by Jeremy Bai
However, as his palm sailed through the air, Bao shouted, “Infinite Counter of the Phoenix!”
Before Sunan knew what was happening, Bao’s hand latched on to his forearm and tapped him viciously on the wrist, forearm, and elbow. Sunan felt power sweeping into his body, immobilizing him as it went. In the time it takes a spark to fly off of a piece of flint, his entire right arm became dead weight.
Dammit, what is this?
He quickly sent his own qi flowing toward his arm to try to combat the effect of the immobilization, wrenching it out of Bao’s grasp and falling back a few paces.
As he did, the numbing sensation ceased to spread, and it even began to recede. Unfortunately, his entire right arm was now completely useless, and he could tell that it would take at least a minute or so for feeling to return.
I need to buy time.
Just as Bao was bending her legs to spring into motion again, Sunan said, “Wait!”
Bao frowned. “What is it?”
“Why is that move called Infinite Counting Phoenix? That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Infinite Counter of the Phoenix. I countered your move.”
“Ohhh. Counter not counting. Well, in any case, I thought the Pure Phoenix Sect didn’t name their moves. Didn’t you say that was childish?”
Bao snorted. “When in the country, do as the country bumpkins do. Are you just trying to buy time, Sect Leader? How devious! Fury of the Phoenix!”
She swept her arms through the air, unleashing a wide beam of blinding white light that sped directly toward Sunan.
Sunan’s eyes went wide, but he reacted immediately, leaping to the side and cradling his immobilized right arm.
Despite the speed of his reaction, part of the blast of qi still hit him in the waist, sending him spinning through the air until he slammed into one of the supporting beams that held up the ceiling.
The rest of the qi hit some tables off to the side, crushing them into pieces.
As for Sunan, after hitting the beam, he dropped down to the ground with a loud thump, blood oozing out of his nose and mouth.
Dammit, that hurts! Struggling to his feet, he wiped the blood off of his face with the back of his hand.
Chuckling, Bao began to walk toward him. “Just say the words, Sect Leader, and the fight will be over. I really don’t want to hurt you. I won’t hold back with my next move, and your arm won’t recover in time for you to use your Rebuke of the Dragon again.”
Sunan’s mouth twisted into a snarl. “Not all techniques in Wu-Sunan use hands, Chieftainess. For instance… Slash of the Dragon’s Tail!”
Sunan jumped up and kicked out with all his might, yet again overdrawing on his qi, destabilizing himself further. Bao lifted her left arm up to defend herself, and a moment later, Sunan’s foot slammed into it, accompanied by a blast of wind and a primeval roar.
Bao let out a grunt as the massive force of the blow sent her staggering backward. She managed to take three steps before she lost her balance and fell to the ground. She even tumbled head over heels a few times before lurching to a halt in a crouching position.
Can’t let her take back the initiative.
Sunan could tell that his arm was on the verge of recovering. Unfortunately, he still couldn’t use Rebuke of the Dragon, so he let loose another Slash of the Dragon’s Tail, sending Bao crashing backward into a table. Considering how badly injured she already was, he held back some of the power of the attack to ensure that he didn’t inflict anything other than bruises.
She can’t take much more of this. She must be on the verge of collapsing.
As Bao extricated herself from the wreckage of the table, she wiped the blood off her lips with her sleeve.
“Chieftainess Bao, it’s time to concede,” Sunan said. “If I hit you with Rebuke of the Dragon, I could seriously injure you.” After flexing his right hand experimentally, he confirmed that he had full range of motion back, and slowly curled his fingers into dragon claws as he walked closer to Bao.
Bao slowly looked up and into his eyes, and his heart trembled from the ferocity which seemed to stab into his soul.
“I don’t know how you managed to unleash so much power with your strikes,” she said, “but one thing I can tell clearly is that you Golden Dragon people don’t know anything about dianxue! Phoenix Torment!”
Lurching forward with blinding speed, her left hand formed a vicious-looking hook that stabbed toward Sunan’s temple. His right hand shot up to block her strike, and he realized that the move with her left hand was a feint and that the true attack was coming from her right hand. Before he could even consider defending with his left hand, her right index finger pushed down into the base of his neck by his collarbone.
Intense pain exploded from the point of impact. It felt like white-hot lava was coursing through his blood vessels and qi meridians, burning him from the inside out. In order to prevent himself from screaming, he clenched his jaw as he staggered back. Veins bulged on his neck and face, and he began to shake violently. Even his vision began to grow dim, as if he were teetering on the verge of lapsing into unconsciousness.
After a moment, the sensation passed, and he stood there, panting. He reached up to feel the spot where she had struck him with her finger, half expecting to find a gaping wound gushing with blood. Surprisingly, there was no wound at all.
What did she do? What is this dianxue?
Even more surprising was that, instead of following up with another attack, she simply stood across from him in a ready stance.
Taking a deep breath, he said, “That was impressive, Chieftainess Bao.”
“You strike with great power yourself, Sect Leader.”
The two of them stood there looking at each other, and both of them seemed to be thinking the same thing.
She was also holding back. If we push things any further, one of us is going to be seriously hurt.
