Alex kept his head lowered slightly, moving as if he were approaching the cluster of obediently waiting cultivators, clenching his fists when he noted the way Yuren's mocking smile grew as hope wilted and died upon the faces of his victims. Yet just before Alex could pass him, the leader of the trio of thugs spun on his heels, getting right in Alex's face as the other pair moved to box him in.
“And just where do you think you’re going, Ruidian sc—”
You have activated Dark Qi Projection!
You have successfully struck enemy cultivator with kidney punch.
Dark Qi gauntlet pierces Qi Wards! Opponent caught off guard! Light Armor mitigates damage by one degree. You have inflicted 200% critical damage multiplier! Your opponent is temporarily stunned!
You have struck your target’s jaw with left hook!
Opponent saves versus shattered bone. Opponent is temporarily stunned!
Qi Perception detects all opponents! You have struck cultivator approaching from your rear with half-moon kick!
Dark Qi boot pierces Qi Ward!
Weakness found! You have struck left patella! Foe saves versus shattered bone. Foe saves versus tendon rupture. Your opponent is now screaming in pain. Your opponent has lost his balance and has toppled over!
You are now fleeing your opponents!
Before Yuren could say another word, he found himself wheezing in sudden pain as Alex sucker punched him in the kidney, a follow-up left hook fluidly whipping out to smash into the man’s jaw as he toppled over with surprise and pain. Like the moves of a well-choreographed dance, Alex’s heel was already slamming into the knee of the silent third cultivator trying to slip into shadow with a black dagger in hand, the man crumpling to the ground with a cry and a curse as Alex then used his momentum to weave under the grasping arms of the massive strength cultivator and slip free of their trap.
And before his foes had even fully registered what had happened, Alex was already sprinting for the far side of the pool, the shimmering golden stairs his lifeline.
He wasn’t stupid. He knew that the only reason he had avoided getting pounded was because he had struck with unexpected force and fury, taking his foes by surprise while being careful to avoid the largest of the three in crowded terrain that favored his enemies. He was grateful that his Dark Qi Gauntlets and boots were able to pierce any Qi Ward, though they had no added penetrating power against actual physical resistance, save perhaps as a pair of iron gauntlets, which was a pretty damn effective bludgeoning weapon, now that he thought about it.
His thoughts were racing a mile a minute as he dove for the stairs. Because the trio of reds were now most definitely chasing him, not to mention roaring for his blood, Cheng Lei’s laughter washing over them all.
Alex flashed a grin of dark satisfaction as his heart pounded with exhilaration, and perhaps just a smidgen of dread. Unfortunately, the odd parameters of this contest made it impossible for him to strike as hard as he would like without suffering the most severe of repercussions, and he refused to play the fool and show off his deadliest cards in front of a score of cultivators who held no allegiance to him whatsoever.
“I will kill you for that, Ruidian scum!” roared the redshirt known as Yuren. “Yumeng, you know what to do.”
Alex could all but sense the nod from the leanest of the trio who would have faded completely from Alex's perception, were it not for his lesser affinity with Shadow Qi.
“Erlengzi, you’re going to throw that bastard clean off the steps! There will be no trace of him, and we’ll deny anything but that he tripped and fell. Which will be the truth. Yumeng will hamstring him, and you’ll make sure he falls right off the damned mountain!”
Cold baritone chuckles from the monstrous Erlengzi made it clear he was just as bloodthirsty as his master.
Alex flashed a bleak smile. At least now knew the names of all the players, though he thought them fools for speaking their intentions aloud, before he was forced to wonder just how well voices carried over multiple steps, and whether the cultivators below could hear them at all.
Then he blinked in surprise, realizing they weren’t speaking the local dialect at all.
Maybe they weren’t being quite as foolish as he had first thought.
Yet somehow, he still understood them perfectly.
Unexpectedly, Yumeng sounded less than pleased. “Why must we kill the Ruidian now? I have no wish to parse my words with a Silver Guardian, nor be branded a killer this early in the game. We came here for a reason, and that fool only hindered our ability to break this year’s crop for a time. We’ll proceed just like before, once we reach the next servant’s plateau.”
