by Tao Wong
But in answer to Elder Po’s declaration, the entire expedition sped up again. Wu Ying fumbled for a second, tossing his second pill from Elder Wei’s stash into his mouth and storing the pill bottle. It was a waste in a way, for Wu Ying could tell he had not fully assimilated the first pill. Worse, the continued use of the pills would leave toxins and impurities in his meridians, forcing him to extend his cultivation time.
But better a longer Body Cleansing than dead.
The first attack came from their right, a trio of impatient xing tian charging forth from the undergrowth. Tou He and the other pair of cultivators on the right flank took the attack straight-on, never breaking their stride. One threw a curving metal disc that slipped above a shield, tearing off a xing tian’s ear as it blinded its target. A second guard fired bolts from a repeating crossbow[54] and peppered a xing tian who managed to block all but two of the bolts. Unfortunately for the monster, the cultivator had poisoned the bolts, and the demon stumbled as the poison entered its bloodstream. Tou He caught the last demon’s descending axe high with the tong fa before hooking the weapon and striking the axe out of the demon’s hand with his other weapon. A quick series of strikes cracked and broke the creature’s knee, allowing Tou He to disengage and catch up with the expedition.
As if the initial attack was a signal, more probing attacks were launched at the group. As the attacks intensified, the group was forced to slow its headlong rush. Wu Ying soon found himself facing off against a pair of xing tian, his sword weaving a defensive formation as he fought off the striking axes. The shields the monsters wielded blocked any attacks he could throw, forcing Wu Ying to constantly retreat and opening a line in their formation.
All around, Wu Ying caught glimpses of various cultivators locked in battle. A porter, smashed to the ground by a shield, gasped his last as an axe buried itself in his chest. Li Yao battled three xing tian by whirling her spear above her head and conjuring a series of ice spikes that cut into her opponents, pinning them in place. As quickly as the demons fell, others took their place.
As the line was about to collapse, Elder Dong appeared, jumping high above their heads. As he spun through the air, he threw a series of inscribed yellow talismans. The talismans unerringly struck the xing tians’ foreheads and carried the demons out of the line before exploding and wreathing their targets in flame. In the brief respite, the cultivators regrouped, breathing heavily and favoring wounds.
“Do not stop. I will hold them off!” Elder Dong directed the group.
In Elder Dong’s hands, his axes appeared before he threw them out to strike and injure the xing tian who had already begun to charge. As one, the remaining members of the expedition took off, heeding the Elder. Wu Ying’s last glimpse of the Elder was Elder Dong slowly backing away, his axes flying from his hands, still burning with flame.
“Will he be okay?” Wu Ying gasped.
“Shut up and run,” Chao Kun ordered with a snarl. But even he threw a worried glance backward.
***
As the Elders took a direct hand in the running battle, the next few minutes were easier. In short order, Wu Ying found the group slowing down and bunching up. Elder Po fell back to watch their back as Wu Ying saw the reason for the expedition stopping. A wide canyon lay before them, separating one mountainside from the other. Between the two, from far below came the light rumble of water.
“What are we going to do?” one of the cultivators said.
Already, the rhythmic drumming of the xing tian approached. Wu Ying looked behind, seeing nothing but undergrowth and the thin line of combat cultivators.
“Relax. Once we cross, the xing tian will not be able to harm us,” Liu Tsong said.
“But how will we cross!” the same worrywart cried out.
In answer, Liu Tsong pointed at the edge of the canyon, where Elder Li and Ru Ping stood. Elder Li continually struck her cane on the ground, and as Wu Ying watched, earth formed and added to the dirt beneath Ru Ping’s feet. The man strode forward, dispersing seeds before him that fell and grew, anchoring the formed earth and creating a green-carpeted bridge. As the pair walked forward, the bridge formed beneath their feet.
The remaining members of the group stared in awe for countless seconds before Chao Kun’s voice cut in. “This is not the time. Watch yourself. The xing tian will attack us for real once they realize we are trapped.”
“And we’re down one Elder already,” Tou He said.
