Corrupted Crimson

by Patrick Laplante

  Meanwhile, he reached out to Huxian. I need your help, brother. How soon can you get here?

  I just remembered a transportation technique, so it won’t take long, Huxian replied. Just say the word.

  “May I please invite him over?” Cha Ming said to Prince Lei. The young man hesitated for a while before giving his permission.

  Cha Ming sent a message to Huxian, and to his surprise, his shadow began to grow. Wang Jun looked on with interest as Cha Ming’s shadow transformed to that of a many-tailed beast. Prince Lei gasped. A two-foot-long black-and-white fox suddenly jumped out of the shadow.

  “Man, that was fun,” Huxian said. “Can I do it again?”

  “This might not be the best time,” Cha Ming said while massaging his temple. “Can you please activate your Demon-Subduing Eyes and examine the king? There is something wrong with him.

  “Sounds good!” Huxian said excitedly. The little fox had been bored out of his mind since they had arrived inside the city. He hopped into Cha Ming’s outstretched arms, and they walked closer to the king, the purple ring around both Cha Ming and Huxian’s jade irises glowed brightly.

  “Oh. Oh. This is bad,” Huxian said.

  “It’s of demonic origin, right?” Cha Ming asked Huxian. They spoke openly to avoid any suspicion.

  “Yes, and if my guess is correct, it’s a venom of some kind,” Huxian said. “The venom has permeated his flesh. What are the symptoms?”

  “His body is failing,” Cha Ming said. “Any qi used to treat his body disintegrates on contact.”

  The small fox pondered for a moment before shaking his head. “I’m not sure which beast’s venom it is, but it’s definitely a snake. I suggest we bring back a sample of blood back to the geomantic boa.”

  Cha Ming turned to the third prince.

  “This…” Prince Lei said. “The physicians often need to draw blood. However, since my father’s body does not heal properly, it is always drawn from the same place on his arm.” The prince walked over to the bed and pulled the king’s frail arm from under the blanket. It was tightly wrapped in white bandages stained with blood, which dripped from the king’s exposed arm as soon as the prince unwrapped the bandages.

  “Be quick about it,” Prince Lei said.

  Cha Ming withdrew a jade bottle and directed the blood into it. Once it was full, he used his spiritual force to temporarily stem the bleeding and rewrapped the bandage the same way as before.

  “I will leave for the Silverwing Mountain Range tonight to inquire about the venom,” Cha Ming said to the third prince. “Huxian is a sovereign of the mountain range and will request the aid of another sovereign who specializes in such matters. In addition, I know someone who can heal people without using qi or traditional spirit-doctor methods. Perhaps he can buy us time.”

  “Many thanks for all your efforts,” Prince Lei said. “I only have one father. Please save him.”

  Chapter 10: Foreign Aid

  A black door opened inside the Jade Bamboo Auction House. Despite the late hour, Wang Jun’s staff was still hard at work.

  “It looks like you’ll have another sleepless night,” Cha Ming said when he saw the papers stacked on his friend’s desk.

  “It never ends,” Wang Jun said, shrugging. He passed the desk and retrieved a folder from his cabinet. After leafing through a few pages, he pulled out a small bundle and handed it to Cha Ming. “I need you to deliver these papers to the Alchemists Association in Quicksilver. I’ve obtained permission to set up a competing branch guild in the Song Kingdom due to their lack of performance. I’d like to request Quicksilver’s help in establishing this branch.”

  “Won’t Quicksilver be uncooperative, given our past experience with them?” Cha Ming said as he stowed away the envelope.

  Wang Jun shook his head. “Things change quickly in the business world. It wasn’t wise for Wang Chen to antagonize a powerful transcendent being. The connections Lu Tianhao established in his lifetime couldn’t be fathomed by a mere branch manager like him. There should be no problems with the branch under new management.”

  Cha Ming whistled through his teeth in amazement. “What a quick response. No wonder Teacher Tianhao told me not to worry about it.”

  “Wang Bing is the new manager there,” Wang Jun said. “Fortunately for her, she was quite neutral in the whole affair, and punishing her would have been a huge loss to the family. You’ll find her quite helpful should you need anything.”