“Chieftainess Bao, I think the two of us could learn a thing or two from each other. I’m curious to learn more about this dianxue of yours.”
She nodded. “And I’d very much like to know how you released so much energy. I’ve never seen anything like that before.”
“Why don’t we continue our discussion with more food and drink?”
“Very well. There’s a new type of alcohol in the north, something called sorghum wine. Do you happen to have any on hand?”
“Sorghum wine? That stuff burns like fire!”
Bao chuckled. “That’s exactly why I like it!”
***
New tables were hauled in, and soon the dinner resumed. Bao explained dianxue, which her Pure Phoenix Sect had begun to explore recently. It was a discipline focused on attacking and manipulating pressure points throughout the body. By striking certain points and flooding them with qi, it was possible to immobilize and injure an opponent, but at the same time, it could be used for beneficial purposes. In turn, Sunan explained how to cathartically draw upon higher levels of power and how it came with the risk of injuring oneself in the process.
Sorghum wine flowed until certain disciples from both sects began to look around blearily and even lay their heads down on the table.
Sunan never noticed how Bao always seemed to have two cups of alcohol, one of which rested near her knee, beneath the table.
Eventually it got so late that Sun Mai had to remind Sunan that the local ward curfew time was approaching. If they didn’t leave now, they would be forced to spend the night at the Heavenly Meat Palace.
“Chieftainess Bao, where is your Pure Phoenix Sect staying?”
“An inn near the Thunder Gate,” she replied. “Across from the fabric emporium.”
“I know the place,” he said. “It’s definitely not appropriate for heroes like you. Tie Gangwen, has anyone taken up residence in the former mansion of the Golden Immortal?”
“No, Sect Leader.”
“Very well. First thing in the morning, take Chieftainess Bao and her people there. That wil
l be her new home in Daolu.”
Chapter 39: Wind
The Golden Immortal’s old mansion wasn’t very spacious, but it was better than an inn. Minor renovations were made, and soon the Pure Phoenix Sect had an official headquarters in Daolu. Some of the former followers of Lord Shu chose to part ways while others remained behind.
Despite Bao’s protestations, her followers insisted that she take the main bedroom, which had previously been occupied by the Golden Immortal himself. She made some minor cosmetic changes to suit her style, and yet couldn’t shake the feeling that something was odd about the place.
Immediate changes were made to the organization of the Pure Phoenix Sect. They had enough reserve funds to have uniforms tailored for everyone. They also instituted official ranks and duties. It only took a few days for word to spread through the city that a new force comparable to the Golden Dragons was rising up.
Bao even agreed to recruit new followers. However, the best idea came from Li Runfa, who suggested that they teach anyone to fight, as long as they were willing to pay. Bao disagreed initially, but when Li Runfa proceeded to explain how quickly they would run out of money if they didn’t establish a source of income, she gave in. However, she emphasized that they had to keep the practice as secret as possible to prevent attracting the attention of either Sunan or the Demon Emperor.
But her main concern was Sunan and his Golden Dragons. After their initial meeting and exhibition match, she hadn’t had any further dealings or communications, but she was sure that such a stable state of affairs wouldn’t last.
Members of the Pure Phoenix Sect were instructed to not cause any conflicts with the Golden Dragon Sect and to always defer to them no matter the circumstances.
One of the first major missions she gave to Li Runfa was to get more information about Sunan. It took him a few days before he was ready to report his findings.
“It’s already difficult to distinguish what is truth, what is fabrication, and what is exaggeration,” he said. “One thing is for sure: Nobody knows where Sunan came from. Based on his accent, he’s almost certainly from this general vicinity, the north. As for his specific origin, everyone had a different story, and from what I can tell, they are all speculation. Everyone does agree that he wandered into the city from the mountains and almost immediately befriended Sun Mai, who was nothing more than a down-and-out scholar at the time.
“Sunan made a name for himself fighting in the local platform fights. He defeated a man called the Killer of Daolu by cutting his head off, or perhaps by caving his chest in. Stories differ. Later, he killed the local crime lord, Iron Awl Hu, although I can’t quite determine why. Some claim that he was avenging a loved one. Some say he was rescuing a maiden. Some are convinced that he simply wanted more power.
“There are even more stories that I can’t verify. Rumor has it that he and Sun Mai killed a squad of Lions of Peace, or maybe just one, depending on who tells the story. That may be possible considering they made that very claim to us when we first met. Some people say that they are demon hunters, while others are convinced of the opposite—that they are building an army of demons to serve the Demon Emperor.
“I find the latter unlikely. On the very day that we arrived at the city, one of his key advisors was revealed to be a spy. And no ordinary spy at that. It was the Love General herself.”
Bao gasped. “The Love General?”
Li Runfa nodded. “Indeed. Do you remember when we crossed the bridge, we saw a woman with red hair? That was her. Apparently Sunan was furious that she had lied to him. His men wanted to kill her, but instead he banished her and threatened to have her executed if she ever returned.”
“So he’s probably not interested in serving the Demon Emperor.”
Li Runfa shrugged. “It’s hard to say. But if he is, banishing the Love General and threatening to have her executed wouldn’t be a good way to start.”
