by Wong, Tao
“Exact—wait, what?” Lei Hui exclaimed.
“Your blatant interest in Wang Min wasn’t on purpose?” Tou Hei chimed in, his voice a little incredulous.
“You noticed too?” Wu Ying said.
“Am I blind?” Tou Hei said. “Even the Abbot would have noticed. And he’s been in seclusion all the years I was at the temple.”
Lei Hui paled, then muttered, “I-I was not trying to. She was just…”
“Oh, friend…” Wu Ying threw an arm around the man’s shoulder, pulling him close. Even if Lei Hui was in his early twenties, it seemed he might have even less experience than Wu Ying. “Let’s talk about your approach. And perhaps about the fact we’re all on the same expedition…”
“I hadn’t—well, I know it was inappropriate, but I meant, after the—”
“Yes, yes,” Wu Ying said, grinning slightly. “Just be glad it wasn’t Elder Yang you tried that on.”
Horrified, eyes wide and his face drained of blood, Lei Hui proclaimed, “I would never! The Elder is far above a poor apothecarist like me!”
Tou Hei and Wu Ying shared a conspirational grin. Perhaps this expedition wouldn’t be as difficult as it seemed at first.
***
Later that evening, Fa Yuan found Wu Ying leaning on the railing at the bow of the ship. They sailed down the darkened waterway, pushed by the current with their sails furled and a series of lanterns set around the ship to provide illumination. That provided the first mate and the few lookouts time to watch for potential obstructions, though Wu Ying knew now that most lookouts also trained certain Body Cultivation exercises to aid their vision.
Not that it helped more than marginally, especially compared to general progression in cultivation. But when one was “stuck” at the lower levels of cultivation—due to lack of opportunity, time, or enlightenment—the difference could be significant. At least, compared to other non-sect cultivators or mortals. As for himself, while it was not as bright as daylight, the dark night was not more troublesome than twilight. And so, Fa Yuan found Wu Ying as he watched the play of light on the water, listened to the lap of waves against the hull and the creak of timbers, and cleaned his teeth with his tongue of the soy-sauce chicken and mushroom dinner they’d eaten.
“It was a useful conversation with Lei Hui?” Fa Yuan said, disdaining greetings as she spoke.
“I believe so.”
“Good. Will he be a problem?”
“I don’t think so. He understands the boundaries. He was just…” Wu Ying frowned, searching for the word.
“Eager?”
He shook his head.
“Arrogant?”
Another shake.
“Foolish?”
“Inexperienced.”
She laughed. “If only all pursuers were the same.”
“Why did you pick him, if you thought he might be…”
“A risk?”
Wu Ying nodded.
“My personal comfort is a small thing to trade for the success of our assignment. I just did not expect…” She gestured backward.
“For someone not to fall for the Fairy?”
Fa Yuan made a fan appear in her hand, which she used to lightly tap Wu Ying’s head. “I am not that arrogant.”
“Really?” Wu Ying said. “Then do finish the sentence.”
Fa Yuan opened then shut her mouth, searching for the appropriate words. Eventually, she let out a rueful little laugh. “Perhaps you were correct. I might have expected him to seek me out, instead of Lei Hui. She is beautiful but…”
“But not you.”
An inclination of her head answered Wu Ying’s words. He laughed and was shortly joined by his martial sister.
After a time, he could not help but ask, “Is it that troublesome?”
“Being pursued?” Fa Yuan sighed. “It is. My actions are often constrained, my ability to move unnoticed impossible.” She gestured at Wu Ying as he stood beside her, swaying with the gentle lap of waves. “I could never take a group of friends and rescue my family.” A slight quirk of her lips. “Though my parents have gained much favor by my continued lack of spouse or consort.”
He could understand that, especially for the nobles. It was a strange balance, being an immortal cultivator and a female noble. In the normal course of affairs, she would have been a trading piece, one that could garner her family a large bride price. Of course, the family would have to return some of it via the dowry gifted to her, but that would certainly not match the bride price someone as beautiful as Fairy Yang would garner. And none of that would account for the connections that her marriage and the wooing would garner the family.
