by Jeremy Bai
***
Bao leapt onto the south ridge only to find it completely empty, other than the blood and gore left behind by the slain cat demons, plus the shredded remains of the scroll painting.
However, in the distant trees, she noticed a blur of motion and began to race in that very direction.
A moment later, she heard breathing and footfalls behind her and identified them as Sunan’s. However, she didn’t take the time to look back, instead keeping her gaze focused on the spot where she’d detected motion moments before.
Drawing upon the qinggong techniques of the Pure Phoenix Sect, she raced through the scattered trees, heading in a general southeasterly direction.
It took only a few moments to reach the spot where she’d seen the motion. However, nothing was in sight.
“Damn you, Geng Long,” she muttered.
Sunan stopped next to her. After looking around vigilantly, he said, “No clue which way he went?”
“None. That bastard. One of these days I’m going to skin him alive. Then he can join those cats of his in hell!”
***
The Bone General had just finished a noon meal of roast chicken and was looking out over the Fei River. That was when he noticed a zhen bird flying toward him from off in the distance. His eyes narrowed, but as the bird neared, his expression turned into something more like a sneer.
Just as the zhen bird was about to land in front of him, it blurred, transforming into the Love General. This time, she did not wear the form of a human. She assumed her true form, that of a powerful ogre.
“You look much better that way,” the Bone General said. “In this form, you’re truly beautiful.”
She ignored his comment. Smiling slightly, she said, “I came to inform you that your pet humans just led an all-out assault on Sunan and the girl.”
The Bone General’s brows furrowed. “And…?”
“Oh, it was a failure. I can’t believe you lent your Slink Demon Scroll to that two-bit thief you let join your Bone Slicers.”
“Geng Long used the Slink Demon Scroll? Then how could the battle have been lost?”
The Love General looked out at the waters of the Fei River. “Oh, Sunan and the girl destroyed the demons and the scroll. It was quite spectacular. Plenty of blood. You probably would have enjoyed the scene.”
Rage flickered in the Bone General’s eyes. “And Geng Long?”
“Escaped. Barely. Along with that cousin of his.”
“Why didn’t you help them?” the Bone General growled.
“And do your job for you? No.” She looked back at the Bone General. “I’m here today to make an offer.”
Chapter 61: Chrysanthemum Lake
The two sects fared well in what later came to be called the Battle of the Cat Demons. Only a few unlucky members of the sects lost their lives in the fighting, whereas casualties among the enemy were relatively high.
After the flood of cat demons was destroyed, the tide of battle turned. Before Bao and Sunan even returned from their pursuit of Geng Long, the bandits and Demon Emperor soldiers had turned to flee. The Golden Immortal had long since fled.
After regrouping and tending to the wounded, the two sects emerged from the ravine and resumed their march south.
The Eyes of the Phoenix confirmed that the enemy forces were not regrouping, and that they were not being pursued. As night began to fall, they made camp on a stone shelf outcropping.
After the evening meal, Sunan lay in his tent trying to find sleep. However, his mind was filled with the events of the day, and slumber eluded him. While he lay there pondering whether or not to practice some Wu-Sunan forms under the moonlight, a voice spoke from outside the tent.
“Sect Leader Sunan, are you awake?”
It was Mao Yun.
Sunan grabbed his saber from the ground next to him and then emerged from the tent.
Mao Yun nodded in greeting. “Sect Leader, it’s Bao. She went off on her own. To think, she said. I’m worried about her being out by herself. Remember when she stayed out all night on Mount Fohe?”
“She refused to let you accompany her?”
Mao Yun nodded. “She headed up there,” he said, pointing up to the mountain ridge that loomed above them.
“I understand,” Sunan said. “I’ll go check on her.”
With that, he left the camp and began to climb the mountain. Thankfully, the moon was bright, and although there was no path, the vegetation was sparse, making the way up relatively easy. After about twenty minutes, Sunan had reached the summit, where he saw Bao sitting cross-legged on a boulder.
