A Thousand Li: the First War: A Xianxia Cultivation Series

by Tao Wong

  Wu Ying cocked an eyebrow at Fa Yuan, who shook her head, apparently disinclined to expand on her words. “Then what do you recommend I do?”

  “You cannot leave this alone? Let your village, your parents, fate play out as it should?” Fa Yuan regarded Wu Ying as she spoke. Seeing his answer on his face, she continued. “A pity. Our Master would recommend that course of action. Your attempts are already being foiled, perhaps by fate itself. It could be argued that it is their destiny to be in their village.”

  “Could it not be argued that it is my destiny to change theirs? That I am meant to save them?” Wu Ying said.

  “Maybe.” Fa Yuan opened her hands wide. “Fate. Destiny. Karma. They are… difficult concepts to grasp. Still, if you are resolved, then you should speak with him directly.”

  “Him?”

  “This Lord Wen,” Fa Yuan clarified. “I cannot say what he wants. If you were older, stronger, more reputable, you could trade a favor in the future. Perhaps you still can. But nobles generally care for three things: their lineage, their land, and their wealth. Often in that order.”

  Wu Ying grunted. That didn’t sound that different from a peasant. Family, land, and wealth—though the last two were the same for a peasant. If they even had land.

  “Your Lord Wen has guaranteed his lineage by having Yin Xue stay in the Sect. He might even take further steps by sending his family to the capital. As such, what you can offer him is protection for his land or his wealth.” Fa Yuan raked her gaze over Wu Ying’s body. “Though…”

  “I’m insufficient.” Wu Ying understood that. He was one man. One Body cultivator. He could not destroy an army. He could barely even stop a platoon of normal soldiers by himself.

  “Not alone.”

  Wu Ying stared as Fa Yuan gracefully picked up her teacup and sipped on it. He weighed her hint then bowed to her.

  “Thank you, Senior.”

  “Little enough that I can offer. But…” Fa Yuan extended a single finger from her hand. “Be careful. You are at the most physically dangerous stage before your rebirth.”

  Wu Ying bowed to her again and retreated, leaving the young lady to her thoughts. Outside, he looked upward, spotting the half moon and the constellation of stars gathered around it, beseeching its company.

  “Fitting.”

  ***

  “This is not a Sect assignment, is it?” Tou Hei asked Wu Ying.

  The ex-monk was the first person Wu Ying had looked for. He found Tou Hei in his own residence, meditating. Unlike Wu Ying, Tou Hei had a much nicer home, though Wu Ying knew that Tou Hei had little use for the big building.

  “No. Just mine,” Wu Ying said. “I might not even need you. But…”

  “But if you did, finding me afterward would be difficult.” Tou Hei rubbed his bald head, feeling the coarse edges of stubble regrowing. “Very well.”

  “Very well?”

  “I’ll come, of course.” Tou Hei smiled. “Sowing seeds of good karma is never wrong. And if I did not, who would watch your back?”

  “Thank you,” Wu Ying said. “I’ll make sure to treat you to a meal when we’re back.”

  Tou Hei grinned.

  “What did I do to have a friend like you?”

  Tou Hei looked at the sky, perhaps staring at the very same moon Wu Ying had stared at earlier. “Good karma in the past.”

  Wu Ying choked off a snort.

  “Who else?”

  “That’s coming?” Wu Ying said. “I’ll ask Li Yao, when she’s back.”

  “Mission?”

  “Yes.” Wu Ying pursed his lips in concern before he shook aside the feeling. “Beyond that…” Wu Ying deliberately shrugged.

  “We need more. If we want to do a job at this.”

  “Yes.” Unfortunately, Wu Ying could not think of any others. Most of his friends were martial specialists, and they were all either caught up in the war already or busy with assignments and unlikely to run away for something that paid no contribution points. At least Li Yao would be—should be—back in a few days. He could count on her. Recollection of the martial specialists made Wu Ying remember a particular cultivator who wasn’t a member of the group but still had some skills. “I might have one more.”

  “Good. I’ll ask around too,” Tou Hei said. “But…”

  “Your friends are mostly not around,” Wu Ying said. He could understand that.