But as an immortal, her life, to some extent, was her own. Like his ex-girlfriend, Li Yao, her family would support her pursuit of immortality so long as she continued to advance at a decent rate. As an Elder of the Sect, she should have been untouchable, the prestige and influence she garnered more than satisfactory to satisfy any parent, any familial requirement.
Except, of course, she was Fairy Yang.
“Does the inner sect continue their betting?” she asked.
“Yes,” Wu Ying replied, seeing no reason to hide the matter. After all, no suitor who came would do so in secret. Each of them arrived with grand pronouncements and gifts. From the stories he’d heard, Fa Yuan’s initial suitors were magistrates, nobles and the occasional courtesan. “Every time a new external sect Elder or a core cultivator arrives to exchange pointers with you, it starts up again.”
“Exchange pointers.” Fa Yuan sighed, her breath misting a little in the cold, humid air. “What a lousy excuse. At least those who are upfront have more courage.”
Wu Ying grinned, tracing his fingers along the wood of the bannister. “Well, at least they help provide you with your cultivation resources.” His grin widened. “And me.”
She could not help but roll her eyes at that. “Yes. Some of them are still providing me Meridian Opening Pills.”
Wu Ying chuckled, having benefited from their ill-fitting largesse. Of course, those pills were less than useful for him at this stage, since the Energy Storage Meridians received a much smaller effect from the pills. They helped soften the blockages, but his problem now was the lack of chi in his dantian, rather than having to cleanse the meridians. Still, they were better than nothing for sure.
“And have none ever caught your eyes?” Wu Ying asked.
Fa Yuan paused, her breath stilling. She turned away from Wu Ying, staring at the passing riverbank in the distance, the way leaves swayed in the light breeze that pushed aside buzzing mosquitos and insects. She was silent for so long, Wu Ying thought he’d overstepped his bounds. While they were martial brother and sister, she was still an Elder.
But eventually, she spoke.
“None. None worth the sacrifice,” Fa Yuan said so softly that Wu Ying barely caught her words.
He looked at her profile, and for a second, he sensed the welling up of sadness in her. Of loss and sacrifice, in the past. For relationships could as easily harm one’s path as boost it. More easily, in most cases.
“You did well. Keep an eye on Lei Hui. Such aborted feelings can arise at the worst times.” And so saying, Fa Yuan turned around and left the deck.
Wu Ying mentally kicked himself. He really should not have asked, for it was not his place. Nor did they have that kind of relationship. But he’d been curious, like so many others. And, perhaps, other than him and his Master, was there anyone she could speak with? Certainly not the other Elders. Nor had he ever seen Fa Yuan with other women in the Sect. Whether it was jealousy, interest, or the barrier of hierarchy, her path was lonelier than his.
Exhaling, Wu Ying shook his head and clutched the bannister. In the end, he could do nothing for her. Her dao—whatever that was or would be—was hers to walk. He could only work on his own strength, and hopefully lighten her load then. Resolved, he breathed, drawing in the chi from around him, and worked through his cultivation manual once more.
Strength. He still needed it.
Chapter 10
Morning three days later saw Wu Ying seated near the bow, cultivating. Beside him, Wang Min and Lei Hui joined him in his morning cultivation. It was early enough that the night watch had just changed, the weary sailors trooping down below to take their breakfast before they crashed for the day. In turn, their replacements inspected the work left behind, ensuring that all was done and grumbling when ropes were left untied or deck pins left untended. Under the shouted commands of the captain, the sails were slowly let down to catch the rising breeze.
None of the activity bothered the trio, not even when a duel began between Tou Hei and Yu Kun. The ability to cultivate, even in public, was a necessary skill they’d all learned. Some, like Wu Ying, who’d worked to master even moving meditation, were better able to focus. On the other hand, Lei Hui, who’d spent the majority of his time cultivating and working in the Sect, was finding the constant motion of the boat and the noise around him more of a challenge.
