by Wong, Tao
But just as Wu Ying neared, his opponent released the strength in his blade entirely, letting the entire thing collapse backward. Wu Ying controlled his own tip, which wanted to follow the line of his opponent’s sword, ensuring his attack did not go off-line, but the opponent was already twisting, curling his body around the collapsing blade as he brought his gauntleted fist around. His fist closed and Wu Ying’s blade ground to a halt as his opponent bent the blade.
Then, rather than following up with sword or fist, his opponent stepped forward and head-butted Wu Ying. Or at least, attempted to.
Wu Ying dropped low, letting his body bend backward and yank the sword from the opponent’s light grip. Wu Ying followed the rest of his motion, legs rising and seeking his opponent’s chin and missing. Finishing the backflip, Wu Ying sighed at missing his attack. But at least he was safe. If out of measure once more.
While these non-specialist ex-wandering cultivators had exploitable gaps in their fighting techniques, they also often utilized new attacks from angles that Wu Ying would never have considered. Other times, they chained attack forms that were unorthodox but effective. At least, after so many months fighting them, Wu Ying was beginning to be less surprised when they did something different.
A dozen passes later, Wu Ying collapsed, tired. Most sparring matches ended when one or the other’s stamina or concentration was exhausted. Other times, they ended because an opponent became bored. That was a reason only the most arrogant or new cultivator chose though.
For Wu Ying, even with the most untaught of opponents, his father had drilled into him that there was a lesson to be learned. Whether by constricting one’s own movements or attacks, or by otherwise practicing timing or footwork, you could always learn. If you were willing.
Soon after they finished, Wu Ying’s opponent left, making his thanks before searching for a drink. After multiple passes, Wu Ying had picked out the most common techniques his opponent relied upon. After that, exploiting them had been easy. Wu Ying had even introduced a couple of new variations of his own, though many of them had failed. But that was the advantage of sparring. Failure did not result in bloody injury or death.
And unlike true battles, Wu Ying had long minutes to study and learn. In a real battle, a single surprise attack could end a fight. A bad duelist might make a great fighter. It was a lesson Wu Ying reminded himself of constantly as he fought these new Sect members.
As cool water slid down his parched throat, as chi refilled his dantian, a new scent behind Wu Ying made him turn. Tilting his head, Wu Ying smiled. “Yu Kun.”
Over the last few weeks, they’d met often on the training ground and had struck up a friendship of blades. Yu Kun was the perfect kind of opponent for Wu Ying at this time—slightly stronger, using a different weapon and a unique but orthodox style. With his varied and wider fighting experience, Wu Ying had to push himself to win.
“You here for another match?” Wu Ying asked.
“Mmmm… eventually. But I wanted to ask about an assignment I noticed.”
“Our expedition?” Wu Ying said with some hope in his voice.
“Yes. It seems dangerous.”
“I guess. The monsters we intend to fight should be manageable, with planning.”
“But the locations you are going to…”
“Might be more difficult. Thus, the high contribution points. And we won’t leave until later, so there’s time to train further,” Wu Ying reassured Yu Kun.
“When?”
Wu Ying hesitated. “In a week or two. We need to do a little more research, but we should go soon. Otherwise, we won’t have time to collect the material.”
Yu Kun cocked an eyebrow at the words but eventually nodded. “Very well.”
“Will you join us?”
“I believe so. I’ll apply later today.” Yu Kun’s lips quirked into a grin. “Though it’ll depend if Elder Yang chooses me.”
“Chooses you?” Wu Ying frowned. “I thought we’d find it difficult to get many.” Wu Ying glanced around pointedly at the quiet training grounds. “The points and the danger—”
“Are high. But you forget, you have one attraction many other assignments are missing.” As Wu Ying raised an eyebrow, Yu Kun grinned. “You have a Fairy.”
Wu Ying sighed. Of course. He had a sudden premonition of what they’d see when they finally started the selection process.
