The Nine-Ringed Saber Appears!!! (Moyu, Jian, Shen)
The man breathed in, drawing qi into his body like drawing water from a well. It flowed through his meridians - the invisible channels that carried spiritual energy like veins carry blood. It moved as easily as wind over grassy plains until it settled in his gut, in his dantian. Then he breathed out. Most of the qi followed the exhale, returning to the world, but a small portion remained trapped within his body. A bit more qi absorbed. A bit more strength to draw upon.
The art was methodical. Qi absorbed with each breath, circulated through the body's meridians, and a fraction captured within the dantian. With each cycle, the body and mind grew stronger, more refined. Over many cycles, a cultivator advanced in steps. And over many steps, eventually ascended to a higher realm.
The man sighed as he finished another cycle. He reached into the pouch at his side and withdrew a small chunk of jerky from a Demonic Fire Boar he'd slain a week prior. He swallowed the meat without ceremony, much like his ward swallowed cultivation pills. The meat retained qi that would flow into his dantian, accelerating his progress - he need only be sure to release the corruptive elements with his breath as he cultivated. The practices the Old Man of the Mountain had taught him served him well.
The man returned to his lotus position but did not resume his breathing pattern. Even with his eyes closed, he could sense something was wrong. His hearing was keener than a bat's, his sense of smell sharper than a wolf's.
Even concealing her spiritual presence, it was obvious the girl was attempting to escape.
"Leaving so soon, Lady Moyu?"
"GAH!? S-Shen Qiu, do not scare me so!"
Shen finally opened his eyes. The cultivation chamber was a far cry from the austere caves he'd trained in under his master. This room was lavish, opulent - closer to a noble's bedchamber than a sanctuary for contemplating the dao. Gold and silver covered the walls, and a massive mural of his ward, Xun Moyu, dominated an entire wall. A gift from Lady Wen's retainer, Ri, to calm the scion of the Xun clan after a particularly bad tantrum. Ornate light fixtures hung from the ceiling, clearly foreign in design - Lord Heinrich's inventions, no doubt. Despite the absence of windows, the incandescent glow made the room as bright as daylight, banishing shadows and making it far more difficult for Moyu to escape using her shadow-stepping technique.
That's what this room was designed for, after all. A prison more than a place of cultivation. A gilded cage.
Xun Moyu, scion of the Xun clan, stood with her back against the wall, a harsh expression on her face. She wore fine silks and jewelry - the attire of a consort or aristocratic lady, not a warrior. With her spiritual presence concealed by stealth techniques, only the simple sword hanging at her side marked her as a cultivator. Her hand rested on its hilt, as if she intended to draw it on him.
"I demand you let me out at once! This is a farce and you know it!"
Wasn't he supposed to be the one reprimanding her?
"Lady Moyu, we really gotta do this song and dance every time? You know you need to cultivate if you want to get stronger."
"I do not need more strength when I'm already the strongest! I'm also the smartest, and the cutest! Why should I waste hours of my day, every day, sitting and humming like some monk!?"
Shen Qiu sighed. Moyu had a supremely easy life compared to him. His master had forced him to meditate for over twelve hours every day, minimum. Another six hours were spent on chores and hunting, leaving barely any time for sleep. He'd fed himself, cared for himself, done his master's chores, and reached his current rank through diligence and hard work.
Moyu, on the other hand, was forced to cultivate for a measly four hours a day - and even that paltry amount was like pulling teeth. And with the countless cultivation pills she was given, she'd still managed to approach Shen Qiu's realm in a fraction of the time.
"...Perhaps you'll have an easier time if you take the Spirit Concentration Pill that Lady Wen prepared for you?"
The Spirit Concentration Pill was common among young masters in cultivation clans. Made from Phantom Spirit Weeds and Spiritual Ginseng, it forced the consumer into a focused stupor, allowing them to concentrate for extended periods - ideal for easing the boredom that came with long cultivation sessions.
A crutch, to be sure, but one the Xun Clan could easily afford. Especially if it meant avoiding one of Moyu's tantrums.
"You think me a toddler in need of training wheels!? Kowtow eighty times and I may forgive this transgr-"
Moyu's vicious demand cut short as a curious look crossed her face. She smirked, then feigned defeat. The rapid shifting of expressions might have been comedic, had they not belonged to the cruelest of the Xun.
"Guh... very well, I suppose that is an acceptable idea, Shen Qiu. Perhaps even one as great as I, Xun Moyu, needs assistance occasionally... I will hide my shame in the side room, so please do not disturb me..."
