by Tao Wong
“We’re trying!” Li Yao shouted, even as she parried aside three spears with her own.
Yin Xue was much more silent, focused on his own battle. To Wu Ying’s surprise, the cultivator had both his jian and a smaller blade, blocking attacks with one blade and striking with the other. It wasn’t a style Wu Ying had ever noticed Yin Xue using before, but it seemed highly effective in this crowded situation.
A scream from beside Wu Ying drew his attention, and he saw Bao Cong stagger back, his shoulder pierced by a spear. The cultivator swung his dao, breaking the spear shaft before catching a second that sought his stomach. Even as Bao Cong released a burst of chi that sent backward the soldiers pressing him as the metal in their armor reacted, he paled further. Of them all, the blacksmith had the least amount of skill in melee combat and it was showing.
Once again, Wu Ying cast around in his mind for an option. He had used all the charges in his bracer already—the first time to deal with the cultivators when they came out, the second one to break the formation. None of his other attacks were strong enough to open the way. Li Yao, their strongest fighter, was tired and already taking on one side of their shrinking formation. She’d blown past any blockade that had blocked their way with the liberal use of chi, but strong as she was, all that had an effect. Bao Cong was tired and injured. Only Yin Xue had any real energy left. But he too was fighting multiple opponents. It was unlikely he had anything else to add.
As Wu Ying made up his mind to attempt the breakout himself, hoping to plow all his energy into a Dragon’s Breath attack, a familiar armored form appeared in the corner of his vision. A single shout from the cultivator and their opponents retreated, leaving the team surrounded but for the wounded and the corpses that lay strewn around their feet.
“Nowhere to run, little bird,” the armored figure said. “I told you so. But be glad, for you will fall before Mo Hei.”
“Did he just say that?” Yin Xue said derisively as Mo Hei walked toward them. “Is his ego so big that he needs to announce his name before trying to kill us?”
“I’m more worried about the part where he’s trying to kill us than his oratory skills,” Bao Cong said. “Maybe you can focus on how we are getting out?”
They had no time to even swear or offer a smart-aleck reply as Mo Hei and the two guards around him approached. If it was only those, Wu Ying could see them winning. But there were also the soldiers surrounding them. And even if their enemies were not particularly gifted cultivators, Wu Ying’s group wasn’t in their best states. Quantity had a quality of its own, and their enemies had quite the quantity.
“When they close in on us, I’ll break us clear,” Wu Ying said.
The way Mo Hei and the guards were coming, the ring around them would have to part. In that small gap, Wu Ying hoped he could break through the enclosure, freeing them to run. It would be dangerous, and Wu Ying knew he’d have to stay behind, but it might be the only choice.
“Idiot,” Yin Xue snapped, shaking his head. He reached sideways and flicked his hand upward, a glowing jade seal appearing. It was the same one Wu Ying had noticed him take from the tomb. There hadn’t been time to discuss what it was, and Wu Ying had doubted Yin Xue would talk of it. Even as he watched, the jade seal doubled in size and doubled again, increasing in form as it floated above the group. “Get in close. The family protective seal isn’t something I can control very well.”
Even as Yin Xue finished speaking, jade chains shot out from the seal, striking the ground in explosions of dust and stone. Any soldier in the way of the chains was struck and thrown aside, taking others with them. They lay bleeding on the ground, bones crushed, limbs shattered. Even as the soldiers recovered, the jade seal spun, twisting and following the motions of Yin Xue’s hands, its chains striking the unlucky standing soldiers.
“What the hells, you couldn’t do that earlier?” Bao Cong complained as he finished wrapping up the new injury on his leg, struggling to do so as blood dripped down his arm.
A flick of Yin Xue’s hand sent the seal spinning directly toward the wall. The group ran under cover of the spinning chains, protected from those who attempted to close in on them. Mo Hei snarled, breaking into a run and tossing aside his own men as he tried to close the distance.
“We have to hurry. The seal will not last long.” Each word was labored, and Wu Ying sensed Yin Xue’s chi levels dropping as he manipulated the seal.
Even as they ran, their opponents continued to harass them. Archers at the top of the wall opened fire, no longer worried about hitting their own as commanded by their unit leaders.
