The Hidden Myth of Ji Dara

Two days later, all of Dara's Qi had been sucked dry, but the incubation process was still only 2.5% percent complete, as its limbs were already becoming more defined with fingers and toes already separating out, unlike previously when it simply looked like a mini-human with four limbs…

The root kept using Dara's insane number of meridians to absorb pure Qi into his body to nourish his soul, but it was moving at a snail pace, inching one percent per day…

Meanwhile…

Back in the outside world…

"Is she still in there!?"

"Yes she is…"

"Have you tried today?"

"I have suffered three whiplashes in my last three attempts to persuade her to leave…"

"*Sighs* Is she planning to let his corpse rot within the clinic?"

"If an infection breaks out due to that, it might destroy the entire tribe before we even manage to grow further…"

"Well, why don't you go tell her that…"

"What? Hehe… Nevermind…"

Uncle Min chuckled awkwardly at Ji Wang's sarcastic suggestion; He had also been whipped about ten times since the last time Aunt Lin had chased them out of the clinic;

"But I think if we; the Elders gather together and go demand that the Tribe Leader gets the befitting burial he should have gotten, then that would perhaps cause her to reconsider…"

"After all, she's not the only one who is filling awful about the situation…"

"I understand you Elder Min, but the point still remains that he is dead, and how are we going to tell all the tribesmen?" Ji Wang voiced out;

"It's been two weeks since he died and we have kept it a secret from all of them ever since, and now, the tribesmen seem to have been suspecting that to be the case, after all, they are also wise and intelligent adults…" He added;

"It still doesn't matter, we still have to think about his desire…"

"Would he be pleased that we refused to give him a proper burial for more than two weeks simply because she refused to stop grieving and accept the fact that he is gone?" Uncle Min refuted as Ji Wang sighed;

"Alright then… Who do you want us to notify first?" Ji Wang asked;

"Well, I guess we should approach the Elders according to age, since the old ones would understand our point of view and do what is right…"

"That means we have to go see Elder Smith…"

"Yeah…" Uncle Min answered as the duo left the clinic and headed straight for the Tribe Forgery…

On getting there, they met an Elder Smith who was seated on a wooden bench outside, sighing every other second as he seemed to be deep in thought, and from the painful expression on his face, he seemed to be thinking about something very depressing;

"Elder Smith, why are you out here all alone, neither crafting anything nor speaking to anyone?"

"Oh Elder Wang, it's you… Elder Min to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Let's ignore the formalities Elder Smith, we are here to discuss about him…"

"I and Elder Min thinks it is high time, we give the Tribe Leader a proper and befitting burial, but we are still unable to get past Elder Lin, thus, we thought it would be much better if we had the rest of the Elders behind us, this time…"

Ji Wang laid everything on the plate without holding back or caring if Elder Smith who seemed to already have his own plate can handle another depressing topic…

"Well, that's pretty straightforward, and to be honest, I have been thinking about it also…"

"Don't tell me you have been believing that as long as he is not buried then perhaps he might surprise us?" Uncle Min checked Elder Smith;

"Well, that doesn't matter now, we have to do what is best and respectful for the tribe leader, not whatever we feel…"

"True… So, who are you guys going after, next?"

"Eder Ting… She had been unable to return to the clinic ever since that happened, and we don't know if it is out of fear of Elder Lin's reaction or it is out of pain from having the Tribe Leader die under her watch…"

"That's not good… Even I, myself, have barely seen any of her disciples outside, they both seem to have holed themselves up in their homes…"

"Well, perhaps, his burial would be of some help…" Ji Wang added;

"How so?"

"Perhaps it would help them reach the next stage of grief; acceptance…" Ji Wang explained as Uncle Min and Elder Smith nodded in apprehension;

"Alright, I am not in the right state of mind to do any forging at this point, so I might as well rally on with you guys…" Elder Smith said as he stood up, dusted and rearranged his outfit;

"Yeah, perhaps we all need to reach acceptance about this matter…"

Uncle Min added as the trio went to Elder Ting's house which was within the first ring of residence after the plateau;

They met her in, and after about half an hour of cajoling and empathizing, they finally got her to go with them, as they joined up with Ji Chen, and the two Obun Elders who despite being an Obun was actually looking sad like they just lost a brother…

Then from there, they moved outwards to the second district to grab Elder Ting's disciples…

[I have decided to rename the Plateau area as the Main Districts… Then the next ring of residence which is where the Elders live as District 1… Then the next ring of residence after that, which is where the tribesmen reside as District 2…]

[Then finally the last ring of residence which is still under construction and is meant for the next set of newcomers as District 3…]

[But, if you all prefer me using Core District, Inner District, Middle District and Outer District; let me know with your paragraph comments…]

Then in about an hour later, they had already gathered together in front of the clinic;

"Are you sure about this?"

"There is no going back now…"

"It is for his good, her good, and our own good…" Ji Wang added as they all entered the clinic…

On getting there, they met Aunt Lin currently cleaning Dara's body with a clean cloth dipped in warm water;

"You all are here again…"

Aunt Lin said, but this time she didn't yell, and as a matter of fact, she seemed fine on the outside, calm in her temperament but with an aura of grief still looming all over her…

The Elders saw this, and they all breathed a sigh of relief…