Mentally gathering everyone up, including Jia’s Essence, Ash transported them all into the ring.
And to the Hall.
Great. Time to answer a lot of questions.
***
“It would seem the vast majority of the combatants are gone. The only people left are the dead, dying, or crippled,” Locke said.
Ash lifted his head up from his arms and blinked several times.
He’d been dozing lightly at a table in the middle of the library hall.
Everyone else had been exploring the Hall or the contents of his storage ring. Since technically, it all ended up here.
Moira and Tala were talking quietly not far away. Mei and Jia were sitting at the table he was at, reading books.
“She’s still at the medicine stall, right where you left her,” Locke said before Ash could even wonder about Yue.
She had apparently spent the entire time at the stall and with its inventory. With any luck, she’d been refining medicine and making more pills.
We’re gonna need anything she can make. I hope she’s been productive.
Standing up slowly, Ash stretched his back one way and then the other.
“Alright, I’m going to go see what’s in store for us in the square. I can’t sense anything out there that would be problematic,” Ash said. He wasn’t about to share Locke’s existence with them.
At least, not yet. Locke felt like something even beyond what a “Fated One” would have, and he wasn’t about to talk about it right now.
“I’ll go with you,” Mei said, bouncing to her feet. “I can build fortifications quickly if I need to.”
True. Earth Essence users would have that in their repertoire, wouldn’t they?
“Alright. Let’s go then. We’ll be back shortly if it looks fine,” Ash said, looking to Jia.
“Okay. A question before you go—is there a time dilation here? Should I expect you back immediately, or add time?” Jia asked.
That’s… an interesting question. Can we time dilate this place?
“It… is possible. It’d require much more Essence than we’ve been gathering. Much, much more. Though we could alter the flow eventually,” Locke confirmed.
Alter the flow.
Ash paused in mid thought, his eyes moving to the middle distance.
“Well?” Jia asked.
Shaken from his contemplation, Ash shook his head. “No. No time dilation. Sorry.”
Transfer us over.
A flash of light and Ash was standing in the square. Except it felt more like a butcher’s shop.
It smelled of blood and guts. The sweet, sickly odor of copper.
He could practically taste it.
Looking around, he saw the smell and taste matched the reality. There were corpses, body parts, people bleeding out all over the place.
“Looks clear,” Ash said. “Start building a place for us to lie low. Preferably underground, if it’s doable. I’m going to start sorting out the living from the dead. Maybe we can make some friends.”
Can you relay my voice to the Hall?
“Easily.”
Great. I’m going to speak now.
“The square is clear, but there’s a lot of wounded. I’m bringing everyone over. Start sorting out the living and the dead. Yue, you’re playing medic. Start feeding everyone medicinal pills.
“If we end up healing a Deng family member, we’ll just put them somewhere safe for a time. Maybe we can make some converts out of them,” Ash said.
“Message relayed. They appear to be readying themselves,” Locke said.
Give ’em a minute, then bring them over.
Also… uh… can you put a green marker over everyone who’s alive?
Actually, put a red marker over everyone who is alive and close to death.
Oh! Let’s make it so that if they’re in danger of dying, make it a square, and if they’re a Deng family member make it a bright red. Everyone else a bright blue.
Everyone who isn’t in a life-threatening situation, make them stars. Red and blue accordingly.
“Done. Anything else?”
Can you provide me with arrows to who’s going to die first? By your own estimations.
Green arrows flashed into Ash’s view, guiding him onward.
After following an indicator, Ash found himself standing over a young woman. With a bright-red square.
She was unconscious, her skin as pale as paper.
I guess I get to decide how to handle it much earlier than I expected.
There was a large pool of blood around her. It looked as if something had blown through her chest. Going in one side and exiting the other.
“We can secure her with your leeching abilities. Tap her three times. It’ll be enough to keep her from generating Qi, but not enough to kill her.
“Then you can just tie her up like a normal human as the pills do their job,” Locke offered up.
Sighing, Ash realized it was the best idea at this moment. Running his hands along the woman’s body, he quickly emptied her of anything that might help her or aid her in escaping.
Pulling out a small, circular token, Ash paused.
It was a smooth metal slug, without any type of identification.
“That’s the Deng power source I keep sensing. It’s coming from that.”
Huh. Alright. We’ll keep this one just in case.
Ash pocketed the slug.
Pulling a pill from his storage, he pushed it into the woman’s mouth, then tapped her three times on the shoulder.
Do I have time to drop this one off before going for the next one?
“Yes. Or so I estimate.”
Ash attached the chains to his belt and hefted the woman up over his shoulder. Turning to find Mei, he was surprised to see her standing still, staring down into the ground.
Shifting the woman around on his shoulder a bit, Ash started making his way to Mei.
The arrow that was still pointing to the woman bounced around from her to someone else a few times.
Then it settled in another direction entirely. As if the woman Ash was carrying was no longer in immediate danger.
Mei glanced up at him as he approached, her eyes moving to the woman on his shoulder.