As if to punctuate his words, sudden explosions erupted from the treeline. Elder Dong stumbled out of the vegetation, past the line of guards who parted to let him through. Li Yao grasped the Elder and held her cold hands over his bleeding wounds, freezing the blood that dripped from the injured Elder.
“Do not worry, child. It’s mostly superficial,” Elder Dong said, chest heaving as he drew in air.
The Elder made no move to stop Li Yao however, allowing her to continue her ministrations. Once Elder Dong caught his breath, he fumbled out a healing pill and swallowed it, closing his eyes to cultivate and heal.
Wu Ying gestured with his head to Tou He, and together, the pair joined the thin line of guards near Chao Kun. As they readied their respective weapons, the crackling of flame coming from the forest died off and the beat on the shields increased in tempo.
And then stopped.
“Ready yourself,” Chao Kun warned.
The xing tian exploded from the trees in a wave. Wu Ying drew upon the Brilliant Woo Petal Bracer and sent the metal chi into his sword. Executing Covering the clouds with the Tail, Wu Ying tapped into his understanding of the Dragon’s Breath and the metal sword chi to strike at the xing tian. The attack, when it struck, tore open skin and muscle, exposing bone and injuring the demons that failed to block the cultivator’s attack. Next to Wu Ying’s initial target, a pair of demons whose shields had been badly cared for had their defenses shattered, leaving them exposed.
Wu Ying’s projected attack was joined by others. By his side, Senior Ge threw his fists forward at such speed, only the after-shadows of his fist strikes could be seen. The projected fist strikes forced back those who faced him, many falling to the ground, bloody and concussed. Those demons that had the misfortune to face Elder Po could not withstand even a single punch.
But not all portions of the line were as equally fortunate.
Tou He, unable to project energy—even falsely like Wu Ying—took his attackers on directly. The ex-monk swung and thrust the blunt end of his weapons, catching, upsetting, and striking those demons that came within range. But the limited range of his attacks forced him to retreat as axes and shields pressed him back.
As more and more xing tian arrived, the line buckled.
Wu Ying found himself beset by one of the xing tian that had broken away to attack him. Forced to pay attention to the demon, Wu Ying allowed others to close in on the group. Yet he had little choice, for the demon’s overbearing strikes required all his attention. A careless block would see his weapon beaten out of his hand, exposing him to further injuries.
A twist and Wu Ying kicked out, sending the demon flying backward even as it blocked the kick. Another thrust, slipping through the gap between shield and axe, tore open the inner thigh of the monster. A hasty dodge and a follow-up corkscrew punch set back another attacker.
The line of cultivators was forced to collapse backward, relying more and more on Chao Kun, Li Yao, Elder Po, and a few other powerful martial specialists. Wu Ying fought as hard as he could, but often had to divert more powerful opponents to Senior Ge.
“Useless.”
The words spoken by Elder Wei were soft, but somehow, they reached everyone’s ears. A muted beat of wood hitting metal resounded behind the cultivators even as greenish-purplish smoke creeped across their feet. Wu Ying, surprised by the change, missed a block and managed to dodge by jerking backward at the last minute. The axe parted the light armor he had purchased, leaving a shallow cut across his chest. As the xing tian moved to finish Wu Ying,
the smoke curled up around its legs as if it were alive, shocking the creature.
As the monster opened the mouth that was located at its belly button, the smoke dove within. Immediately, the demon beat on its torso in an attempt to drive out the smoke. All along the line of cultivators, the xing tian were assailed by the smoke. Those behind backed away, wary of the living smoke.
“Fall back,” Elder Po said, shaking the blood off his fists.
The cultivators retreated under the protection of the hip-high smoke. As Wu Ying retreated, he glanced back to see the smoke continuing to spill from the cauldron manned by Elder Wei and Liu Tsong. Wu Ying watched as the Elder directed the smoke from the cauldron with waves of her hand, the smoke twisting and surging toward the xing tian. Even as he watched, Wu Ying saw how the level of smoke forming decreased, the way the smoke at the edges of the clearing dissipated.
“How long can she hold?” Tou He asked.
“Long enough,” Liu Tsong replied with a grim smile. “We used a lot of rare materials for this, but it should hold.”