All this, Wu Ying could sense as he cultivated and focused on the flow of chi in the surroundings. Both he and Wang Min drew in the chi of the world in a steady fashion. Unlike himself with his filtered aura, Wang Min drew in atmospheric chi in the normal manner, taking all forms of chi and converting it within her body. That resulted in a more regular churn of chi around her.
Lei Hui, on the other hand, had a more interrupted experience where the flow of his chi stuttered to a stop, or a sudden exhalation would occur and a rush of chi would explode from his body. It was not a huge change, subtle enough that Wu Ying only noticed the change because he was paying attention.
Wu Ying’s cultivation was steadier but had the occasional bump as his control over his aura and the natural variance in chi types in the environment forced him to adjust his cultivation speed. It was also why there was a greater flow of environmental chi centered around his body.
As the morning sun rose, the cultivators worked on strengthening themselves. Even making good time, they were another four days from their first major stop. Until then, there was little to be done but train.
The first sign of an attack arrived via the trio’s extended senses. A shift in the ambient chi, a twist in its flow and the introduction of something slimier with an abundance of water chi. To Wu Ying’s nose, the new chi brought with it the smell of something acrid, rotten stagnant water that made his breath hitch a little. His eyes flicked open even as he began the process of calming the flow of chi within his body.
The door below slammed open, Elder Yang striding out, sword drawn. “To arms! Danger approaches from below!”
Wu Ying rose to his feet, his cultivation slowing, the processing becoming a background matter. His two companions were slower, forced to still their cultivation entirely or face a chi backlash. As Wu Ying drew his sword, he searched deck and water for the problem, extending his sense by drawing in deep breaths of the stench.
Sailors scurried about to arm themselves, finding belaying pins, daggers, billhooks, and the occasional spear. They grouped up in small knots, eyes darting about the deck in search of trouble. Yet for all the suddenness of the declaration, none panicked. This was not a world that allowed the panicky to fare well.
The captain, on the foredeck, had his hand on his dao, glaring about him. “Where, Honored Elder?”
“Below us…” Fa Yuan replied, her voice distant as she tilted her head from side to side.
As if called forth, the water around the ship erupted. The creatures that emerged were a well-known threat, their green-scaled bodies and humanoid appearance belying their monstrous nature. A turtle-carapace on their back offered them protection from behind even as the hook-like growths on their knees and the dark-green-striped skin gave the water tigers their name.
“Suiko[12]!” The call rose from all around.
Some of the monsters exploded from the water with such force that they landed on the deck, while others only managed to latch to the hull, clambering upward with their clawed fingers. The first to land beside Wu Ying received a blade in its guts, a simple kick sending the monster flying off the deck and freeing the cultivator’s sword.
“Common thrash,” Lei Hui snapped as he stepped forward and struck one of the suiko with a fist. The monster’s chest caved in and it staggered back, its chest heaving as it attempted to breathe. “Ascend to Energy Storage before you dare challenge us!”
Wang Min, on the other hand, was still seated, even as the monsters landed all around. She gestured to the side, and as she did so, a guzheng landed on her crossed legs. Balanced on her knees, the rectangular, twenty-one-stringed instrument was gently caressed by the woman, sending a light trill of notes down its metallic strings.
“Guard me. I must tune this,” Wang Min called to the pair of cultivators fighting around her.
“This is not the time to be playing music!” Lei Hui said as he twisted to the side and struck out again with his fist. A tiger head briefly appeared around his hand, formed with brown earth that released on impact, the chi- and earth-encrusted attack blasting a nearby pair of suiko off the ship just as they rose.
Wu Ying shifted his positioning, putting himself between Wang Min and the majority of the monsters boarding their vessel. He struck again and again, each action a quick attack that sought tendons and vulnerable locations. He sought to injure and disable, knowing that if the monsters were forced off, they would be unable to follow the moving ship.
“Listen to her!” Wu Ying snapped. He could understand Lei Hui’s hesitation. He too would be hesitant if he had not been part of the interview and knew what Wang Min intended.
