Demonic Tribulations - Chapter 59 preview (Patreon)

Chapter 59 – Wu Ying

They had to cross one more realm, the breadth of the fifth heavenly realm to reach a hidden portal gate. One that would give them access to a close demonic realm, the portal guarded by an entire regiment. An entire small town had grown forth around the portal itself, and it was there that they rested after their long journey before they were to enter.

Their entreaties to traverse the town had been barred, leaving the pair to stand upon the open balcony of the residence, staring down at the nearby river that bisected the town over and over again. A fishing village and trading town, lights glittered up and down the watery passage as taverns and brothels plied their trade. The wind, helpful as ever, brought a myriad of songs and recited poems, so many that they often clashed with one another, creating a noisy but pleasant background for the pair of lovers.

Floral perfumes, fish and other river delicacies cooked with gentle tenderness and minimal ingredients to bring forth the taste of the meals themselves filled every breath, even as the lingering taste of her lips and the wine she’d partook warmed his mouth.

Wu Ying pulled away, smiling down at the scandalized Yang Mu, her hand on his chest as she gently pushed him away.

“You’re so much more forward,” she teased him. “And here we are, for all to see.”

“I am trying to learn from my mistakes of the past. Taking too long, hesitating when I should be acting. Not enjoying the times when neither of us are stressed or injured.”

“You don’t think being given an assignment that most feel we are doomed to fail is not stressful?” Yang Mu said, archly.

“Mmm, a little.” Wu Ying lifted and dropped one shoulder. “But that starts tomorrow. We are here, in this beautiful inn, today. My arms are wrapped around the other side of my heart and I am uninjured. There is wine on the table and my belly is pleasantly full. What more could I ask for?”

“Freedom to roam where we wish.”

Wu Ying nodded. “A Sage’s answer. And yet…” Only a squeeze by his companion brought his thoughts back to the present. “Are duties and responsibilities that bad? We would never believe that a parent caring for their child is nothing but the proper flow of the Dao. Yet, that is a duty. Perhaps the greatest responsibility one might have.”

“It is the imposition of such things upon us that I chaff at,” Yang Mu replied. “If they but told us of Tou He’s predicament, we would have come nonetheless. Now, it is a burden. Now, they treat us like criminals.”

“We are, to them.”

“More rules, created by them, ruled upon by them.” Yang Mu pulled away, pacing a little. “They declare you lawbreaker, but not myself. Yet, they regard me with suspicion, act as though I too might become a ruffian.”

“Ruffian?”

She was in the midst of her rant, ignoring Wu Ying’s amused tone as she continued. “Better if they had just treated me as an outlaw immediately rather than coddle me and act as though I was not being chastised. Their laws blinded them to their own feelings, leaving their actions at odds with their words. The hypocrisy is galling.”

Wu Ying leaned against the banister, holding onto the last threads of the peaceful night in his soul before letting it float away. He wondered if there would be ramifications for her words, for though the privacy wards and their own auras pressed against the surroundings, warding their words from issuing forth – they were not the most powerful in the vicinity. Surely the guards were listening?

Or perhaps not. Those on the fifth heavenly realm had not the same level of paranoia and rigour as Captain Mao and his men. Even then, the Day Captain had never been as paranoid before his own actions, so perhaps he was judging those here a little harshly.

“You have been holding back for a long time, it seems.”

“Months.” Yang Mu cursed quietly under her breath, stalking back and forth and waving her hands around. “This land is beautiful, the heavens are everything one could dream of. Everyday life for immortals are so much better than for mortals. The fear of starvation, of droughts and floods and disease sweeping through are so rare that it might as well be non-existent. This should be a paradise.”

“It is, for many.” His head turned, watching a passing boat where a trio of canoodling gentlemen drifted by. The lack of modesty going on was enough to make Wu Ying raise an eyebrow, but in the swirling, intoxicated and blissful environment of the town, it was ignored.

Such a strange split, between the regimented life of the army and the barracks not so far away, and the lackadasial, almost hedonistic lifestyle of the soldiers during their periods of leave. Then again, the army itself functioned a little differently amongst the immortals than back in the Middle Kingdom.

Among other things, many of the soldiers were career military. They served because they wanted to, because it was part of their dao. While they might indulge now, they would be professional later on. The degree of such professionalism might vary, from the first to the thirty sixth heavens, but compared to the armies of the Middle Kingdom, a vast gulf lay between.

“Then why are there rebels? Why are there so many laws, so much judgement but not enough mercy or understanding. Why are we even in conflict with the demons? Surely the demonic realms are not just violence, surely we can live somewhat at peace with them.”

“We are,” Wu Ying said. “This entire city, this portal connection is an example of that. However, like kingdoms, not all demonic realms are the same. Surely, in the full spectrum of the Dao, there must be both conflict and peace. The Dao is everything, but it is also a duality. Yin and yang, chaos and order, conflict and peace.”

Yang Mu let out a long hiss, glaring at him. “You are not helping. I know there must be conflict, but surely, this. This cannot be the heavens itself. Surely there can be more.”

“Yes.” Wu Ying crossed the distance to her, put his arms around her body and hugged her close. “Perhaps it is wrong, to desire, to strive for more. Yet, I cannot help but think that humanity, us, we are about improvement. That we cannot just be happy with what we know to be imperfect.”

“Then, what do we do?”

“Now?” Wu Ying sighed. “Now, we go to the demonic realm. We make contact, hope it goes well and they allow us through. We acquire more recent maps of the realms, confirm that our planned pathway is correct and then, we save Tou He.”

“And afterwards?”

Wu Ying shrugged. “To concern ourselves with a distant future is to invite anxiety and apprehension to the present. Let us see where stand, at the end of this journey. Perhaps an answer will have presented itself in the meantime.”