by Jeremy Bai
Deep in the night on the sixty-third day, Liu Jiahui and Tie Gangwen were once again standing guard. Far above them, outside of the caves, clouds covered the moon and stars, cloaking everything in complete darkness. Inside the cave, however, the light shining from the symbol was so bright that it was difficult to look at it for any length of time. However, the figures within each side of the image were now relatively clear.
“I see it now,” Liu Jiahui said.
“See what?”
“The dragon. And the phoenix. Inside that image.”
Tie Gangwen looked over at him. “Don’t tell me it took you this long to figure out that the symbol would be a dragon and a phoenix?”
Liu Jiahui snorted. “Of course I realized it! But you couldn’t see it clearly until just now. How many days has it been?”
“Sixty-three. Do you want to bet how many more days this is going to last?”
“I’m not stupid.”
After seventy-two days, the dragon and the phoenix in the symbol became crystal clear, and the entire cavern began to vibrate.
“You know what this means, right?” Liu Jiahui said.
“What?” Tie Gangwen replied.
“It’s not going to be long before we have one big sect instead of two smaller ones.”
Tie Gangwen looked over at Liu Jiahui, a thoughtful expression on his face.
On the eve of the eighty-first day, virtually all of the leaders of the sect gathered at the mouth of the cavern. The symbol was now glowing so brightly that it was impossible to look at for more than a second or two. The cavern pulsed with vibrations, and a faint roaring sound could be heard.
When a certain time on the eighty-first day arrived, the dragon and phoenix that made up the symbol separated. The dragon seemed to come alive, swirling through the air down toward Sunan. Although it moved with incredible speed, it seemed to slow to a crawl. When the dragon slammed into Sunan’s forehead, intense rumbling sounds filled the cave, and a shock wave blasted out in all directions. An explosion of bright light filled the area as the dragon merged into Sunan’s forehead and then disappeared.
The exact same process occurred with Bao and the phoenix. With the graceful flutter of its wings, it shot down into Bao’s forehead, fusing into her within the blink of an eye.
As quickly as that, it was over. Darkness once again filled the cave.
Bao and Sunan opened their eyes and turned to look at each other. On Sunan’s forehead, the shining symbol of a dragon was slowly fading away, and Bao, of course, had a phoenix symbol.
“Do you understand?” Sunan asked.
“Yes.” Bao reached her right palm out toward Sunan, who extended his left palm to meet hers.
When their hands touched, it was just barely possible to hear a rumbling roar and a piercing howl.
***
Nearly six months had passed since the discovery of the door deep below Mount Fohe, but nothing eventful had occurred during that time. Sun Mai, Mao Yun, and Wang Tian had not returned, nor had they sent word.
After Sunan and Bao emerged from their extended session of meditation, they didn’t offer any explanation for what had occurred, and when asked directly, they gave cryptic responses.
That only fueled the rumors that filled the camp.
Sunan and Bao didn’t seem to care.
More time passed. Training went on as usual. Every few days, people would show up at the cave, either looking for Ruan or asking about the two sects that now occupied his former abode. Slowly but surely, the sects were growing.
One day, Li Runfa once again interrupted one of Sunan and Bao’s sparring sessions.
“Someone is asking for you, Chieftainess,” he said. Then he lowered his voice. “Thankfully I was the first person he talked to. He said he wanted to speak with Shangguan Bao…”
Bao and Sunan exchanged a glance.
“Did he give his name?” Bao asked.
“Yes, Chieftainess. He said he’s an old friend of yours. Gongye Zheng.”
Bao’s eyes brightened. “Gongye Zheng? Take me to him!”
A few minutes later, Sunan and Bao were seated in a small audience chamber across from a somewhat elderly man wearing the nondescript clothing of a farmer or craftsman. Leaned up against him on the wall was a very large object wrapped in a cloth bundle. Despite the clothing, it was impossible for him to change the way he held himself. He sat straight in his chair, with his chin tilted slightly upward, not arrogantly, but in a way that seemed to command power.