  “So anything I should know about this Lord Wen?” Tou Hei said.

  Wu Ying shook his head. He had never met the man himself. At most, Lord Wen had been a distant figure seen when he arrived on his horse to pick up Yin Xue when he had been late. And that was early on, when Yin Xue was young. “My father never had bad things to say of him. He said that Lord Wen cared about us—his peasants. Better than most other lords. That he wanted his son—Yin Xue—to care about us too. It’s why he was sent to learn with us, rather than receive a private tutor.” Tou Hei nodded, gesturing for Wu Ying to continue. “Mother said that Lord Wen was just cheap and an unthinking traditionalist.”

  “Two different viewpoints.”

  “Just a little,” Wu Ying said. “Sorry. I wish I could… but…” He shrugged again, feeling somewhat helpless.

  “It will be fine. We’ll talk to Li Yao when she’s back, and you’ll speak to your friend. And in the meantime, we’ll get ready,” Tou Hei assured his friend.

  “For what?” Wu Ying shook his head. “We don’t even know what we’ll be asked to do.”

  “It doesn’t matter. We’ll keep your family safe.”

  If Wu Ying thought he could make his parents go without the rest of the village, he’d just ride in and drag them out. He was sure he could bully the guards into letting at least his family through. But he knew his parents. As stubborn as he was, his parents were worse. It left him with… well. Not no options. Just few good ones.

  As Tou Hei picked up the wine pot his servant had delivered, Wu Ying regarded the alcohol. The relaxation it would offer. And he nodded. Not too much. But a drink would be consoling. Calming. There was little more he could do tonight. But tomorrow. Tomorrow was another matter.

  Chapter 7

  The next morning, Wu Ying began preparations for the expedition. The first thing he had to do was get the expedition trip permit from his Master. As a Body Cleansing cultivator, even though he was an inner sect member, Wu Ying was not allowed to leave the sect for extended periods of time without permission. After all, the Sect had spent a lot of resources developing him this far. Releasing him into the wild at his most dangerous and vulnerable time was foolhardy. Missions, close-by and carefully gauged were one thing. A long expedition into war torn regions was another thing entirely. Even his time with the expedition was uncommon, though of course his specialty and the presence of multiple Elders had mitigated the danger. Theoretically.

  Luckily for Wu Ying, Elder Cheng was one of those elders who really didn’t care about that particular rule. Once Wu Ying told him why he needed the leave permit, Elder Cheng only raised a single eyebrow before he took Wu Ying’s sect seal and gave his permission. Wu Ying was glad that he did not receive a further lecture about the dangers, even if he was forced to listen to another of Master Cheng’s lecture about fate.

  Next in his preparations was the memorization of his martial styles and exercises. Not that Wu Ying had forgotten any of it. After all, one of the first things he had done was to memorize every inch of those books. Still, he often refreshed his memory and referred to the documents and his notes when he tried out another area or faced some problem. Better to be extra careful than risk chi deviation. So once again, Wu Ying went through his notes, making sure they were extensive and clear to him. At the same time, he ensured that they were obscure enough that he would be allowed to take the documents with him. He would not be allowed to take any of the actual manuals from the library out of the Sect, as that would risk the loss of them. Even copying the manuals would be considered theft and punished accordingly. But his own notes, as
long as they weren’t something a thief could understand, would be allowed to come with him.

  That took him until the end of the evening, but Wu Ying knew that most of it was just a distraction. Wu Ying dreaded what came next, but after thinking of his parents, he strung up his courage and headed to the forge.

  The inner sect forgers hall was one of the larger buildings. The sprawling single-story building was set a distance away from any other building due to the constant noise and fumes the forging process created. Within the forge, multiple stations were available for use, and even at this time of night, they were filled with cultivators. For a time, last year, Wu Ying had spent time training here. But he had learned that he had little talent for the forging of iron and steel. Blacksmithing was a powerful and important occupation, but it was not his path. It was, however, the path of the person he was here to speak with.