Wu Ying breathed a sigh of relief, then looked back to where Elder Li and Ru Ping worked. How Ru Ping made the seeds grow and sprout, holding the earth together so that Elder Li’s chi would be less exhausted, amazed Wu Ying. Wu Ying knew the Elder had to be supporting the entire thing with her chi, chi that was being exhausted as they crossed the gap.
As Wu Ying looked back at the cauldron and its smoke and the xing tian prowling the edges of the smoke that had poisoned and killed their friends, Wu Ying could not help but marvel at the Elders. Together, they had held off a clan of xing tian.
“Core Cultivators are amazing,” Wu Ying said.
“Yes. But the xing tian have their own,” Chao Kun said. “They have not come out yet.”
“Why not?” Tou He asked.
“I do not know. They are holding back, far behind the cliffs. It is almost as if…” Chao Kun said.
“As if?” Wu Ying said.
“As if they fear angering what is on the other side of the cliff,” Elder Po said, overhearing their conversation.
His words silenced Wu Ying and the other cultivators until Elder Li finished forming the green earth bridge. The silent group crossed the bridge as one, Elder Wei sauntering across at the back. The dying embers of the fire beneath the cauldron sputtered and stopped, the smoke fading away. As Elder Wei walked across, the bridge crumbled behind her feet.
As if outraged by Elder Wei’s slow saunter, a xing tian rushed the gap and leaped forward. Cries of shock erupted from the cultivators’ mouths. Only to be silenced by Elder Wei’s mocking smile as her pill cauldron flew from behind the creature and struck it in the back, sending the monster careening into the depths of the canyon.
Elder Wei turned around then, the cauldron hovering in front of her. She stood there, mocking the demons for long seconds before she tossed her head, black hair billowing behind her. A graceful turn of her heel saw the Elder face the cultivators before she strode forward. As she placed her feet on their side of the canyon, the remainder of the bridge finished crumbling, separating cultivator and xing tian.
“Show-off,” Elder Li complained, the old woman pounding her cane on the ground. “You, porters. And Wu Ying. Help set up camp. We’ll rest here tonight.”
The groaning porters stood back up, pulling out tents and other equipment. Wu Ying staggered over to help them, wincing at the congealed blood on his chest and wondering how many they’d lost in that desperate fight. Too many, most likely.
Chapter 19
The group stayed for a single day, resting and treating their accumulated injuries. At least, most did. Ru Ping roused Wu Ying late that evening and dragged the injured and tired cultivator on a harvesting trip along the cliff face. Hanging off the cliff edge, held in place by a pair of ropes, Wu Ying and Ru Ping swung back and forth, occasionally adjusting their height as they harvested plants from the sheer cliff faces. A third line clipped to their side held the collection bags which were pulled up at intervals as they were filled. And filled they were, for the pair found numerous rare and uncommon herbs that only grew in such locations.
When Wu Ying finally crawled out of his bedroll the next morning to join the expedition group as they ate breakfast, Li Yao asked, “What time did you get back?”
“Late.” Wu Ying had no idea how long they had worked. After the third time Wu Ying suggested they stop and Ru Ping’s strenuously objected, he gave up.
“Will you be able to keep up?” Li Yao said.
“Ru Ping said the expedition will be going slower,” Wu Ying replied as he got his breakfast. He made a face as he ran a tongue along his teeth, debating between pulling out his horsehair toothbrush before breakfast or after. As his stomach rumbled, Wu Ying discarded the idea and focused instead on sating his hunger.
In short order, the group had packed up and was ready to go. True to Ru Ping’s word, the expedition moved at a slower pace, allowing the injured cultivators and those still exhausted from the fight to keep up. Once again, the guards spread out to scout the surroundings, leaving Wu Ying and the other non-combatants to plod along on the trail.
Hours passed, with a break for a leisurely lunch, before tension crept into the group again. As Wu Ying jogged by a nearby fallen tree, his lips curled down. Along the edges of the trunk, Wu Ying spotted the deep gouges left by a claw the size of his wrist. The broken portion of the trunk showcased the rest of the claw gouges, conducted with such strength the entire tree had broken.
