a large silk cloth, the size one could have a picnic on, so he could sit on it.]
Alright, I will! [ And this was perfectly acceptable. After all, he was the one who was in training. Why would the master do the work when it could all be on the disciple?
He continues climbing among the dirt and eventually finds what seems like it might be a house. Mo Xuanyu hesitates for a moment, then slowly starts digging.
He's at it for less than a minute when, hidden from his attention by the sound of his work, a walking corpse pulls itself out of the ground and starts to make its way towards him from behind. ]
[Shen Qingqiu was incredibly bored, he didn't expect this to be so... dull. But then, it was the middle of the night, hard to see, and there were just the two of them. He hadn't realized just how much he enjoyed having all of his disciples around during such outings. But, he tried to keep watch, even if he spaced out a few times thinking of other inconsequential things. In fact, he wandered so much he almost missed the corpse approaching.]
[ Mo Xuanyu turns quickly, then yelps and stumbles backwards when he catches sight of the corpse. Luckily it's a low level, so even with his flailing, he manages to pull out his sword and dispose of it without issue. He spends a few seconds standing there, wide-eyed and panting as he recovers from the shock, then... ]
This is it! If there's corpses here, then people definitely died here!
[ With renewed vigor he begins digging into the dirt, and it isn't long before he starts to reach the wood from a collapsed roof. ]
Oh, I suppose you're right. If it was just one person... Mm.
[ His expression goes dark for a moment, then he shakes his head. No, that idea that passed through his head just now is out of the question. ]
I'll try to dig this up enough that I can lift it.
[ And he starts the slow process of shoveling as much dirt as possible off of the remains of the roof. This would probably go better with a proper shovel, but his hands will have to do. ]
[Once Mo Xuanyu was out of range he lifted his hand up forming a sword seal with his fingers to summon Xiu Ya.
The sword flare was bright, but he kept it down to not be overwhelming and sent it flying into the part of the roof uncovered blasting a hole into it. Once it had forced a path in it returned to its sheath.]
[ It makes Mo Xuanyu startle and jump, and he waits for several seconds as if expecting something to happen now that the hole is there.
But nothing happens, and so he makes his way back to the hole...
Only to take one look in, yelp, and stumble backwards enough that he falls straight on his butt. No sooner does he land then there's the sound of movement coming from below the hole. ]
[Shen Qingqiu hurried over to check, he had a sinking suspicion of what might be inside. He had hoped at best nothing, at worse corpses... but, if something was moving and the boy stumbled backward that would mean....
He sent another light out to hover over the whole so he could get a better look, and maybe it would do something? Zombies didn't like light, right?]
Get up, awareness is important.
[Though he said it like a command he was already offering his hand to help as he got close.]
[ The insistence draws him back to himself, and he quickly pulls himself to his feet. Mo Xuanyu hesitates, but draws his sword and holds it forward, his grip shaking very slightly.
What emerges is not a corpse but a swirling shape that's more energy than solid. In the bright light it seems to shimmer and almost become invisible, but it's corporeal enough to affect the area around it. It crawls out slowly, giving a low wailing sound, disturbing dirt as it goes. ]
Master Shen, what...? I don't know what this is...!
Instinctually he put his arm out in front of Mo Xuanyu, herding him back behind. It didn't seem to be a ghost, it was definitely not a dead thing, a spirit? A god? A demon? He had no reference for this world! But, what he had seen so far, this felt out of place!]
[ But before Mo Xuanyu can say any more, the dirt starts shaking in various places around them. More of the earth starts to slide around as it's disturbed, and soon several corpses are starting to pull themselves out from below the ground. This seems to excite or agitate the shape, and it begins to swirl and move quicker, though it seems to be avoiding where the corpses are emerging.
With no better idea of what to do, Mo Xuanyu inches a little more behind Shen Qingqiu. ]
[Where were all these bodies when they were wandering around digging with nothing else? Why were they all climbing forth when there was this bright unknown entity before him!
He backed up more, keeping Mo Xuanyu even closer. He really wasn't sure what to do. Perhaps the strange creature will be distracted by the corpses and they could run.]
--What? But--what if it goes after the people who live here? Or the other disciples? Shouldn't we fight it?
[ Hi I am Mo Xuanyu and I have never before been in truly mortal peril in my life.
Now that more of the corpses are surfacing bit by bit, and even some heads are starting to emerge, it's even more obvious that they are focused on the bright shape. It slowly starts to creep its way across the ground, like rolling fog or a low cloud, shrinking back or wailing when it gets too close to any emerging corpses.
A hand appears from directly beneath it, and as if startled it starts to billow and shudder, partially dispersing and regrouping as if trying to get away from the corpse but having no idea how to. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Um.
Should we stop?
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[He feels like they are going to break their necks if they keep walking around. So, deciding he needed to make it at least safer, he pulled out a talisman to cast a light spell. It was a lot better than the fire talisman, brighter, and floated. Proud Immortal Demon Way might be a shitty cultivation novel, but, at least in some ways, the low fantasy setting wasn't as low fantasy as here. One thing to be grateful towards Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky, he knew the minimum amount of power fantasy needed in his cultivators.]
no subject
Master Shen, um...! If you don't mind, could I see that talisman? I've never seen a spell like this! Is this something your sect came up with?! It's amazing!
no subject
But, he was starting to consider the differences. Despite the low fantasy of Proud Immortal Demon Way, he might describe this world more as a historical fantasy rather than low. Or horror. When considering that, it made sense, the way abilities were used.
