Crown of the Starry Sky: Book 11 of Painting the Mists

by Patrick Laplante

  Yin Zhen bowed deeply. “Young Master Wei Longshen, we are forever in your debt.”

  “Please, I told you one should respect seniority,” Wei Longshen said.

  “Ah, but that would only apply in normal circumstances,” Yin Zhen said. “Because with your permission, I would beseech your patriarch to allow us to join the Wei Clan as a subsidiary clan. We would be honored to follow you on your journey to power.”

  “That won’t be—” Wei Longshen started, but Wei Yimu kicked him.

  “We’re happy we could help,” Wei Yimu said. “I’ll personally let the Patriarch know about your inquiry and will describe in full detail the sequence of events that led to your change of heart and your clan’s delightful change in fortunes. Though I think it would be prudent for your clan to lie low and seal this news. It is a happy news, yes, but it would be best if true masters were born to repopulate your clan and teach their disciples before your enemies realize it.”

  “Your thoughts have merit,” Yin Zhen said. “It will be as you say. Elders, to me!” They flew out to the clan and began organizing their excited members. Wei Yimu escorted Wei Longshen out of the building. They left in a hurry, though it was only after they were in the air for ten minutes that the shock of what happened subsisted and Wei Longshen realized what he’d done.

  “I’m sorry, I find myself slow of mind,” Wei Longshen said. “No, that’s wrong. I find my soul is too perceptive. It’s observing too many things.”

  “You need to adapt, boy,” Yin Zhen said. “I never would have dreamed your soul would break through so early. Souls are difficult to train, even with supplements. Took mine five hundred years to break through, and your father a thousand. All I can say is that this is good timing. A good bit of fortune, just when you needed it most.”

  “What?” Wei Longshen said.

  “Are you daft, boy?” Wei Yimu said. “Do you want to marry the timid girl from the Cao Clan, or do you want to marry your friend from the Mi Clan? Pull yourself together.”

  It was only then that Wei Longshen realized the implications. “I’ve just gained a huge asset for our clan,” he said slowly. “One that will have secret but rapid growth. And my soul has broken through exceedingly early. Also… I seem to have developed a new ability. Yes, I think I can actually repeat what I did. I can manifest will and memory into temporary sentient apparitions.”

  “You mean you can do that again?” Wei Yimu asked incredulously.

  “Yes,” Wei Longshen said. “I need substantial death qi, but if the Yin Clan is willing to accommodate….”

  “They’ll do anything for you now,” Wei Yimu said. “Literally. You’re their hero.”

  “Then yes, I don’t see why not,” Wei Longshen said. “Let’s go tell Father.”

  Wei Yimu smacked him upside the head. “Not until we figure out the extent of this new ability. I have a few more friends. Rundown clans. Similar situation. It’s a cutthroat world out there, and people burn and rob libraries all the time.”

  “I don’t know if I’ll find the same feeling again,” Wei Longshen said. “It might not work elsewhere. Besides, I’m tired.”

  “If you do half as good as this, half as often, you’re golden,” Wei Yimu said. “Now, try to get a handle on your soul breakthrough, and I’ll do my best to find you some soul-replenishing medicine.”

  “Death-qi aligned,” Wei Longshen said. “My soul’s nature has changed.”

  “Urgh. Really?” Wei Yimu shuddered. “We’ll get you what you need. Just make sure you recover. You have three hours. I want to make at least four more stops before the end of the day.”

  “My soul is exhausted,” Wei Longshen complained.

  “Small clans,” Wei Yimu said. “One or two ghosts at most. Clans that won’t talk.”

  “I’ll try,” Wei Longshen said. “For her, I’ll try.” Things were finally starting to look hopeful.

  Chapter 29: Challenge

  Stargazer City was far from the bustling metropolis Cha Ming had seen a few days earlier. The pleasant exchanges and joyful banter were gone, as was the casual shopping and relaxation. Instead, the city was covered in a suffocating blanket of anxiety. There was war in the air, and everyone felt it.

  The guards let them through the city’s entrance, though not because they were welcome. Huxian’s and Xiao Bai’s presence frightened them away. They walked to the rhythmic drumming that Cha Ming could barely hear, a faint beating in the ground, in the stones, and in the trees.