The girl moved toward a side corridor meant for servants to enter and exit the room discreetly.
"Lady Moyu..."
Shen's eyes narrowed a fraction as he fixed her with his gaze. Those cold, corpse-like eyes were a terrifying sight even for hardened warriors - like a tiger staring down a deer. Many lesser men had fallen before the mere gaze of the Black Beast of the North. Mortals had even died from a single glance, frothing at the mouth as their hearts stopped from fear.
"You do not intend to escape, right? I do not enjoy suffering the wrath of the Elders so you may have a few more hours of playtime..."
Had he given that look to Ming, or Chizi, or Linghao, they would have been terrified into compliance. Even a mighty warrior like Lord Fengqi would have given pause before the Black Beast of the North.
Moyu didn't seem to even notice Shen's pressure.
"Yeah yeah, sure, whatever. Off to meditate and pop pills now, goodbye Shen Qiu~!"
The girl waved absentmindedly behind her as Shen glared at her back. At first he'd thought she had an obscenely strong will. Then he thought she simply couldn't sense his bloodlust. But after months in her employ, Shen was more confused by how she ignored his intimidating presence than he'd been on his first day with the Xun Clan.
Moyu slammed the door to the side room closed behind her. There was a brief shuffling sound, followed by silence. Shen waited several minutes before slowly rising, knocking on the door, and when he received no response, opening it.
Despite there being only a single entrance, Moyu was gone. On the ground lay a heavy cloak, the kind worn by travelers in the cold Northern Territory. She must have used it to cover herself and block the light fixtures - creating a shadow to teleport through.
Shen stared at the cloak for several moments, then sighed. The pressure faded instantly, and he returned to his cushioned corner of the main room. He flopped down, abandoning his lotus position in favor of a reclining one, hands behind his head.
"Well, Lady Moyu will be busy cultivating for the next few hours - I'll use this time to catch up on my sleep..."
He would be reprimanded by the Xun Elders regardless of when he caught up to the Xun scion. But if he feigned ignorance for a few hours, he'd have some peace and alone time away from the brat. Knowing her, she wouldn't get into much trouble anyway - probably drag Lord Jian with her to a gambling hall, or fly them both to the Dark Demon Mountains to hunt beasts. Nothing particularly dangerous, unless she threw a tantrum and killed some civilians in the city.
How much trouble could she really get into?
A soft melody flowed through the air. Mournful, sad. A requiem for something only the boy knew. With every plucked string of the erhu, the qi in the air moved, enticed by the vibrations, by the sound. The boy's eyes were closed, but his spiritual senses were refined enough to detect the movement. Like moths drawn to candlelight, the qi snaked through the air. Circling the instrument, circling the boy.
The music shifted ever so slightly - hastening, increasing in tempo and depth. The qi responded, its movements growing more rapid and forceful. One misplayed note would send the qi spearing into the boy's body like a needle. But as he continued to play and increase the tempo, the qi only drew closer and faster. Soon it vibrated against his scales, humming in tune with the music.
The boy didn't stop, approaching the climax as the qi began sinking into his body through his skin. It felt... strange. Like his flesh was being peeled away and a thin ointment laid over his muscles - if, of course, the process was entirely painless. In his first few attempts at cultivating with his Melodic Reconstruction technique, he'd failed at this point, and the sensation had been far more painful - like needles of qi puncturing his flesh and organs. Thankfully, he'd been conditioned through that pain. Now he rarely failed to maintain his melody, only faltering when unable to give the music his complete concentration.
Eventually, the qi suffused his muscles and flowed through his meridians as quickly as he played. The boy began to slow. He had to make the music slow enough that qi could collect in his dantian, but fast enough that it didn't coalesce in his meridians and create a blockage. Heinrich had been kind enough to help him the first few times that happened, but it was embarrassing to reveal the failings of his technique to the man who had taken him in.
After another ten minutes of playing, the tune returned to its mournful, slow requiem. Much of the qi had already left his body, seeping through the gaps between his scales, but a sizable amount remained deep within his dantian. When he'd expelled as much of the free qi as he could, the boy sighed, and his calloused fingers slowly stopped.
That was one cycle.
His qi reserves were almost imperceptibly larger than before, but larger nonetheless. So long as he continued to play, he could gather more qi and grow stronger.
