Chapter 170: Recollection (Patreon)

Zixin stepped out into the evening air that was unusually chilly for this time of the year. The sky was somewhat overcast, and the sinking sun was bathing the clouds in orange-red light. Zixin mumbled a curse. He was going to be late.

The sword he’d been sent to fetch was supposed to have been ready to collect by the time he’d arrived at the Manufacturing Hall; instead, they’d made him wait for almost two hours as they had apparently put the finishing touches on it. By now, the senior that had sent him was probably expecting him to be returning any moment.

Sighing loudly, Zixin used a leather strip to fasten the sword, wrapped in a layer of cloth as it was, to his back before beginning his descent down the mountain at a brisk pace. He didn’t think that he would get in actual trouble for being late, after all, he wasn’t at fault here and it wasn’t like the delivery was urgent, but they’d doubtlessly chew his ear off about it nonetheless.

Besides, he hadn’t been planning to spend half his day on an errand. Older inner disciples like him were supposed to occasionally help out with stuff like this, mostly to get used to working for their hall, and Zixin was totally fine with that, especially considering all the perks that being an inner disciple got him, but he didn’t it to drag out longer than necessary.

He’d originally planned to cramp in a full round of exercise before his evening cultivation session – it was important to have the body keep up with the changes it underwent during the process of Body Reformation – but it looked like he’d have to skip that.

As he made his way through the darkening forest, the wind howling as it whipped past the treetops, a fork in the path got an idea sparking in Zixin’s mind. If, instead of heading all the way down into the valley an up the main path up to the Enforcement Hall, he cut to the left here, he could take the path that went up the mountain’s back side instead.

He had dragged Chonglin to explore that are with him back when they’d both still been in the Qi Gathering realm, and hadn’t ever been there since. The mountain was a lot steeper on that side, so the path in question involved a good bit of climbing that meant it would always have taken more time than just taking the longer way through the valley. Now though, having almost completed the Body Reformation Realm, Zixin was confident that he was quick enough to actually safe a good chunk of time there. And he’d even get some of his exercise in while he was at it. He took the left path.

It wasn’t long until Zixin had reached the eastern mountain and began climbing. The sun had fully disappeared beneath the horizon, but the increasingly intense winds had cleared up the sky enough that the full moon provided plenty of light for him to see where he was stepping. The path was just as steep as he remembered it, but to his enhanced muscles and massively improved reflexes, that was no longer a hindrance.

For a while, Zixin made good progress up the mountain, clearing the most difficult part of the trail and reaching a more relaxed, if still quite steep section. He mentally reaffirmed himself what a good idea taking this path had been.

Just at that moment, as if to spite him, an especially fierce gust of wind came rushing down the mountain, catching him in a moment of carelessness. He felt it knocking him off balance and for a single, terrifying moment, Zixin thought he’d fall. Then, his instincts kicking in, he caught and steadied himself. The feeling of relief was intense but short-lived, as just a moment later, the clanking sound of steel hitting stone knocked the dread back into him.

He turned around just in time to see the sword he was supposed to deliver clatter down the rocky slope to his right. He stood frozen in place as he listened to the repeated rings of its impacts slowly grew quieter and quieter. Then, they stopped.

Shit!

Zixin made to after the sword before catching himself, remembering what had just almost happened. He took a deep breath before slowly making his way to the edge of the path, mindful of the wind that was still pulling at his clothes. Beneath him, a steep slope full of rubble and larger boulders stretched out, reaching deep down the mountain.

Shit, Shit, Shit!

Zixin desperately peered into the darkness. Where in the world had that sword… A twinkle of light caught in the corner of his eye. He squinted. There it was! A hundred, maybe two hundred meters below him, the sword’s pristine blade glistened in the moonlight.

Zixin took another deep breath, this one filled with careful relief. This was a quality sword, one that a senior member had had custom made for him and had that he had likely paid a pretty sum for. There was no way a fall like this was enough to seriously damage it. And he was already late anyway. He just needed to get it back, give it a quick polish and turn it in. Nobody would even know of this little mishap.

