Not that Mulan could blame her. Through the gaps of her hair whipping across her face as she ran, Mulan spied several leopard bodies sprawled on the ground, as still as the one stretched over Huyanti’s body. Up ahead, Mulan could make out the silhouettes of her friends, heading for potential safety.
The combination of adrenaline and fear gave her feet new energy. The flaming torches dissipated into smoke each time they ran past one, a heady scent of incense wafting up into the night sky as the shadows took back the night.
Each time Mulan glanced back, she swore she could make out amber eyes, piercing through the smoky air, but couldn’t see a damn thing.
The air thickened with tension and panic.
“We’re almost there!” Jiangnu’s shouts tore Mulan’s attention to the front. Only a short distance separated Zong and the others from the dilapidated building. Mulan forced her feet to go faster, ignoring her lungs needs to stop and breathe before they gave out. It wasn’t long before she caught up to Chuo, streaks of blood turning his face almost black.
Another set of torches went out.
Only seconds away from the temple, a wave of hot air crashed over them, pooling out into the darkness behind, taking them with it. Surprised cries echoed around her, fusing with her own. Mulan recognised the sensation of being thrown backwards, acknowledged the familiar pain of her back being slammed against the ground, and as darkness shot over her line of vision, finally welcomed the all-consuming embrace of unconsciousness.
Twenty-Six
The world returned in sound before anything else. Soft, menacing growls reverberated through Mulan’s head, following by an intense drumming she quickly recognised as her brain pounding against her skull. Slowly opening her eyes, twin golden orbs stared down at her, slits of black running through them.
The next thing her brain comprehended was the glistening set of pointy teeth only several inches away from her nose.
Swallowing down the fear that swelled in the back of her throat, Mulan stared back at the leopard, her eyes darting quickly to either side. Kang lay on the ground beside her, Chuo on the other side, both alive and awake. Not far away, a pitiful whisper floated on the air, easily recognisable as Jiangnu’s. Mulan drew in a deep breath.
A circle of leopards surrounded them on all sides, their jaws revealed in twisted snarls as they gazed down.
Trying to retain some vague threat of calm, Mulan drew in a breath, but panic threatened to seize control as she realised she no longer held her jian. Her fingers fumbled, but only found dirt.
Footsteps rippled through the air, swiftly followed by the most potent surge of power Mulan had ever experienced. If Yi Ligui’s magic was a whisper, then this was a yell that could stretch around the world. Tendrils of power didn’t just seep through her veins; it shoved itself down her throat like an iron fist.
“Can’t breathe,” Daocheng panted from somewhere to her left, his voice sounding stuck in his throat. “Why?”
Mulan heard the sharp intake of breath by her side. “Because you’re in the presence of a god,” Kang replied, biting out the words as if they were nails stuck in his teeth.
“It’s about time you recognised me for what I am.” A booming voice echoed through the night like a flaming arrow and the footsteps ceased.
Unsure of whether to keep her eyes on the leopard standing above her or not, Mulan decided to take the risk. Her eyes darted up.
Eyes the colour of fresh blood on virgin snow blazed through the limited light coming from the temple behind. A gentle breeze combed fingers through loose black hair that flowed far past broad shoulders. The same light brought out the edges of silver designs in his dark-coloured robes, and splashed shadows over his face. If it wasn’t for the flaming red eyes, Mulan believed he could pass for any well-to-do businessman or official.
He’s a god?
Kang scoffed from his position on the ground. “I’ve always known what you are, Xuan Wu.”
The god’s eyes flashed, and the chorus of growls grew louder. “Be careful how you use that tone with me, boy. It’s hard to eat without teeth.”
“That’s not a problem. I still have one of yours somewhere.”
The energy that wrapped around them tightened and Mulan gasped for air as it squeezed her insides. From the corner of her eye, she watched as Xuan Wu reached down and yanked Kang to his feet before squeezing his throat. Kang’s eyes bulged with the intensity of the grip but didn’t make any attempt to free himself. “Maybe I’ll take two of yours.”