  Wu Ying needed very little time to find Bao Cong. To Wu Ying’s lack of surprise, Bao Cong was standing beside a forge, working a newly formed sword. In a pause between strokes, Bao Cong looked at Wu Ying and flicked his gaze to the bellows. Taking the unspoken hint, Wu Yang walked over and worked the bellows. In silence, they worked together for the next hour, Bao Cong focused on creating a couple more weapon blades while Wu Ying helped in the stoking of the fire, moving pieces around, and generally staying out of the way. It was work that Wu Ying fondly remembered.

  In time, they were done, Bao Cong having finished his work. When Bao Cong gestured to Wu Ying to bank the fires, Wu Ying gratefully stopped working the bellows before wiping away the built-up sweat.

  “What is it that you want?” said Bao Cong.

  “What makes you think I want anything?” Wu Ying trotted over to the water flask and took a sip, feeling the blessed liquid flow down his throat. Even lukewarm, the water was heavenly after the oppressive heat.

  “When was the last time you were here?”

  Wu Ying bristled, angry because the comment was unfortunately true. He had not been back since he left the class. It was not because he disliked any of the blacksmiths. He was just too busy to spend time socializing—especially in such an inhospitable location. “Fine. I have a request for you.”

  “Don’t bother. I won’t make you anything,” said Bao Cong. The forger continued to put away his tools.

  Wu Ying soon joined him, cleaning the forge and getting it ready for the next apprentice blacksmith. “I’m not asking you to forge me anything.”

  Wu Ying’s gaze flipped over to the daos, ready to be sharpened tomorrow. They were decent work. Better than anything Wu Ying could make. But nowhere near the level of a master blacksmith or even a journeyman.

  Bao Cong saw Wu Ying’s gaze and shrugged angrily before returning to his cleaning. Working together, they soon had the forge in a condition that would be acceptable to hand over to another. When they finished, they walked out of the blacksmiths hall and stopped the moment the cold winter air hit their sweaty bodies. They shuddered in unison before Bao Cong turned to Wu Ying.

  “If you’re not here for me to make you something, what you want?” Bao Cong asked.

  “I need to leave the Sect for an assignment. My own. It may be dangerous, and I might need some other hands. Hands that know how to handle themselves in a fight,” said Wu Ying. “You are good with your bow, aren’t you?”

  “You know I am.” Bao Cong smirked as they recalled the multiple times Bao Cong had managed to hit Wu Ying and other cultivators in the melees. Those had stopped ever since the martial specialists left. The Sect no longer had time or personnel to dedicate to that kind of training.

  “Good.” Wu Ying gave a brief explanation of what he intended and expected of Bao Cong. A trip near the front lines, but not to the war itself. Potential assignment by an anxious Lord. An unknown amount of time away from the Sect. And the potential for violent confrontations.

  “Well, I can see why you need me. Can’t take a Body cultivator out of the Sect, so you’ve only got me and a few others to choose from. No martial specialists would be allowed to go with you, not at this time. But I see no reason for me to join you.”

  “What do you want?”

  Bao Cong looked back at the building they had left. He tapped his lips then dropped his hands to stroke the top of his sect seal, the one that recorded their contribution to the sect and gave them points for it. “Blacksmithing is very expensive in the beginning.”

  “Money?” Wu Ying grimaced. That was one of the few things he could not offer. Then his gaze slipped to the sect token. “You want contribution points.”

  In the sect, contribution points were just as good as taels. You could use them to buy manuals from the library, pills and herbs from the apothecarist shop, new weapons and armor from the Blacksmithing Hall, and materials from the general store.

  “Contribution points or materials.” Bao Cong’s eyes narrowed at Wu Ying, then he clarified his statement. “Just make it contribution points.”

  “Five hundred contribution points now and a hundred a month every month for the next two years,” said Wu Ying. That would allow Bao Cong to work in the forges rent free once a week every month.

  “Nothing now. One hundred every month for three years.”

  Wu Ying’s regarded Bao Cong, considering the counter. That was a lot better than a lump sum payment, since Wu Ying was rather low on points. He had a reserve of course, but that was for the village. On the other hand, three years…

  “Why don’t I buy you a drink and we can discuss this?” Wu Ying smiled at Bao Cong.

