by Jeremy Bai
However, Sun Mai’s scripture provided a very strong argument that the Perfect Realm was a mental construct. The mere concept was viewed as heretical by many, especially the traditionalist Dehua priests and the scholars. As for the Demon Emperor, he cared little for the religious beliefs of the populace, as long as it didn’t interfere with his rule. Therefore, nothing was done to suppress the new teachings and beliefs, which were spreading like wildfire.
Sun Mai even produced a second scripture devoted to the subject of dialogue, detailing why having open conversations with people of all sorts was important. That was another huge deviation from Dehua, which emphasized etiquette, strictly defined social roles, and following traditions.
In some ways, this religious revolution was more momentous than the struggles between the martial artists and the Demon Emperor.
In addition to advancing in their martial arts, Sunan and Bao spent more and more time with each other. Hardly a day went by that they didn’t dine together, and their sparring sessions often lasted entire mornings. This did not go unnoticed by the members of the sect, and soon the once-forgotten rumors began to spread again.
“I heard a rumor that Dragon Sovereign Sunan and Phoenix Sovereign Bao are going to get engaged soon!”
“Back in Daolu, they weren’t enemies, but they definitely weren’t friends. Who would have thought this would happen one day?”
“You people are thinking too much into it. They’re just carrying out their duties as leaders of the sect…”
“They didn’t look like they were carrying out any duties when they went on that moonlit stroll the other night…”
Although few people took note, Bao often wore a cloth bracelet.
***
The Bone General was sipping tea when the Golden Immortal rushed into the room.
“The opportunity has finally come!” the Golden Immortal said.
The Bone General looked up. “It’s about damned time!”
“This just came from my contact in the Dragon-Phoenix Sect.” The Golden Immortal put an opened envelope on the table, which the Bone General picked up.
After reading the letter in the envelope, the Bone General chuckled. “They’re going to Zhaoze Lake to see the pearl tigers? Are they children?”
The Golden Immortal snorted coldly. “More like fools.”
“It doesn’t matter. This the perfect opportunity. Zhaoze Lake is only about three days from here. Prepare the bronze drum. We leave immediately.”
***
As Hui descended a mountain she now knew to be Shenshi Shan, she held a weathered seashell in her hand. She had spent months in Zhenshan Village with the True Shan and had experienced mind-opening enlightenment the likes of which she had never before experienced in life.
But now she faced a crossroads.
“Do I go back and finish my work with Bao and Sunan?” she murmured. “Or follow the advice of the True Shan? What would Master have done?”
She hiked through the jungle for some distance until she was back at the Southern Fei River, standing in front of the small boat she had procured from some local tribesmen.
Climbing into the boat, she looked to the west. “Zun Shan and the Palace of Sunan and Bao?” Then she looked east. “Or the Eastern Archipelagos? The Defeat at Heart’s Ridge will come eventually, and if the True Shan are right, those islands are very likely the key to success. The Kun-Peng Pipes. I could be gone for years…”
After a long moment of contemplation, she shoved her boat off the riverbank and turned it east.
Chapter 69: Footprints
A biting wind swept the upper reaches of Zun Shan as a small group emerged from the Dragon Phoenix Temple and began to make their way down the mountain.
Proceeding carefully down the mountain path was a group that included some of the top figures in the Dragon-Phoenix Sect. In addition to Sunan and Bao were Mao Yun, Wang Tian, Lin Cuirou, and Li Runfa. Including the other lower-ranking members of the sect, they had a group of twenty. After the formation of the Dragon-Phoenix Sect, Li Runfa had again declined to take any formal position or title. However, in a secret meeting with Sunan and Bao, they agreed to his proposal to act as the sect’s spymaster.
“Was it really necessary to spread rumors that we’re going to look at the pearl tigers?” Bao asked.