“Cat,” Wu Ying said to Li Yao, who jogged beside him.
“Or something with a feline body,” Li Yao corrected.
“Or something with a feline body,” Wu Ying agreed.
He did wonder what it meant for so many creatures to be mixtures of others. Demonic blood gone wrong? A certain heavenly mandate that creatures could only have so many forms? After all, even Sun Wukong[55], that master of shapeshifting, could never get rid of his tail. Idle thoughts to pass the hours as he ran and cultivated, thoughts which required or provided no answer.
On and on, the group ran. When night arrived, Wu Ying went out once more to harvest. Days passed without incident, a factor that made the entire expedition ever more concerned. Eventually, as they neared their destination, words of warning were passed back. The group slowed down as they entered a clearing.
Before them, standing as tall as a building and as wide as one too, a pixiu stared at the trespassers. The pixiu was a creature with the body of a lion that had long antlered horns jutting from its head and soft, downy wings furled up along its torso. Tawny golden fur with bright streaks of red and lighter yellow ran along the monster’s body. As first the creature stared at the group in silence, until Elder Po strode forth with Elder Li.
“Greetings, honored pixiu,” Elder Po said, bowing low. “And our deepest apologies. We had not known this was your demesne.”
“Good that you acknowledge your mistakes.” The pixiu’s voice was a low, throaty growl, feline and yet cultured. “Turn around and I will only eat one of you.”
“We cannot do that, honored pixiu,” Elder Po said. As the pixiu bristled, Elder Po waved and a simple wooden table appeared, followed by silk-wrapped packages. A half-dozen packages appeared on the table as Elder Po bowed low. “We beg you to allow us to continue our journey through your lands. We are not far from where we need be—a meadow high above on the mountain with three rings.”
“I know the place. It is outside my grounds,” the pixiu said.
It prowled forward to sniff at the packages and its feline face wrinkled, giant paws rising to claw apart the packaging and release the contents. The smell of smoked and marinated demon boar strips erupted from the first package. From the next, roast spirit duck, soaked in rice wine. Each package held a different delicacy, their aromas making Wu Ying’s mouth water and his stomach growl.
“I’ve never tasted any of those,” Tou He said jealously. “Not prepared like that.”
“I doubt mos
t of us have,” Wu Ying replied. “I recognize the packaging. It’s from the Jade Garden restaurant.”
“Mmmhmmm…” Li Yao audibly swallowed overflowing saliva.
The pixiu bent its head forward, biting into each offered package and sampling the food. It let out a happy roar before it stuffed its face, rumbles of contentment erupting from its chest as it ate. The pixiu finished consuming half of the contents before it turned to the waiting Elders. “This is sufficient for your trespass thus far. Another dozen to let you go farther. And the same for the return. And the five Core demon cores you collected from the xing tian.”
Wu Ying could not help but wince at the declaration, even as the Elders bowed low to the creature. The cost of the meal offered was in the hundreds of taels. Add in the demon cores and the additional meals and the cost of passage would be in the thousands of taels. On the other hand, Wu Ying stretched his senses out again then retracted them immediately, the burning sensation in his perception making him wince as he encountered the pixiu’s aura. The pixiu glowed from the suppressed power it contained.
“What is it?” Wu Ying asked Li Yao, jerking his head toward the creature. “I’ve never felt something so powerful before.”
“The pixiu is a Nascent Soul Primary beast. It has ascended to the most basic level of immortality,” Li Yao whispered.
“Nascent Soul? But—”
“Pixiu are descendants of the original long[56]. They carry the bloodline of dragons in them. Of course they are strong,” Tou He remarked. “For them, achieving immortality is as easy as breathing for us. Only time bars their way.”
The Elders took their leave of the feasting creature, regrouping to have a quick discussion. In short order, Elder Po returned to the pixiu with a storage ring. The pixiu levitated the ring toward itself with the skillful use of chi, sliding the ring around its antler, where it joined two others.
“Go. But be careful,” the pixiu said. “There is something wrong with the mountain.”