“Because that fool dared to strike me twice, Yumeng! That’s all the reason you need! I want that bastard dead, and if you have to lose a damned rank, so be it!” roared Yuren, before taking a deep breath. “We’ll all reach Silver ranks, I have no doubt. And you’ll be rewarded in pearls for any perceived loss in status.”
Yumeng snorted. “So long as you’re willing to pay me for the loss in black pearls, I could care less whether the fool lives or dies. But his death will still look bad for our mission. Better we do it after we assume our earned ranks and have been accepted into the school.”
Their voices faded, and Alex might have thought the echoes in his mind had been pure fancy, had he not had occasion to appreciate the fox’s odd blessing of hearing unexpected snippets of conversation more than once before.
He cracked his knuckles, reveling in the power he had fought so hard to acquire. A Rank 4 Bronze he might be, with so much farther to go that it might take him a lifetime to achieve his goals. But all he had to do was savor the effortless grace with which he took these golden steps, flowing with the spiritual resonance of a current growing ever stronger as he progressed, to appreciate how far he had already come.
And his cultivation journey had only just begun.
2
Successful use of Lesser Shadow Affinity! You sense your target ascending the steps!
Alex flashed a satisfied smile from under the cover of one of the many stone obelisks in the steamy plateau oasis, which resembled a luxurious bath and sauna, perfumed with the scents of honeysuckle and wildflowers, while bowls of silver fruit waited beside multiple alcoves. Alex had understood at once, from the welcoming smiles of a pair of well-dressed, handsome attendants, that this was both the ascension and retreat of elevated servants.
When the beautiful young cultivator in the skimpy kimono suggested that he relax and partake of the luxuries offered and put an end to his arduous journey, he had of course immediately realized what that entailed: retiring from his quest and embracing a life of respectable service, where he would be honored for his work and permitted to relax and indulge himself in turn on any days off he would receive. The young woman had confirmed it with her gaze as much as softly spoken words.
It was equally clear that she was also filled with regret for not having dared more as a sixth ranked basic cultivator two years ago, now eager to blot out the bittersweet thoughts that always overcame her on ascension days by losing herself in the powerful arms of the Ruidian before her, and how captivating she found his hotly blushing cheeks contrasting with his pale ivory skin. Those were thoughts echoed not with words at all, but rather thanks to a critical success with his Soul Sight skill that Alex hadn’t even realized he had been using.
He flashed an apologetic smile. “I’m afraid I can’t stop quite yet, but perhaps you can help me in other ways,” he had said, earning a hungry smile from the girl gazing so raptly at him.
With a wink, he flashed silver, and her beautiful kohl-lined eyes widened for other appetites besides the carnal. One silver coin became four, and an accord was quickly reached with an equal number of attractive servants attending the spa, each fading into the distance as if no more real than wisps of dream. Of course, they only dared such an absence for a fraction of a glass, and only because Alex had ascended far more quickly than anyone who was actu
ally ready to surrender so soon in their journey. But it was more than enough time for what he needed to do.
Or so he hoped.
You spot your target proceeding towards the far steps.
Your target has passed your present location.
Alex flashed a feral smile. For all that his ability to sneak enjoyed no supernatural enhancements, the power to completely camouflage himself while his Qi Perception gave him a full sense of his environs for seventy feet in all directions, such that he didn’t need any line-of-sight on his foe, gave him an incredible advantage, effectively making him invisible in the most mundane sense of the word.
The perfect skillset for any ambush predator.
For all that Alex suspected the Red Prince, Dongfang Hong, was behind these men’s appearance, he had no actual proof, aside from a couple fragments of chance-heard conversation, that their designs went any further than the ruthless intimidation of any would-be competition. Fortunately, Alex was perfectly content being his own judge, jury, and executioner, whenever necessity forced his hand.