Li Runfa chuckled. “I know of at least three members of the sect who are sending regular reports out to other groups. I’ve confirmed that one of them is working for the Timeless Master, and one of them is probably an imperial informant. But I’m not sure about the other. In any case, if I know of three, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more.”
“I get it,” Bao said, “you want to control the information. But pearl tigers? Really? Who would be stupid enough to believe that we would climb down the mountain and go all the way to Zhaoze Lake just to see some fluffy white tigers?”
“Good question,” Li Runfa said with a wry smile. “In any case, this meeting with the Scorpion Swordsman of Zhe Valley is too important to leave to chance.”
“I still can’t get over these names. Scorpion Swordsman?” Bao laughed.
“Don’t forget you control a group called the Claws of the Phoenix, one of whom is known as Flying Death. And don’t get me started about Dragon Lord Lin Cuirou’s nickname…”
“The Emerald Hunk?” Bao rolled her eyes. “Well, in any case, I’m very curious to see this Scorpion Swordsman’s technique. How many men does he lead?”
“Fifty. They’re already part of the loose coalition created by the Timeless Master, the same as us, but they have no formal alliances with any other groups. Having formal allies like them to the south would definitely be a benefit to us.”
Upon reaching the lower parts of the mountain, they didn’t go north toward Chrysanthemum Lake, but rather south toward the Heiping Valley. It was a journey of several days, two of which were spent traveling along the southern bank of Lake Liyu, which occupied the center of the valley. After leaving the lake, they circled the foothills as they headed southwest toward Zhaoze Lake.
Zhaoze Lake was nestled in the foothills of the very same mountains that eventually rose up into Zun Shan and also the same mountains that formed Heiping Valley. It was considered one of the major lakes in the southern regions, along with other large lakes like Chrysanthemum Lake, Lake Liyu, Bixie Lake, and Nai’an Lake.
However, it was the smallest of that group and was unique in that it had a large island right in its center, which was where the pearl tigers called their home. The pearl tigers also roamed the surrounding hills, but they were heavily concentrated on the island itself. In many parts of the Banyan Region, the white hides of pearl tigers were used in ceremonial attire, and occasionally, live tigers would become the pets of powerful tribe leaders.
At one point when Sunan and Bao were walking along in relative privacy, Sunan said, “I heard that the growl of a pearl tiger can put you to sleep if you’re not careful!”
“Oh?” Bao said.
“Yeah, I’m kind of excited to see them. I read about them in a book once when I was young.”
“Oh,” Bao replied.
He looked over at her. “What, you’re not excited about seeing the tigers?”
“Um, sure. But our mission is to meet the Scorpion Swordsman, not see some tigers. Besides, what’s the big deal about some tigers, even if they are white?”
Sunan gave a light snort. “Well, I’ve never seen a tiger.”
Bao’s eyes widened. In Yu Zhing, tigers were not exactly common, but they were no rarity among the extremely rich noble houses. “Really? Oh, well in that case, maybe we should visit the island after all.”
One night, about half a day’s journey from the lake itself, they struck camp. The area was relatively remote, with nothing even resembling human habitation. The closest thing to it was a trading post a few hours south, on the bank of the Zun River, which was usually the final stop for trading caravans before braving the mountain passes that led to the
Kushen Basin.
Although the temperature toward the summit of Zun Shan was frigid, this far south, things were much warmer and more humid, so some of the group slept under the stars while others pitched tents among the scattered trees.
The mood in the group was one of anticipation, both to see the lake and the tigers and to see the Scorpion Swordsman.
In a nearby tree was a zhen bird, preening its feathers. As the moon rose and the night grew deep, the zhen bird fell asleep.
***
Meanwhile, back in the Dragon-Phoenix Sect, Du Qian and Ruan the Flamingo were walking down a passage toward one of the many storerooms in the depths of the palace.
Walking as quickly as he could with his crutch, Ruan said, “I have to tell you, Master Du, I’ve never created anything like this before.”
Du Qian sniffed. “I would imagine not, considering it took you over two years.”
