Chapter 394: Drums (Patreon)

“A good enough first test.”

~~~

The shattering is felt all around the continent.

Most do not know what it means, but everyone, from the lowest peasant to the Emperor, senses it happening. A sudden gust of wind on their faces, the faint shattering of glass somewhere in the distance, a tingling on their skin as if someone had just yanked a blanket away from them and left them exposed to the cold.

“Many have theorized what would happen once the barrier came down.”

Fan Bingbing’s voice rises above the cold coastal air. Her gaze is fixed on the horizon, where the sun rises from the ocean. The light paints her brown eyes gold. A red carpet has been placed over the sand for her to sit on. Her instrument, a large guzheng, is laid before her, strings perfectly tuned and polished wood shining like a gem.

A large army stretches out behind her, soldiers of the Storm Dragon Empire, clad in their dark armor and wielding spears and bows. Their faces are taut with tension. They stand immobile, statues lined up along the coastline.

“Why bother with it?”

Fang Bingbing’s fingers touch the strings of her instrument. The soft notes are lost to the crashing of the waves as her gaze shifts to Bei Hong. He’s standing far ahead of them, waist-deep in the ocean. Saltwater splashes against his eyes, but he does not care.

“It has become increasingly relevant to my work in the Division of Exploration,” she answers. “Of course, I imagine it is not really relevant to one from the Division of Internal Disputes.”

Most people do not know of the war or the existence of demons. However, that has never been the case for the Eternal Flame Clan. From the beginning, they knew they owed their existence to the barrier protecting the continent, so their first leaders were always afraid of it failing.

As time took away those who remembered the war, the protocols became more akin to thought experiments. If the barrier fell, would the war immediately restart? Maybe four thousand years ago that would have been true, but now? With so many of those who remember the war dead? With so many unknowns created by four thousand years of separation?

A note rings out, stronger than the last few.

“If you had been laying a siege for several years and the enemy suddenly opened their doors, what would you think?”

Bei Hong frowns.

“I would think that it’s obviously a trap,” he says. Then he adds, “I might still rush in, though.”

Fan Bingbing sighs and shakes her head.

“At least, you’d notice the obvious,” she says. “But yes, that is the conclusion previous Elders come to. If the barrier fell, the ones who would attack first would obviously be those in possession of the least self-control. The least far along in their evolution. The most desperate."

As she speaks, dark dots appear on the horizon. A few dozen at first, yet their number keeps growing. In the sky. In the sea. So many that they become blots against the rising sun. The soldiers remain motionless behind Fan Bingbing, yet she can hear the beginnings of fear in their Qi, a disturbance in their song.

Bei Hong’s finger digs into his ear.

“And that means?”

Fan Bingbing’s Qi spikes.

Her fingers play a song, and two massive giants rise behind her. Muscled arms raise their weapons above their heads and smash them down with strength and fury.

[Howling of the Oppressed]

The sea parts. A shockwave reaches the horizon and slams into the dark spots.

“To use your parlance,” Fan Bingbing says. “They are trash.”

~~~

“Away, you vermin!”

On the other side of the continent, a warrior of the Death Fashioning Scripture fights against the invading horde. He is one of many, not even a full disciple, the lowest caste of those belonging to the Death Fashioning Scripture. Thus, one of the first that must meet their dreaded enemy.

One must wonder why?

The war happened four thousand years ago. Most of the people who remember the war, on both sides, are dead. No matter how big the offenses that started the war were, they cannot possibly endure after so long. Even if they did, starting a war of this magnitude once more is bound to have consequences. It is not a decision that can be made lightly.

And yet, in most contingencies and proposed scenarios, no one has ever treated a renewal of hostilities as anything other than inevitable.

“Away, you fiends!” the warrior shouts as his bone spear slices through several heads at once.

The monsters swarming the coast are ugly and misshapen beings, not full demons yet. They rise from the water; their bodies are covered with scales and muck. Their claws are jagged edges, and their mouths are serrated knives. They charge with no regard for their safety, need and hunger shining in pure black eyes.

“Get back!” The warrior shouts, panic entering his voice. “Get back!”

His Qi flares, trying to scare the monsters, but it only seems to incite them. He tries to turn around but finds he is out of position. Somewhere in the heat of combat, he separated from his companions. There are only freaks around him. His spear tries to keep them away, but they keep coming.

“Get away!” He roars desperately.

There are too many! He cannot even swing his spear properly. It gets trapped between bodies and yanked away. Slimy limbs drag him down, and claws pry apart his armor. He tries to break free, but there are too many holding him down.