And more importantly, he could share his feelings through the songs. Maybe if he could show the qi how he felt, it would show him how to move on. How to accept the experiments of the Xun elders, to grow more accepting of the ones who had taken him in. It was difficult, but something he had to accomplish if he wanted to grow as a person. To show his humanity rather than devolve into a-
The loud hammering of fists on his door snapped Jian from his introspection. The boy nearly dropped his erhu from the abruptness of it, and he naively wondered what kind of emergency would require such urgency - until he heard the shrill call of Xun Moyu.
"JIAN!!! I DEMAND YOU OPEN THIS DOOR AT ONCE!!!"
Of course.
Jian sighed, carefully slinging the instrument behind his back as he stood. The qi in the room, which had once flowed gracefully to his tune, had fully dissipated now, returned to its natural flow - ever so slightly thinner after Jian had absorbed some of it.
Jian approached the door and opened it slightly to reveal Xun Moyu. She wore her usual opulent green robes and hairpiece, fists flailing at the air as the door moved away from them. She smiled briefly at his arrival before her expression shifted to her more familiar scornful look.
"Finally! You had me waiting out here forever! Now you can join me on my latest adventure - 'Xun Moyu and the Great Raid of Pang Hai's Gambling Den!' If we pool our allowances and use my impeccable gambling skills, we'll clear that fat bastard's safe and leave filthy rich!!! Ah, well, you'll be filthy rich - I'll be very clean but equally wealthy."
Moyu nodded sagely at her own insult, and Jian sighed in exasperation. For years now, this had been his daily routine - play his erhu alone, enjoy his solitary time to reflect, only to have it crashed by the whirlwind that was this girl.
"I was planning on cultivating today, Moyu... Can't you get that servant, Fei? Maybe he can help you. I hear he's quite skilled at gambling..."
Moyu scrunched her nose, clearly uninterested in bothering anyone other than Jian.
"You expect a commoner to be skilled in the art of Pai Gow? Get real. After learning his weakness to women, I have no interest in bringing him to high-stakes games like this. But I'm merciful, so if you kowtow five times for ignorantly giving that stupid suggestion, I'll allow you to join me!"
"Moyu, I'm serious. I haven't had time to play recently, and I can't let my skills wane. What about Chizi? O-or Linghao - he seems like a gambler..."
"You dare reject my mercy!? Kowtow twenty times and I may allow you to join me!"
"Moyu-"
"You dare reject my mercy!? Kowtow eighty times and I may allow you to join me!"
Seeing he was trapped in a loop, Jian threw his hands up in defeat.
"FINE! Okay! I'll come, I'll come... Just promise me you'll eventually pay me back my allowance? You know, after we lose everything..."
Moyu's entire demeanor shifted as soon as Jian folded. She pumped her fists in the air and jumped.
"Yes! You'll see the genius of I, Xun Moyu, quite soon, foolish Jian! When you return to your smelly and depressing room, dragging hundreds - no, THOUSANDS - of spirit stones behind you in a big sack, you'll say 'Oh, if only I'd never doubted Xun Moyu! Her intellect is only rivaled by her strength = oh, and her beauty, of course!' And then you'll play your little erhu while crying about how foolish you were for doubting me!"
Moyu mimed playing the string instrument, putting on a mocking, mournful expression to imitate Jian's usual demeanor. The boy sighed and had to repress a snapping remark. He was just thankful she'd forgotten about demanding he kowtow eighty times...
Moyu held her hand out, the edge of her shadow brushing against the shadows cast by one of the many pagodas dotting the Xun family compound. As soon as they touched, a creature began pulling itself from the darkness. Dark, inky-feathered wings clawed at the grass, flapping wildly as a monstrous bird freed itself from its shadowy prison. The creature was massive, easily larger than most commoners' houses. Jian couldn't help shuddering as it stared at him with piercing black eyes, a long, dog-like tongue shooting out to run along the rows of razor-sharp teeth lining the beast's beak.
Sanmo. The Splitting Toothed Crow.
The massive bird slowly walked toward the pair of children, tongue lolling out the side of its mouth as it obediently complied with its master's wishes. It bowed - a motion it performed every time it was summoned outside of combat - and gracelessly dropped one of its wings to form a kind of ramp up to its back.
Moyu began climbing casually, uncaring about the almost rubbery texture of the beast's flesh, simply striding to her rightful place in the small of its back. Jian reluctantly followed, nearly flinching when the bird's neck audibly snapped as it turned to stare at him. Even though he'd flown atop Sanmo countless times before, he could never get used to the beast's odd mannerisms.