  Cha Ming pondered for a bit. “While I’m at it, the Talisman Artist Guild here is in deplorable condition. I’ll ask the branch leader in Quicksilver if anyone is interested in taking it over. There must be at someone with ambition in Quicksilver.”

  “Do what you can, but don’t waste time,” Wang Jun said. “The Song Kingdom is considered a backwater location with no potential. People prefer to stay near their homes whenever possible.”

  “It doesn’t hurt to ask,” Cha Ming said before leaving Wang Jun’s office.

  He quickly exited the city with Huxian in tow. The guards at the gate were already familiar with him, so they didn’t cause any trouble. “Are you sure this will be all right?” Cha Ming asked Huxian after they were a thousand feet out.

  “It should be fine,” Huxian said. “Silverwing, can you come out for a bit?” One of his two tails glowed before a small bird flew out from another dimension.

  “What are you bothering this sovereign for?” Silverwing said. “It’s not polite to wake a napping bird.”

  “It’s not polite, but we were left with no other options,” Huxian replied. “Lives are at stake, and we need to get to the Silverwing Mountain Range as quickly as possible.”

  “What does that have to do with me?” the Silverwing asked them suspiciously. Then, noticing Huxian’s pleading expression, he rolled his eyes. “You know that it’s demeaning for this sovereign to serve as a mount.”

  Huxian’s eyes began to water when he heard this response. “I see… Yes, you’re right. That’s fine. You can go back now.”

  The bird ruffled his feathers. “You’re not going to ask again?”

  “No, you’re completely right,” Huxian said. “My brother and I will run as swiftly as we can. I just hope we’re not too late. However, it’s much better than inconveniencing a mighty bird like yourself.”

  “It’s really not that inconvenient…” Silverwing said hesitantly. “But I don’t want to be seen with a human on my back. Even a nice one like your brother. I would lose a lot of face among the sovereigns.”

  Huxian’s ears perked up. “You mean it’s fine as long as no one sees? No problem! Come on, let me see your biggest form!”

  The silver falcon rolled his eyes before growing to a wingspan of eighty feet.

  “I’m a small bird, so this is as big as I get,” Silverwing said. Then he glared at Cha Ming. “Don’t you dare ruin my beautiful feathers.”

  Cha Ming hopped onto his back while Huxian jumped onto his head.

  “I’ve been wanting to fly for ages!” Huxian said. “But Brother Silverwing is always napping.”

  “Be nice to him,” Cha Ming said as he shifted on the bird’s back. The metallic feathers were extremely uncomfortable. A stray feather bit deep into his flesh as he moved.

  Silverwing cleared his throat, and on cue, Huxian spewed out a cloud of darkness. It spanned two hundred feet and appeared like a gray storm cloud. Despite its outer appearance, they could see perfectly well from the inside. “Are you sure we won’t be seen?” Silverwing asked.

  “Absolutely sure,” Huxian assured him.

  “Then hold on tight!” Silverwing said. He flapped his wings once, instantly bringing them thousands of feet into the air. He flapped them a second time, propelling them a few thousand feet toward the Silverwing Mountain Range.

  Cha Ming screamed as they accelerated. His hands bled as he grabbed fistfuls of metallic feathers to prevent himself from falling.

  “Sorry about that,” Silverwing said, creating a
bubble of wind qi around Cha Ming. Several strands of wind also materialized and lashed Cha Ming onto the large bird. “I’ve never carried anyone around before, so I never bothered to look into any of these basic techniques.”

  Huxian was in a very sorry state. His paws weren’t bleeding, but he’d slipped down from Silverwing’s head and was now gripping his neck tightly. His fur was in disarray, and his tails were flapping uncontrollably behind him.

  “Are you all right?” Cha Ming yelled to the small fox.

  “Better than ever!” Huxian yelled. “This is the way I like it. I love the feeling of the wind on my fur!”

  Silverwing flapped once more, almost throwing him off. Cha Ming could feel emotions of misery and determination through their soul link. He could tell exactly what was going through Huxian’s mind—he would rather die than lose face to Silverwing.