“Maybe you should. You may learn a few things about oral healthcare,” Kang replied, waving a hand between them, his face turned away in mock disgust.
Xuan Wu pulled back a fist. “Why, you -”
“Enough of this!” Mulan exclaimed, fighting to maintain enough oxygen in her body as not to collapse. “We don’t have time for this, Kang.”
Red eyes pivoted in her direction and the anger that blazed within them just seconds ago turned to curiosity. “A woman?” He dropped Kang and turned his body around. “Let her up.”
With deadly grace, the leopards closest to Mulan stepped backwards slowly, their eyes never leaving her. The force of the magic that gripped them all dropped, and suddenly it was easier to breathe. After a few mouthfuls of much needed air, Mulan carefully climbed to her feet. The world swayed for a moment before she finally maintained her balance.
With deliberate slow steps, Xuan Wu strode towards her. Red eyes devoured her, trailing over her face before dropping low then back up. A shiver coursed down her spine at the appraisal. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen a woman,” he told her. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Especially as one as fierce as you. Such a pity.” The smile dropped. “You and your friends may go. My leopards will escort you to the boundaries of my territory. The dragon and fox will stay to pay for their crimes.”
Mulan’s eyes darted over at Kang, who remained where he stood, a mask of indifference over his features. “And what will you do with them?”
The smile returned. “Kill them, of course. You cannot expect to insult a god and get away with it.”
“You can’t do that!”
“There are many things I cannot do, little human. Killing people, however, is.”
Zong attempted to sit up, but three leopards growling in his face forced him to remain still. “Whatever issues the two of you have, it needs to be put aside for the moment. We need him alive.”
A derisive look stretched over Xuan Wu’s face. “Oh? Why is that?”
“Because without him, the empire will fall, and even gods will die.”
Mulan watched silently as the first flicker of uncertainty painted his features. “Explain.”
For a long moment, no one spoke. The only sound to be heard were incessant growls and the rapid heartbeats within their chests.
Finally, Mulan spoke. “We’ll tell you everything we know providing you don’t kill or hurt us.” Kang’s words from Jiangnu’s underground home came back to haunt her. “Or your animals and servants, either.”
Laughter rode the wind and Xuan Wu clutched his belly. “So damn sneaky. I see the dragon has been telling stories about me. I like smart women. Fine, fine. Get up and come inside. We’ll talk where the wind can’t whisper secrets.”
As the leopards stepped back enough to give them all enough room to get to their feet, Mulan’s heartbeat slowed down somewhat. A glint of metal caught her eye. Reaching down, as soon as her fingers closed around the hilt of the jian, a sigh escaped from her lips. She’d come so far with it. No way she’d leave it behind now.
Mulan glanced behind her. Somewhere in the depths of the darkness, Huyanti lay. It didn’t seem right to leave him out there, alone. “What about our friend?”
“We’ll see to him.”
Mulan remained silent, her eyes trying to pierce through the inky cloak of night and failing. Her heart ached to walk away without burying him.
“Well? Are you coming or not?” Xuan Wu called
from the doorway.
After sharing nervous glances with each other, Kang led them towards the main building where the god waited.
As Mulan stepped over the threshold, she couldn’t help but gasp. Wooden walls stretched high, the height of at least six men. Beams as thick as the length of a man’s legs supported the high ceiling; in places, several tiles had fallen in, letting in patches of night sky. Long lengths of silk that once served as curtains fell in limp rags, moth-eaten holes running through them. Silk paintings adorned the walls, all in various stages of decay with only a few of the figures recognisable through the layers of dust that covered them. Wooden tables that Mulan imagined once held bowls of fruit and vases full of flowers now lay collapsed on the ground, their legs snapped.
Other furniture hadn’t escaped the same fate, not that she could make out what they were except for several bronze vessels of different sizes. A sense of sadness ran through her. At one point, this temple would have been something glorious to see. Time, or maybe some other force, had stripped its beauty bare.
“Why would a god want to live here?” Daocheng whispered to her.