Now there was just one question left: how to get it back. Trying to climb straight down the slope seemed like a bad idea, especially with those winds. Waiting till they subsided or getting a senior to help was obviously out of question, he’d never hear the end of this then. Besides, if he happened to kick loose a rock, he might trigger an avalanche that would, considering his luck today, probably bury the sword under several tons of stone.

For a while, Zixin just stared at the slope, without any good ideas. Then, his eyes caught onto a narrow trail that went across it. It passed quite a bit above the sword, but sloped downward a little behind it. If he followed it there, he would be able to approach the sword from the side instead of climbing down or up. That would be a lot less risky. He didn’t have any better ideas, so that settled it. He’d just have to find his way to that trail first.

A bit of backtracking and more carefully examining the path he’d mostly skipped by quickly earlier turned out to do the trick. The trail actually branched off from it, he’d just missed it because, from up close, it barely looked like one. Whatever it had been made for, it surely hadn’t been in use for a long time by now.

Taking care to maintain a steady footing, Zixin began making his way across the steep slope. He’d made it about halfway across when he suddenly heard a voice speak out.

“…a truly unfortunate turn of events.”

Surprised, he stopped dead in his tracks. The voice had come from somewhere ahead and above of him and it took Zixin a moment to understand that it hadn’t been addressing him. More snippets of the same voice soon reached him.

“…understand your worries, truly, we do. Still, you surely understand that your continued failure to comply in this matter…”

The smooth male voice was even-tempered and sweet, but even without knowing the context of the conversation, Zixin felt like it had a threatening undertone.

“…both know that Elder Wei will eventually make his return. Before that happens…”

Zixin’s breath caught in his throat. What in the world were they talking about? He had to hear more. Slowly and suddenly acutely aware of any noise that his movements might make, Zixin crept forward.

“We understand that you are disappointed,” a woman’s voice replied, “but please show leniency and take our position into account as well. My mistress…”

“Oh, but I actually don’t think you understand. The lady is being lenient already.”, the man interrupted her.

Zixin stopped. He was standing beneath a small overhang in the rock, and the voices were coming from right above him.

“But… Maybe we could find another solution. Is it really necessary for our members to…”

“I wasn’t sent here to negotiate, but out of sympathy. Lady Xia just couldn’t stand by and watch as your mistress’ behavior continued to put her daughter in danger so recklessly.”

Zixin heard some cloth rustle.

“Please hand this to your mistress and tell her the following: Since the finger doesn’t seem to have sufficed to properly bring the message across, we’ve gone ahead and sent her the remainder of the hand this time. The next time there is a problem with her cooperation, we will deliver the other one… or, perhaps, the heart.”

Zixin’s eyes widened. This was too much to comprehend at once, but what he did understand was that someone had just threatened a murder. Then something clicked in his mind. The missing disciples! What if…

That momentary lapse of attention was his undoing. Another gust of wind whipped past the mountain, striking him of balance once again. He momentarily regained it, stepped out with one of his feet to stabilize himself, only for the rock he stepped on to come loose and plumet down the slope.

Zixin struggled, staggered, fell… and then, a strong hand from above caught him by the neck.

“Now what do we have here?”, the smooth male voice’s icy tone sent cold shivers down Zixin’s back. The firm grip of the hand effortlessly lifted him up onto the plateau, keeping him suspended in the air.

“A little disciple. Come to listen in on our friendly chat, have you? Did it not occur to you that we wouldn’t have chosen this place if we were looking for company?”

The voice’s words were laced with venomous disdain. A second hand closed around Zixin’s neck. Then, the grip tightened.

“What’s the matter? Lost your voice? Well, maybe your breath should follow, then.”

“Wasn’t… spying…”, Zixin pressed out, as the grip tightened more and more. He instinctively tried prying the hands apart, but they were strong as steel.

“Of course, of course. Just taking a casual walk, were we. Spit it out. Who sent you?”

Black spots danced over Zixin’s vision. The blood flow to his head was all but cut off now. He knew that that meant he only had seconds left before falling unconscious.