“To be honest, the branch you provided, despite having become the heart of the object and the source of its power, only makes up a tiny portion of the final version. As for that case full of magic bronze you provided from Naqan, I used every last bit of it, just like you requested.”
“And the iron nails from Dhamma?”
“Yes, I used all of them.”
They reached a door, which Ruan unlocked with a heavy iron key. He pushed the door open and then led the way in, holding his lantern high to illuminate the room.
The sight which met their eyes caused Du Qian to gasp. “This…”
Ruan grinned. “Impressive, isn’t it? Shall we go for a ride to test it out?”
***
At first, everyone assumed that Sunan was sleeping late. It was only after the morning meal was finished and they began to break camp that they realized he wasn’t in his tent at all.
Then the assumption was that he had left to meditate or practice his Wu-Sunan forms in solitude.
Bao packed his tent for him.
However, as the morning wore on, he never returned to the camp, and anxiety began to mount, especially in Bao.
“The lookouts didn’t see anything?” Bao wondered, her voice tight with anxiety. “They didn’t fall asleep, did they?”
“Xu Zhang was on guard during the third watch,” Mao Yun said. “He remembers Sunan walking out of the camp in the night, presumably to relieve himself. He didn’t think much of it, and when the end of his watch came only a few minutes later, he forgot to mention the situation to Yin Zheng, who replaced him. Yin Zheng didn’t see any movement for the entirety of his watch.”
“Could he have fallen victim to some beast? A pearl tiger?”
Mao Yun shook his head. “I refuse to believe that the Dragon Sovereign would be bested by a giant fluffy cat. Impossible.”
“Maybe the Scorpion Swordsman kidnapped him?”
“Without a fight? Unlikely.”
Wang Tian had already begun to scour the area for clues, and before long, turned up just that.
“Look here,” he said, pointing to the ground. He and Bao were currently about a hundred meters away from the campsite. “These are Sunan’s footprints. And right about here, they just disappear. But look at this. This is the remnant of another footprint, leading away from the camp. Look how big it is.”
The footprint looked to be half again as big as any ordinary human footprint.
Bao’s face drained of blood.
“This way,” Wang Tian said. He led the way a bit farther south. “Here’s another. Whoever this person is, he’s not only huge, he’s light on his feet and knows how to walk without leaving many tracks. However, the farther away from the camp he gets, the less he cares about being followed.” More and more footprints appeared, until even Bao was able to follow them with little trouble.
Roughly five hundred meters south of the camp, they found hoofprints.
Bao took a deep breath. “That horse must have been huge.”
Wang Tian nodded. “It’s a warhorse to be sure, a big one. The only time I’ve ever seen someone riding a horse that big…”
“Was back in Daolu.” Bao’s hands clenched into fists. “There’s only one person this could be…”
The person to speak the name was neither Wang Tian nor Bao. A female voice echoed through the trees, a voice that could only belong to someone spectacularly beautiful.
“The Bone General.”
Bao swiveled in the direction of the voice, daggers dropping down into her hands out of her sleeves. Wang Tian pulled the short bow off of his back and nocked an arrow.
A woman stepped out from behind a tree some distance away. She had long crimson hair and wore pink robes. Her face was beautiful in an almost otherworldly way, her figure both lithe and curvaceous.
Bao’s jaw tightened. “You… You’re the Love General. What are you doing here? What did you do with Sunan?”
“I did nothing. It was the Bone General.”
“Why should I believe that? I know all about what happened between you and Sunan. He told me. You’ve been obsessed with him for years.” Bao had her wooden travel pack strapped to her back, within which was her Phoenix Crown. However, considering how bizarre ogres were, she didn’t dare to try to use it so overtly.
“I didn’t reveal myself to get in an argument with you, girl. Listen to me, and listen well. I mean you no harm, and I mean Sunan no harm. It’s the opposite, in fact. In a moment of laxness, I failed to prevent the Bone General from taking Sunan in the night.