“So I expect you to put in a good word for me, yes?” Yu Kun grinned.
“Well… only if you can beat me. Wouldn’t want to burden the Fairy…”
“Now you’re asking for it,” Yu Kun said, pointing at the nearby fighting stage. “Let me show you who beats who!”
Laughing, the pair ambled over. As humorous as their words were, Wu Ying gave his best in the fight. He could not forget that this entire expedition was to save his Master’s life. And they really did need the best they could find.
***
Days later, Wu Ying and Fa Yuan were seated in a small room off the Assignment Hall’s main room. The private room they had been assigned would allow them to interview the prospective expedition members in peace. Beside them, a teapot steamed as the leaves within brewed, bringing a light, floral scent to the surroundings.
Wu Ying was seated perpendicular to Fa Yuan, as she was to lead the interviews. While his comments and opinions were valued, he was only a new inner sect member. Compared to his martial sister, Wu Ying had little experience in managing and picking out suitable applicants.
Wu Ying held the paper sheaf, reviewing the names within. Fa Yuan had dictated them to him over the last few minutes as she had finished browsing through the applicants’ information. On a bamboo scroll supplied by the Assignment Hall was each applicant’s past history of assignments. Details of the assignments, the applicants’ levels, and any skills learned or known by the Sect were included, allowing Fa Yuan to quickly highlight those who were not suitable. It was this list of undesirables that Wu Ying held.
“About Yu Kun,” Wu Ying said hesitantly. “I know he hasn’t completed as many assignments as others, but he is a good fighter.”
Fa Yuan raised an eyebrow. “We have a lot of good fighters.”
“But he’s a wandering cultivator. Or was. He has more experience outside the Sect,” Wu Ying tried again.
“So do I.”
He cajoled his brain, trying to find another reason for Fa Yuan to choose the man. To Wu Ying’s continued surprise, the number of applicants had beaten even his revised expectations. He had, once again, underestimated the appeal of Fairy Yang. That the applicants included as many women as men only mildly surprised Wu Ying. While female courters for Fairy Yang were common at the higher levels, women at the lower levels of cultivation seemed to be more reserved. Perhaps they had better judgment of their chances.
“Is he that important to you?”
“Yes,” Wu Ying replied automatically. Then he paused, letting his brain go over the question again before he nodded firmly. “Not like Tou Hei. But I believe he will be an asset. I trust him.”
Fa Yuan gestured at his document. “Then take him off.”
“Really!?!”
“You are as much a part of this as I.”
Wu Ying struck the name from the document and stood immediately. “I’ll announce the names then.”
He strode out of the room and regarded the throng of potential applicants. They packed the corridor, some standing alone, others in small groups. All regarded the others with caution, though a few of the more extroverted were trying their luck with the female candidates.
“Those names read out, we will not need you. Thank you for applying though,” Wu Ying called, quieting the crowd.
Rather than allowing them to build disgruntlement, he read the names immediately after his declaration. By the time Wu Ying had finished reading the names on his list, only a dozen applicants were left. Of those, nearly half were women.
Wu Ying could not help but wonder, was it on purpose? Did Fa Y
uan assume that the woman applying were less likely to desire her company or were less likely to be jealous of her status? If so, were they then expected to be more competent? Or was it just chance? Wu Ying almost considered perusing the documents, but in this case, the full information provided was limited to the Elder. There were some things an inner sect cultivator was not allowed to know.
He could only shrug in defeat before beckoning the closest surviving applicant to follow as he stepped within. As Wu Ying turned, he could not help but notice that Yu Kun was grinning. And could not help but return the smile.
It would be good to have friends for this expedition.
Chapter 9
A week and a half later, Wu Ying and the rest of the team gathered underneath the red paifang that denoted the start of the Sect and its inner grounds. Unlike the last expedition he had been on, there was no large gathering of Elders, no waiting around for a blessing. This was a smaller, informal expedition, one that was not backed by the Sect in great weight.