  It wasn’t long before they arrived in front of the Tree of Life, the source of the city’s power. Ranks of demons were practicing under the direction of their elders. They snapped to attention as those same elders walked to the front to confront the intruding humans.

  “Leave,” one of them said. “Your kind isn’t welcome here. You have caused enough damage.”

  “Leave,” another said. “We’ll deal with you after the Phoenix Clan has been put in its place.”

  “Make us,” Huxian said.

  “Monkeys without a spine don’t have a right to tell us what to do,” Xiao Bai added.

  “Insolence,” a third elder said. Unlike the others, he wasn’t just an initiation-realm demon. He’d reached the Investiture Realm. He was a demon who’d congealed his own armor and could invest his power into his surroundings.

  Huxian and Xiao Bai were forced to take a step back despite their superior bloodline. The air around the elder became oppressive to them. It rejected them. Yet Xiao Bai and Huxian stood tall. They weren’t low-ranked demons. They were Godbeasts.

  “Fine. I’ll beat sense into you,” the elder said. He raised his staff and drew it back to strike.

  “Stop,” Cha Ming said. His voice wasn’t loud, but neither was it soft. It carried through the crowd, leaving no question that it was he, the human, who’d spoken. The elder snorted and covered the distance between them in an instant. He stood a good two feet taller than Cha Ming, who looked up into his cold eyes. Then the elder laughed.

  “See? See what foolishness the humans bring?” the elder said. “These fools think they can enter our territory and challenge us.”

  “He underestimates us,” the first elder said.

  “He takes us for weaklings,” the second elder agreed.

  “No need to be polite,” the third and strongest elder said. “Attack them.”

  The ranks barely had time to ready their staves before it came again. This time with the pounding of another staff. The sound was pure and crystal clear. It rang across the makeshift parade grounds.

  “I said stop,” Cha Ming said. His voice carried an undeniable will. It wasn’t just his voice that spoke now, but Sun Wukong’s. They mixed and superimposed. This presence struck the assembled troops and elders like a shock wave. They barely had time to register what had happened, and when they did, the elders struggled to rise. They’d taken a knee to the one they’d called a lowly human.

  “No need to get up,” Cha Ming and Sun Wukong said together. “We’ll go speak to your chieftain in person. Your betters will resolve this.” The student and teacher led the way. The others followed. As their souls were melded, not only did Cha Ming know what to do as though he were the Monkey King, he also understood his reasoning. Monkey demons were aggressive and stubborn. They didn’t bow to anything less than overwhelming power.

  “Wow,” Silverwing said as they passed the kneeling elders. “That’s some major suppression.” He hesitated before continuing. “You don’t look like yourself.”

  “I can’t be myself for this, Silverwing,” Cha Ming said. He transformed as they walked. First came the tail. Then came the claws and sharpened teeth. His hair grew out. His muscles bulged. A crown of stone appeared on his head. Servants and guards scattered when they saw him, not daring to block their group. It took no time at all to find the place where the chieftain resided.

  “Thick doors,” Huxian remarked as they approached the entrance to the throne room. It was not the same place they’d feasted.r />
  “Monkey-made,” Cha Ming agreed. “Hard wood, but easy to open if you know the trick.” He walked ahead and kicked. The doors burst from their hinges and flew through the room toward the elderly monkey demons who were discussing things with the chieftain. The elders, surprised at the intrusion and the projectiles, dodged the two pieces of whole and living wood. They summoned their staves and investitures, the demon equivalent of a world projection. They moved to attack but paused as the chieftain waved for them to stop. They hesitantly put away their weapons.

  “You hide much, boy,” said the Stargazer Chieftain. “Tell me. Why are you here?”

  “You’re going to war,” Cha Ming said. “There should be peace.”

  “And you came to stop me?” the chieftain asked. “You, two Godbeasts, a weaver of fate, and three dozen exiled members of my own tribe?” The inkborn fell into ranks behind Cha Ming, and the chieftain’s eyes widened with surprise. “Though I admit—they have grown.”