“You wish to speak of obsession, child? The Bone General mastered that art long before you were even born, and right now the object of that obsession is you. He will not rest until he has you, and when he does, you cannot even imagine the torment you would experience before you die. To reach that goal, he’s taken Sunan.
“He will use Sunan as bait to get to you, and once he has you, he’ll probably make you watch Sunan’s torturous death as part of the twisted punishment he wants to inflict on you.
“We need to act quickly. Go back and get your top fighters. Mao Yun. Lin Cuirou. Ouyang Jian. Chang Peng. Yin Zheng. If we hurry, we might be able to catch the Bone General off guard. I don’t think he realizes I’m here, and that will give us a slight advantage.”
Inwardly, Bao’s heart was pounding with both fear and hesitation, but outwardly, she kept her face cold and stony. “There’s no way I could possibly trust—”
“I don’t need your trust, girl. I need your strength. I would do this alone, but as I’m sure you can imagine, I’m no match for the Bone General in a fight, and he’ll definitely have men with him. Probably that Golden Immortal. Time is of the essence here. The Bone General tends to be impatient, and I fear that if we don’t act quickly, he will harm Sunan.”
She stepped forward. “There is no time for hesitation. Are you with me, or not?”
***
Some distance to the south, in a small town that functioned as a trading post, was a large inn. Inside, a single candle illuminated the cramped extents of one of the rooms. Lying on the bed, bound with thick leather straps, was Sunan. His eyes flashed with anger and also a bit of fear, but he didn’t move.
The Bone General loomed above him, toying with a serrated knife.
“Are they on the way yet?” he asked.
Leaning up against the door was the Golden Immortal. “Not yet.”
The Bone General placed the tip of the knife on Sunan’s cheek and gently ran it down his face toward his throat, exerting just enough pressure to push down onto his skin without cutting it or drawing blood.
“They’d better hurry,” the Bone General said. “I’m in a mood to slice bones.”
Chapter 70: Fierce Fighting
Bao stood about two meters to the left of the Love General, in a copse of trees on a hill slightly northeast of the trading post.
A thousand thoughts were running through her head.
Is Sunan safe?
What is the Love General’s true goal?
Will she betray us?
Should we
betray her?
The trading post was not quite large enough to be called a town, but it was big enough to have a main road running through the middle, as well as a public square. As Bao looked down at the place, she saw someone hurrying out of the trading post’s eastern gate. It was Wang Tian.
“I understand that you hate and distrust me,” the Love General said suddenly.
Bao glanced at her out of the corner of her eye but didn’t respond.
The Love General sighed lightly. “Although, I do have to remind you that you’re the one who tried to kill me first.”
“What?” Bao said. “When did I try to kill you?”
“Back outside of Daolu. I was simply sitting there at the table, you and your people burst in and tried to kill me.”
Bao’s jaw tightened as an image flashed through her mind of a knife stabbing into Yang Ziqiong’s eye. Then she remembered how her Phoenix Palm had disappeared into the Love General like a pebble tossed into a lake. It was true that the Love General hadn’t struck the first blow; she had to admit that. And neither had the Love General been directly responsible for any of the casualties that night among Bao and Sunan’s friends.
“If you’re really trying to help save Sunan,” Bao said, “then tell me why I couldn’t hurt you back in that tent. Hitting you felt like… it felt like hitting a soft pillow.”
“We ogres, our home…”
“You’re from another realm, I know.”
The Love General’s eyes flickered with the briefest moment of surprise. “Yes, we are not from this world. Suffice to say, the divine energy that you call qi doesn’t affect us in the same way. We are connected to it intimately, but we cannot use it and are mostly immune to its effects. It’s a function of the natural and magical laws that govern the universe and is a complicated matter that even I don’t fully understand. However, although ogres are mostly immune to qi… each and every one of us has a weakness.”
Bao looked over in surprise. “Weakness?”