by Tao Wong
Once everyone was settled, with Bao Cong seated farther up the hill as lookout, Wu Ying found a bare portion of sandy ground and a stick for his presentation.
“Firstly, I’d like to thank everyone for staying.” Wu Ying shot a glare at Yin Xue, who had looked as if he might say something. Yin Xue just smirked. Obviously whatever enlightenment he had found, it did not involve being nicer. “As you heard, the plan is to enter the city when the cultivators from the Six Jade Gates Sect are no longer there. While they chase the army, we will enter the city and find what we need.”
“And how will we do that?” Li Yao said. “Even if the army is gone, they aren’t likely to begin normal commerce. Anyone trying to enter the city will still be under scrutiny.”
“That’s why we will be sneaking in.” While he had been speaking and listening to Li Yao, Wu Ying had been drawing on the ground with the stick. The rough sketch of the city was easy enough to pick out, even if it was just a bunch of lines. “We’ll be entering through the docks.”
“How?” Tou Hei asked. “They might reduce the number of guards, but I doubt they’d miss all of us. Never mind our lack of a boat.”
Wu Ying grinned, touching his storage ring before he extracted a set of yellow parchment. On closer inspection, the symbols drawn on the papers were familiar to the group, for they had just worn a set of the aura suppression talismans the night before.
“And the boat?” Yin Xue asked.
“That’s why we were sent up river today,” said Bao Cong. The blacksmith had put it together faster than the others. The choice of them being on the northernmost watch, opposite to where they normally had been stationed. The northernly direction they had left the army, swinging wide and farther north, bringing them upriver. It all set them up so that they could ride away and upriver, circling around the city and getting out of sight easily.
“Exactly,” Wu Ying said.
“I’m not a pirate,” Yin Xue said, crossing his arms.
Tou Hei grunted his agreement. Even Li Yao frowned in displeasure at the thought of attacking civilians.
Wu Ying snorted. “What have I ever done to make you think I would do that?”
He brought his stick further up the drawing, pointing at a bend he had placed in the drawing. He had to admit though, compared to the rest of the squiggles that made up the river he had drawn, the bend was easy to miss. He had many skills, but cartography obviously was not one of them.
“There’s a tight turn farther upriver, one that will force the ships to slow down. At least, as I’ve been told.” Wu Ying’s time in Lady Pan’s inn had been useful in gaining information from the other cultivators, beyond making his head hurt from doubts about his path of cultivation. “All we have to do is swim to a ship, attach ourselves to it at night, and let it bring us into port. If we make sure to hold our breaths and stay still, with these talismans, we should be able to make our way in without a problem.”
Li Yao looked dubious about Wu Ying’s plan, but since no one else had a better suggestion, they went over the details of their eventual escapade. In short order, they had the basics of the plan down and rode off, planning to lay low over the next few days while waiting for the army and the opposing cultivators to leave and the fires to burn out.
***
For five days, the group stayed hidden near the banks of the river, waiting for a suitable vessel. During this time, they collected hollow reeds from the shore and prepared them for use. They each stored their prepared reeds in their storage rings for use when they were underneath the ship itself. In addition, Wu Ying and Bao Cong fashioned simple hooked devices that could be driven into the hull of the boat, allowing them to grip and ride the boat to the dock. Wu Ying’s greatest concern was that they not strike too hard, creating a breach in the ship they intended to use. As such, in the quiet times while they waited, the group tested their strength, trying to find a balance in force while floating in water.
Among the many variations and improvements were the ropes that Bao Cong tied off in a quick slip knot around each of their bodies. It would allow the group to stay attached to one another such that if one person missed their grip, they could still be dragged along. Thankfully, the pull of the river was so great that it was unlikely the sailors would notice a change even with the addition of the five underwater cultivators.
However, Wu Ying realized a flaw in his plan. If no ship came, they had no way of getting into the port. Worse, they needed one to arrive in the night rather than during the day when their swimming forms would be easy to spot.
He mulled over his options, finally landing on having the group gather bunches of deadwood. If necessary, they would float in under the cover of these branches, going in in small groups and hoping that they would be missed by the guards. Floating deadwood was not uncommon, but five different clumps would likely draw attention if they all arrived too close together.
Wu Ying was growing impatient, concerned they would be caught by the city patrols, when they finally spotted a suitable ship. Even better, the vessel was arriving late in the day. Rather than risk waiting longer, Wu Ying called his friends to get ready.
Together, the group slipped into the water silently, timing it so they entered the fast-flowing river while the ship’s watch was looking away. It helped that their river entrance was hidden by low-hanging weeping willows and floating rushes. As quietly as possible, the group swam mostly under water to where the ship would pass. They were all tied together. Tou Hei, their strongest swimmer, led the pack, with Yin Xue in the back as he was incredibly insufficient. Unlike the others, he had not spent much time in the numerous rivers and lakes that dotted the landscape of the kingdom. Still, the greater strength offered to a cultivator helped offset his lack of technique.