When he was situated and had a firm grip on the beast's flesh, Moyu nodded and kicked at the creature's side with her foot.
"Fly, Sanmo!"
The beast moved to obey - whether because it understood her command or was merely following hard-conditioned training was anyone's guess. Sanmo leapt from the ground and flapped its massive wings once, twice, before rapidly rising through the air. The cold bite of mountain air was piercing, even through Jian's multiple layers of robes, but he avoided the worst of it by pressing his body tight against Sanmo's back. Moyu, meanwhile, cackled wildly, clearly enjoying the adrenaline rush that came with soaring above the masses.
Eventually, the rapid ascent leveled out, the massive crow slowing until it was possible for Jian to ease his death grip. The boy opened his eyes.
They soared above the Xun Compound, the lights below shining like stars in the early evening. The mountain it was carved into stood solemn and proud, tallest among its peers in the range. Jixian City sprawled for miles around the Xun clan like roots spreading from beneath a tree. The city looked almost picturesque from up here - the snow and soft warm glow of the lights below giving it an air of comfort.
Jian remembered his first day arriving in the city. He'd only been under Heinrich and Lady Wen's care for a year when they visited the main branch. When the Xun Elders learned of his condition and began working on him.
When he met her.
Jian turned to look at the girl directing the massive bird. Moyu's face glowed in the fading light of the sun, her warm smile a stark contrast to the blistering cold air blowing past them. She turned to look at the dragon-boy, her grin shifting to one of smug superiority.
"Do you finally regret your reluctance, Jian? Fufufu~! Surely you appreciate the freedom that comes with following the mighty Xun Moyu!"
Jian turned, looking out from his feathered vantage point. At the clouds so close he could touch them. The mountains whose peaks they now eclipsed. The buildings that were now so small, yet people lived and worked in them their whole lives.
He turned back to look at Moyu. The girl who disregarded those around her. The girl who was callous, crass, and crude. The girl who got him into trouble constantly.
"Yeah... I suppose I do appreciate it. Thanks for bringing me, Moyu."
"Wahahaha!!!"
He hated to boost her ego, but if there was one thing he had to admit, it was that he loved flying like this. Soaring through the air without a care for the world below. Untouchable, and free to look at all the beauty it had to offer.
Up here, he was truly like a dragon.
"Grrr... I-Impossible... How could I, the great Xun Moyu, have failed!? Surely you must have cheated!!!"
Moyu slammed her tiles down in frustration, pointing angrily at the proprietor of the gambling den after her fifteenth consecutive loss. The portly man sighed while holding his hands up in mock surrender - a pose he'd grown very accustomed to ever since Moyu saw fit to target his establishment for her frequent forays into the city.
"Again, Lady Moyu, that is impossible... The Xun Clan has dispatched inspectors to this humble Pang Hai's Gambling Den on four separate occasions after you've accused us of cheating. We passed every time."
Moyu opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Pang Hai continued.
"And yes, we are paying our taxes to the Xun Clan, we have our proper licenses, and no, we are not harboring any criminals..."
Moyu growled, her next accusations deduced and shut down with practiced ease. Jian sighed, taking a mournful look into his coin pouch. His allowance - already a minor fraction of Moyu's - had been almost entirely consumed by her gambling. He was down to a measly ten spirit stones, barely enough to purchase a warm meal or two. If she went any further, Jian would have to live the rest of the month like a pauper.
"M-Moyu, perhaps we can cut our losses here? I'm sure you and Fei can come back next month and win it all back."
Jian placed a hand on her shoulder as he spoke. Moyu swatted it away like a snake trying to bite her.
"You dare turn traitor, Jian!? And in my darkest hour, no less!? Hand over your spirit stones and watch as I win them all back, then you may kowtow twenty times and apologize while your head bleeds on this splintery floor!"
Jian sighed as he acquiesced to Moyu's demands, untying his coin purse and handing it to the brat. She snatched it greedily, running back to the Pai Gow table and slamming the meager stones down with force. Jian couldn't bear to watch as his last few stones were lost. Instead, he looked out at the den.
The floors and core support beams were shoddy, basic wood, but the walls were warm and inviting. Soft torchlight illuminated the interior, keeping out the biting chill of the outside air. Dozens of tables were set up around the various rooms and halls for all manner of games - Pai Gow, Mahjong, strategy games like Go and Xiangqi, even foreign games from Havelburg like Passe-dix and Karnöffel. Waiters and waitresses rushed along walkways to bring food to gamblers, and the remnants of Moyu's last tantrum - which had destroyed an entire wall - were almost imperceptible.