“Cheating on me already? I haven’t even had the pleasure of knowing you in bed,” Mei said, the corner of her mouth curving up. She held one hand open and pointing toward the ground as she spoke.
Whatever she was doing, it was happening beneath the ground, out of sight.
“Uh huh. She was dying, and she’s apparently a family member of yours. I’ve already got her stabilized. Need to tie her up and put her somewhere. She won’t be harming anyone or doing anything for a bit. She looks like the one from the first test.”
“I suppose I can forgive you for that. Let’s see who it is,” Mei said. “Turn around for me so I can get a look. At her as well.”
Snorting at the flirting, Ash turned around so Mei could see the woman.
“Surprising,” Mei said after a second. “And a loss for the Deng family. I won’t bother you with her name since you’ll probably forget it. But it is indeed the one Jia fought against in the Essence competition. If we can convert her, or at least keep her from doing anything more, it would help us greatly.”
Jia, Moira, Tala, and Yue popped into existence. Almost immediately, they began fanning out. Checking people for signs of life, then moving on or starting to treat them.
Mei rolled a hand and then snapped her fingers.
A rectangle opened up in the ground and yawned into an open doorway below.
“There. That should work. It’s deep enough that we can’t be attacked directly, and built in such a way that people won’t be able to understand it from above,” Mei said. “I’ll take her. You get back to work.”
“Right, just bind her with rope or something of that nature. She’ll be as weak as a citizen.”
Ash handed over the woman to Mei and then turned to the sq
uare.
There was bloody work to do.
Thirty-Six
It took what was probably close to two hours, but the square was cleared. Deng family members were healed, drained of Qi, and tied up.
Those who had no Deng affiliation were healed and enlisted to help with the square’s cleanup process.
Jia clapped her hands together, and Water Essence washed her hands clean.
“What do we do now? We have not heard from Gen, and there is no… word. Of anything,” Jia said.
“I’m not sure. Part of me thinks we should just stay put. There isn’t much we can do against elders and masters,” Ash said with a sigh. “We’d just get killed.”
Moira folded her arms in front of herself and nodded her head.
“It’s true. We’re not at their power level. We’d be little more than a strike or two if they decided we shouldn’t be there.
“We can’t really impact this battle any more than we have,” Moira said.
True. Other than getting Gen an army to fight the Deng with, there isn’t much we can do against those higher-leveled individuals.
“We should attack the Outer Sect Deng clan house,” Mei said. “There is much to take there, and it would only be guarded by those able to handle body refiners. Anyone above that would be sent to fight.
“It’s also a fallback point. A stronghold. They would be that much worse off if we took it and they needed it.”
Jia’s eyebrows went up, and Yue looked interested.
“It’s not as if we can do anything more here,” Yue said. “We’ve secured the area, provided shelter for the wounded, and secured the enemy combatants. Anything we could fight against, they could as well.”
“That and if something comes to wipe out this location, there is likely little we could add,” Tala said. “We’d just be killed with the rest.”
“Accurate,” Locke said.
“And you think we can get in? And win?” Ash asked.
“Yes. The defenses aren’t complicated. Most of the problem is the security there. I do strongly believe it’ll be gone, though,” Mei said.
“The alternative is to sit here with nothing to do and hope we are not attacked,” Jia said. “I think it would be good to strike them there. If they were hoping to use it as a defensive location or a storehouse to rearm, it would be good to take it.”
Ash looked to Mei.
“Lead on, then. We’re in your care,” he said.
Without hesitation, Mei turned on her heel and started leading them deeper into the sect. Everyone else fell into a wedge formation behind her.
Ash put himself in the rear since he could react faster than anyone else. Moira and Tala flanked him a step ahead, though still next to him.
“This is a good moment to remind you she was given a chance to betray us, and she did not,” Moira murmured softly. Her lips practically brushed his ear as she did it, ensuring no one would hear it but him. “She is loyal to you, and I think it wouldn’t be a bad idea to consider tying her to us more closely.”
Ash blinked at the unsaid words.
There wasn’t much more he could do to tie her to himself, other than marrying her or pledging a blood oath with her.
“She’s also very polite to me, and she treats me as an equal despite my status,” Moira continued. “Think on it. You’re destined to have more than one woman in your life—it’s just a matter of time. Better to pick now, before you are forced.”
Moira then kissed his ear and followed it up with a small nip of her teeth against his ear lobe. “And we’re visiting the Hall tonight. Alone. I’m tired of sleeping by myself.”
Then she withdrew, the warmth on his ear fading quickly.
Though Ash certainly felt warm everywhere else.
“I tend to agree with her. Though I personally would take Yue to my bed first, rather than Mei.
“Mei I would take after that,” Locke offered helpfully. “I think I’d leave Jia to herself. She won’t be ready until she unwinds whatever problem she has with her family.
“As for Tala, I’d wait for her to make the move. I don’t think that’ll be long after you bed your second woman, though. She won’t want to be much further behind than that.”
