Demonic Tribulations - Chapter 86 preview (Patreon)

Chapter 86 – Wu Ying

Wu Ying caught her, of course. Yu Ag that was. Yang Mu required none of his aid, since the immortal spiritual flying fan that she had been utilizing had already locked itself into a guided descent, holding her body to it by enchanted means.

Beautiful work, definitely better than what any mortal makings would have been. So, slowing Yu Ag’s descent had been more important. That and dealing with the growling demonic enforcer.

“Sheriff!” snapped the demon. “Sherrif Samma. We don’t have magistrates like you people, but a mayor. I just handle fining idiots like you who break our laws.”

“And you still haven’t quoted what law I broke. I formed it in the flying merchant square, we landed our goods there.”

“You disrupted the peace!”

“So you call out the drunks? Or that screaming child down the sixth street? How about the trio having a knife fight in the tavern with the pink roof?” Wu Ying said. “Or is that not public enough?”

He knew he should not taunt the sheriff. The man seemed to be a jumped up guard, who seemed to think himself independent of the mayor, and self important enough to shout at a pair of immortals, each of which were strong enough to beat him individually.

Probably.

Something about the way he held himself, in the fire that he conjured made Wu Ying a little cautious. Anyway, just because he might as though he cared little about the disruption he had caused, he had to admit, he might have overestimated his control of the winds and underestimated the chaos he would generate. If Ah Mu was awake, and they were in private, he would likely have received quite the talking to.

Probably would still, later this evening.

“I have deputies who handle such things. Leaving me to deal with you fools.” The flames licking over his body brightened for a moment, as he continued. “Now, are you going to pay your fines or am I confiscating your goods?”

“How much is it?”

The amount named was enough to make Wu Ying wince. He paid it, thankful that he still had a few immortal stones acquired from the bandits that had attacked him in the heavens on him. Those had been returned when he had been freed, along with his sword – Ren. The half-Immortal blade was in desperate need of reforging, to match the opponents he might face, but he was loathe to give it up as well.

After all, he had the weapon for over a decade and a half by this point. It had seen him through some of his most desperate battles, and though it was heavier and broader than many of the gentleman jian that was popular, it meant that when he battled dao users or those who used claws, cutting and manipulating his opponent’s weapons were easier.

On the ground, his companion slowly woke up. She immediately extracted one of the many spirit beast stones gifted to her by the court and began absorbing its essence, refilling her dantian. Annoying, but understandable. Unlike him, she could not cultivate on the go.

Even his own Cyclone’s Breath cultivation technique was slow at gathering the immortal chi that was dispersed through the surroundings to him. It was a slow process, refilling his energies, but he also utilized much less of it. In fact, he was edging against the use of demonic chi in his own cultivation, since it seemed so flexible.

Just like his own dao, really.

He could not have done what his companion had done. Perhaps in the future, but his own understanding of time and space was too restricted, too nascent to utilize it in that manner. Even her greater understanding her wiped her energy stores and strained her mind.

In fact, his dao had very few direct benefits it seemed beyond allowing him to progress faster. He could exert minor forces on all the elements – relative to other specialized immortals – but most especially the wind. That came from his own connection to the wind through the much diluted blood of the dragons in his body.

It was funny, in the process of becoming an immortal, the concentration of the dragon blood had amplified. Resonating with the immortal chi within him and integrating, giving him greater control and influence over the wind than ever.

“Try not to cause trouble. This is your last warning, or else I’ll ban you from town. Damn interloping immigrants…,” the sheriff growled and stomped away before Wu Ying could reply.

Yu Ag, sensing the more powerful and annoyed demon leaving, sagged. She scurried behind Yang Mu when Wu Ying looked over.

“Really, Ying…” Yang Mu said, as she came over. “You could have chosen an easier way down.”

The crowd in the market, seeing that the confrontation was over and the group’s cargo had landed had started to arrive. One benefit of their dramatic entrance was the attention they had garnered, with many of the more adventurous and opportunistic merchants gathering at the edges of the square while they sent their people to finish setting up stalls and other locations that had been hastily packed.

“Possibly. But what fun would that have been?” He laughed, reached back and undid the hair pin holding his long hair together, redoing it to tuck errant strands away. Descending and flying had a tendency to mess his hair up, making it frustrating for him.

“I have to make sure all these are delivered properly, sell what I bought and acquire more trade goods. Can you stay out of trouble, at least for a few hours?”

“Of course.” He grinned, wide and cocked his head to the side. The wind, impish and amused, were whispering secrets to him. Points of interest, while she spoke, that might attract him. Things that he could do, that should not, of course, be troublesome.

“Ying…”

“I promise. I’ll be fine.” He nodded to Yu Ag. “Take care of her. I’ll be fine. I picked up enough of their language to get by, and if not…” he shrugged, “well, I’m not planning to buy much anyway. Just experience the city.”

Really, he could not understand why she was looking at him with so much distrust. He truly did not intend to explore all the things that the winds were telling him. Most especially that smuggling ring and their hideout filled with contraband goods.

He certainly had no need for Middle Kingdom tea.

That was more a Tou He temptation.