The pair exchanged no words in the process. Ling Dong waved his hand and retrieved the warding flags at the entrance. The moment they disappeared, insects and rodents began flooding in. The large man ignored these lesser beasts and thrust both palms out to the rocky wall. It burst outward in large pieces toward the many demons crowded outside their dwelling. They stepped back as both man and drake stepped out of the cave.
Ling Dong stared intently at the surrounding beasts, not speaking a single word. The beasts, expecting him to come out rushing and evading them, were at a loss. This wasn’t the look of a fugitive, but rather an upright demon.
His violet eyes scanned the crowd of assembled demons, and wherever they looked, the beasts trembled involuntarily. He looked over birds and vermin, wolves and foxes. He looked at bears, deer, and eagles. The weakest among the demons were mid-level spirit beasts, while the strongest were initial-purification beasts. There were three initial-purification beasts in total: a wolf, an elk, and a bear. The bear was the largest, measuring forty feet from snout to short tail. The elk and the wolf were only thirty-five feet in length, which was still quite impressive by anyone’s standards.
“You three,” Ling Dong said, stepping forward. Drakey walked behind him, hissing. “You’ve been trying to take a piece of us this whole time. You must dream about how we taste, how we’ll benefit your cultivation.”
The three demons shrank back slightly. Then, a crow cawed. Their spines straightened, and the wolf, the leader of the trio, stepped forward. We’re here on orders of the sovereign to harass and chase you petty thieves off our mountain, the wolf said. Fortunately for you, our sovereign is honorable, and the lords and kings don’t deign to take personal action to punish you. Otherwise, you would have died a thousand times over by now.
Ling Dong’s eyes narrowed, and he felt an involuntary twinge of rage. For a moment, he felt insulted by these words rather than relieved at having been granted reprieve for Darkwing. Shame, even, for taking them up on it.
The wolf, seeing that his words had drawn blood, pressed his assault. Why do you bother living on this mountain like the dregs of society? He asked. Even lesser spirit beasts on this mountain live a more honorable existence than you do. But I can’t expect you, a human, to understand. Humans always take what they want from us. They don’t obey convention or conscience.
A flash of black rushed between Ling Dong and the wolf. Just say the word, and I’ll bite his head off, Darkwing said, placing himself between the two. Ling Dong, who was much smaller than either beast, lifted his hand up to have Darkwing stand down. The drake gulped and shrank back.
“You’ve been harassing us for an entire week,” Ling Dong said. Though his voice was quiet, it seemed to cut into the beasts around him like razors. “We might have broken convention, but everyone has to survive, after all. This is a jungle, and everyone takes what they need.”
The Sovereign— the wolf started.
“Did I give you permission to speak?” Ling Dong said, cutting him off. Though he tried his best to control it, a few wisps of purple aura oozed out of him. A few nearby spirit beasts caught a whiff of it and fainted on the spot. The wolf, who had been so eager to speak with the support of his sovereign, didn’t dare protest.
“I find myself at an impasse,” Ling Dong continued. “On the one hand, I’ve taken quite a few resources from this mountain. I owe the mountain a debt. On the other hand, my friend and I need more medicinal herbs. Further, it’s taken us a lot longer to find them than it should have because of your pestering. We could have been out of here in three days, but now a week has passed.”
He walked up to the wolf’s snout, stopping mere inches away from his teeth. The demon’s frosty fur could practically tickle his nose, and yet he didn’t feel the slightest bit of discomfort. The wolf, seeing him standing at such a close distance, stopped breathing.
“One week is a long time,” Ling Dong said, petting his muzzle slightly. “My friend Darkwing is a high-tier demon, and I’m a body refiner. It’s only natural that we are hungry.”
The wolf’s throat trembled. The bear, who was the farthest away from Ling Dong, spoke. What are you trying to say? Should we feed you while you ransack our mountain? Our sovereign is already giving you a lot of face by not killing you outright. You should be grateful and count your blessings.