Why do you seem to think this is a competition? It’s my life! This isn’t some dating show where I just hump my way to victory.
“Isn’t it, though? Whatever woman becomes your primary wife will have infinitely more power than whoever is last.
“They’re not wrong in calling you a Fated One, Chosen One. You’re destined to leave a mark.”
Whatever.
Ash ignored Locke entirely and focused on keeping an active watch on their surroundings. This was the worst possible time to let himself be distracted.
The sect was under what seemed like a siege.
After what felt like ten minutes and a number of turns, they stood in front of a warehouse.
One that seemed shoved back into the depths of the Outer Sect and long forsaken.
“Yes. This is it. There’s a small door in the floor inside the warehouse. One must know it’s there to be able to get in,” Mei said. “I don’t believe they would have changed anything here, as they’re not aware I know.
“My aunt told me about several locations like this. If she were to admit it to others, she would be heavily punished. I cannot imagine she’d be willing to take a hit like that to her image.”
“In other words, in being selfish and fearing repercussions, you know where several safe houses and storage areas are,” Jia summed up.
“Yes, and isn’t that grand?” Mei said with a smile as she opened the warehouse door. “Everyone in. I can’t open the door if this is open.”
Once everyone got inside, Mei shut the door and turned to the wall adjacent to the entry.
“It’s a false wall,” she said. Reaching up, she began pushing on the bricks one at a time. “Auntie said one of these would give way and allow it to open.”
“This one,” Locke said, highlighting one brick in particular. “It has a faint Deng power signature to it. I think it won’t open without one of those tokens.”
Pulling out the Deng token, Ash reached up and started tapping bricks with it. He wasn’t going to go straight to the right brick. He had to make it seem like he was searching blindly.
“You have a Deng coin,” Mei said, eying him and pausing in her search.
“Took it from the Essence girl. I figured why not, might come in handy,” Ash said. Then he tapped the slug to the brick Locke had told him was the right one.
A small pop and the crackle of static electricity provided the noticeable clue that something had happened.
“Ah, the token must be required,” Jia said. “Your aunt must have thought since she did not include that piece of information, she could keep you from snooping.”
Mei frowned and then pushed on the wall near the corner. It slid into itself as if it were on wheels. “I did try. Twice. So I suppose she wasn’t wrong in not telling me about it.
“I thought the Deng coin was just a way to identify members.”
“It’s a power source,” Ash said, pocketing the coin. “I can sense them on people.”
Mei walked into the cutout in the wall and vanished.
“Oh, that’s how you identified who was in the Deng family,” Yue said, following Mei. “That makes sense.”
“Let us be silent. We have no idea who waits below for us,” Jia advised.
One by one, everyone went into the hidden passage, following Mei down into the darkness.
“No guards,” Mei said as they passed out of an antechamber and entered a hallway. At the end of the hallway, two doors looked like they went in different directions.
Moving to a small pedestal off to one side at the starting point of the hallway, Mei rotated the small statue that sat atop it.
There was a soft pop as it settled into a new position, and Ash had the sense that a number of nasty things had just been deactiv
ated.
“Traps are on, though,” Mei said. “That means if someone is home, they are no stronger than we are.”
“Will deactivating the traps signify we are here?” Jia asked.
“Possibly. If they’re paying attention. Unlikely though,” Mei said. Turning, she waved a hand at the door they’d passed through.
A massive earthen wall appeared that must have been ten feet deep.
“That’ll keep anyone out that doesn’t belong, and give us a moment to decide what to do if someone stronger shows up,” Mei said. “Otherwise… what’s our plan?”
“Do you know the layout? Can we just go to the vault, then burn everything down after we’ve robbed them blind?” Yue asked.
“I don’t. I’m sorry,” Mei apologized with a shrug.
“You have done enough, Mei. We would have had no plan at all without you,” Jia said, dismissing the problem.
“I would recommend we split into two groups. Three and three. Myself, Mei, and Yue as the first. Between us three, I know we have enough storage space to clean out anything we encounter.
“The second would of course be Ash, Tala, and Moira,” Jia said, looking to the rest of the group. “I doubt there is anyone here who could stand up to either three of us. And if there is, we can double back and find the other group simply enough. This is a safe house, not a maze.”
Yue nodded her head, quickly followed by Mei doing the same.
“As you like,” Ash said. Then he gestured at the hallway and the two paths ahead of them. “I’ll take the left, then. You can have the right side.”
All three women looked askance at him.
“No reason,” he said to the unspoken question. Which wasn’t quite true. It was just that this reasoning wouldn’t make sense to anyone.
Always clear dungeons left to right, and make sure everything is checked. This is no different.
Work it one side to the other, make sure it’s all clear, and move on.
Mei’s face pinched together in clear worry.
“Be safe, Ash. Without our Fated One, I don’t think we’d last long,” she said.
“I’ll do my best to remain safe. Promise,” Ash said, waving a hand at her. With Moira and Tala in tow, Ash opened the left-hand door and went in.
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