Directly behind his monk friend, Wu Ying noticed that the current was stronger than ever, driving them and the ship forward equally quickly. Wu Ying sped up his strokes, pulling and kicking as best as he could underwater so that they could reach the ship in time. Thankfully, as cultivators, their ability to hold their breath was significantly increased. Their bodies’ need for air had reduced—though they were no Nascent Soul cultivators who existed only on the chi of the world. As the ship swept past them, Wu Ying silently cursed as they missed the prow where they had meant to attach themselves.
Tou Hei struck first, swinging his curved, sharpened hook at the side of the boat. It struck, skipped along barnacles, and dislodged, leaving the monk to flounder as he tried to regain his position. In the meantime, Wu Ying had managed to make his way to the boat’s side and strike with his own implement. This too failed to make purchase, the rotten wood beneath tearing apart after a moment of pressure. Wu Ying kicked and twisted as the floating debris swung by him, his loss of momentum dragging him back.
Next up was Li Yao. She was focused, legs beating in rapid rhythm as she kicked her way to the rudder passing by them. As Wu Ying tried his best to catch up, he watched ice form around the body of her hook. She swung, striking deep into the wood near the rudder. In a burst of energy, the hook dug into the wood of the ship and released the collected chi of her attack. It quickly formed a small glacier that adhered to the wood, dragging along Li Yao and the other cultivators. With all four cultivators stuck to her body, her breathing grew strained from the ropes pulling against her waist, catching on her hips, tugging on her arms. She refused to give up, focusing on her chi, expelling ice and cold as she manipulated the glacier to become sleeker, to give better purchase around the bottom of the ship.
Bao Cong, never having lost momentum while trying to attach himself to the ship, swam under the keel and came up and around the other side. Already, Li Yao’s ice formation had formed a thin layer around the other side, allowing Bao Cong’s chi-infused hook to bury in the wood and hold. With the weight taken off one side of her body, the female cultivator wrapped her hand around the trailing rope and pulled it close. Dragged along by the rope, Wu Ying and Tou Hei continued to swim, doing their best to ca
tch up. Yin Xue did the same on the other side.
In short order, the group was able to attach themselves to the ship using the crusty-ice for additional purchase. Li Yao was the first to extract her reed, sliding it into the air near the ship to suck down oxygen in greedy mouthfuls. Thankfully, even if it was difficult to draw oxygen from the surface, their strong lungs and the supplementary energy that rushed through their bodies allowed the cultivators to last for hours underneath the water. Of them all, Wu Ying struggled the most, his lower cultivation forcing him to require more air.
Once he had fastened himself properly, he tied himself off to the ship, wrapping his arm around the edge of the rope to ensure that he could continue being dragged along before he focused entirely on conserving energy and drawing down as much air as he could. To his surprise, the flow of energy from his semi-porous aura had improved under the water. Upon further exploration, he realized that it was the increased pressure and the lack of variation in the environmental chi surrounding him that allowed him to improve his circulation methods. Grateful for the additional energy that he used to keep himself alive, Wu Ying focused deep within.
In that way, the group drifted into port and enemy territory.
Chapter 21
Wu Ying lost track of time as he floated and circulated his chi. The struggle to stay conscious as he breathed through the thin reed and circulated his chi caused him to focus only on those two things. To his surprise, he found that this forced concentration pushed his grasp of the aura cultivation exercise even further—so much so that he felt a clear improvement in his ability. A part of him wondered if he had yet achieved the threshold for Minor Achievement. Sometimes, these types of exercises lacked a clear marker. He might not be an Energy Storage cultivator, but none of the others had his cultivation exercise either.
When they finally arrived, Wu Ying found himself slowly floating, the reed clenched between his teeth as he sucked in slow, measured breaths. He didn’t notice the change in light or the lack of motion, nor even the hands that detached his death grip on the rope and drew him to the water’s surface. It was only when his face broke through the clear air that Wu Ying realized where he was. And that he was being slowly dragged away from the ship to beneath the docks. A hand clamped over his mouth when he opened it, silencing him.
When Wu Ying came fully to his senses, he found Bao Cong holding him tightly, hands around Wu Ying’s armpits. Wu Ying gave a nod, acknowledging that he was fully sensible, before the cultivator let go.
He then leaned in, whispering into Wu Ying’s ear, “The others have already gone ahead. We need to go. Soon.”
Wu Ying nodded, doing his best to reduce the amount of noise and splashes he made as they swam underneath the dock. In the dark of the night, the pair moved to the river’s banks, peering around the edges of the dock. A splash next to Wu Ying’s face made him jerk, only for him to relax when whatever had been tossed aside sank into the water. In the darkness of the night, whatever it was sank away quickly, though by the smell of the water around them, Wu Ying could guess.
When they reached where water and the bottom of the dock met, they stayed low, bobbing in the water with a hand against the wooden panels. Late as it was, there were few people on the docks beyond the patrolling guards and the dock workers moving back and forth from the single ship that had arrived. Without work to do, most of the dock workers were likely in town, where additional work lay in cleaning up the fires and destroyed buildings.
Inhaling slowly, Wu Ying made sure to extend his senses, checking for cultivators above. When the guards had moved down the dock on their patrol, the pair exited the water smoothly and across the open ground, leaving muddy and wet footprints.