Taking a deep breath, he approached the boulder. When he was a few paces away, Bao looked over her shoulder, and when she saw Sunan, nodded slightly. Taking that as an invitation, or at least a lack of dismissal, he hopped up onto the boulder and sat down next to her.
She said nothing, so neither did he. He placed his saber down next to him and then put his hands on his knees. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath of the crisp night air, then performed some breathing exercises. After some time passed, he opened his eyes again. Stretching out as far as the eye could see was a wilderness of scattered trees and rugged rocks. Far off in the distance, a river was visible, which Sunan assumed was the Fei.
More time passed, and the silence grew weighty.
What should I say? he thought. Or should I say anything at all? Should I just sit here?
Before he could make his decision, Bao spoke.
“Have you ever wanted to kill someone?” she asked.
He was a bit taken aback. “Well, I’ve killed people before in battle.”
She shook her head. “That’s not what I mean. I mean, have you ever wanted to hurt someone? To make them scream as they die.”
He shivered inwardly. “I… I guess not.” She didn’t say anything in response, so after a long moment passed, he continued, “I suppose you’re thinking about the man from earlier today. What was his name?”
“Geng Long,” she replied in a voice that sounded like metal grating on rock.
“Gong Long,” he echoed. “From Yu Zhing? What… what happened with him? Was he… a friend?” He looked at her out of the corner of his eye and could see that her hands were clenched into fists as they rested on her thighs. Her jaw was tight, and she was breathing heavily. Her hair was somewhat in disarray, as if she hadn’t even looked in a mirror since the fighting earlier. For some reason, it made her seem particularly attractive.
“He was more than a friend. I loved him. Or at least, I thought I did.”
Sunan had absolutely no idea what to say in response, so he simply looked out at the moonlit landscape.
After a long moment passed, Bao continued. “Back when life seemed like nothing but a monotonous chore, I met him, and he made everything wonderful. We explored the city at night and had adventures. At least, they seemed like adventures back then. After everything that’s happened since then, I think they were more just child’s play. One night, we got into a fight, and then… he kissed me.” Her voice quavered. “After that night, he kissed me more. I used to dream about leaving the city with him.”
Sunan saw her clenching her fists even tighter.
“I dreamed of running away with him to the south. Of having a family. It was stupid. So stupid. Agh!” Despite her bellow of anger, Sunan could see something glistening on her cheek.
She’s crying? At some point, his heart had begun to pound with emotion, except, he wasn’t sure exactly which emotion it was. Was it anger? Jealousy? Or perhaps something else entirely?
“It was all a lie, Sunan. He was toying with me. Getting me to trust him so that he could sell me. That fucking bastard!”
Her tone was that of fury, but Sunan could see more tears streaming down her face. “Sell you?” he asked.
She laughed bitterly. “Yeah. To a gang in Yu Zhing. ‘A project.’ That’s what he called me. I’ll never forget what he said. ‘I set her up for a whole year.’ He sold me to a g
ang so that they could ransom me for money. I was only there for a few days before the Bone General came. Mao Yun was there. He was the one who set me free. And then I ran.” She took a deep, shaky breath. “I’ve been running ever since. I never thought much about it afterwards; there was never time. But then he showed up here and…” Her voice broke, and she began to weep. It started out softly but grew louder and more choked, until finally she leaned over, placing her hands flat on the boulder to support herself as her tears poured down her face.
Without even thinking about it, Sunan reached and put his hand on top of hers.
Time passed, and slowly her crying faded. Sunan pulled his hand away, and she straightened up. After wiping her face dry, she breathed in and out a few times.
“Am I wrong to want him dead?” she asked.
“No,” he said immediately. “I would do it for you if I could.”
She sniffled and chuckled. “You’d do that for me?”
“Sure.”
The two of them sat there for some time looking out at the wilderness.
“Bao, let’s join forces.”
She looked over at him. “What do you mean? Aren’t we already allies?”
Her eyes were swollen and bloodshot from the weeping, but for some reason, it only made her look more charming.