The team managed to make it another twenty yards before they slowed again. The pressure from the massed soldiers who had nowhere to go, even under the threat of the spinning chains, meant that Yin Xue had to direct the chains to strike multiple times. Under cover of their wooden shields, soldiers were thrown from side to side before their shields broke, leaving their owners to take the strike on their body. Yet each moment, the jade seal slowed, forcing the group to deal with attackers who crowded around the edges and behind them.
Wu Ying let himself fall back once more, doing his best to keep them back and going so far as to withdraw a second sword to help him block the attacks. He was entirely grateful for the undershirt armor that Elder Lee had made him purchase. If not, he would have already taken at least a couple of serious injuries as he scrambled to shield Bao Cong and the others. As it was, his legs and arms were bleeding freely, from strikes that he had managed to edge away from vitals but not block entirely.
A roar brought Wu Ying’s attention to the side as a giant sword swung at him. He crossed his blades in quick order, angling them so that the attack would slide down and hit the guards. Mo Hei’s swing smashed into the crossed blades, throwing Wu Ying backward as the momentum of the attack refused to end. He was flung backward, taking a glancing blow from Yin Xue’s jade seal chains. A glancing blow from a raised sword dug into the edge of Wu Ying’s armor, making him gasp in further pain. Luckily, the soldiers also cushioned his flight, and together, they were sent sprawling and rolling.
Wu Ying stood, shaking his head, ribs aching from where his guard had dug into his chest. The mail might have saved him from cuts, but it did nothing for impact. As he idly cut downward with one sword to deal with another soldier struggling to get up, Wu Ying was shocked to see that his lead weapon had a deep chip in it. Mo Hei’s single attack had damaged the sword. Even as Wu Ying marveled, he realized that the jade seal had stopped spinning, its chains retracted.
Another shout as Mo Hei rushed forward, sweeping his weapon down in an overhead cut. Having learned his lesson, Wu Ying ducked to the side and sent a quick stab at his opponent’s wrist, at the gap where bracer and gauntlets met. Unfortunately, aiming at a target so small on a moving target was difficult at best.
Impossible in a situation like this.
His blade glanced off Mo Hei’s armor, doing no damage before Wu Ying was forced to dance aside and cut with his other weapon at a threatening soldier. Forced to both guard his back and fight the armored cultivator, Wu Ying had no time to help his friends, even as he noted how Mo Hei’s team had joined the fight as well, engaging Li Yao and Bao Cong.
Already, Bao Cong was injured again, falling back and waving his hands before him. As Bao Cong’s opponent surged forward, he was caught in the sudden spray of tiny metal dust that Bao Cong had dispersed with his chi, blinding his opponent and making them jerk back in surprise. It bought Bao Cong a second to staunch the bleeding in his shoulder.
Wu Ying needed to disengage from his opponent, but he couldn’t do so. The larger, stronger cultivator might not be as skilled, but he was certainly stronger and faster than Wu Ying. The extra reach of Mo Hei’s long weapon meant Wu Ying could only attack his arms at best, his fingers at other times. Unfortunately, knowing those were likely targets, his opponent had armored his hands and fingers well, leaving Wu Ying’s attacks to skitter off in a screech of metal and a shower of spa
rks.
Rumbling arose from beneath Wu Ying’s feet. He didn’t know where it was coming from, but he didn’t have time to look—until a shout drew his attention. After he had jumped over the latest attack, rolling to come up near a soldier and sinking his blade into the man’s groin, Wu Ying looked up. He blinked, spotting a familiar face.
It was Tou Hei. Riding an ox and leading a small herd behind him. Wu Ying’s eyes widened in surprise. Just before the lead ox struck the entangled group of fighters, Tou Hei jumped off, pulling his staff from his storage ring and swinging it down. Wu Ying’s opponent staggered, his helmet dented under the force of the blow before his entire body was caught and thrown as an ox struck him with its shoulder.
All around, the herd slammed into the guards and cultivators. Li Yao jumped up, lightly running across the back of an ox, and struck with her spear at her opponent who had done much the same. It was a marvel of agility and control, as neither party stopped fighting even amidst the rushing animals. As the oxen parted further, Wu Ying ducked and used the bodies of the soldiers as shelter. Even in their fury-driven rush, the herd had no desire to rush through the packed group and instead struck at the edges, at those loitering in the gap between alleyway and wall.