  Cha Ming chuckled as he saw Silverwing grin. The large bird dove down toward the land below, causing the antlike people and animals to grow at a rapid pace. Now that he didn’t need to worry about holding on, Cha Ming felt at ease as they flew beneath the clear sky. He relished the freedom and the open scenery. Instead of just seeing the edge of forests, he could see it blanket over the entire continent. Instead of seeing a dozen fields in the distance, he could see the entire agricultural area of the Song Kingdom.

  As they flew toward the Silverwing Mountain Range, Cha Ming looked back toward Green Leaf City. It had been so long since he’d visited that small dot in the distance. Would he ever get a chance to return in the future?

  It only took three hours for them to arrive at the edge of the mountains. Huxian crawled off the mighty falcon looking thoroughly defeated after the harrowing experience. He dispelled the cloud of darkness before collapsing onto the grassy ground.

  “How was it?” Cha Ming asked. “Was it just like you’d hoped?”

  “That and more,” Huxian said, his voice filled with pain. He was covered in cuts, and his fur was sheared in many places. Instead of going for a leisurely flight, an external observer might think he’d fought a vicious life-and-death battle. Fortunately, he was a half-step core-formation Godbeast. His wounds regenerated within an incense time, after which he strutted around proud as a peacock.

  “Did you see how this sovereign flew through the clouds?” he asked Silverwing. “Did you see how I didn’t need your help to stay mounted? I’m a natural flyer, a king of the skies.”

  “Oh? You want me to fly at my top speed next time, then?” Silverwing asked innocently.

  “Perhaps it’s best that you don’t,” Huxian said. “For Cha Ming’s sake. Even with your protection, he wouldn’t be able to hold on.”

  “Right.” Cha Ming coughed. “For my sake.” Both he and Silverwing exchanged a meaningful glance.

  They walked to the jade boundary that separated the mountain range from the Song Kingdom. Cha Ming touched it with his hand, and it responded to its master by forming a door covered in runic lines. Cha Ming, Huxian, and Silverwing walked through together. Lei Jiang appeared out of thin air and bolted out toward a faraway mountain once they crossed the transparent shield.

  “He’s was very bored in the city,” Huxian said. “He didn’t like Elder Bai’s cat, and I told him he couldn’t steal cheese from the mousetraps. Then I had to ground him when he tried to set traps for the local cultivators.”

  Cha Ming chuckled. They walked at a leisurely pace toward Huxian’s old mountain, where the geomantic boa resided. A multitude of venomous creatures watched them, and poison-related herbs grew out of every nook and cranny. The forest leading to the peak seemed to span endlessly.

  As they walked, a swallow flew past them and rushed into a nearby tree. A snake slithered between their feet as they passed a tiny hole in a rocky mound. One thousand feet turned to three thousand, and three thousand turned to ten thousand. It wasn’t long before they arrived near a peculiar tree. A swallow flew past them and rushed into it. As if to highlight the peculiarity, a snake slithered through their feet and entered a tiny hole in a rocky mound.

  Cha Ming sighed as he activated his Demon-Subduing Eyes. Intricate purple lines displayed clever runic patterns. He activated his resplendent force and probed around his surroundings. He quickly uncovered several formations under their combined inspection.

  “Geomantic Monarch,” he shouted, “would you like to dispel your formation, or would you like me to break it?”

  His question was answered by the gentle chirping of a tiny bird. Hearing no reply, he quickly sent out thirty-six sigils to a nearby formation eye, which rapidly broke under their onslaught. Its destruction restored a bit of reality to their illusory surroundings.

  Their group continued forward at a leisurely pace. Whenever they saw a formation eye, Cha Ming broke it. Whenever they encountered beasts, both Huxian and Silverwing scared them away. Little by little, the mountain’s illusion was disrupted. It wasn’t long before they arrived at a barren peak.

  “Who dares intrude on this monarch’s mountain?” a voice said from the mountain itself. They suddenly noticed that a gigantic serpent was coiled around it. Its body surely measured several miles in length.

  Cha Ming sighed. “Would you like to dispel your own illusory formation, or would you like me to do it?”

