From Cellar to Throne: Zen's Quest for Immortality

Chapter 20 Evil Weapon Refiner (Part Two)

Between rolling over and over as the furnace tumbled and smelling the fusty stench of Evil Lan's body,

Zen wanted to retch.

After rolling on for a while, they suddenly stopped. The gleam of excitement flashed in Evil Lan's eyes

as he came up and leaned in close to Zen to inhale his scent. Evil Lan questioned, "I have never come

across a person with a body as special as yours. You are surreal! Your fragrance is so similar to my

mysterious weapon!"

"You're kidding, right? Look at me; I have limbs! Touch me, and you'll see, I am flesh, just like you! How

can I be anything but a real human?" demanded Zen seriously. "I won't be helpful to you in refining

weapons, and I advise you let me go," Zen calmly informed Evil Lan. Not expecting Evil Lan's nose to

be so sensitive that he would be able to smell Zen's subtle scent unnerved him, but, he remained calm

and collected outwardly.

"Ha-ha-ha! Are you kidding? Let you go?" cackled Evil Lan wildly. "Hell no! I am so excited to find

someone who has a body as unique as you have! I wonder what powerful item will result from tossing

you into my weapon-refining furnace? I'm really looking forward to this!" Evil Lan said while reaching

out with chains to secure Zen's hands to the inside hull of the bronze furnace before he jumped out.

Inside the metal beast, Zen lurched side to side and then began being bounced around slightly as Evil

Lan lifted it off the ground, and took off running with his furnace on his back. They were moving even

faster than they had been with Evil Lan inside.

At least now that Zen didn't have to suffer the foul stench of Evil Lan and wasn't being tossed around,

he was more comfortable. He was able to crane his head out of the bronze furnace to see the

surrounding scenery.

Tugging at his restraints, Zen realized they were too strong to be broken, so, he knew they weren't gold

or iron. As he looked around the furnace, Zen's mind whirred as he tried to think of a way to escape.

The insane man wasn't even afraid of Zen's uncle, Bryson! Considering how much stronger Bryson

was compared to Zen, how would he escape this? Instead of wasting energy worrying, Zen decided he

would wait and see what happened.

Trees were a blur to Zen, making him realize Evil Lan was running very fast, even barefoot. He could

hear cawing and hooting while the trees became denser. The air was a touch cooler, and the light was

dimmer, all of which told Zen they were deep in the thick forest.

Eventually, it grew brighter again as they came back out of the forest. Craning his neck, Zen saw a cliff

rising in front of them, and quickly coming closer. But, Evil Lan wasn't stopping or slowing down, and

when they came to the precipice, he clutched the bronze furnace tighter as he flung himself over the

edge.

'Holy shit! How will we survive jumping off the cliff?' wondered Zen. Terrified, Zen grasped the chains in

the bronze furnace. Suddenly, he lurched to a stop telling him they weren't falling anymore.

Clinging to the furnace with his right hand, Evil Lan grasped one stone after another with his left hand

from a mass of thorn-like rocks protruding from the cliff as he descended the face of the mountain.

Midway down the cliff was a towering tree. Evil Lan stepped onto a sturdy, twisted part of the trunk and

reached out his free hand to move the thick branches, revealing the opening of a large cave.

The mouth of the cave was so small that the bronze furnace could barely make it through, but as they

went deeper into it, space opened up and became more extensive.

'No wonder Evil Lan has successfully escaped every attack clans in the C County launched. This

secret place is obscure! It's perfect!' Zen considered.

Deeper in the cave, the ceiling was dozens of feet higher. The walls were shimmering with dark red

glowing light. Flames radiated faintly from the ground, making it the perfect place for refining weapons.

In the center was a dark weapon-refining furnace on four legs. Eight spikes protruded from the wall,

and there was a person skewered on each.

The blood was being slowly drained as the victims hung off the spikes. The horrific sight of the

emaciated, almost skeletal people turned Zen's stomach. Although they appeared to be dead, the

abdomens heaved as they breathed. They were living people!

Not far from the furnace, were about a dozen cast iron cages, three feet wide, holding one person

each. Most of them had a dull look in their eyes and were curled up, shivering uncontrollably.

It was apparent that Evil Lan was more despicable than people said. Zen was stunned at Evil Lan's Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

methodology.

"Thud!"

The bronze furnace hit the ground. Evil Lan climbed into it, sniffing like an animal at Zen's flesh.

Smirking like the Cheshire cat, he gloated, "I figured if I used flesh and blood to refine weapons and

sealed in the grudges of people, then the mysterious weapon's power would increase with those strong

hatreds in it!" Evil Lan added, "With your flesh and blood smelling so similar to the mysterious weapon,

putting your body into the furnace with my Hell Fire Sword to refine, will likely transform the sword into

a spiritual weapon!"