“Insane!” But for all his grumbling, Lei Hui took position beside Wu Ying.
Together, they guarded Wang Min as she tuned her instrument, battling the increasing number of monsters.
In the meantime, Tou Hei and Yu Kun took the fight to the creatures all along one side of the main body of the ship. They struck, cut, and kicked the suiko attempting to board the ship, aiding the sailors who fought in smaller clusters. In particular, they took care to stop the monsters that managed to separate a sailor from the group and began dragging their victim toward the water.
On the other side of the pair, Elder Yang fought with minimal movements. Her swords hovered, cutting through one neck or the other, flying through the air under the guidance of her fingers before returning to her, where she tapped the sword again. Each touch imparted additional chi, allowing her to control the flying weapon. Under her attacks, Fa Yuan held one side of the ship. Her other blade, she kept with her, held behind her back as she waited.
So did the captain, who peered from port to starboard, lower lip caught in his teeth.
“What are they waiting for?” Wu Ying said as he continued to protect Wang Min.
A particularly large suiko rose, ignoring Wu Ying’s cuts against its arm as it charged him. Rather than face it directly, Wu Ying let his body drop low, reversed his sword, and pommel-struck it in the center of its stomach. The built-up momentum of the creature and his own attack made it bow over briefly.
A moment later, the suiko recovered and rose to its full height, arms rising above its head to crush the cultivator. Wu Ying rose as well, gripped its arm, and stepped past the large suiko, enacting a throw that used the creature’s momentum to send it over backward. A blast of chi as Wu Ying finished his cut sent the monster spinning down the deck, bowling other suiko off their feet.
“Thank you!” Wu Ying called out to the monster snarkily.
“I have no idea why… but they keep coming,” Lei Hui was panting now. Rather than conserve his chi throughout the fight, he had been using it liberally, launching impressive and powerful attacks that covered much ground. However, he was flagging now.
In truth, he was not the only one. The sailors, even those who had recently joined the fight from below, were all exhausted. A few minutes of combat was draining in a way a day’s worth of sailing could never be. More and more of the
sailors were peeled away from their groups, forcing the cultivators protecting them to expend even more energy.
Even Wu Ying had to use his Brilliant Woo Petal Bracer’s attack, sending sword energy cutting at groups. As the deck grew coated by green blood, Wu Ying heard a new cry. He stepped forward, striking at his latest opponent and pushing it over the railing before looking about. In the distance, a trio of large suiko had arisen, muscular and larger than the normal monsters. Two took on Elder Yang, their bodies glowing with a pale blue light that helped protect them from her attacks. The other fought Yu Kun, while Tou Hei aided when he could and dealt with the other monsters attempting to interfere with the fight. No sense of honor, these suiko.
But Wu Ying’s attention was mostly focused on his own problems. For another, much larger creature had clambered up the prow, this one standing six feet tall and muscular. Its scales were a darker, deeper green, and on top of its clawed knees, it also had bone protrusions from its elbows and horns on its head. Like the other three monsters, it glowed with power as it infused its own aura with chi. As it opened its mouth, Wu Ying stared at the numerous sharp, pointed teeth and flinched.
Not waiting for the cultivator to recover from his momentary fright, the suiko’s muscular legs bunched up and launched it at Wu Ying, claws seeking his throat. Wu Ying fell back, sword weaving in the intricate form Dragon paints the Sunset that blocked each attack, sending dripping claws awry from their targets. But the sudden attack had him retreating, footsteps sliding across the blood-stained, sticky deck.
A sudden trill of strings from behind Wu Ying reminded him of his positioning. He froze, planting his feet. If he continued his retreat, he would run into Wang Min and all the work she’d done tuning her instrument would be wasted.
His choice meant that he was forced to weave and twist his body, shedding claw attacks with body and blade. Sparks flashed as hardened bone met weapon, chi infusions on both sides guarding their weapons. It made the attacks more dangerous, and each blow felt like a hammer strike on his wrist and arms. Forcing more chi into his sword, Wu Ying fought on even as blows slipped past, cutting his arms and torso.