In the shade of a small warehouse, between two alleyways, the pair found the others waiting. Wu Ying moved to go deeper into the narrow alleyway, automatically seeking shadows, only to be held back by Tou Hei.
“She’s changing,” the ex-monk said.
Wu Ying blinked and realized that his friends had already removed their sodden clothing and wiped themselves down as best they could. It left them mostly dry, except for their hair. Well, most of them—Wu Ying eyed the shaved head of his friend. Bao Cong was already half naked, redressing while Yin Xue took watch.
“Well?” Bao Cong said to Wu Ying, hopping on one foot as he pulled off his pants.
Wu Ying grunted, realizing that he was still not moving. It seemed his period of intense meditation and oxygen deprivation had slowed him down. He shook his shirt, mentally chiding himself for his failure. He was the leader here. He should be the one telling others what to do. He needed to get his head back into the game.
In short order, Wu Ying was changed like the others. Together, the group headed deeper into the city, dressed in the commoner clothing they’d picked up. The brown and gray, commonplace clothing would hopefully allow them to hide in plain sight. Of course, they were somewhat dirty from their swim, a light aroma from the river water wafting from them. Thankfully, that kind of dirt and aroma might actually help them pull off this disguise.
They hurried into the streets, joining the flow of traffic. As they walked, Wu Ying eyed the throng of peasants, merchants, and the occasional farmer heading for taverns or workshops. The paved stones were worn smooth from the myriad footsteps, while above, the occasional lantern lit up signs and the road itself. Thankfully, for the most part, they were not drawing too much attention. Except…
Scooting close to the pair of noblemen, Wu Ying whispered, “Slouch a little, lower your heads.”
To Wu Ying’s surprise, both complied. He then moved over to Li Yao, taking her hand and pulling her close.
When she shot him a look, he lowered his voice. “You are too pretty to be alone at night. If they think we are together, you’re more invisible.”
Li Yao raised an eyebrow, then glanced at the hand Wu Ying held and flushed red. Public displays of affection like hand-holding were generally frowned upon. She released his fingers, making Wu Ying sad, but she didn’t stray away from him.
“Don’t you have to lead?” Li Yao said softly.
“Yin Xue knows the way,” Wu Yang said. “I prefer to be with you anyway.”
Li Yao blushed again and stared resolutely ahead. After some time, while the pair continued to watch the city, she spoke. “Thank you. But we should talk about this later. We should have our swords ready for now.”
Wu Ying sighed. Li Yao was right. It was not as though they weren’t in enemy territory. Not that the commoners around them looked any different from any other city he had visited. Same clothing, same style of hair. Maybe a bit of difference in the coloration of their clothing choices, in the accessories they chose. But even that was so slight it could be a matter of regional variation. If not for the slightly haunted looks on the occasional faces—the woman who stood in the corner weeping, comforted by her children who looked helplessly alongside her—he would have never known that the city had been under siege. At least this close to the docks, few signs of the battle that had taken place showed. Even food was relatively plentiful, though only the streetside hawkers were present, farmers and fishermen having finished for the day.
The paved road they traveled was wide and straight, an offshoot from the main road that ran toward the center of the city and the magistrate’s house. Once, it had been the Wen family residence, but that had been relinquished to the local magistrate. In turn, the family now owned a larger courtyard building next to their former domicile, one staffed and filled with branch member families and those in disgrace from the main family. Thankfully, the cultivators were headed farther north, toward the family tomb and the old city graveyard.
As Wu Ying looked around, he kept an eye out for soldiers and cultivators. But as expected, many of them had left with the army. It meant the city itself was understaffed, especially as some of the soldiers were helping with the reconstruction and clearance of burned buildings. Add to that the need to keep a higher number of soldiers on watch
on the walls and those sweeping the countryside, and the city itself was sparse of soldiers on guard duties. The only real concern were the sub-prefectures[12] who would be on the lookout for civil disobedience, but they too would be hard-pressed by the fires.
Too bad the army had no intentions to loop around and attack the city when it was empty. Even if the soldiers were reduced in number, it was unlikely that any significant force could have sneaked by the patrols and done any additional damage anyway. And any sufficiently large force would still have to contend with the city wall and the city formations. If not for the relaxation of the formations to allow ships in, they would never have made their way in either.
Wu Ying spotted a young child playing with a small paper fan, the rotors on the fan catching the wind and spinning as she ran back and forth. Having turned to watch the girl, he kept on turning, using the child as an excuse to check on his friends. It was then he realized they were missing one of their members. He stopped, forcing Li Yao to halt as well.
“What’s wrong?” she said.
“Tou Hei.” Spinning around on the balls of his feet, knowing that he was making a little bit of a commotion, Wu Ying went on his tiptoes in search of his friend. How hard was it to miss a man in orange robes? Buddhist monks weren’t that common.
“There!” Li Yao pointed at a cluster of individuals surrounding Tou Hei.
The ex-monk had stopped, head bent as he spoke to the group of women and children who had accosted him. Wu Ying stepped toward his friend, but as if he sensed their regard, the monk shook his head slightly while meeting Wu Ying’s eyes. Wu Ying hesitated, only to feel an arm land on his own.