“No! No! NO! Get back! Get back!”

Dozens of mouths open, uncaring of his pleas. Pure black eyes shine with hunger. Claws drift to his chest, blood bursting from his skin as they break it, but it is not his life they are after. It is not his organs they want to eat.

It is his dantian.

Locked deep in there is the fruit of his life as a cultivator, the proof of his existence. The golden elixir that nourishes his body and empowers his soul. To take it is the greatest taboo.

However, humans are not demons, so why should demons treat taking their dantian any differently from taking a spirit beast’s core? These beings know a human core will strengthen them. They believe a single sip from it will help them finally complete their evolution into full demons. That is why they do not care about the danger. They are hungry and desperate to become complete.

They all die in the blink of an eye.

The warrior looks on in awe, chest bleeding, but thankfully not lethally. His dantian is safe. His life is saved. All around, the monsters are being killed, skewered by spears of bone rising from the sandy beaches, while long whips of flesh wrap around the horde and force them together so that they are easier to dispose of.  

“M-my lord?” the warrior asks, unable to believe what his eyes are telling him.

Cao Bian, The Shape of Death, has stepped onto the battlefield.

He does not answer the warrior. He looks at one of the still-struggling monsters and grabs it by the head. The creature screeches so loudly that the warrior’s ears ring. He watches in awe as the monster's body shrivels and shrinks into Cao Bian’s hand, seemingly absorbed by him.

“A good enough first test,” Cao Bian says, looking at his hand. He turns to the warrior. “Eat.”

A pill is dropped from Cao Bian’s hand into the sand. It is an ugly green, the same color as the monster used to make it.

Demons are not humans.

Why should humans treat taking a demon’s core any differently from taking a spirit beast’s core?

The warrior takes the pill from the sand and puts it into his mouth.

~~~

“...That…That is what happened.”

Xiao Shuang’s voice is a regretful whisper. Her eyes never leave the tips of her shoes as she recounts her tale, and her hands never stop gripping the blue folds of her robe. She waits for an explosion that never comes, and that only makes her feel worse. The silence between the four walls of Liu Jin’s room is somehow more damning than any condemnation.

“What…what happened to him?” Song Daiyu asks. Her eyes shift from one woman to the next. “...I mean…Could he be…?”

“He’s alive!” Xiao Shuang says with more strength than she has used since the tower broke down. “Great Mother said so! The barrier around the continent had several aspects to it, and some involved shifting dimensions to further remove us from the outside world. When the barrier collapsed, the damage echoed in the tower. Space collapsed, albeit temporarily. It created a hole, and he…fell through. Lord Feng Shang agreed that it most likely…displaced him.”

If a Divinity and one of the strongest people in the Eternal Flame Clan say so, it is reasonable to take it as an unshakable fact. However, that only means Liu Jin is not dead. There is no telling where he ended up.

“I mean, that’s obvious,” Su Daji says. She is sitting on the floor next to his bed. Her tails are bunched up underneath her to act as a cushion. “The dog was fine last I saw it, which was this morning. That thing is linked to him in some way. If Boss died, it would have felt it.”

“There is… something more,” Xiao Shuang says, gathering her courage and finally raising her gaze. Her hand goes to her chest. “During our fight in the tournament, he accepted me into his Dao. It forged a connection between us, and though I feel he is very far away, his presence has not disappeared. I know he is out there somewhere.”

“Is that so? How fortuitous for you.”

Steeling herself, Xiao Shuang finally faces the person she has been dreading the most. Lu Mei is sitting on Liu Jin’s chair as though she owned it, her legs crossed and her expression unreadable. Xiao Shuang knows she is far stronger than Lu Mei, yet she cannot help but feel intimidated. Lu Mei is the woman who was at her husband’s side for years, who helped him when she could not, and who compliments him in ways she simply cannot.

Lu Mei rises. Su Daji and Song Daiyu look like they want to intervene, but they are not exactly sure how. Xiao Shuang can only hold her place until Lu Mei is less than a foot away. The temperature of the room rises. Lu Mei’s Qi is a blaze waiting to be unleashed.

Her hands fall on her shoulders.

“I know this is not your fault,” she says softly. “What could you have done differently? Not help him train that accursed technique of his? Somehow convince him not to try to fight Xun Huwen and help my brother? No, you acted the only way you could.”  

Her grip is tight.

Somehow, that is comforting.

“I failed,” Xiao Shuang says. “All of you trusted me to keep him safe. I promised you that I would. I could not.”

“Yes,” Lu Mei says. “You failed, but if I shunned you now, he would be disappointed with me.”

Lu Mei’s hands let go of her. Honestly, Xiao Shuang would have preferred if she struck her. It would make it easier to deal with the shame and anger she feels inside, and she is pretty sure Lu Mei knows it.

“The matter of his disappearance is important for more than personal reasons,” Lu Mei says, looking at his desk. “We have a decision to make. Should we let the people know?”

The three young women blink.

“His disappearance is not exactly a secret,” Su Daji points out. “From what the Little Miss told us, everyone from the Other Side and the Four Great Sects knows.”

“The Other Side is across the Dead Plains. The Four Great Sects are in another country. He was the only representative of the Storm Dragon Empire there,” Lu Mei says. “Other than the four of us, only a few people know the Emperor of the Storm Dragon Empire even left the country.”

“You are saying we should pretend nothing happened,” Song Daiyu realizes.

“Why not?” Lu Mei asks, shrugging her shoulders. “The nation is recovering from the attacks of the Temple of the Thousand Shadows. The first wave of demons hit the coast this morning. If people learn the Emperor has gone missing, it would cause a panic. If the nobles learn of it, it might incite stupidity among them. We have Qing Guo and Qing Jianjun. They can help maintain the illusion…unless they get some ideas.”

“They will help,” Su Daji says, partially because Lu Mei’s tone makes it sound like she is already planning their deaths. “The Boss trusts them.”

“There you go,” Lu Mei says, waving at her. “So? Do you agree?”

“Are you really asking for permission? It seems like you already made up your mind,” Song Daiyu asks, earning herself a glare from Lu Mei.

“I will follow your lead,” Xiao Shuang says. “However, this deception cannot last forever. Surely, you know?”

“She’s right,” Su Daji says. “Word will spread. People will find out soon enough. When that happens, I don’t suppose we’ll be able to tell them that there is a prince on the way.”

She looks at Lu Mei’s stomach significantly. Lu Mei glares at her.

“We were careful,” she says. “Besides, the deception doesn’t have to last forever.”

Only until he returns.

She does not have to say it for them to hear it.