Oh, but... what should he say?
He pulled out another talisman and handed it over.]
It's a common spell in the land I come from....
no subject
Mo Xuanyu hands the talisman back to Shen Qingqiu. ]
Thank you very much. I've already learned so many things from Master Shen.
Then, let's go. Like this it should be much easier to find some of the houses.
[ Slightly invigorated thanks to the new knowledge, he resumes picking his way across the loose ground, but his first small slip reminds him he needs to be careful where he places his footing and he starts to take slower steps. ]
no subject
But, now with light they could at least walk around without breaking their neck on a foot turn. Though, at this point, he was wishing he could just sit under a tree and watch. He hadn't expected it to be so... gritty when he had volunteered.]
Quite. Hopefully, we won't have to dig.
[Because it wasn't like he had brought a shovel with him.]
no subject
[ Obviously the disciples are the ones responsible for anything messy like that! Why, Shen Qingqiu is already indulging him more than enough just by following him through the remains of the landslide.
But with that he continues to make his way forward, studying the area around him as he goes. He doesn't have much of an idea what he's looking for, mostly hoping that he'll stumble into something that's obvious and worth investigating. ]
no subject
Very well. I shall keep watch over here, and if you have any questions or issues, please come and see me.
[And, he actually went looking for somewhere next to a tree that might have a lot of nice fluffy grass and was ready to lay out a large cloth to sit on. Because yes, indeed, he brought a large silk cloth, the size one could have a picnic on, so he could sit on it.]
no subject
He continues climbing among the dirt and eventually finds what seems like it might be a house. Mo Xuanyu hesitates for a moment, then slowly starts digging.
He's at it for less than a minute when, hidden from his attention by the sound of his work, a walking corpse pulls itself out of the ground and starts to make its way towards him from behind. ]
no subject
Watch out!
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This is it! If there's corpses here, then people definitely died here!
[ With renewed vigor he begins digging into the dirt, and it isn't long before he starts to reach the wood from a collapsed roof. ]
no subject
When did the landslide happen?
[Was it night or day....]
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[ Oh, this is supposed to be a question to help him figure out what happened, right? ]
Um... [ He thinks for a moment, then, ] Well, if most of them were in their houses, it was probably at night, right...?
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We do not yet know if most of them were inside or not....
[But, they would no doubt find out soon enough.]
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[ His expression goes dark for a moment, then he shakes his head. No, that idea that passed through his head just now is out of the question. ]
I'll try to dig this up enough that I can lift it.
[ And he starts the slow process of shoveling as much dirt as possible off of the remains of the roof. This would probably go better with a proper shovel, but his hands will have to do. ]
no subject
Still, it was too pitiable to watch him digging up this sad house with his hands.]
Come over here, we'll take a faster way to see in.
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[ Mo Xuanyu carefully, hesitantly makes his way back towards Shen Qingqiu. He doesn't know what the man has in mind, but he's very curious. ]
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The sword flare was bright, but he kept it down to not be overwhelming and sent it flying into the part of the roof uncovered blasting a hole into it. Once it had forced a path in it returned to its sheath.]
no subject
But nothing happens, and so he makes his way back to the hole...
Only to take one look in, yelp, and stumble backwards enough that he falls straight on his butt. No sooner does he land then there's the sound of movement coming from below the hole. ]
no subject
He sent another light out to hover over the whole so he could get a better look, and maybe it would do something? Zombies didn't like light, right?]
Get up, awareness is important.
[Though he said it like a command he was already offering his hand to help as he got close.]
no subject
What emerges is not a corpse but a swirling shape that's more energy than solid. In the bright light it seems to shimmer and almost become invisible, but it's corporeal enough to affect the area around it. It crawls out slowly, giving a low wailing sound, disturbing dirt as it goes. ]
Master Shen, what...? I don't know what this is...!
no subject
Instinctually he put his arm out in front of Mo Xuanyu, herding him back behind. It didn't seem to be a ghost, it was definitely not a dead thing, a spirit? A god? A demon? He had no reference for this world! But, what he had seen so far, this felt out of place!]
This master is unsure....
no subject
[ But before Mo Xuanyu can say any more, the dirt starts shaking in various places around them. More of the earth starts to slide around as it's disturbed, and soon several corpses are starting to pull themselves out from below the ground. This seems to excite or agitate the shape, and it begins to swirl and move quicker, though it seems to be avoiding where the corpses are emerging.
With no better idea of what to do, Mo Xuanyu inches a little more behind Shen Qingqiu. ]
no subject
He backed up more, keeping Mo Xuanyu even closer. He really wasn't sure what to do. Perhaps the strange creature will be distracted by the corpses and they could run.]
Find an opening and run.
no subject
[ Hi I am Mo Xuanyu and I have never before been in truly mortal peril in my life.
Now that more of the corpses are surfacing bit by bit, and even some heads are starting to emerge, it's even more obvious that they are focused on the bright shape. It slowly starts to creep its way across the ground, like rolling fog or a low cloud, shrinking back or wailing when it gets too close to any emerging corpses.
A hand appears from directly beneath it, and as if startled it starts to billow and shudder, partially dispersing and regrouping as if trying to get away from the corpse but having no idea how to. ]
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