Mulan opened her mouth, but Xuan Wu answered before she could tell him to be quiet. “Because it’s my prison.” Abruptly, he stopped and gazed around. “This was once a magnificent temple, the Temple of Majestic Lights and Supreme Harmony, dedicated to the Jade Emperor for his benevolence and love of the people. No expense was spared in creating it. For nearly fifty years, those who lived in this region toiled to create something worthy of the one who dedicated his life to bringing peace and contentment.”
Daocheng’s head turned in all directions, taking it all in. “What happened?”
“Like all people, they rose only to fall. The tribe that lived here has long faded away with the passage of time.”
“When was this?”
A sigh echoed through the dust-ridden hall. “Oh, a very long time ago. In the middle of what you mortals call the Zhou Dynasty.”
Shocked glances shot between Mulan and her friends, although Kang’s remained impassive still. The Zhou Dynasty? That’s around fifteen hundred years ago!
Even being Tuoba, Mulan knew of the ancient history of the country. For eight centuries, the Zhou kings ruled, establishing many of the political and social customs that were still used today, even by the Tuoba. Mulan threw him a curious glance. “How old are you?”
Red eyes flicked briefly to her, then back over the room. “A lot older than I appear.”
Falling back into silence, Xuan Wu led them towards a back room where the damage didn’t appear quite as severe. A low table sat in the centre of the small room, a few flattened cushions scattered on the floor, but no dust marred the surfaces. He’d obviously kept taken care with it. Mulan wondered if there were servants here. Taking a position at the far end of the table, Xuan Wu gestured for them to sit.
As soon as everyone sat, they scuttled backwards. Two large snakes the colour of the deepest night slithered across the floor and slid onto the god’s lap. Panic rose in Mulan’s throat; she’d never been keen on snakes.
Xuan Wu held up a hand. “I gave you my word that none of my animals would hurt you. Sit.”
Trepidation lined their movements as they cautiously returned to their seats, but Mulan noticed Daocheng inching closer to her. Like herself, he didn’t like snakes much either.
A curious mural stretched over the wall behind the seated god. Many of the figures were faded, but Mulan could just make out a river and various kinds of animals, including snakes, tortoises, leopards, and cranes. In the centre, a figure huddled on its knees as others loomed above it. Geometric symbols painted in black framed it all. Like the entire building, even diminished, time couldn’t destroy its beauty.
“I see you’re looking at my story,” Xuan Wu finally said.
Mulan nodded, her brows creased. “Does it tell of how you came to be here?”
A heavy sigh shot around the room. “You want to know? Fine. It’s been a while since I told it. Many centuries ago, I was born to mortal parents, a prince in a state long forgotten by history. They raised me to be the greatest warrior the world had ever known. Such were my skills that it wasn’t long before they started calling me the Dark Lord of the North. No one could match my strength. Making my way down to the Wudang Mountains, I found immortality. The gods welcomed me as one of their own, and I returned to the mortal world, where I intended to help humans once again. For a long time, that’s what I did.
“Slowly, a kind of madness fell over me. Once I fought for the common people, for everything good and just in this world. Then I started fighting for the sheer love of it. I bathed the world in blood. Human, monster, animal – it didn’t matter. All I cared about was the thrill of having life and death in my hands. Eventually, the Yellow Emperor imprisoned me here. When the bloodlust finally evaporated and I could think clearly, he and the others sentenced me to two thousand years here. Since then, I cannot go beyond the borders of this temple.”
Zong frowned, his eyes briefly flicking to the snakes now being stroked on Xuan Wu’s lap. “But why is it so ... ruined?”
“Because the day when every building in the complex falls, is the day I am free.” Red eyes shot to Kang. “Now explain what is going on.”
With a sigh of his own, Kang recounted their story, from their first encounter with the Rouran sorcerers right up to their escape from Pingcheng and meeting Jiangnu. As Kang talked about Mulan’s fighting skills, Xuan Wu’s red eyes lit up with what seemed to be admiration, but they faded back to displeasure when Jiangnu stated what she knew.