After all, the loss of Master Cheng would be a tragedy, but they already faced a significant drain on their resources. Throwing resources into a potential cure, one that might not be sufficient or possible—and losing another Elder to the cause—was already troublesome. Adding additional aid to this would be a bad return on their investment. It did not help their cause that their Master’s remoteness from the Sect’s majority decisions—in his quest to keep his own karmic ties constrained—meant he had few strong allies in the Sect.
Without a formal sendoff, Wu Ying and the team stood awaiting Fa Yuan as sunlight slowly crept across the horizon. As he waited, Wu Ying scoped out his teammates in more detail. Tou Hei had his staff and a small bag of foodstuff over one shoulder, the ex-monk quietly chatting with Yu Kun. The pair knew one another somewhat, having dueled and made acquaintances over the last few months. It was not a true bond, but closer than what they had with the other two members of the expedition.
The first was a young lady who stood, arms hidden in the long sleeves of her robe, staring at the early morning mist that wrapped around the edges of the mountain. Her lustrous light brown hair fell behind her in a genteel wave, strands floating in the wind. Sadly, her chin was more pointed and her cheekbones less pronounced than ideal, making her miss the mark of gorgeous and ending in the mediocre pits of beautiful.
Obviously, it was more than sufficient for her current suitor, the other expedition member who had been added during the interviews. He stood nearby, staring at the young lady with wide eyes, blinking long, graceful lashes at her as he regaled the disinterested beauty on the merits of a specific apothecarist potion over another. Even Wu Ying, with his background in the subject, had been lost about five interminable minutes ago, never mind the young lady. But oblivious to her lack of interest, the man continued to speak, waving long, thin, soot-stained fingers.
“Enough, Lei Hui,” Fa Yuan scolded as she strode up. “Leave Wang Min alone.”
Lei Hui stepped away from Wang Min and bowed to Fa Yuan. Yet Lei Hui’s gaze kept darting toward the young lady, and he even went so far as to lick his lips. Wu Ying frowned and made note to keep an eye on the man. His amorous intentions were a little blatant, even to the inexperienced teenager. If not for the fact that he was the most skilled apothecarist who had applied, Fa Yuan likely would have kicked him off the team.
“Good.” She nodded at the man, then glanced around. “We will leave now. Make sure to pay your respects to Elder Lu and the Sect before you go. We will be gone for many months.”
The group nodded at once, making sure to stop by Elder Lu and show him their Sect tokens and permission passes before they bowed inward to the Sect. Wu Ying hesitated as he came up out of his bow, casting a glance at the gatekeeper. But for once, the elderly gatekeeper had no words of wisdom for Wu Ying, just gesturing with his long pipe for them to go. And if Wu Ying wondered when Elder Lu actually slept or left his post, he kept it to himself.
In short order, the group began the long trek down to the city. Hurrying forward to where his martial sister strode at the front, her steps so light that she was almost floating down the mountain, Wu Ying spoke as he caught up.
“There is no hurry. The ship we booked will not leave until midday.”
“Best to be early in case they are too.” Fa Yun flashed Wu Ying a smile and added, “Forgive my impatience, if you will. I am eager to be off after all this time waiting.”
Wu Ying smiled, acknowledging her point. He too felt some of that impatience, the need to move. And if they burnt a little energy now, it certainly was not as if they would not be bored once they made it onto the ship. In fact, they would be spending a significant amount of time on the river vessels for the first part of the trip.
“So we’ll be going with the initial plan?” Wu Ying said, just to reassure himself.
“Yes. No additional sightings. Our best bet is to visit the auction in Hinma, pick the blossom along the way or immediately afterward, then hope to find a Chan Chu—and a Ben, if we cannot get the heart at auction—nearby,” Fa Yuan confirmed.