“Uncle Gongye,” Bao said, “I almost didn’t recognize you! What are you doing here?” Few people in Yu Zhing had ever noticed Bao or been kind to her, but Gongye Zheng was one of those few. One of the pillars of the Gongye Clan, he had somehow managed to survive the purges of years past, yet had avoided being sucked into the sycophantic cliques that catered to the Demon Emperor and his court.
Gongye Zheng smiled. “Yu Zhing has become far too dangerous, Bao’er. I faked my own death and then slipped out of the city under the cover of night.”
Bao sighed. “From what I’ve heard, Yu Zhing only continues to get more and more dangerous as the years pass. Uncle Gongye… how did you know to find me here?”
“Even in Yu Zhing, people are talking about the events of Daolu a few months ago, about the two sects led by Young Dragon Sunan and Fierce Phoenix Bao. There are wanted posters being put up in the major cities of the empire. It didn’t take long for me to put the pieces of the puzzle together.”
“Wanted posters?” Bao exclaimed.
“Yes!” Gongye Zheng reached into his robe and pulled out a many-folded piece of paper. After opening it up, he handed it over to Bao.
It was a wanted poster with a picture of herself and Sunan.
“This doesn’t even look like me!” she protested.
“Let me see that,” Sunan said, reaching over to grab the poster. He snorted. “My jaw is definitely not that large!”
Gongye Zheng chuckled. “To be honest, I doubt anyone else knows your true identity, Bao’er. I apologize for speaking your true name to your man earlier. I should have been more careful.”
“Don’t worry, Li Runfa is quite circumspect. Uncle Gongye, what exactly are you doing here? Do you… want to join us?”
Gongye Zheng shook his head. “I’m just passing through. I plan to leave this part of the world far behind me. I’m going to Naqan, where the Demon Emperor is nothing more than a story told to children to scare them into behaving. I’ve always wanted to lay eyes on the Huo Sea. I heard a story once that when you watch the sun set over the ocean, you can see a blue flash of light that brings you luck for the rest of your life.
“Bao’er, word of your camp here is spreading. If I heard about it, you can be sure that the Demon Emperor knows you’re here. I worry that you are not safe here.”
Bao nodded. “I know, Uncle Gongye. We don’t plan to stay here for long.”
Gongye Zheng sighed. “I can sense in my bones that great change is coming. First there was the Battle of Daolu, and then the Uprising of Xuanlu. I have a feeling that more such incidents will occur. Perhaps the Demon Emperor’s days truly are numbered.”
“Uprising of Xuanlu?” Sunan asked. “What happened in Xuanlu?”
“You haven’t heard yet? A great revolt occurred, led by the Timeless Master, a man named Li Buwei. It all centered around an execution planned by the city magistrate. A young woman was accused of cursing the Demon Emperor publicly and was sentenced to death. That young woman was Qixia the Butterfly, a very popular singer and dancer in the city. The incident caused widespread anger, and just as the sentence was about to be carried out, a band of masked men broke onto the scene, killing the Demon Emperor’s soldiers and saving the young girl.
“It’s hard to say what the truth is, but according the stories I heard, more than half the city rose up to support the revolt. Maybe the event was planned in advance, or maybe it was spontaneous. Half of the Demon Emperor’s soldiers were killed, and the other
s were expelled from the city. Armies were sent from both Huisheng and Yu Zhing to restore order. In the end, Li Buwei and Qixia the Butterfly fled, although nobody knows to where.”
Gongye Zheng shook his head. “I’m not sure how Li Buwei managed to fight so effectively against the Demon Emperor. If the tales are to be believed, he seemed to have foreknowledge of everything the soldiers were about to do. There are even whispers that he can see into the future. I suppose that’s why people took to calling him the Timeless Master.
“According to the rumors, powerful martial artists are rising up all over the empire, people who can fight with superhuman strength and speed. Perhaps Li Buwei is one of them. Perhaps you are too, Bao’er?” Gongye Zheng looked at Bao with a strange gleam flickering in his eyes.
Bao smiled. “Times are changing, Uncle Gongye, that is a fact.”
He nodded.
“Lord Gongye,” Sunan said, “it’s getting late. Would you care to dine with us? I would love to hear more stories about these martial heroes.”