  The boa’s eyes narrowed. “Whatever do you mean?” Its aura was fierce and imposing, and its gaze mesmerizing. If not for his Demon-Subduing Eyes, Cha Ming would have been fooled by it.

  “Have it your way,” he said, sending out thirty-six sigils to key points on the mountain. His qi manifested runic lines, and the illusion shattered like a pane of glass. A forty-foot snake appeared where the giant one once stood, looking shaken and embarrassed.

  “Where’s your mother?” Huxian said, trotting up to the snake. “Does she know what mischief you’ve been up to?” The small snake trembled in fear but didn’t dare move as Huxian walked toward him. The small fox grew with every step until he was eighty feet long.

  “M-m-mother should be near the center of the mountain range,” the small snake said. “Please don’t hurt me, Sovereign Two Tails!”

  “Right, near the center of the mountain range,” Huxian said. “That makes sense. It’s too bad I’m so hungry. Oh, wait, I have an idea! Why don’t we feast on roast snake before she arrives?”

  Silverwing flapped his wings in anticipation as the fox summoned a plume of fire using Cha Ming’s qi. He bound the small snake in shackles of darkness and held him above the open flame.

  “Mother!” the little snake yelled. A loud snort extinguished the flame as a large snake appeared. It was coiled around the mountain and hidden from even Cha Ming’s superior vision.

  “How did you know I was here?” the geomantic boa slithered.

  “A good guess,” Huxian said nonchalantly.

  “You aren’t the type to let your children roam unsupervised,” Cha Ming added. He deactivated his Demon-Subduing Eyes and wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his eyes. His blurry vision focused as the taxing technique returned to its passive state.

  The giant snake nodded. “This is true. They are my three purest offspring, and I never let them out of my sight. Now tell me, what is your purpose here? It isn’t yet time to trade.”

  Cha Ming flicked out a jade vial full of blood. “This blood is contaminated with a poison. Huxian swears it’s a snake venom. I was hoping you could identify it.”

  “And why should I do that?” the snake said. “I care not for the plight of poisoned humans.”

  Cha Min shrugged. “You don’t have to do anything, but it is truly in your best interest to treat the man. He is the king of the Song Kingdom, and he is dying. Delaying his death will have a huge impact on the battle for succession.”

  “And the battle for the throne matters to me because…?” the boa said.

  “The three signatories on the contract are the third prince, a minister, and my friend Wang Jun. The crown prince will likely have the third prince killed if he takes over t
he throne—which he likely will if the king dies as planned. The crown prince also hates Wang Jun. That means the treaty will be at risk if the crown prince, especially since he is willing to sacrifice a single minister’s life. Wouldn’t it be better to have the signatory take over the throne?”

  The snake frowned. “That means you tricked us.”

  “Not at all,” Cha Ming said. “Politics shift all the time. It just so happens that the king was poisoned after the treaty was signed. Like it or not, we’re in the same boat.”

  The snaked snorted and willed the bottle over. It shattered, and the liquid inside separated into two substances—one small purple drop and one red blob. The snake directed a mass of demonic qi into the small purple blob. It immediately disintegrated on contact. As though expecting this development, the geomantic boa hissed. Hundreds of drops of venom flew out from its fangs. The purple drop split into hundreds of parts and flew into the other small drops. Two hundred drops instantly disintegrated while fifty or so took a little longer to evaporate. Only five venoms managed to coexist for a short while before eventually dissipating.

  “This is a fourth-grade venom,” the boa slithered. “And if my guess is correct, it’s qi-binding venom, a rare innate venom obtained from a qi-binding serpent. It will destroy any qi it encounters, and it will seep into the flesh and blood of living organisms. While it won’t waste a person’s cultivation, it will render them incapable of cultivating. The same applies to demonic qi.”

  “Is there a cure?” Cha Ming said.

  The boa shook its head. “Not that I’m aware of. The snake is extremely rare. There are perhaps two or three on the entire continent. They don’t reproduce by normal means, and they are reclusive and antisocial.” A cunning gleam appeared in its eyes. “However, given enough time, I might be able to duplicate it so that it can be studied. That is, if I could obtain the complete geomantic python inheritance from Lord Two Tails.”