Demonic Tribulations - Chapter 75 preview (Patreon)

Chapter 75 – Fa Yuan

Traversal through the border country was faster than expected, partly due to the addition of enchantments on the road itself and partly due to Ke Yi utilizing his own dao. His ability to warp the group, compressing space as they travelled came from his control of the army, though he was silent on the specific details of his own dao and enlightenment.

It was something Fa Yuan intended to tease out, if possible, but it seemed to bolster those he considered his subordinates, rather than making himself all powerful. Perhaps it was in that way that he had managed to avoid attention, splitting the power of his own dao rather than concentrating it.

Their meeting spot was a temple, a holy location filled not with bureaucrats or guards but ascetic monks who lived simple lives, far from the burdens of government and mortal concerns. They worked small fields, sufficient to feed the residence, fished from a pond that they kept stocked and cleaned and did small work, offering blessings and ridding the surroundings of pests like the jiangshi to earn coin. The hopping vampires were more common with so many of the men gone, leaving graves untended and ghosts unappeased.

“Do they have enough space for all of us?” Fa Yuan asked, eyeing the small temple as she guided horse to the side so that the remainder of their entourage might pass. There were so many that had come along – guards, servants, administrators – that it had rivaled some merchant caravans in their passage.

She had already scoured the location with her senses, noted how little space there had been within the walls. All of it was laid open for easy access, with low walls surrounding the complex. Their greatest protection was their lack of worldly goods, at least among men.

For demonic beasts, they had spears and bows; though the surroundings were tame enough that such creatures were more likely to hit the lower village near the temple than the temple itself, perched at it was on the cliffs.

Well, that and the presence of that hidden master. She had nearly missed them, so still was their aura that she had swept over it at first, no more aware of their presence than another rock. Only a small ripple had alerted her, a deliberate signal.

“We will set-up on the cliffs nearby,” Ke Yin answered. He had been her near constant companion, Prince Liu having kept to himself in his quarters. A constant stream of messengers arrived and departed as they traveled, the workings of a high stage bureaucrat never ending.

“Not a lot of space. Not with so many of us coming.”

“Which is why the guards will be quartered outside the village.”

“An unfair advantage, is it not?” Fa Yuan arched a single elegant eyebrow.

“What is?”

“There are two Nascent Soul cultivators amongst our group. Our allies are unlikely to match that number.”

“They are our allies. There is no competition.”

She let out a delicate snort to express her feelings on his naïve pronouncement. He grinned back after a bit, before adding. “It matters not. We are the only ones sending true decision makers. Any influence we exert here will still have to be ratified by their leaders. Pushing too hard will actually be disastrous.”

“Ah…” That old gambit. Whichever diplomat or soldier sent here were but disposable tools. She had been utilized like that before. At least, in her case, she had acceded to it beforehand. “Well, hopefully, the agreement can be reached quickly.”

“They will need to.”

Fa Yuan did not jump, for she had sensed the prince’s approach in his palanquin. Even if the prince himself had decent control of his aura, the men who carried him on their back across the road had little such skill. That each of his bearers were in the early-stages of Body Cultivation, that unpopular form of cultivation that manipulated and refined the physical body first, was surprising and unusual. Body cultivation was unpopular compared to soul cultivation due to the pain the process triggered as the body rewrote itself.

On the other hand, it made for much stronger cultivators, especially when combined with some form of soul cultivation.

“And why is that, Prince Liu?”

“Why, because their armies – and ours – are already marching.” Prince Liu shook his head. “If they were to utilize all these resources and then, not attack, that would be a terrible thing. Incredibly difficult to justify to their superiors. Better to dare and win, than fail because they hid from the future.”

“Why would they commit, now?” Fa Yuan said, surprised.

“Some missives might have been altered, minor changes in text. Easily made mistakes or misrepresented orders.” The smile that the prince gave her could have charmed sweets out of a child’s hands, but it slid off Fa Yuan’s cold regard.

“Why would you do that?” she snapped. “Once they learn of your actions, even if they choose to go along with your scheming, they will resent you. Do you not have lands that you will contest? Diplomatic ties that might be burnt?”

“That is why you’re here, Elder Yang.” The prince smiled. “To soothe and charm our allies and to remove the very last objections that they might have.”

“And, of course, you assume that I will dance to your whims.”

“My tune.” Prince Liu smiled. “I prefer to think myself as the lead musician.” Then, he raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying that you refuse to aid me – aud us – in the very objectives that you so passionately spoke of, before?”

Fa Yuan stared at Prince Liu, weighing her next words. She could sense the balance point now of approaching fate, though it was but a small moment. Not because the decision itself was trivial, but because her decision had always been pre-orrdained.

Perhaps it was something to be said about her, and the strictures of duty and obligation laid upon her soul that even so blatantly manipulated, she would dance to his tune. To her surprise, rather than thinking of her martial brother who was much like her – though, perhaps, a touch trickier – her mind turned to Elder Wen. Yin Xue had always been the kind to burn the painting rather than sell it, more willing to sow salt in his fields than let the enemy own it.

Chanelling a little of Yin Xue, she replied, coldly. “We shall see.”

For a moment, the prince visibly recoiled, his smirk slipping a fraction before it redoubled. “We shall, indeed.”

“Come, come.” Ke Yi cut-in, loudly and cheerfully. “There’s no need to fight. We are all on the same side, are we not? So what, if they moved a little earlier. Wecan make sure they are not untowardly affected, even if they turn us down.”

“Can we, now?” Fa Yuan said cooly.

“Of course.”

“You mistake me, general. I was wondering how I was included in your prince’s foolishness.”

Her words caused a stir among the pair. The prince, leaning out of the palanquin through the open window cast a glance at the bearers, relieved to note that she had shaped her aura such that her words had only reach the pair of them.

“Watch your words, Cultivator Yang,” Ke Yi said. “You are still a guest of the kingdom of Liu.”

“Yes. Guest.” She touched the horse’s neck, feeling the warmth of the beast of burden warm her fingers. “It would be wise for you all to remember that.”

Having offered her gentle rebuke and warning, she tapped her heels to the creature. It started moving, following the soldiers down the road, as though sensing that journey’s end was near. A warm stable, fresh hay and a chance to rest.

At least one of them would rest. For Fa Yuan, her burdens were only now beginning to be hefted.