Silver Fox & The Western Hero
Warrior’s Path
M H Johnson
Copyright © 2021 by M H Johnson
Cover art by Andrey Vasilchenko
Typography by Bonnie L. Price
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and events are the work of the author’s imagination and all locations are either fictitious or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to real persons or events is entirely coincidental.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Character Sheet
Thank You
Additional Links
1
Alex bowed his head before the smiling elder now stepping away from the shimmering bridge that crossed the massive chasm marking the beginning of the trial awaiting Alex and his fellow supplicants. He felt a sweet sense of exhilaration as he took in the flight of golden steps leading to their ultimate destination kissing the mountain peaks, high above. The most revered cultivation academy in all of CuiJing province, if not the entire kingdom.
He had come so far to reach this point. From being frozen alive to finding himself trapped in the bowels of a raiding ship he managed to destroy before escaping into an exotic world filled with deadly peril and impossible wonder. A realm where he had been forced to fight for his life and for the lives of countless others as he made his way across a continent many times the size of the world he had once called home.
The many adventures he had experienced since waking up to his new life had been both bitter and sweet. He had felt both awed and overwhelmed ever since his first confused hours lost in a magnificent city fusing the wonders of a dozen ancient capitals in a world so reminiscent of a fairytale china that never existed. A world where cultivation was real, danger and wonder could be found around every corner, and one truly could tap into the spiritual energy all around and transcend the limits of mortality. It was a realm where ruthlessness went hand in hand with power, and a penniless foreigner would quickly find himself in dire straits if he lacked allies and resources of his own.
Alex would forever be grateful to the gruff-spoken alchemist who had provided him with food, shelter, and a chance to prove himself, when he could so easily have ended up a desperate beggar, or worse. A man who had, along with his daughter, taught Alex the basics of Golden Realms kung fu and alchemy, as well as helping him to unlock the gift that had already changed his life in so many ways. How wondrous it was to find that he too had the ability to cultivate, able to harness both the flow of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy and the potency of his foes.
He couldn’t hold back a grateful smile, awed and humbled by just how far he had already come. From a scrawny youth who had been so close to death’s door, to someone with the speed and grace of a world class fencer, and a strength that was already bordering on the superhuman as he dared to ascend the rungs of cultivation. First as a basic cultivator and now as a Bronze, securing the strongest foundation for himself that he possibly could.
His heart raced with excitement as he gazed up at his ultimate destination once more, fiercely determined to ascend the golden steps before him and learn whatever secrets he could in the magnificent academy waiting for them all above.
Of course, the climb would test Alex and the aspirants walking by his side to the utmost. As much as the golden steps ahead seemed to glow with the promise of ascension, a single stumble could spell disaster for any of them. Because more than just simple fatigue would burden them as they made their way up the mountain. They would also feel a spiritual pressure that would only increase with every step they took. And should a prospective student not have the strength to achieve at least the first plateau, should struggling feet stumble too many steps back, that doomed supplicant would tumble down the golden stairs and plummet into the ravine below.
Alex only had to glance down at the chasm he was crossing at that very moment to understand just how perilous the ascent truly was. Whether they wore fine silk clothes, enchanted cultivator’s robes, or poorly patched tunics, all of them paled equally at the sight of the deadly chasm below, echoing with the roar of the waterfall crashing down into its depths. For the mystic bridge they strode across was as clear as glass, inviting cautious steps along its center, even if none would admit to the fear they felt.
The richly attired youth who had voiced such contempt for those of limited means when they had all first assembled glanced back at the elder still standing beside the bridge, as if awaiting further supplicants.
“I don’t know why he even bothers. It’s obvious no one else is coming.”
A thin boy in threadbare robes walking beside Alex frowned at those words. “Maybe the master knows something we don’t? He did tell us to keep an open mind for unexpected opportunities, right before the Ruidian popped up in our midst,” he said, stealing a glance Alex’s way.
The young nobleman whose haughty pinched features reminded Alex so much of Yidushi’s elite purebloods, snorted. “And him even daring to cross this bridge of pristine spiritual energy is an act of madness that will surely result in his death.” The youth peered disdainfully at Alex. “Are you truly so eager to die, Ruidian? Think you’ll successfully make it up those steps that are a challenge for even true-blooded cultivators?” He laughed his contempt. “The both of you, complete and utter fools. So be it; your fates are on your own heads. I’ll waste no more time talking to dead men.” He then proceeded toward the steps at a fast clip, refusing even to look their way.