That meant that Wu Ying and the others had a bit of breathing space. Enough so, Wu Ying launched a weakened Dragon’s Breath attack at Bao Cong’s opponent, who had managed to stagger back into the fight. Between the distraction of his own fight, the oxen, and the over-the-top battle between Li Yao and her opponent, he never saw Wu Ying’s attack that crippled his foot. Immediately, Bao Cong stepped back, disengaging. Wu Ying, seeing that Tou Hei had the rest of the fight in hand, grabbed Bao Cong’s arm and dragged him toward the stairs, which were now finally within grasp.
Already, Yin Xue had taken to the stairs, fighting his way up. Unfortunately, he was being hampered by the arrows of the archers above. Thankfully, even the extortions of their unit leader did not make them fire callously, for the group was too packed together to make for easy targets.
“Hurry up,” Wu Ying ordered Yin Xue.
Only silence greeted his exhortation. Yin Xue was already fighting, beating aside spears and stabbing at the guards above him. Every few seconds, he ascended another step, ignoring the occasional missed attack or too close arrow.
Wu Ying glanced at Bao Cong, who offered him a nod. He’d already set aside his dao, pulling his bow from storage and fitting an arrow to the string. Propped up against the wall, Bao Cong picked off the guards that continued to harass Tou Hei and Li Yao.
Wu Ying sprinted up the stairs to join Yin Xue. Just before he reached Yin Xue, he twisted and jumped toward the wall, his feet pushing against the stone edges, and climbed upward with the momentum he had gained. One hand, still clutching a sword, reached upward, fingers just brushing the top of the parapet. Enough to haul him into the sky. As Wu Ying jumped, ascending the wall, he twisted around, swords flicking out on either side.
The Dragon fishes in the Lake.
His first strike took a throat, the second a shoulder. The archers, who had been trying to target his friends, staggered away. But Wu Ying was not done. Upon landing, he twisted on one hand, launching himself at the final archer. A hasty block with his bow broke the weapon but sent Wu Ying’s sword aside. As Wu Ying landed on his feet, he twisted and executed Falling rocks in a Rainstorm as he borrowed the momentum of his attacks. The kick sent the archer off the wall, out into the open to crash down amidst his friends and enemies.
“Li Yao! Tou Hei!” Wu Ying screamed, alerting his friends.
They turned briefly and retreated, trying to reach the stairs. Bao Cong limped up the cleared staircase as Yin Xue reached the top, facing the opposite direction Wu Ying faced. He no longer had time to watch for his friends, for Wu Ying had to deal with the soldiers on the wall. Still, Tou Hei and Li Yao were close enough to ascend the staircase, blocking off their enemies below.
They’d reached the wall.
Now they’d just have to disengage.
Chapter 23
A quick disengage, a tip cut to draw across his opponent’s neck just below the straps of his helmet. It opened a shallow wound, barely an inch deep, but it was more than enough. The veins and arteries that ran across the body were not deep in certain locations, locations that Wu Ying had long learned. The small motion was all it took to end a life and free Wu Ying to regard his friends.
Below, Tou Hei held the stairs, fighting Mo Hei to a standstill. Staff and sword clashed again and again, neither party gaining an advantage. Tou Hei was more skilled, able to deflect the weapon and forcing it to crash against the stone with every other attack. But his occasional retaliatory attacks did little against Mo Hei’s armored form. Slowly, so slowly, Tou Hei was being injured, his arms bleeding from missed blocks.
Behind him, Li Yao stabbed her spear into the mass of attackers below, batting aside any cultivator who tried to ascend the staircase in an unconventional manner. Even as Wu Ying watched, another cultivator took a running jump, bouncing off one of his friend’s shoulders and leaping to the stairs. Li Yao caught his sword with her spear, edging the attack away before spinning in place and kicking him back into the air.
Bao Cong stood at the top of the stairs, taking his time and firing arrows into the throng. He focused on the few archers, and from the hesitant ways the soldiers moved to pick up fallen archery implements, it was clear that he was more than effective. Even so, his movements had slowed significantly, the wounds he’d acquired slowing him down.