“Of course, Sect Leader Sunan. I have many stories to tell!”
***
“Did you say Li Buwei?” the Bone General growled.
The soldier nodded.
The Bone General’s hand clenched into a fist. “You’re dismissed,” he said.
The soldier hurried out.
“Who is Li Buwei?” the Golden Immortal asked.
“In your language, ‘buwei’ means nothing, but in the language of the King of the Pure Ones, it is very significant. I can’t be sure, but…” The Bone General trailed off. Brows furrowed, he looked off into the distance, clearly lost in thought.
A long moment passed.
Finally, the Bone General rose to his feet. “I must speak in person to the King of the Pure Ones.”
“But our plan…”
“Will continue as we have discussed. The reinforcements will be here soon, led by one of my top agents, a man named Geng Long. After he arrives, begin making the preparations. I will return after I speak to the King of the Pure Ones. Fear not, Golden Immortal, we will crush Sunan and Bao. A little uprising led by this ‘Li Buwei’ will do nothing to stop that.”
Chapter 54: Council Meeting
Sunan and Bao entertained Gongye Zheng for three full days. He told many stories about events that had occurred in Yu Zhing during the years in which Bao had been gone and recounted rumors and tales of the martial heroes who were rising up in different parts of the empire.
Most such heroes were declared outlaws by the Demon Emperor and had huge bounties placed on their heads. There was the Purple Cavern Killer, who lurked in the shadow of Mount Rong, and the Twin Giants of Zhaoze Swamp. Rumors swirled about a vicious brute from Hui Sheng who was known as the Executioner of the South. And far, far to the southwest was Hua Pi the Skin Dancer. Those were the most famous of the martial heroes, but there were others.
Sunan was shocked to learn that copies of his Wu-Sunan fighting manual were proliferating throughout the empire. Supposedly, many of the martial heroes were using it as the basis of their newfound fighting skills. Because of the rigorous training involved in this new way of fighting, many had taken to calling it “kung fu,” based on a Classical Fei word that meant “hard work.”
On the morning of the fourth day, they saw Gongye Zheng off as he made his way west toward the Kushen Basin, and beyond it, Naqan.
“There’s something he’s not telling us,” Bao said as they watched him leave.
Sunan looked over. “What do you mean?”
“I’m not sure,” she said. “Don’t worry. I trust Uncle Gongye with my life. But there is more to his journey to Naqan than simply fleeing the empire. Likely something to do with that big bundle he carried around with him.” She shrugged. “It’s probably not important. Everyone has their secrets.”
The dinner that evening was much simpler now that they weren’t entertaining important guests.
At one point, Li Runfa said, “Sect Leader, Chieftainess, I wonder if we should start reaching out to these martial heroes. In times like these, we could use as many allies as we can get.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Liu Jiahui added.
“It’s worth considering,” Sunan said. “Perhaps after we move camp?”
“And when will that be, Sect Leader?”
“As soon as Sun Mai and Mao Yun return.”
After dinner, Sunan and Bao decided to personally check in on the guard tower, which had been erected high up on the mountain. They set out alone into the crisp night air, taking their time as they hiked up the mountain.
At one point as they scrambled to the top of a tilted boulder, Sunan asked, “What do you think of this Li Buwei character?”
“The so-called Timeless Master?” Bao asked. “Hard to say. You know just as well as I how quickly tales can become distorted over time. Who knows what really happened in Xuanlu… However, I’d be interested in meeting him.”
“Li Runfa is right. We could use allies.”
“Perhaps more than even we realize.” They stopped to rest for a moment at the top of a boulder. From this vantage point, they could see down to the entrance of the cave, where some of the disciples of the two sects were taking advantage of the coolness of evening to do some sparring. “Sunan, remember our fight with the Golden Immortal?”
“The one in which we almost got killed? Of course.”
“It was a desperate fight, but…”
“But…?”
Bao crossed her arms and sighed. “But… that was nothing. When I faced the ogre generals, I felt like I was a fly attacking a tiger. My most powerful move, the Phoenix Palm, did absolutely nothing to the Love General. All of that power disappeared like a rock thrown into the ocean.”