  “They were part of your clan, yet you cast them out,” Cha Ming said. “But that is another matter.”

  “It is not,” said Clever Dusk said. She stepped in front of the others, including her father. “We have found our way, only to discover that our chieftain has lost his own. Why fight when we can prosper? Why cross our ancient allies? Your actions make no sense. You must be stopped.” The chieftain looked at her coldly as she spoke.

  “You are useful, so you may rejoin your clan,” the Stargazer Chieftain said calmly. “But we march to war, so if you would join us, you march with us.”

  “Your eyes are clouded,” Clever Dusk said. “The madness consumes you.”

  “I am shielded by our ancient queen’s crown,” the chieftain said. “My mind is sound. War is inevitable. We prepare to fight for our very survival.”

  “But—”

  Cha Ming raised his hand. Or was it Sun Wukong? He had trouble telling. Clever Dusk closed her mouth and stepped back. “Your crown does not suit you,” Cha Ming and Sun Wukong said. “It is inherited, but you are not worthy. Your judgment is clouded.”

  The chieftain laughed, and his laughter filled the throne room. His elders laughed along with him.

  “Such energy from one so young,” the chieftain said. But who are you to speak? You are not the owner of your crown. That is an ancestral crown. It was bestowed by an elder. You mock my claim, yet yours is less than my own. Your crown was given, but mine was earned. I bled for this crown.”

  “It was given to me by your greater,” Cha Ming said. “One with far more wisdom than you. Yours was won from a crowd of children who hadn’t manifested a crown in generations.”

  The Stargazer Chieftain slapped his thick palm on his chair. Splinters of wood flew as it broke to pieces, and silence filled the hall. “You dare? You dare? You, who shows up with the blessing of an elder? Yet where is this elder? Why did she not come? Is she too cowardly to show herself?” The elders present muttered in agreement. “If she should oppose me, she should do so in the open. Not by lending her crown to a junior.”

  Cha Ming nodded slowly. “So be it.”

  His presence split. His tail receded, and his muscles shrank. His teeth lost their edge, and his hair bled back to brown. His crown dissolved and reappeared as energy that formed a faint image beside him. At first, it was faint, but as it drew demonic energy from the Tree of Life, it grew more substantial and even corporeal. Sun Wukong appeared before them.

  “First off, it’s his crown,” Sun Wukong said. “This is clearly a king’s crown. Second, here I am. I’m telling you to stop this nonsense. You’re a burnt-out mess, and so is your entire damned clan.”

  This time, the elders quieted. They looked at each other uncertainly, and for the first time, disagreement filled the room. The chieftain, seeing the tide was turning against him, spoke.

  “Esteemed elder, my apologies for not greeting you properly,” the Stargazer Chieftain said in a much more polite tone. “I did not recognize that you were in our presence. Now that you are here, we will, of course, properly greet you. Once we take care of pressing matters like war, and life and death.”

  “Funny,” Sun Wukong said, walking through the crowd of elders and walking over the map that was spread across the floor. He stopped in front of the chieftain and looked up at the tall monkey. Despite him measuring ten feet tall, it was clear that it was Sun Wukong, the shorter monkey, who was looking down on him. “You’re not fighting a war right now. So you can host me properly.”

  “Ah, I see,” the Stargazer Chieftain said. “I think you misunderstood. As I see it, this is a matter of life and death. Meaning that it is a decision for the living to make, not the dead. Our elder you may be, and our respect you are owed. But we must forge a future for our clan before reminiscing on our past.”

  This doesn’t seem to be going too well, Mi Fei sent to Cha Ming. Who is he, anyway?

  Who else could he be? Xiao Bai said. Stone crown? Stone staff? Unreasonable personality? The real question is how the hell the Monkey King himself latched on to him.

  “Aye, you’re right,” Sun Wukong said. His stone staff shrank and flew into his fingers. The corporeal spirit of Sun Wukong began picking his sharp teeth with it. “This is a matter for the living. You’re right on that count.”

  “Then it’s settled,” the Stargazer Chieftain said. “We’ll host you once the war is over.”

