THE REAL PROTEGE Chapter 464

Reactions of the Protagonists

Ren’s needles pulsed, pulling her toward the shadow. Sweat beaded as she clenched her jaw. "It calls to me — it feeds on what I’ve given up. Alone, I will break." Her voice cracked, torn by dread and duty.

Lily’s carp voice resonated with gold, weaving truth into its glow. She whispered, "This path answers me. It feels like hope—but hope alone may not suffice." Doubt flickered, then resolve took over.

Shun’s glyphs glowed as he traced both paths. "Balance," he muttered with conviction. "We cannot choose one because if Ren anchors sacrifice and Lily anchors truth, then I believe both roads must be walked together." His calm presence, grounded in his determination to unite the two paths, steadied the disciples.

Fatty’s voice quivered, scraping the silence. He forced a brittle laugh. "Golden road looks nice, shadow road looks terrifying. So, we’ll end up on both." His strained humor cracked the tension, drawing uneasy, reluctant chuckles.

The clan’s voices rose in a heated argument.

Some elders demanded the golden road, fearing the shadow’s curse.

Others argued for the shadowed road, tempted by its power.

A few disciples dropped to their knees, praying for guidance. Their voices were lost in the clash. The dragons swooped lower, their translucent wings stirring mist. Their cries split — one harmonious, one discordant — echoing the duality of the paths.

Ling Li swept the crowd with her gaze, hand pressed to her belly. Her voice cut through the chaos:

"The carp was right. Sacrifice and truth must walk together — or all will break."

Her words silenced the debate. The clan saw the truth: neither path could be abandoned. To survive, they must walk both roads — light and shadow — anchored by Ren’s sacrifice, Lily’s truth, Shun’s discipline, and the clan’s unity.

The Split into Two Roads

The clan divided, stepping onto separate paths with pounding hearts. The cool, firm earth reminded them of the choice before them. Footsteps crunched on gravel, echoing in the hushed forest. A gentle breeze rustled the trees, whispering unknown secrets. With every step, the rich scent of moss and damp leaves grounded their resolve.

Lily’s group moved onto the golden road, its radiant glyphs pulsing with warmth. Her clear voice resonated, weaving truth into shimmering light. A tremor betrayed her inner conflict — a fleeting clash of pride and doubt that made the light flicker, exposing her vulnerability. Yet her disciples followed, drawn by the prospect of prosperity and unity and by their trust in her leadership.

Ren’s group took the shadowed road, its jagged glyphs glowing crimson. Her needles pulsed, each throb threatening to tear her apart. A memory of her family’s festival laughter and her mother’s sweet dumplings lingered, reminding her of what she risked leaving behind. Her determination anchored those willing to walk the path of sacrifice, despite the toll on her strength.

Between them, Shun traced stabilising glyphs, his qi bridging both roads. His calm focus steadied the imbalance. Fatty trembled but moved between groups, cracking a wry smile. "Chaos doesn’t wait for dawn, but neither do we!" His humour became a spark of courage for both sides.

Ling Li stood at the edge, hand on her belly, aura calm yet immense. She was Otako, body and vitality refiner, ascended immortal. Strong beyond compare, she could change the world if she opted to. With Shensei beside her, she remained calm, but her gaze stayed sharp, ready to defend the clan.

The Golden Road’s Judgment

As Lily’s group began their journey on the golden road, they noticed a faint crack along one of the radiant glyphs. Barely visible, it formed a subtle anomaly in the otherwise flawless path. This quiet warning planted a seed of unease. It invited anticipation of the road’s potential upheaval. The glyphs continued to pulse with warmth. That slight imperfection lingered in their minds.

Suddenly, the golden road trembled. Its glyphs flared angrily, light twisting into jagged shards. The path itself seemed to roar, its brilliance turning harsh, judgmental.

A voice, not spoken but felt, reverberated through every soul:

"Too many walk this road. You are ambitious, seizing wealth and power. Yet you shun the path of sacrifice. As the elders say: ’The river’s wealth is earned by those who toil its banks.’ Truth without sacrifice is hollow. Unity without pain is fragile. You trod on a path without penance. You are deemed unworthy. As our rites remind us: ’Only the tempered blade can cleave the storm.’"

The radiant glow darkened into blinding flashes. Disciples staggered, clutching their chests as the road’s fury pressed on them. The Verdant Bamboo Pavilion trembled, beams groaning, timber screaming. One lantern swayed violently before falling and shattering, its glass scattering like stars across the floor. This collapse captured the impending devastation, making the world feel as if it might cease to exist.

Lily was struck hardest. Her carp voice faltered, throat tightening as golden glyphs lashed at her. She gasped, knees buckling, tears streaming as judgment crushed her spirit. She clawed at the glyphs, trying to grasp their light, but her fingers slipped through, deepening her sense of hopelessness.

"I... I can’t breathe... It’s rejecting me..." Lily whispered, her voice breaking. Fatty lunged forward and caught her before she collapsed, wrapping his arms protectively around her trembling frame.

Fear rippled through the clan. Elders shouted with cracked voices; some grabbed at their hearts or staggered back with wide, wild eyes. Others were paralysed, lips trembling, faces stark with the raw terror of helpless ambition laid bare. Some disciples whimpered, others wept openly, the communal panic a suffocating wave over ambition now exposed as weakness.

Just as Ling Li prepared to move, her aura flaring like a storm contained, the twins in Mushu’s arms struggled.

"Uncle Mushu, put us down!" Kim Kim yelled, her voice sharp with urgency.

Mushu’s grip tightened, his voice firm but tinged with worry. "No!" he barked, his gaze flickering between the chaos and the determined twins. His heart pounded, each beat echoing his refusal.

"No!" came his reply again, now a mix of desperation and protectiveness.

"No," Mushu muttered, almost to himself, unwilling to put them into danger.

The words tumbled out, sounding like a mantra. Each refusal was more than a mere protest; it was an unspoken promise to keep them safe.

Three more stern ’no’s followed, somehow uniquely resonant, each from Rockie, Reginald, and Goldie.