“There’s no need to feed us,” Ling Dong said. “You just need to stand there and wait your turn.” At that moment, the Demon-Subduing Intent that Ling Dong had been holding back all along burst out like a river through a broken dam. The thousands of demons surrounding them trembled and fell to their knees. “I’ll take this small one, Darkwing. You take the other two.”
Ling Dong grabbed his sword and took two steps diagonally. He channeled metal qi and struck out with a large qi blade. It sheared through fur, leather, and bones as it lopped off the wolf’s head. Darkwing simultaneously moved against the elk and the bear. As much as they tried to struggle, they couldn’t move an inch under Ling Dong’s pressure. Darkwing flapped his wings three times. The first flap brought him twenty feet up. The second flap brought him back down again. The third flap brought death. Blood began pooling on the forest floor next to the two decapitated corpses.
Crows flew out around them, and Ling Dong watched as they made their way back to their master to report the day’s events. Rather than question his actions, Darkwing began gorging himself on elk meat. His presence increased greatly, and as he ate, his wounds began to heal at a visible pace. His scales regained their luster and his horns sharpened. His eyes regained their lost focus and ferocity.
Ling Dong’s stomach growled, and he summoned a bunch of qi flames. His sword slashed out a few times, skinning the decapitated wolf. The flames burned the fur and blood off the leather before Ling Dong tossed them to the side. He summoned a large chunk of meat with his incandescent force and used his flames to sear it. By the time it turned slightly pink, he couldn’t wait any longer. He bit into the tough demonic flesh, blood oozing down his chin. His vital energy surged, and his empty energy reserves began building up again.
Before long, two full beasts of meat had been consumed by the duo. The lesser beasts had spectated everything. They hadn’t dared to move an inch under Ling Dong’s dominating presence.
“Let’s go,” Ling Dong said, sending out vines of wood qi to wrap his spoils of war. He stowed the wolf hide inside his bag of holding, as he intended to make himself a set of leather armor with it. They walked back to their cave, where he didn’t bother setting up another warding formation. His reputation was all he needed.
There’ll be consequences, Darkwing said as he coiled himself back into recovery position by the fire.
“I know,” Ling Dong replied. “But we were hungry, and leaving you here wasn’t an option.”
Darkwing simply nodded and slept to accelerate his healing. Hours passed in silence, and as Ling Dong cultivated, a crow landed before him. It didn’t interrupt his cultivation but waited until he had finished. Once Ling Dong opened his eyes, the crow cawed and sent both him and Darkwing a mental message.
Human, you have proven your prowess and presence as a king-level existence, the crow said. Our sovereign has decreed that you, having slain lesser-demon subjects of this mountain for food, must answer to the regional king’s judgment. You may either submit to his rule or challenge him as per the demonic code. What is your reply?
Ling Dong looked to Darkwing, who looked away. Apparently it was above his station to make these decisions. He thought for a moment, carefully weighing his words before replying.
“I send my respectful greetings to the sovereign and thank her for her consideration,” Ling Dong said. “I feel uneasy submitting to another king, so I can only challenge him. When and where would the sovereign prefer that we do battle?”
The crow stood still as it exchanged mental messages with the sovereign. A few moments later, it shook violently and squawked.
The challenge has been issued
, the crow said. You are to meet the other kings and the sovereign at the peak of the mountain three days from now at dawn. You may bring up to three followers along, if you so choose. What kingly name might I send to the exalted Razorback Sovereign?
“Call me the Demon-Subduing King,” Ling Dong said. In a world where face and honor meant everything, it was important to make a good first impression.
Chapter 21
“Greetings, Inspector,” Jin Huang said subserviently as a man in elegant blue robes walked in. “How may I help you today?” He feigned surprise, despite having known about the upcoming inspection for two days.
“Jin Huang, is it?” the inspector said, walking alongside the younger man. He had greasy black hair and a hooked nose, a poster boy for corruption if he’d ever seen one. “I’ve heard so much about you. You’re a hardworking young man who’s desperate to climb up the ranks. I can admire that.”