“I mean more than just allies,” he said. “Let’s combine our two sects. It will only make us stronger. This won’t be the last time we face a powerful opponent. Whether it’s the Bone General or the Demon Emperor or that bastard Geng Long, we’ll be stronger if we’re united. What do you say?”
She looked away from him, turning her gaze to the stars above as she thought. “Okay.”
“We can call it the Phoenix Dragon Sect,” he said.
She smiled. “I took the Phoenix Dragon Strike. Let’s make it the Dragon-Phoenix Sect.”
***
The following morning, they informed the top leaders of both sects regarding the decision. However, no official announcement was made. Everyone agreed that it would be best to wait until reaching the Banyan Region before discussing the particulars of how to restructure, and then they would hold the necessary rites and ceremonies.
The sects proceeded south. Generally speaking, the traveling was uneventful. A minor stir occurred when people noticed that the zhen bird, which had been following them since the early days fleeing from Daolu, had disappeared. Many took that to be an ill omen. However, a few days later, the zhen bird was spotted again, and hearts calmed.
Crossing the Banyan Mountains proved more difficult a task than they had imagined, especially considering that most of the peaks of the mountains in this area were snow-capped year-round. They ended up winding their way deeper into the mountains to the west before finally finding a passage through.
When they finally began their descent into the Banyan Region itself, the temperature began to rise sharply, and the air grew more humid. After weeks of trudging about in icy winds, it was a bit of a relief.
As they approached the foothills of the mountains, a lake became visible off in the distance. It was enormous, almost a sea.
“Chrysanthemum Lake,” Sun Mai said. “The most tranquil body of water in the empire. They say that even during thunderstorms, not a wave can be seen on its surface.”
As they proceeded down into the foothills, the trees grew denser. It took a full day of travel to reach the shores of the Chrysanthemum Lake. Just as Sun Mai had said, the lake was so still it almost looked like glass. The waters were clear, making it possible to see ancient fallen tree trunks at the bottom of the lake, a multicolored spectacle that seemed almost like another world. The lake stretched so far that the opposite shore wasn’t visible.
After reaching the shore of the lake, the sects rested while the Eyes of the Phoenix scouted for a suitable location for a permanent camp. By evening, they were setting up tents in a forest clearing near a waterfall that fed into the lake.
As the camp began to take shape, a zhen bird landed onto a nearby tree.
***
Later that evening, Ruan the Flamingo was standing at the lake shore, looking out at the water, when he heard footsteps behind him.
It was none other than Du Qian, who came to a stop next to him.
“I’ve given you your chance to think,” Du Qian said.
Ruan nodded. “Can I see it again?”
Du Qian looked at Ruan with narrowed eyes for a moment, then reached into his robe and pulled out the withered tree limb, only about as long as his own forearm. It was so dark that it was almost black, except for the thin silver veins running up and down its surface. He handed the tree branch to Ruan.
Ruan carefully took the branch and began to examine it closely. “You’re absolutely sure of its origins?”
Du Qian nodded. “It’s a branch of the Epoch Tree, of that I’m certain. As for how the Hen-Shi Sect got their hands on it, I can’t say for certain. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if they simply stole it. In any case, can you work with it?”
Ruan sniffed the branch. “I can. Based on the power flowing through it, I can tell you that it will be a long process. And the final result… will probably be something large.”
“Neither of those matter, as long as I get results.”
“You’ll get results. Shall I begin work?”
Du Qian thought for a moment, then nodded in the affirmative.
Ruan tucked the tree branch into his sleeve.
Chapter 62: Zun Shan
Although Sunan and Bao weren’t aware of it, rumors were beginning to spread through the camp.
“Did you hear about how Sect Leader Sunan and Chieftainess Bao spent the whole night together on top of a mountain a few weeks ago?”
“People are saying that they’re a couple now!”
“If they get married, what will happen to the two sects?”
“Supposedly they’re already secretly engaged.”
“You don’t even know the half of it. I heard that she’s pregnant!”