But for better or worse, he needed to let these three live without giving away too many of his own secrets, while making sure they posed minimal threat to himself and the remaining cultivators fighting for their own ascension.
At least for now.
It was only when Yumeng had proceeded a cautious fifty feet past Alex’s hiding spot, echoes and splashes hiding the sound of his tread so effectively that Qi Perception alone clued Alex into his location, that Alex chose to act, moving so fast that even should inhumanly sharp ears twitch at the tiniest of splashes…
Just as his foe did with wicked black dagger held by his side...
It was already too late.
Water Walking skill in effect!
Bullrush! Bullrush!
Adderstrike!
Soul Sight skill check failed. You fail to sense the flow of Qi in your opponent.
Find weakness skill check made! You know just where to strike your foe to disarm him without shattering every bone in his hand!
Between one eye-blink and the next, Alex had flitted from behind a stand of lush potted plants, to the middle of the steam-filled sauna, to right behind his opponent. His Dark Qi-covered gauntlet slammed into the hilt of his foe’s dagger with such force that the weapon was instantly torn from the man’s hand, Adderstrike allowing him such explosive power that even a Silver Rank 1 Quickness might fail to dodge in time if Alex actually managed to get into position, though a Silver speedster would certainly devastate him with counterstrikes, should his target survive the initial blow.
As it was, the dagger, radiating such deadly spiritual energy, went flying through the air before sinking into the waters of the sauna-like basin where the assassin waded almost up to his knees. Before his foe could even cry out at the damage to his hand, Alex was slamming into the man full force with a devastating series of punches, elbow strikes, and knee bombs, sending one of his would-be executioners collapsing into the basin. The man’s prone state highlighted yet another edge Alex had over most other cultivators in this chamber. Anyone lacking the correct Qi techniques would be forced to wade in water well over a foot deep, whereas he could skip and dance at will above, thanks to his adept Water Walking skill.
Alex’s dark smile grew as his foe spasmed and struggled for air, eyes wide with terror as he jerked up with a coughing wheeze. His face was a blackened and bruised mess, the man spitting out teeth and blood through his shattered jaw as he sobbed and shook, trembling with adrenaline and terror while clutching injured fingers with his good hand.
Meanwhile, Alex had already blinked twenty feet to the rear of his foe before using a second Bullrush to flash behind a collection of fruit-bearing trees and waiting a handful of seconds as the man sobbed and spun around to focus on the steps he had struggled to ascend.
“Yuren! Erlengzi! Help me! That monster’s trying to kill me!” Yumeng’s panicked garbled voice was the farthest thing from the cold confident killer he had seemed just minutes before.
Alex felt a predatory thrill at his enemy’s panic as he took advantage of his foe’s utter distraction to bulrush twice more, landing right above the point where he sensed the dagger glowing with such malevolence underneath the basin’s surface. One Qi-covered gauntlet quickly dipped into the waters, pulling the deadly weapon free.
For too long he had been forced to flee before his foes, as enemy after enemy was placed before him on the board of existence which Alex now knew to be a crucible like no other, the game board of the gods above. But finally, after countless battles, he had the strength to face foes of Bronze caliber or below, on equal footing.
Not that he would be a fool about it.
Because Rank 2 speed was nothing compared to a rare Bronze Rank 4 or 5. But when combined with savvy tactics and ruthless cunning, at least he now had a fair chance of not only surviving, but making his enemies rue the day they dared to think him easy prey.
And for all that he still had quite a ways to go before he could hope to ascend to Silver, he possessed a trump card that few others could match: a massive Qi Pool that would do even a Silver Naga Wujen proud. Reserves he was more than happy to dedicate to destroying his foes.
Hopefully without giving even a single one of his trump cards away.
“Yumeng! What’s the meaning of this?” roared a furious Yuren as he ascended the final golden step, the crimson tiles of his armored changshan glittering evilly in the moonlight, the massive Erlengzi just a few steps behind.
