To Walk The Mist

Tie Nse had sent a secret message for Old Iba to meet him in Hammer city, the strong hold of the Hammer gate, a gate under the control of the jade phoenix alliance. Tie Nse sat in a small room drinking tea, when a familiar figure appeared inside. Seeing Old Iba's form, Tie Nse locked the space to prevent any sound from getting out.

"You sure took your time." Tie Nse said.

"You sure know how to choose a place. The jade phoenix alliance are keeping an eye out for you." old Iba said, taking a seat before Tie Nse.

"Yes, I heard you told them about the heavenly tribulation. You sure have guts. You still think you are qualified to see him? What if you give out his location to them again?"

"Lady Mi appeared on her own when you left. I didn't call her." Old Iba snorted.

"But you called those old men from my alliance!" Tie Nse frowned.

"Are you more angry that lady Mi knows about your disciple's odd tribulation or that those old men from your alliance were close to catching you?" Old Iba guessed the latter. This old thing was more worried about getting caught and forced back to the heaven alliance than how popular his disciple has become.

"Do you want to know about the ingredients for the pill or not?" Old Iba asked.

"What do you need?" Tie Nse asked and Old In a handed him jade slip. Old Iba expected Tie Nse to gasp as he looked at the list, but was very disappointed when he maintained his calm.

"The Taphen root. It will act as a net to triple the effects of the tribulation. I figured you would still think if a way to go all out." Tie Nse said.

"You did say if possible. Let's be clear. The success of this pill is only twenty percent. The ingredients are precious. Even if we are still able to find them, the success rate is still bellow twenty percent."

"I see." Tie Nse said solemnly.

"You want to use the fragment of a saint level artefact to cause an eternity effect. Even if the tribulation could not be held for eternity, it should be able to make it stay longer than it wants to." Tie Nse said.

"You could just borrow your alliance's saint level artefact. That would solve the problem." Old Iba said.

"I have no intention of going to those old men. What about phoenix tears?" Tie Nse asked.

"Well... I was not really thinking of phoenix tears, but... even though it is lower than a saint level artefact, the phoenix tears properties is better for this pill. Phoenix tears will have the property of eternity in it." Old Iba said. The phoenix was a great bird that burned in fire and was reborn again. The property of eternity is edged into the phoenix genes. But, isn't his just wishful thinking? How will they get the tears?

"The only people with phoenix tears are....." Old Iba started to say, then paused. His eyes rounded out into big globes as he stared at Tie Nse in shock.

"Ya! Have you gone mad?!" Old Iba exclaimed.

"Is phoenix tears better for this or not? Will it not increase the strength of this pill?" Tie Nse asked casually.

"You planned this from the beginning, didn't you? You already knew that an element of eternity would be necessary in this pill. You thought it through!" Old Iba exclaimed.

"You are very smart." Tie Nse said as though complimenting a child.

"Don't.... don't tell me, that is why we are here? I should have known. Why would you ask to meet in the hammer city? A strong hold of the hammer gate.... oh just in case I had forgotten, the same gate rule by the jade phoenix alliance!" Old Iba felt as though his brain had fried. This old think had finally lost his mind. Doing this is the same as declaring war upon the jade phoenix alliance.

"Just out side this hammer city is the Hammer gate fort. At the gate tower in the centre of the fort is where the phoenix tears is kept. Where else do you expect us to get phoenix tears?" Tie Nse asked.

"You are mad, you know that? You prefer to offend the entire jade phoenix alliance than go to your heaven alliance and talk to those old me. You prefer to cause a war than be caught by your alliance and forced to do your job as patriarch."

"Are you coming or not?" Tie Nse asked casually.

"Me? This is your disciple! Why would I help you bring trouble for my pill cottage?" Old Iba was no officially angry.

"Are you afraid? If you don't come, I will pay you fro your services and not allow you to see my disciple breakthrough." Tie Nse said in a sing song manner. This angered Old Iba further. But he wanted so badly to be part of trapping heavenly tribulation. It was a challenge. An adventure.

"Fine. But, we must not get caught." Old Iba gave up.

"Old wrinkle, cheer up. The ingredient list you just compile means we will have to offend a lot of people." Tie Nse got up and changed his appearance. Old Iba did the same.

"An alliance patriarch and the cottage master, robbing like common thieves... after all my years of struggle to stand at the pinnacle, I am still robbing like a powerless sapling... all the face this old man had has been burnt off." Old Iba cried before they both vanished.