Sunan looked at her, disbelief flickering in his eyes. “Perhaps you just missed?”
“I didn’t miss. The strike landed true.” Bao closed her eyes. “I used to mention a lot how I killed an ogre, and I did, but… it really was just a stroke of luck. Short of crushing them with rocks, or maybe filling them full of arrows from a distance, I don’t know how we could kill them.”
Sunan didn’t say anything at first. A long moment passed. “Bao, I’m sorry for going so hard on you that night…”
“You don’t need to apologize. I made a mistake. A huge mistake. I understand that.” She opened her eyes and looked over at him. “But I won’t ever make a mistake like that again. I learned my lesson. In fact, I should be the one apologizing. Both of our friends died because of me.”
Sunan took a deep breath. “What’s done is done, and we can’t change it. But I agree, we can make sure things like that don’t happen again. I’m really starting to think we should contact this Timeless Master, and maybe some of the other martial heroes. I don’t think the Demon Emperor and the Bone General are going to give up until the both of us are dead. They’ll keep sending people after us. Whether it’s assassins or armies, we need to be ready.”
Suddenly a shadow flashed by on the ground. Sunan and Bao looked up to see a bird flying overhead.
“That must be the zhen bird I’ve heard people talking about,” Bao said. “People say it’s a good omen.”
The zhen bird circled around and then landed on a nearby rock outcropping.
“I’m not much of a believer in that kind of thing,” Sunan said. “Come on, let’s keep going. The guard tower is just up ahead.”
***
As was his custom, An Jian was taking a nightly stroll out of the cave. At one point, he stopped and sat down on a tree stump. Looking up the mountain, he could barely make out Sunan and Bao standing on a boulder farther up the mountain. A cold flicker passed through his eyes.
“So close and yet so far,” he murmured.
With that, he pulled out a fan and placed his palm down on its surface. Then he closed his eyes. Moments later, images and sounds appeared in his mind.
He saw Dragon Lord Zhou, seated at a table with some of the other Dragon Lo
rds and soldiers. In the middle of the table, a tiny arena had been set up with pieces of wood, in the middle of which were two crickets. The table was littered with peanut shells and cups of sorghum wine.
“Place bets!” one of the Dragon Lords said, instigating a flurry of activity as everyone present put down money on which cricket they thought would win the next fight.
This particular match was different than the others. Dragon Lord Zhou was the only one to place his money on the smaller cricket, provoking jeers among his companions.
“Come on, Big Bro Zhou, there’s no way that baby cricket of yours can take out my Elephant Smiter!”
“Oh, yes he can!” Dragon Lord Zhou shot back. “My Young Dragon is destined for greatness.”
“You named your cricket after Sect Leader Sunan?”
Laughter filled the room.
“Listen,” Dragon Lord Zhou said, brandishing his fan, “ever since I got this magic fan, my luck has changed.”
“That’s a magic fan?”
“Absolutely! See this poem? ‘The wind, snapping trees, dissolving mountains, serenity.’ Do any of you know what that means?” His question was met by quizzical looks. “I didn’t think so. But I know! It was written by a prophet king in Naqan! After I started meditating about the true meaning behind the words, I’ve been able to see the world much more clearly!”
Another Dragon Lord laughed, then reached out and grabbed his drinking vessel.
“Very well, then,” he said. “Come on, everyone, let’s drink to Big Bro Zhou and his Young Dragon cricket!” The soldiers lifted their cups high into the air.
“Ai, I can’t drink too much,” Dragon Lord Zhou grumbled. “There’s a council meeting in the morning!”
An Jian was just about to sever the connection to the fan when he heard: “Oh, come on! Sect Leader Sunan and Chieftainess Bao never ask us Dragon Lords to say anything. Drink. Drink! To your health!”
An Jian’s ears perked up. Bao and Sunan had been in secluded meditation deep in the heart of the mountain for months. Although that had given An Jian plenty of time to build up a sizeable stockpile of Divine Fire, it had left Bao and Sunan completely beyond his reach.