“It’s a hard life, but I manage to scrape by,” Jin Huang said. His clothes were tattered, and his appearance disheveled. Despite what others might think, it had taken quite a bit of effort to generate this disguise, as pill-cauldron explosions were a rarity in Jin Huang’s workshop. “Would you like to see anything specific?”
“The ventilation system, the floorboards, and the containment formation,” the man said.
“Please follow me,” Jin Huang replied dutifully, shaking the man’s hand. Though it was an overly friendly gesture in Evergreen City, it served its purpose. He carefully slipped twenty high-grade spirit stones into his palm, as per Brother Hei’s instructions.
“The floorboards are solid, reinforced with iron oak and the necessary anti-flame coating,” the inspector said, stomping on the creaky floor. “The warding formation is active and conforms to the protection standard of a least-grade formation.” He paused as Jin Huang waved his fingers upward. “My apologies, lesser-grade formation.”
Then he walked up to a fan and shaft that led up to the ceiling. “My word, I’ve never seen such a good ventilation system before. Did you build this?”
“My co-renter, Bai Xiaolong, made it,” Jin Huang said. “He dislikes foul smells, so he built something that would last me up till at least late grade.”
“I’ll have to trouble you to speak with him on my behalf,” the inspector said, nodding in appreciation at the mechanical contraption.
“Here’s his business card,” Jin Huang said understandably. “He mentioned that he’d be open to installing as many as you like at family pricing.”
“It’s good to make friends in such a competitive market,” the hooked-nosed inspector said. He glanced around perfunctorily. Then, seeing nothing that caught his eye, he walked toward the entrance. “Thank you for your cooperation, Master Jin,” the inspector said. “You’re a credit to the younger generation.”
“It’s my duty,” Jin Huang said, ushering the man out of the workshop. He returned a moment later and collapsed into a comfortable chair.
“How did it go?” Bai Xiaolong said, coming out from a room in the back.
“The inspection went smoothly,” Jin Huang said, wiping the sweat off his brow. “I was so nervous I could barely say my lines.”
“Not that,” Bai Xiaolong said. “The sales pitch. Did he notice my prototype?”
“He was very impressed,” Jin Huang said. “I’m sure you’ll be getting a few orders shortly.”
“Good, very good,” Bai Xiaolong said, rubbing his hands together. “Who would have thought that sharing a workshop with an alchemist could be so good for business. I think my next invention will be an automatic cleaning construct. It’ll wake up periodically and clean the premises. As a side benefit, it’ll provide entertainment for household pets.”
“How will it know where to clean?” Jin Huang said, amazed.
“That’s a company secret,” Bai Xiaolong replied. “But I’m sure there will be one in every cultivating household in a matter of months.”
As though having a sudden epiphany, he rushed over to his workbench and began drawing up a blueprint. Moments later, he shook his head and burned the drawing to ash.
Suddenly the back door opened. Jin Huang’s heart skipped a beat as he thought of the possibility of a secondary inspection. Fortunately, it was Brother Hei.
“How did it go?” he asked.
“I thought I was a goner,” Jin Huang said. “That was the most nerve-wracking experience I’ve ever had.”
“Not the inspection, the sales pitch,” Brother Hei said. He didn’t seem the least bit concerned about having bribed a public official.
“It went well,” Bai Xiaolong said. “Jin Huang said he placed an order for ten devices.”
“I most certainly did not,” Jin Huang said indignantly. “I said he asked about the design and was sold on it. Who knows how much business we’ll drum up.”
“It’s truly great to have you as a brother, Little Gold1,” Brother Hei said, clapping him on the shoulder. “Even if you decide not to rent with us, I’ll make sure to take our dealings to the grave.”
It was a threat, of course. Now that he’d both bribed a public official and sold through the black market, all it would take was a few well-placed pieces of information and Jin Huang would be ruined.
Why did I have to get myself involved in this mess? He thought. If only I’d rented a legitimate workshop. I might not have made as much money, but I wouldn’t have had to worry about shady characters and underhanded deals.