When Kang finished talking, Xuan Wu remained silent for a long time. His long fingers continued stroking the black snakes stretched over his lower body. Finally, he opened his mouth. “The fox thief is right. No one can open the cave without the seal.”
“So Prince Jizi can’t open the cave?” Chuo asked. “Great. Then it doesn’t matter if the Rouran find it.”
Xuan Wu fixed him with a penetrative stare. “Foolish boy. No one is meant to know about the seals, but if Jiangnu knows, then it means others will. If Emperor Taiwu and his blasted sons haven’t found out yet, it won’t be long until they do.”
Kang leaned forward, his arms resting on the surface of the table. He slid a dark look towards the god. “Which means they’ll go looking for it the same place we did.”
All eyes shot towards Xuan Wu. The god’s jaw tightened. “Fuck.” Abruptly, he got to his feet, the snakes wriggling away. Balling his fists, he paced the length of the room. After a minute, he turned back to Kang. “Ancestral caves are more than just the places that a new people emerge from. They’re places of power. Immense power. Power that could be harnessed to destroy every living thing in this world. As soon as someone leaves the cave, a seal is placed over its entrance to stop them from returning. When the Tuoba were created, it was me who fixed it. Before I went mad with bloodlust and imprisoned here, I hid the seal.”
Kang frowned. “In this temple?”
Xuan Wu snorted. “Don’t be stupid. No, I hid it somewhere else.”
Mulan leaned forward. “Where, then?”
Hesitation flashed briefly in his eyes. “Each god who seals an ancestral cave is tasked with helping the first with whatever they need. We guide them with basic needs. Food, shelter, clothing. Establishing a settlement. Some will go on to create great civilizations in only a few short decades, others never grow more than a single village. But each is just as important to the gods as the others. Their safety is vital. We go to great lengths to do our duties to them.”
Mulan continued to frown but opposite her, Chuo began nodding, his eyes lit with excitement. “You hid it where the first Tuoba settlement was created.”
“I guess you’re not quite as dumb as you look, boy,” Xuan Wu sighed. “But not exactly. It’s located in the tomb of the first Tuoba man, far, far away from the cave which he walked out of. I thought it would be safer with considerable distance from the cave.” He t
urned back to Kang. “The seal has been safe for a thousand years, but I cannot trust your mortal family not to find it. I’ve seen the cruelty your father inflicts. The wind whispers of your brother’s deceit and brutality. You’re a pain in the arse, Ao Kang, but I hear no tales of viciousness from you. You will retrieve it. That will fulfil your debt to me.”
Kang nodded, his face sombre. “Where do we go?”
Xuan Wu pulled in a deep breath then let it out slowly. “It’s hidden in the mountains north of Bingzhou.”
Mulan gasped. “That’s where the Rouran sorcerer said he was going!”
He locked his intense gaze on her. “This is why I’m giving you its location. This is an honour, young one. Never in my long life has a god bestowed a seal’s whereabouts to a mortal, but these are perilous times. I will not allow the people I helped into this world be destroyed over the power-mad ambitions of one of its own or from outsiders.” He pulled in another breath and stared at each of them. “You will go north, find the seal, and bring it back. No price is too high.”
Kang stood. Clasping one fist in the other hand, he bowed deeply to the god. “We understand.”
“You’d better, otherwise the world as you know it will fall. I know your brothers’ types – their arrogance and lust for power will destroy everything in their path.” Xuan Wu’s eyes fixed on Jiangnu, who had remained quiet all this time. “The fox will stay with me. She still owes retribution.”
“But -”
“Surely it would be better -”
“Wouldn’t it -”
“Silence!” Xuan Wu’s voice bellowed around the room. Power surged through the confines, stealing everyone’s breath, and sending hair whipping around their faces. After several long seconds, it faded, and everyone could breathe once more. “She stays with me.” Walking over to Mulan, he stared down at her with those intimidating red eyes. “Honour flows through your veins like a river through a valley. No matter what, no one else must acquire the seal. Give me your word you will protect it.”
Honour, She Obeys Page 29