  Wu Ying had seen the Chieftain do this many times. Drink with those he negotiated with to get a better deal. His father hadn’t, but then again, his father had left most of those negotiations to his mother. Even if Wu Ying had never tried the drink-and-negotiate method, how hard could it be?

  Bao Cong smiled widely at Wu Ying, clapping the cultivator on the shoulder and leading him up the path.

  ***

  Wu Ying woke the next morning with the taste of dead frogs in his mouth. He rolled over while grimacing and only realized his mistake when he fell. He never managed to catch himself before he landed on the floor, bruising his shoulder. As he turned sideways on the marble, Wu Ying noticed the couch he had been sleeping on. It was a nice couch—and a familiar one too. Mother of pearl inlaid along rosewood furniture, depicting the local scenery around some village. It was the couch in his visiting room, the place where he would greet formal guests. It was not, obviously, his bed.

  As he stood, Wu Ying took notice of the throbbing pain in his head. Ah Yee walked in with her serving tray containing his herbal supplement and a tea set. Wu Ying’s stomach heaved at the small amounts of noxious fumes that arose from the herbal supplement.

  “Not today,” Wu Ying whined.

  “What you are feeling will be extracted if you drink this. Short-term discomfort for a long-term benefit.” Ah Yee placed the tray on the serving table and opened the clay bowl.

  Wu Ying’s stomach lurched again, and he held a hand to his face, turning green as he choked down vomit. “I don’t think—”

  “You faced down a taotei. Is a simple drink enough to send you running?” Ah Yee scolded Wu Ying.

  Shamed by his servant, Wu Ying took hold of the concoction, then while holding his nose, he choked down the entire slurry. He gasped as he slammed the bowl down and grabbed the teacup Ah Yee offered him. As he poured the hot tea into his mouth, he burnt his tongue and throat a little, but thankfully, it washed away some of the taste. Tea didn’t help with the pain, or his stomach, but at least he could focus a little.

  Ah Yee picked up the tray and its contents, leaving behind the teapot and teacup as she exited. Wu Ying sat down and tried to meditate, forcing himself to ignore his roiling stomach and the pounding in his head, the glare from the sunlight. In minutes though, the feeling grew too large to be ignored and he rushed for the outhouse. At least, as Wu Ying bent over to expel the fluids, this would be good training for his Reinforced Iron Bones
technique.

  ***

  An hour later, cleaner and more alive, Wu Yang made his way out to discover if Li Yao had returned. Unfortunately, her house servant indicated that she had not, sniffing disapprovingly at Wu Ying as he usually did before sending the peasant away. Just to assure himself, Wu Ying stopped at the assignment hall and verified that Li Yao was meant to have returned already. Concern over her grew, mixing with the worry he had for his family and the future.

  Since he was there, Wu Ying made sure to inform the Hall that he would be gone for an undetermined period. He made sure that they deducted the necessary contribution points he owed the Sect for a six-month period, while taking the contribution pills that they owed him for that period. At the end, all his hard work, all his savings over the last few months, even the rewards from the expedition, was gone. Almost.

  Lastly, he added Bao Cong’s name to the expedition group, fulfilling the bureaucracy required before he made his way to speak with Tou Hei. Unfortunately, the ex-monk indicated that he had had no luck in finding additional help. Not that they needed more. With Li Yao, there would be four of them and that should be sufficient. Or so he hoped at least.

  Tou Hei chased Wu Ying out soon after, as he had a lot of work to complete for his Master before he would be allowed to leave. Once again, Wu Ying thanked his friend as he left, vowing to help find a solution for the monk’s troubles.

  ***

  As one of the most guarded locations in the Sect, the inner sect armory was large, isolated, and armed with multiple formations. With most of the martial specialists gone, Wu Ying knew the armory would see little traffic. Even at the best of times, the armory was never buzzing like the library, kitchens, or the blacksmiths hall. After all, most of the items within the armory were magical, higher tier equipment, not the common, mundane items made by the outer and inner set members for general use. These items were rare and expensive.