“That wouldn’t surprise me at all. I was walking by Bao’s tent the other night, and you wouldn’t believe the sounds I heard!”
It didn’t take long before some of the leadership of the sects caught wind of the rumors. It was Mao Yun who took it upon himself to try to stem the tide of gossip. He well knew that if Bao or Sunan ended up hearing about such rumors, especially some of the more salacious ones, it would be a huge loss of face.
However, the rumors wouldn’t stop, and were compounded by the fact that Sunan and Bao had taken to spending more time with each other. The truth was that because of the well-established routines led by the other sect leaders, Bao and Sunan had few responsibilities. Usually, martial arts forms were practiced first thing in the morning, followed by sparring sessions. The time after the noon meal and accompanying rest was set aside for meditation and self-reflection. Then came battle formation practice with Dragon Lord Sima. The final hours before dinner were for various other sect-related activities, and the evenings were free time.
Other than when official duties required their time, Bao and Sunan were often seen sparring together, creating new martial arts techniques, or sitting by the lake chatting.
It was Sun Mai who came up with the solution to the problem.
“It’s time to announce that we’re forming a new sect!” he announced.
Bao and Sunan looked at each other.
“Are you sure it’s time?” Sunan asked.
Sun Mai smiled broadly. “Of course! There’s no need to beat around the bush. Plus, the Bixie Moon is approaching, the perfect time for new beginnings!”
“I agree on this point,” Mao Yun chimed in. “The main question we have is what to call the sect.”
“Well,” Bao said, “that’s already been decided. It will be the Dragon-Phoenix Sect. But the Bixie Moon is only a week away. Is that enough time for all the preparations?”
“More than enough,” Sun Mai said. “Li Runfa and I have already worked out the e
mblem to use. Look!” He produced a sheet of paper with an ink drawing on it, depicting an intertwined phoenix and dragon.
Sunan’s eyes widened. “Is that…?”
“Yes,” Sun Mai said. “This is the very same image which appeared above the two of you in the cave beneath Mount Fohe. Fitting, don’t you think?”
“We won’t really need to change the uniforms very much,” added Li Runfa. “Assuming the sect still has separate divisions for the Dragons and Phoenixes.”
Things proceeded in a whirlwind. The announcement was made, and the date was set for the following week. Thankfully, the buzz of excitement that swept through the camp quelled some of the rumors about Sunan and Bao.
When the day came, a grand ceremony was held officially uniting the two sects into one larger sect. Many of the titles held by the officers remained the same. However, Sun Mai stepped down as the chief minister to focus on his work with his scripture, which he said was nearing completion. He was replaced by Tie Gangwen, who assumed the title Dragon General.
In the time that had passed since Tie Gangwen’s grievous injury, he had developed new ways to manipulate qi, and he was now just as formidable a fighter as he had been in the past. In fact, because his surname meant ‘iron,’ people had taken to calling him the One-Armed Iron Titan.
After some debate, new titles were also created for Sunan and Bao. From the day of the ceremony onward, they came to be known as Dragon Sovereign Sunan and Phoenix Sovereign Bao. Neither Sunan nor Bao were very pleased with such ostentatious titles, but no amount of protestation on their part could convince the other leaders to accept anything else.
With the addition of the new recruits that had filtered into the sect over the months, the new Dragon-Phoenix Sect had roughly seven hundred members, divided equally into the Golden Dragon Division and the Pure Phoenix Division. Each division was further separated into seven legions, led by Dragon Lords and Claws of the Phoenix respectively. Because a new legion had been formed in each division, new leaders needed to be chosen, and at the suggestion of Dragon Lord Sima, those leaders would be decided by holding a tournament.
The day after the opening rites and rituals, and the night of feasting which followed, the tournament began. It was a grand occasion that began first thing in the morning with thirty-two competitors, sixteen from each division. The rules for the competition were similar to the platform fights back in Daolu, although any blows that would inflict serious injury were strictly forbidden. The losers of any given match would be removed from the competition.