“I- I… the… sword. Down… there.”

With the last of his strength, he raised his hand to point where he could still see the sword shining dimly in the moonlight.

The man stayed silent. Zixin could feel his consciousness faltering. Then, suddenly, the grip relaxed.

Zixin greedily drew in the fresh air as the blood pumped fresh oxygen into his brain, saving him from falling unconscious.

“Huh. A sword indeed. How curious. What’s that doing there?”, the man asked, his voice now a mix of curiosity and aloofness.

Zixin pressed out an answer, his speech interrupted by exhausted gasps for air.

“I got it… from the Manufacturing Hall. I was… supposed to deliver it. It slipped… from my back while I was… climbing, and… I was trying to get it back.”

“Deliver it to whom?”

“One of my seniors… from the Enforcement Hall.”

“You’re from the Enforcement Hall… I see, I see. Well then-” Suddenly, the hands put Zixin back on the ground. “It appears this was all an unfortunate misunderstanding.”

The man loosened his hands, but made sure to keep Zixin upright while he struggled to get regain his balance. Then, he let go.

For a moment, Zixin just stood in place, breathing and looking into the distance. Then, he turned around and immediately pivoted into a bow.

“I apologize for intruding on my senior’s meeting! I had no such intentions! I am deeply thankful that you saved me from falling!”

The man chuckled, his voice suddenly sounding warm and harmless.

“It was nothing. I should be the one to apologize for misunderstanding a diligent young man’s intentions. You may stand.”

Zixin straightened his back and got his first good look at the man. He was chubby, had short, brown hair and a friendly face filled with laugh lines. Zixin struggled to mentally connect his appearance to the hands that had just almost choked the life out of him.

“Now, while it’s regrettable that you happened to come by at such an inopportune moment, I must ask: What did you hear?”

The man’s voice remained friendly, but a hint of sharpness returned to his tone, now enough to make the hairs on Zixin’s arms stand up.

“Barely anything that I could understand. Just…” Zixin momentarily paused, trying to think of the least incriminating thing he could plausibly have heard. “…Something about taking advantage of Elder Wei’s absence.”

“Yes, yes. As you can imagine, the absence of such a powerful figure to our sect has caused some… things to change. Not that young man like you should concern himself with the complexities of our sect’s politics. I suppose you can also imagine that such a conversation is highly confidential, which was the course of my… outbreak.”

“Of course, senior! I apologize once more for intruding!”

The man smiled benignly and placed a hand on Zixin’s shoulder.

“Oh no, it’s nothing. A mistake born of honest diligence is no mistake at all. But you should get going now. You wouldn’t want to keep your senior waiting any longer now, would you?”

“Of course!”

Eager to get out of here, Zixin bowed and quickly turned around, kneeling down to try and figure out how he should go about getting down there.

“Now that I think about it… It’s the duty of every good sect member to assist their juniors when they are in need, no? I’ll help you get down there.”

“I… Thank you, senior, but I don’t think…”

Zixin stood up to face the man again, but before he could fully turn around , he felt a kick in his side. He wheezed in pain as the air was knocked from his lungs and his hips cracked from the impact. His shock barely had time to turn into fear as he realized that he had been thrown of the edge before impacting the side of the mountain again.

Fire spread through his back as it slammed against hard stone. He tried to reach out for something to grab onto, but his momentum carried him further down the slope. Rocks scraped against his skin, but they did little to slow his tumbling descent. A bumpy rock set him flying again.

For a moment, as he sailed through the air, the incoming pain stopped. Then he came back down. He felt his arm bent out of shape as his full weight bore down on it. Something hit his head. His consciousness faded. Images of Qiao and Chonglin appeared before his inner eye. When his senses returned, he was still falling.

Suddenly, Zixin was in the air again. The slope had given way to a cliff, over the edge of which he had just been catapulted. Through his blurred vision, he could make out treetops several dozen meters below him.

As he descended, lungs managed to catch enough air for him to let out a scream.

Then, a final impact.

And nothingness.

Black, sweet nothingness.