Wu Ying mentally traced their journey in his mind as they skipped down the winding mountain pathway. They’d be taking the river for the first journey east, then again north, if the crossings were fine. Ever since his adventure in Li county years ago, the number of bandits had decreased, making trade easier. It helped that the Sect had spent some time running out the remaining bandits. It was not the most glamorous of jobs, and it certainly was bloody. But it helped to keep the peace and that was important.
They could head overland through Li county to save time and locate the Sun Lotus. Or they could take the slower but steadier progress of the rivers and canals, making their way across the branching levees to get to their destination. That would be safer, and their chances of chancing upon the Sun Lotus as they traveled would be low anyway.
But the decision to go overland or via ship would depend on the news they gathered as they traveled. If they could catch the right rides, they would continue on the river. If not, an overland journey would be their best choice.
In the end, Wu Ying could only trot aside his martial sister, turning his attention inward as he focused on cultivating. If there was nothing that could be done about the future or what destiny might befall them, then he could only turn to his own self.
When all else failed, when the future was uncertain, the betterment of oneself was a guiding light that had yet to fail Wu Ying.
***
“You are very familiar with the sailors,” Lei Hui said as he found Wu Ying leaning against the railing at the back of the boat, watching the city fade in the distance as they followed the river’s flow.
Beside Wu Ying, seated on the smoothed wooden floor of the ship, Tou Hei meditated.
“I’ve been on this vessel before,” Wu Ying said. He smiled slightly, letting his gaze go over the busy sailors. One could say that fate had tied a thread between them, if one didn’t know the trouble Wu Ying had taken to ensure their booking of the ship. There was a comfort in familiarity after all.
“Yet I do not lower myself to speak with the uninitiated,” Lei Hui said, his gaze flicking over the sailors like Wu Ying’s before he dismissed them and turned back to Wu Ying. “Why do you?”
Wu Ying shook his head. “Why not? We once were like them too.”
“But we have transformed, journeyed further than them on the mountain of immortality. They will wither and die, while we will continue to climb.” Lei Hui hawked a goblet of saliva over the side. “They cared not to try, and so they do not deserve our company.”
“You’re a bit of an ass, aren’t you?” Wu Ying looked around, searching for someone to take him—or Lei Hui—from the conversation, but the women were below deck, as was Yu Kun.
“Do you deny that they will die long before us? That we have made more of ourselves than them?” Lei Hui said. “I know your background is like mine. We came from their stock. But unlike them, we were not content to slave aw
ay for another.”
“We all work for the Sect,” Wu Ying rebutted.
“An immortal sect,” Lei Hui retorted. “And I am a third-tier apothecarist and you are…” Lei Hui’s eyes narrowed. “Well. You’re a Spiritual Herb Gatherer. You could do better.”
Wu Ying glared at Lei Hui, drawing a breath to scold him. Only to be interrupted by a well-timed utterance from the seated Tou Hei.
“Amitabha.”
Wu Ying shot an aggrieved look at his friend before he let out a sigh. “You don’t mince words, do you?”
“Should I?” Lei Hui said. “Would you prefer the truth or well-meaning lies? I speak what I see, and what I see is the truth. You cannot be inexact when working the cauldron. As you know.”
“That’s not what Senior Li says,” Wu Ying remarked. “Apothecary is as much an art, a matter of understanding the flows of the universe and the strengths of your ingredients to create the best product.”
“Bah! They are wrong. There is an exact method to our work. That is why our recipes are so exact,” Lei Hui said. “We do not say a handful or two of Spirit Grass but three stalks of six chi. We do not ask for the whole flower of the purple hibiscus, but the stamen of one that is at least six months old. The best recipes are exact, with details about the age and strength of its ingredients.
“It is only because we have yet to ascertain the exact strength of the properties within each ingredient that we are unable to be more exact. For perfection, for the correct formation of Saint and Immortal pills, we must strive for exactness in our recipes. And so, must we do so in our lives!”
“That’s how you explain being an ass,” Wu Ying said flatly.
“Exactly.”
“And lacking all subtlety in your pursuit of our expedition member.”