The Legendary Janitor

Before Di Tou could react, he found himself 3 feet in the air face to face with Mu Di Bai, who's face carried a level of intensity that was disturbingly incompatible with his features. This level of seriousness was unprecedented and from Di Tou's perspective almost unthinkable as in Di Tou's short period interactions with the man, he had already categorized Mu Di Bai as the type that was always laughing even when he was plotting something sinister, seeing as even when his wife's wedding dress had been burned, he hadn't been so serious. But in this moment, the old man had an air of authority to him.

"Haha… Senior wha-"

Di Tou was forcibly cut off, as the force that was holding him in the air constricted him further, making it impossible for him to speak.

Mu Di Bai started circling around Di Tou, like a wolf circling its prey, inspecting Di Tou with the same fierce intensity throughout. Despite Di Tou's lack of a sixth sense honed from years on being a battlefield or special training, he could still feel Mu Di Bai's boring into his back.

After a few moments passed, Di Tou started becoming short of breath, as he hadn't gotten a huge breath just before he was caught, and he had been speaking so he had expended some of his breath. With great and strenuous effort, Di Tou lifted his hands trying pat his chest, and when that failed he started to try to claw at his throat.

Mu Di Bai gave him a cold eye, before waving his sleeve.

"Hmph."

Still suspended in the air, Di Tou coughed and gasped for air.

"Seni-"

"Shut up."

"I will ask you questions and you will answer. If you try to misdirect or lie, you can imagine the consequences yourself. Do you understand?"

"I understand grea-"

A sudden jolt of force hit Di Tou in his ribs, just below his heart, knocking the air out of his lungs which lead to another fit of coughing.

"Don't be superfluous."

Di Tou, smartly, chose to nod to respond this time.

"What just happened?"

"What do yo-"

This time Mu Di Bai wasn't so kind, with a swing of his arm Di Tou's left hand was directly cut off. With a *plop* it fell to the ground beside him.

"This is my last warning."

While a small part of Di Tou's mind was telling him it was a really bad idea to explain his situation, a bigger part was yelling, "MY F*CKING HAND!" So, smartly(?) Di Tou quickly replied, "Divine Mandate."

Mu Di Bai squinted, appraising Di Tou as if trying to figure out whether he could be trusted enough. After it felt like hours had passed to Di Tou, but in reality, only a few seconds had passed, Mu Di Bai seemed to come to a decision, raising his hand back… 𝚋𝚎ｄ𝚗ｏｖ𝚎𝚕．ｃｏ𝚖

Before lowering Di Tou back down to the ground, although he was still restrained.

"And would you like to explain to me how you, a mortal, managed to get in contact with such a thing?"

"I…"

Di Tou was lifted a foot off the ground.

"MERCY, I'm sorry! Please calm down, I'll tell you the truth."

"Hmph."

As Di Tou was lowered back down to the ground, he managed to figure out a satisfying enough answer that was a mix of truths and falsehoods, "Before I was sent here, I heard a voice speaking to me every now and then, at the time I thought I was going crazy, but before I knew it I woke up in that hut, the hut where you found me…" Di Tou paused, trying to gauge Mu Di Bai's reaction. Unfortunately, he was met with an expressionless face.

"Go on." Mu Di Bai commanded.

"Just now, a giant scroll appeared out of thin air, brilliantly white and I recognized the voice that accompanied it as the same one that I heard before but…"

"But what."

"But I couldn't make out the majority of what was being said. When the voice spoke my head felt like it was splitting into a million pieces. It felt like it was booming in my head and in that sensation, I couldn't hear, see, or even think straight. Then before I knew it, it was over."

Di Tou's pallor fell down another notch as he spoke, adding to the dramatic effect. Although it was unknown if this was because of the fact he was bleeding out, or if he truly remembered the pain he had felt from when he had first been summoned.

"Hmm." Mu Di Bai looked down in thought, and then eventually, came to a decision. He looked up at Di Tou and then…