“I’m relieved to have Brother Hei taking care of me,” Jin Huang said. “How could I possibly have any thoughts of going elsewhere?”
“I’m glad you think this way,” Hei Chen said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, the boss needs me to go take care of something. Someone from another neighborhood is stirring up trouble, and if I don’t break his knees, it’ll be my knees that go.” He waved as he left through the back door. “Good day, gentlemen.”
Jin Huang sighed. “Even though he’s blackmailing us, it’s much better than being at the mercy of the Alchemists Association. Though, I have no idea why you choose to stay here.”
“Life is hard,” Bai Xiaolong said. “I have a large outstanding debt, and it’ll be years before I pay it off. Besides, if I align myself with Brother Hei, he also becomes my protector. In addition, the rent doesn’t increase even with your profession grade. The savings magnify as your capability increases.”
“Brother Hei as a protector, huh?” Jin Huang said. It was a useful strategy, but a man could only rely on himself in this dog-eat-dog world. He summoned a few vials and grasped them tightly. “Since you say the rent won’t increase with grade, then it makes no sense to hold off. I’ll be making my breakthrough over the next few days.”
As an alchemist, his earning power was raised exponentially with his cultivation.
* * *
1 The Jin in his name mean’s gold. Likewise, the Bai in Bai Xiaolong means white, and the Hei in Brother Hei means black.
Chapter 22
It was a scorching day in the Evergreen Kingdom. To most of its inhabitants, this didn’t affect their daily routine in the slightest. In the slums of Evergreen City, however, the common people could barely stand the sweltering heat. What little activity normally took place in the slums had ground to a screeching halt, and only cultivators had the strength to continue working in the grueling weather.
“Do you want some pink peach lemonade?” Bai Xiaolong asked as he sat down at the small table where Jin Huang lay slumped in a chair.
“I’ll take some,” Jin Huang said. “I need a break.”
Seeing Jin Huang’s sweat-covered body, the artificer placed a circular device on the center of the table. The room cooled almost instantly, and Jin Huang moaned with delight.
“It’s interesting how this thing manages to move without using formations,” the young alchemist noted as fresh air blew over him.
Bai Xiaolong chuckled. “To me, it’s amazing formations manage to work at all. Mechanical things follow rules that even
mortals can observe. The only runic components I included on this device are strengthening runes on the fan blades and an energy core. The rest all follows physical laws.”
“Physical laws…” Jin Huang said. “You mean things like gravity? Or chemistry?”
“Something like that,” Bai Xiaolong said. He motioned with his soul force and stopped the device. It swiftly came apart under his guidance, revealing an external cage and some rotating fan blades. They were affixed to a core, which somehow rotated when activated. “There’s nothing special about the fan blades save for their strong thin shape. They need the strengthening runes to maintain their shape under the extreme torque generated by the device. The key to the device lies in the core.”
Another motion split open what looked like a seamless sphere. At the center of it was a blue ball the size of a walnut. “This, in conjunction with the outer shell, is what actually makes the device spin.”
“How can the outer shell make the device spin?” Jin Huang wondered aloud. He manipulated the unreasonably heavy cage in his hands. “Is there something inside it?”
“No, it’s a property of the metal,” Bai Xiaolong explained. “I’ve imbued the material with a strong ferromagnetic field. As such, any ferromagnetic metal will be attracted to it.”
“But it seems like the energy core’s ferromagnetic field is perfectly centered,” Jin Huang said. “All this ball can do is float inside the outer core.” The blue object seemed to be made of glass, though he hadn’t discounted internal components.
“That’s where you need to get a little clever,” Bai Xiaolong said. The blue core split once more. This time, it revealed a power core—an object created through refining and concentrating spirit stones—and a runic array.
“So that’s how it is,” Jin Huang said in amazement. “The runic array uses the power of the energy core to form a fluctuating ferromagnetic field. As a result of the shifting field, the ball is constantly realigning itself.”
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