The shivering youth’s haunted eyes peered imploringly into Alex’s own. “You don’t think he’s right, do you?”
Before Alex could say a word, a young man wearing the attire of either a lesser noble or well-to-do merchant clapped his arm around the stick-thin boy. Alex’s eyes widened, only then realizing that the boy had been about to slump over in exhaustion.
“Don’t judge my noble friend too harshly. Sometimes the kindest service we can do for another is open their eyes to truths they’d rather not see,” said the young man with a surprisingly sympathetic smile, as if he hadn't just saved the boy from a perilous tumble.
The pale-faced boy, wearing a threadbare robe so thin that it did nothing to protect him from the cold wind washing over all of them, flinched involuntarily.
“Be honest with yourself. How do you feel? Are your limbs quivering with energy, your heart racing with excitement… or are you trembling with exhaustion as we brace ourselves upon a bridge that requires only the tiniest whisper of spiritual energy to stand upon?”
The boy, who couldn’t be any older than sixteen, trembled and lowered his gaze.
The concerned youth of perhaps twenty gave a sympathetic shake of his head. “It’s not the passion for success and glory that motivates you; am I right, lad? It’s desperation.”
The boy seemed to shrink in on himself but said nothing.
“Yet despite your circumstances and knowing it was a hopeless cause, you still found the courage to dare this bridge, eager to better yourself, even knowing you were going to your death.” The older youth gave a measured nod to the shivering boy. “I can respect that.”
The lad blinked, staring up at his benefactor with a frown of confusion, especially when he was handed a small silver token.
“My family name is Yingpei. Go back down to the city. Ask for the Yingpei family compound. Tell them Lin sent you and asked that you be given a job.” Yingpei Lin flashed an almost brotherly smile. “If you work diligently and prove yourself loyal, you will find a place for yourself among a clan both powerful and respected. Hard work and loyalty is all we ask for in return.”
Soul Sight skill check made!
Alex had said nothing for long moments, just observing the pair of them as they stood there on the center of the bridge. Most of the other supplicants had already crossed, save for a young woman with graceful features and inquisitive brown eyes, wearing an embroidered strip of cloth wrapped around her forehead, and a strikingly handsome, powerfully built youth garbed in cultivator’s robes that shimmered with protective wards, who was gazing at Alex far too intently for comfort, with dark twinkling eyes and a curious smile.
Features Alex was certain he had seen before, even if just a glimpse from a balcony occupied by royalty of a dozen principalities and nations, when those eyes had been wide with horror, forced to bear witness to a doom that had nearly claimed them all. Almost as certain as he was that the girl’s bandana hid a pair of curious fox ears.
Alex frowned. Why had he thought for even a moment that the young lord’s eyes were brown? They were a clear sapphire blue, much like his own. He shook the extraneous thoughts away, turning once more to the trembling boy and the well-meaning merchant who thought he was doing the youth a good turn.
If this were anything like the storybooks, Alex just knew that lad in the threadbare robes would give an angry shake of his head and put the entire group of supplicants in their place when he raced up those steps in a feat of focus and brilliance that would surpass them all.
But this was no gentle story with a guaranteed happy ending, as Alex himself knew all too well. With all the trials and tribulations he had endured these past two years, his own progression had been nothing short of remarkable, even for a fairy tale. His days had been filled with danger and excitement and a surprising amount of growth, but very little in the way of happy endings.
And no matter how arrogant or presumptuous the well-intentioned Yingpei Lin sounded, or how the boy before him shivered and clenched his stick-thin fists, certain truths couldn’t be denied.
“I’m sorry, but he’s right,” Alex softly said, gently patting the boy’s shoulder, the added physical contact heightening his perception of a truth his Soul Sight had already confirmed. “If you dare those steps, you will be charging headlong to your death.”
The boy turned and gasped, gawking at him with a look of betrayal. Alex winced. Of course he understood why. Here he was, a Ruidian, daring the impossible. Why wouldn’t he root for another willing to challenge his perceived lot in life and the prejudices of others?
But his Soul Sight hadn’t lied.
So Alex said what was necessary, pressing several coins into the boy’s too-thin hand. “You’ve never successfully cultivated in your life, have you?”