  “I’m afraid you misunderstood,” Sun Wukong said. “You’ll host us now. I invoke my right as former king. I nominate Du Cha Ming as king.”

  “Madness!” one of the elders said.

  “Unacceptable!” another yelled.

  “A human cannot be king,” the Stargazer Chieftain said flatly.

  “Try me,” Sun Wukong said. He pointed to Cha Ming. His own crown began to disappear. As it did, something re-formed around Cha Ming’s head. It was a replica of the crown, though it glowed with the soft light of a thousand stars.

  That wasn’t all that changed. At the appearance of his crown, the walls trembled. Those made of the Tree of Life itself. At the back of the room, a crack appeared and widened into a starlit portal.

  “Your own Tree of Life backs my claim,” Sun Wukong said smugly. The mutters and whispers ceased. This was no longer debatable. Only the shocked silence of acceptance remained.

  “Walk in, boy,” Sun Wukong said.

  Cha Ming bowed. “As you instruct, Teacher. He walked past the Stargazer Chieftain and up to the portal, which shone with the familiar lights of the starry sky. It was made up of several dozen nodes, each containing a constellation.

  “Stop,” said the Stargazer Chieftain before Cha Ming entered.

  Cha Ming looked back. “Is something the matter?”

  He saw Sun Wukong facepalming. Run inside, fool! he sent. But before Cha Ming could do so, the chieftain spoke up. His own crown lit up as he spoke.

  “These are extenuating circumstances, and I seek guidance from the stars,” said the chieftain. “Three days and three nights are traditional, but life and death cannot wait. Unless there is a result to this king’s trial before dawn, we will have little choice. We will march to war regardless of the outcome.”

  “Your objection… is accepted,” said a soft voice from the tree. It filled every inch of wood in the room, including the floor, the walls, and the deep ceiling.

  “You may go ahead now,” the Stargazer Chieftain said smugly.

  You should have run in when you had a chance, brat, Sun Wukong said. But I guess I didn’t warn you.

  You’re saying I have till dawn? Cha Ming asked.

  Less than a day for something that usually takes three days and three nights, Sun Wukong said. But you’re made of strong stuff, and the trial won’t be lethal, at least.

  The trial won’t be lethal, Cha Ming said. But that’s not what you’re worried about, is it?

  Well, this is just the first part, Sun Wukong said guiltily. I sort of challenged his authority, and someone has to answer for that. Assuming you survi
ve the trial, that’s you.

  I take it the answer involves a fight? Cha Ming asked.

  To the death, Sun Wukong said. It’s a holy tradition. Technically, he could spare you, but I doubt he’s feeling very charitable.

  No pressure, then, Cha Ming said.

  Nothing worthwhile is ever easy, Sun Wukong said. Knock ’em dead, kid.

  Cha Ming turned to leave, but as he entered the doorway, he realized he wasn’t alone in taking a step inside. You’re such a cheat, he said to Huxian as the fox appeared beside him.

  Free food is free food, Huxian said. Let’s see what tasty treats she made this time. She always has the best of food.

  The portal closed amid indignant roars and a laughing monkey. Of course he’d known this would happen.

  A single step took Cha Ming across several planes of reality. He left the tiny Tree of Life and emerged before its larger parent. A dark sky stretched as far as the eye could see, and within it, he saw the stars. They hung in the leaves and branches of the tree, unreachable to mere mortals. Each of them had a name. Each of them had a story.

  Cha Ming was far from the leaves and branches of the tree, let alone its trunk. He stood amidst massive roots that dug deep into the solid earth. This wasn’t just a tree in a world far away. The tree was the world far away, and he was unfathomably far from his point of origin.

  “Ah. A young man has come to try his luck,” said a voice. “A human, no less. Intriguing.” Nearby, a root bulged and deformed. It split off and adopted a humanoid and very female shape. “Welcome, human. Welcome to my trial.”

  Cha Ming swallowed nervously. “Might I know how to address you?”

  “So respectful,” she said. “Especially considering who sent you.” She was a lithe woman with hair that came up to her chin. Her eyes were bright and lively, and she looked human, save for a feature she shared with Sun Wukong. A brown tail swung around as she walked and talked.