~~~

“I apologize from the bottom of my heart!”

Chen Guo’s knees hit the floor as he apologizes, hands clasped together and face utterly contrite. The echo of his words rings out across the large hollow chamber. 

His grandfather sighs

“It is okay, Little Guo.”

“How could it be?” Chen Guo asks, face grave. “Emperor Qing Jin has gone missing. There is no telling where he is now! I…I think he was amenable to the idea of meeting you, grandfather, but he is naturally distrustful. If only I had a few more days…No, if I had been more forceful, I could have-”

“It is fine,” repeats his grandfather. “Please, Little Guo. You'll lose your hair if you keep worrying. You do not want to be like the men of the Temple of the Thousand Shadows. Or that bald bastard Cao Bian. A head full of hair is more manly.”

Chen Guo stares at him blankly.

“Grandfather, you are bald too,” he cannot help but point out.

His grandfather laughs.

“True,” he says, patting his bald head. “Sometimes things go away. Sometimes they do not come back. Sometimes they do. You were against forces you could not understand. There is no shame in losing when you did not realize who your enemy was. I never thought they’d allow the barrier to come down like that.”

Chen Guo furrows his brow. 

“They?”

“That is not for you to worry about. Not yet,” his grandfather says. “For now, you should prepare yourself. We have demons to fight now. I’m sure the Young Emperor will return at a suitably opportune moment.”

The Old Man of the Mountain smiles wistfully.