As for Yin Xue, he, like Wu Ying, was free and clear of any dangers as they’d managed to deal with the soldiers on the wall. After moment of debate, Wu Ying handed Yin Xue a bundle of formation flags.
“Get it set up. Outside,” Wu Ying ordered Yin Xue, gesturing out of the city.
Wu Ying drew a deep breath, removing something from his storage ring as he turned away from Yin Xue. He could only hope that the man followed his orders, for Wu Ying needed to take care of the other cultivators. He quickly approached Bao Cong.
“Shoot this when it is above the others,” Wu Ying said. When Bao Cong nodded, Wu Ying turned to face the stairs. “Li Yao! We’ll need your ice.”
Not daring to wait any longer, Wu Ying twisted and threw the object. The Flask of Never-Ending Water flew over the group crowded along the stairs, where it was intercepted by a well-placed arrow. The formations, the enchantments in the flask broke, pierced as it was by the arrow. Water contained within the storage space exploded out from the flask, flooding those below.
Li Yao released the last of her chi into the surroundings, freezing the air, crystallizing the water, and creating a sheet of slick ice that covered stairs, armored bodies, and weapons. To aid her, Tou Hei spun his staff, pulling in the released heat as he churned his own chi. His opponent, drenched in water, froze as he tried to take another step forward. He crashed to the ground as tight joints and slippery stairs took their toll. A single strike by Tou Hei to the back of Mo Hei’s helmet deepened a dent and made the large form twitch before it stilled.
“Run!” Wu Ying ordered the group.
Bao Cong made a face, pulled a pill from his storage ring, and swallowed it, his face flushing with color. Making his bow disappear, the cultivator took a running start and jumped off the wall, following the same path as Yin Xue—who’d left already at Wu Ying’s earlier command. In short order, Li Yao and Tou Hei arrived from below, but to their surprise, Wu Ying was not running. He was instead slapping even more talismans on the ground, all across the wall and in front to the stairs.
When Wu Ying saw them hesitate, he snapped at them, “Move. I’ve got this.”
Thankfully, his friends didn’t hesitate any longer and jumped off the edge of the wall. Wu Ying slapped one last talisman onto the ground, extracted a piece of rope from his storage ring, and tossed it over a crenellation on the wall before he jumped, gripping the rope as he let it play out in his hands. The rough rope tore at his hands as he fell, a
nd he was once again thankful that he had gained numerous calluses from his swordplay. Between that and his Body Cultivation, he would not rip up his palms as he descended at speed. Unlike his friends—who had landed and were running for the forests or ducking into the hiding places and trenches the army had created—he could not withstand a full drop. Not without some injury, as he’d learned.
Wu Ying finally dropped onto the ground, and not a moment too soon as screams resounded from above. Wu Ying felt his lips pull apart in a grin, grateful that Bai Hu had been willing to sell him the talismans. The talismans weren’t all that destructive, just nerve-racking; more likely to make an individual fall on their face than to kill them. But they bought time, and that was all that mattered.
Once more, Wu Ying ran as fast as he could. But in the corner of his eyes, he saw soldiers on horses exiting the nearest gate, rushing to intercept them. He could only hope that Yin Xue had taken his orders and placed the formation.
***
“Slowly. Slowly,” Wu Ying chanted to his friends softly.
The group was crawling forward at a snail’s pace, each of them holding onto one of the formation flags as their enemies swirled around them. Deep in a trench that had been dug, created so that the army could narrow the distance, the group moved.
Finding Yin Xue had been simple enough. They’d discussed their options earlier, figured out where and when they would join up again if they were split up, with multiple fallback positions. Yin Xue had set the formation flags around their meeting spot in the ditch they’d chosen, ensuring they would be hidden the moment they entered the ditch. Once everyone was gathered, they began the slow, arduous process of sneaking away.
Unfortunately, their escape had roused the army within, and even if there were still concerns that Wu Ying’s group was just another distraction, the soldiers had sent forth a large number of patrols to find them. The patrols now crisscrossed the grounds, searching for them in an ever-expanding circle of horses and cultivators. The soldiers had even loosed spirit animals, scenting dogs that snuffled the ground in search of them. Only the liberal application of talismans and the disposal of certain demon beast cores had ensured their escape from the animals.