The boy flinched and shook his head. “My… my father spent every spare coin he had, paying his friend’s uncle to teach me Steel Bear technique. He learned it serving in the Royal Legions. He spent hours practicing with me, insisting that he wouldn’t take unearned coin. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t feel any blockages loosening.” He choked back a sob. “I couldn’t feel anything at all!”
Alex gently squeezed the boy’s shoulder, steering him back the way they had come. “And in your heart of hearts, you already know why that is, don’t you?”
The boy shuddered and sighed sorrowfully. “Because I don’t have any meridian channels to clear.”
Alex nodded. “Correct. It’s a rare gift that less than one in ten people have, to any degree at all. But you do have other gifts that will help you succeed in this life, if you have the wit to make use of them.”
The boy furiously wiped his eyes as he stepped off the bridge, returning to stand before the fearsomely potent guardian, who was gazing at the stick-thin youth before him with gentle sympathy.
“You are blessed with courage and prudence both,” declared the elder. “You were brave enough to make this trip to the outskirts of the city and dare your own destruction in your quest to better yourself. Yet when faced with the inevitability of your own fate, you did not flee life’s promise like a coward, but accepted its burden. And with that acceptance comes strength. Resolve. The ability to free your mind of extraneous pursuits that would only end in folly, and instead focus yourself on pursuits that will profit you in the years to come.”
The boy swallowed and nodded, bowing low before the elder.
“This lowly mortal thanks you for your wisdom, revered elder.” He then turned to Alex and Yingpei and bowed again. “This lowly one thanks you for your kindness, revered noble Yingpei Lin. I will make my way to your family compound and prove to be your most dedicated servant before the year is out. This I promise.”
The young merchant chuckled gently. “We claim no noble titles, but rarely has any clan bested ours in the arena of commerce. And I do look forward to seeing you prosper under my family’s care."
Those words earned a grateful smile. The boy bowed once more before dashing back the way he came, no doubt eager to make it back to the city before true nightfall.
Yingpei gave an indulgent nod before turning to Alex. “You showed kindness, helping that boy avoid certain death.”
Alex shrugged. “I’m all for avoiding needless deaths.”
This declaration earned a raised eyebrow. “So why are you so willing to risk your own life in certain folly?”
Alex laughed, turning around to face the mountain and the golden steps flashing with the final rays of the setting sun. “Maybe I just like a challenge.” He then frowned down at the bridge now shimmering beneath their feet. “And I think we really should get moving.”
“Correct,” said the elder, still standing watch on the far side. “For when the last flickers of crimson fade from the heavens overhead, so too will the bridge fade to memory and dream until the next full moon.”
The young kitsune’s eyes widened. “Oh no. That can’t be more than a quarter glass from now! All those steps; how will we make it up in time?”
The elder waved his hand. “Fear not. You have all night to climb those steps. All night, and all day. And even longer, if you wish.” A cold chuckle washed over them all. “You might just find yourself climbing those steps for an eternity, if you’re not careful. I wouldn’t dawdle, but you will cert
ainly have all the time you need.”
The girl paled and swallowed. “I don’t know if that actually makes me feel better,” she said, earning a sympathetic smile from the charismatic youth in the shimmering robes.
“Come on, Zhu Bi,” said the blue-eyed noble. “It’s time for us to take that first step.”
Alex and Yingpei spent a few thoughtful moments watching the pair make their way up the fiery gold staircase that glowed in the reflected sunlight. For just a second, the girl stumbled back… yet before a wide-eyed Alex could do more than brace himself, the powerfully built youth darted forward with startling speed, instantly bracing the girl before she could stumble back onto the bridge.
“First one’s a bit of a doozy, isn’t it?”
Zhu Bi flashed her savior a brilliant smile. “Thank you, Cheng Lei. I think you might have—”
Still smiling, Cheng Lei’s fingertips brushed the startled kitsune’s lips, instantly silencing her. “—done no more than brace your footing. Well within the rules of this challenge, and thus accruing penalty to neither of us. And since the bridge is still intact for at least another handful of minutes or so…”
The elder to Alex’s rear chuckled. “You are well within the realm of the permissible. But do hurry, children. As soon as the growing shadow overtakes the bridge…”
Silver Fox & The Western Hero: Warrior’s Path Page 1