“We need to find out for sure.” Bao rested her chin on the palm of her hand. “The Bone General will return, and when he does, we need to be prepared.”
“Prepared? For…?”
It was Bao’s turn to shrug. “I don’t know. I don’t want to run again, but… we can’t fight him. Can we?”
The two of them looked at each other for a long moment.
She shook her head. “We have time to think about it. Although probably not much. Before the time comes, we absolutely must ascertain Sunan’s stance. If the Bone General demanded that we be handed over, perhaps Sunan would comply to curry favor.”
“Should I arrange a meeting?” Li Runfa asked.
After a long moment of hesitation, Bao nodded again. “Yes. I need to present him with a gift, though. The Butterfly Festival is coming up, and that would provide the perfect excuse. Do we have anything from the forest stronghold that we could offer?”
“He runs the underworld of an entire city,” Li Runfa replied. “What could we possibly give him that he doesn’t already have access to? Maybe you should use the Phoenix Crown?”
“I don’t want to use that on people who aren’t truly my enemy. I already affected him with the power of the phoenix demon in the past. He won’t take kindly to me trying to manipulate him with it again.”
“Maybe you could give him something… personalized?” The two of them sat there silently for a moment, until Li Runfa tilted his head to the side. “How about some calligraphy? You’ve written a few lines of poetry in the past, haven’t you?”
“When I was drunk!” Bao responded, laughing.
Li Runfa chuckled. “You would never be able to tell from the poetry itself. It really is quite beautiful. Why don’t I buy some fine canvas and ink? Considering your background, your calligraphy really is above average.”
That much was true. Having been raised in a noble family, she had trained in calligraphy from an early age.
“Very well, make it happen. Buy the finest materials, though.”
Later that night, Bao lay in bed trying to sleep, her mind swirling with countless thoughts. She hated it when she wasn’t in control of a situation, and right now she felt anything but in control.
Be confident, Bao, she told herself. You’ve gotten this far, and you’re not going to stop here… Where is that gust of wind coming from?
All of a sudden, Bao realized that the room was somehow drafty, even though the windows were sealed tight. Frowning, she climbed out of bed, licked her finger, and tried to determine where the wind was coming from.
It took a few minutes of investigation, but she soon tracked the source to a wardrobe in the corner of the room. Given that it was constructed directly into the wall itself, she’d left it there while redecorating the room. Upon opening the wardrobe and looking inside, she found that it was completely empty. However, she could definitely detect a faint breeze coming from inside, and could even see the flame of her candle flickering.
She began to run her hands up and down the inside of the wardrobe, and after a moment she found a spot where a knot of wood wobbled slightly when her hand passed over it. She moved her hand back and pushed down, and a clicking sound rang out, and she felt the entire wardrobe move slightly.
Frowning, she grabbed the edge and pulled, and to her surprise, the entire wardrobe opened like a door, revealing a steep staircase which descended into the darkness.
Tie Gangwen mentioned that the Golden Immortal disappeared mysteriously. Perhaps this is how he did it.
Grabbing her knives from under her pillow, as well as an extra candle, she entered the doorway and began to climb down the stairs.
The passage descended steeply for quite some distance before she reached a tunnel carved through the bedrock beneath the city. As soon as she set foot on the tunnel floor, the flickering of her candle grew more pronounced as the wind picked up. Cupping her hand in front of the candle to protect it, she began to walk down the corridor.
Soon, the tunnel veered to the left, and she found herself at an iron door. At first she intended to
pass it and find out where the tunnel led to, but as she did, the wind shifted, very nearly blowing out her candle. Apparently the wind was coming from behind that iron door.
She turned back toward the iron door, which surprisingly was not latched, bolted, or locked in any way. Keeping her hand cupped protectively in front of the candle, she pulled the door open.
Before she could make another move, a blast of wind enveloped her, blowing the candle out in the process.
Despite the lack of a candle, she could still see. Behind the iron door was a small room roughly six paces wide and six paces long. At the far end of the room was a stone altar, atop which was a chunk of orelike metal that emanated a soft blue light. The blue light filled the room and spilled out into the tunnel, providing just enough illumination to see clearly.
A stiff wind blew about in the room, also emerging out into the corridor.
What is this place?
After a moment of consideration, she thought back to the fallen star which had contained the phoenix demon.
Could this be another type of fallen star?
Another moment passed, and she gritted her teeth and stepped into the room.
The wind immediately slammed into her with such force that she nearly flew off her feet. Not only did it buffet her like a punching giant, it stabbed at her like thousands of needles. Immense pressure weighed down on her from above. Hunching her shoulders and bending her knees, she took another step.
The forces pummeling her increased dramatically, causing her hair to whip around her wildly and her clothing to flap back and forth.
She took another step, and she was halfway to the stone. The pressure grew, and she felt almost like her skin was being flayed.
With her fourth and fifth steps, the intensity increased even more. She felt like she was in the middle of a tornado at the bottom of the sea. Blood began to leak out of her left nostril, and her ears popped.
And yet she managed to take the final step, placing her directly in front of the altar, which she gripped with both hands.