“Really, Jiang was the same way.”

~~~

The Scribe of the Peerless Heavenly Sword Peak is among the continent's strongest. Few can be called his peers. But when he enters the chamber of Qin Muchen, First Sword of the Peerless Heavenly Sword Peak, it is the Scribe who kneels on the floor.

“How was he?” Qin Muchen asks.

The Scribe shakes his head.

“It cannot be compared to the real thing,” he says. “It is regrettable. His Dao showed a lot of promise, but it seems [Art of the Roaming Thief] cannot be mimicked so easily.”

A soft chuckle leaves Qin Muchen’s mouth.  

“Unfortunate, but not expected,” he says. “If it were so easy to learn it, we would have figured out the techniques millennia ago. The Path of the Roaming Thief can only be shown by someone who is already a roaming thief. What an annoying thing that man made. Still, the boy did well, considering all that he had to go on were the items of the Roaming Thief we allowed him to access.”

“He is talented,” the Scribe says. “The Elders had high hopes for him.”

“The Elders will have to live with the disappointment. I live with theirs every day,” Qin Muchen says. “All that matters is that we are now certain the boy can use the Sixth Step, though it is unlikely he has reached the Seventh. A pity. Still, this will allow him to fade into the background for some time. He had drawn far too much attention to himself.

The Scribe frowns.

“Great-grandfather,” he says. “Was it really wise to allow this? Just for that, we allowed the barrier to be broken?”

It is the closest the Scribe has come to disrespect in many centuries. He lowers his head and awaits his ancestor’s reply.

“It is one reason, but not the only one,” the First Sword replies. “To be honest, it would have been fine if Cao Bian’s plan succeeded. The barrier has served its purpose. Recovering [Art of the Roaming Thief] is far more important. With any luck, this one will finally complete it.”

The Scribe frowns.

“Complete it?”

At that moment, the entire western coast of the Vermillion continent shakes. Waves rise and swallow entire cities. A massive Qi travels across the land, carrying a single word.

[“Qin!”]

The First Sword sighs and stands up.

“A moment, please,” he says

A single step carries him countless miles away, high above the raging seas. The wind greets him with tornadoes, and the ocean’s waves rise hundreds of meters to try to swallow him down.

It rises.

A beast with a long, sinuous body so massive that it would be able to wrap itself around multiple mountains emerges from the ocean and flies into the clouds, draping itself over them as if using them as support. White horns grow from its forehead, and its mouth is full of impressively sharp teeth. Blue scales like sapphires cover its entire being, matching the color of the sea.

“King of the Sea, it has been a while,” The First Sword says.

“Qin Muchen!” the King of the Sea yells. “I have waited too long! You will pay for my daughter’s life!”

“King of the Sea, it has been four thousand years,” Qin Muchen says. “Why hold onto old grudges? There is no point to it. You have other children. Why waste your life for one?”

The King of the Sea does not reply with words. The ancient dragon lets out a roar that shakes the heavens and drives those close enough to hear him to madness.

Qin Muchen draws his sword.

It is an utterly mundane thing, straight, double-edged, and lacking any decorations. The handle is black, and the blade is the color of steel. Perfect in balance and sharpness, but also something any competent blacksmith could make.

The blade howls with killing intent, a maddened laughter that overpowers the raging waves and twisting wind.

“I wonder,” Qin Muchen says. “How many gods will we kill today?”

~~~

Mini-Character List

Liu Jin: Our Protagonist. Will return in Avengers: Dooms-I mean, next chapter!

Fan Bingbing: Disciple of the Eternal Flame Clan. Takes her division work seriously, so she assumes Bei Hong even remembers what Division he is supposed to be part of.

Bei Hong: Disciple of the Eternal Flame Clan. Knows he could stand in the sand, but realizes being in the ocean with his arms crossed feels cooler. Masters would say this brings him closer to the true Dao. 

Warrior of the Death Fashioning Scripture: Exactly what it says on the tin. The Three Powers control vast territories and have many people who wish to join them. How they choose to handle those that don't make the cut but could be useful is up to each one.

Cao Bian: Leader of the Death Fashioning Scripture. Has been looking forward to doing that. Wishes he could have tested on a full demon but knows he’ll get his change before the day ends.

Xiao Shuang: Disciple of the Divine Frozen Palace. Very disappointed with herself. Very angry. One will eventually overcome the other.

Song Daiyu: Daughter of the Song Clan. Member of the Five Blessings Group. Ponders the many conflicts of interests of her position. 

Su Daji: Disciple of Wandering Wind. Has been wanting to ask that for a while. Just in case. Making plans.

Lu Mei: Disciple of the Eternal Flame Clan. Doing the math on how much power she has and doesn’t have without Liu Jin there and not liking how untenable the situation is.  

Chen Guo: Disciple of the Infinite Mountain Sect. Contrite.  

Old Man of the Mountain: Divinity of the Infinite Mountain Sect. Baldness comes for all. He could force his hair to grow, but that’d be cheating. 

Scribe: Scribe of the Peerlessly Heavenly Sword Peak. Has many doubts about what has happened but ultimately will follow the First Sword. His parents died during the war. 

Qin Muchen: First Sword of the Peerlessly Heavenly Sword Peak. Oldest in the continent. 

Qin Muchen’s Sword: A classy lady. 

King of the Sea: Big Dragon. Leader of one of the Twelve Sacred Clans. Has been really angry for a long time. Will not get over it.