Yumeng spent long moments with his head lowered, heaving great shuddering breaths, cheeks flushed with shame perhaps only Alex could sense.
“Yumeng! What the hell happened? Speak, damn you!” Yuren shook the shorter man, who cried out, clutching his damaged hand close.
“That monster… he’s not human!”
“Of course not,” snorted Erlengzi. “He’s a Ruidian. Probably a gem master. And the fact that he could climb these steps at all shows what a farce this whole testing thing is. No harder than wading through water!”
Yuren glared at his companion. “Don’t be a fool. The pressure you feel is spiritual, not Water Qi in nature. You’re just strong enough and stupid enough that you don’t realize it yet.” He flashed a bitter smile. “Wait until we ascend a few more plateaus, or reach a point when the rapids would deny us Silver. There you will feel it, Ox. You may bet your last blood-oath on that.”
Erlengzi snorted. “Then how the hell did a stupid Ruidian get the drop on our assassin, who’s now holding his broken hand like a mewling babe? And where the hell’s your dagger, Yumeng? That’s one weapon we don’t want hostile eyes spotting out in the open!”
Yumeng sobbed once, struggling to speak clearly through his broken jaw. “He disarmed me. That damned Ruidian actually disarmed me. Me! He didn’t even offer challenge. Just started pummeling me with steel gauntlets. What kind of student incorporates steel gauntlets in an honorable fight?”
Erlengzi laughed. “Are you truly such a fool? Rusted Mountain. Bitter Iron. Crimson Ox. I could name half a dozen martial styles! Their practitioners train with gauntlets of bronze or steel, and learn to resist the pounding blows of metal against bone until their bodies are as strong as steel and their hands become as hard as iron itself! The ones who can’t ascend are still demons when covered in steel and fighting with gauntlets.”
“Yes, I know that, idiot!” Yumeng snapped. “But none of those practitioners are in Cuijing Province, and certainly none are initiates stupid enough to attend a school where anyone who can’t forge Bronze cords ends up as a lifelong servant to this damned academy!”
He turned to Yuren with desperate eyes. “What the hell are you waiting for? Pass me a healing potion. I can’t access my own!”
Yuren gazed coldly at his battered cohort. “How pathetic. To think our black dagger would allow himself to be caught so off-guard as to be beaten to a pulp by his own mark. And a Ruidian, no less! It’s your dagger that should be lodged in his
back!”
He sighed, giving a contemptuous shake of his head. “I told you storage rings would be worthless in this place. We’re too close to the next world here. It’s the whole reason why the original monks were able to set up this damned trial.”
“Yes, you were right!” Yumeng hissed. “Your research has proven its worth yet again. Now quit your damned lecturing and give me a potion!”
Alex’s heart raced with excitement as he eyed his distracted prey, safely hidden by steam, stillness, and distance. His eyes locked on the padded leather pouch safely secured at the small of his opponent’s back.
Qi Perception check successful! Artificer skill check successful!
He frowned, noting the distinct telltale shimmer of a Qi Ward, subtle enough, yet unmistakable with the way the water bowed around their submerged legs, a full inch of clearance around his targets. He then glanced down at his knife, a merciless smile crossing his lips as he focused on the compact blade radiating what he was now certain was Shadow Qi.
Even if it did no more than hide the deadly instrument from an inspector’s cursory examination, it was a deadly tool, nonetheless. Doubly so, if his enemy’s assertions were correct, and all storage containers were sealed off during this trial. Alex could only wonder how many ascending cultivators were discovering that right now, to their sorrow, with food, water, and healing potions denied them, forced to make the entire ascent with nothing but grit, perseverance, and the strongest of foundations. Because sure as heck, the guardian had left that little detail out before their ascent had begun.
Alex contemplated the blade in his hand. His Dark Qi Projection skill could now coat his fists, forearms, shins, and feet so well that it was effortless in terms of concentration, draining only a minimal amount of Qi.
When was the last time he had actually tried pushing himself with that skill?
Silver Fox & The Western Hero: Warrior’s Path Page 3