It wasn't anything like it had been when Moyu first dragged Jian here. Originally, it was a dark and dreary building, ramshackle and poorly constructed, filled to the brim with criminals and bandits who saw the underbelly of Jixian City as a bastion against the freezing roads they robbed. Ever since Moyu made it her primary destination for gambling and drinking, it had undergone a miraculous transformation. Increased pressure and the watchful eyes of the Xun clan forced out the more criminal elements and enforced proper licenses and standards, while the massive quantity of spirit stones Moyu had lost here over the years allowed them to build and improve. It wouldn't be wrong to say that Pang Hai owed his entire livelihood to Moyu - which was likely the only reason he allowed her to stay after constantly throwing fits and disrupting other customers.
There was an uproar at the nearby Pai Gow table, and Jian took a sip from his tea before setting it down at the counter. Moyu had likely just lost his last few stones, and now he'd need to do his best at not saying 'I told you so.' If he failed, he'd surely end up getting blamed for losing all their money in some twisted logic and have to pay it all back himself.
As Jian approached the table, he was stunned to see he couldn't be more wrong.
Moyu, miraculously, had won. A sizable pile of spirit stones was pushed her way, and she smiled smugly at the crowd staring slack-jawed at her. As soon as the stones were on her half of the table, she moved to push them all back - before the man next to her leaned over and whispered in her ear. She paused for a moment, then nodded sagely and only pushed around one hundred spirit stones back into the center of the table.
"Let's keep playing - unless you're too frightened by the greatest gambler, Xun Moyu!"
The other players, who had played and won against Moyu for years, weren't so eager to lose their easy source of income. They agreed to another game. Throughout it, the man next to Moyu continued to whisper in her ear, and when she took his advice, she always came out ahead. The proper tiles were placed, the other players folded at the right choice of words, and soon she won double or even triple what she'd placed down each game.
Jian scrutinized the man next to his friend. He was an adult, likely a merchant judging by his coin purse and attire. He had an almost weasel-like aura - narrow-faced and beady-eyed - and constantly looked over his shoulder like a paranoid criminal. He didn't seem like some kind of gambling genius, but looks were apparently deceiving. Soon Moyu won back most of their allowance. They were only down a thousand spirit stones or so before the other players saw fit to quit playing. Despite still losing money, Moyu beamed as she taunted them.
"That's right!!! Run away, return to your mothers and clutch at their skirts in fear! But no one can protect you from the genius, the powerful, the beautiful Xun Moyu!!! WAHAHA!!!"
Several patrons began scooting away, either from the noise or fear that the Xun clan's scion would lash out at them. Even Moyu's new ally seemed slightly disconcerted by her boisterous exclamation, shrinking back and hunching over like a mouse trying to hide in a crevice. Jian continued to examine the man, even as Moyu handed him a heavy coin purse.
"Well, well, well - I can only imagine what kind of regret and idiocy you're feeling now, Jian! Had I been a fool and taken your advice, you'd be going home with a measly ten spirit stones. But now, thanks to my genius and some meager assistance from this merchant, I have won back your one thousand spirit stone allowance! You may praise me, of course, but keep it brief as I don't wish to disturb the other patrons - perhaps only one thousand kowtows, one for each spirit stone I saved you! WAHAHA!!!"
Jian sighed as he fastened the coin purse to his belt. He was thankful to have his funds back, of course, but the fact that this stranger had helped them rather than take advantage of Moyu for their wealth was odd.
"Yes, yes, I'm a fool, sure... Do you mind introducing me to your friend, Moyu? He deserves thanks for saving our allowance as well, even if he didn't do nearly as much as you."
The man jumped slightly when Jian turned his focus to him, but he bowed deeply and spoke quickly, voice hushed and posture submissive.
"O-of course, young lord! T-this lowly merchant is Xiao Gouzi. I am pleased to assist ones as noble as yourselves!"
Moyu preened at the praise, clearly pleased that her accomplice knew his place. Jian, however, wasn't yet convinced.
"Thank you, Sir Xiao. If possible, could you tell us why you helped? Surely it wasn't out of the kindness of your heart, was it?"
Xiao balked slightly, stuttering for a moment before relenting.
"A-ah, uhm, I, uh... A-ah, I c-cannot lie to ones as smart as these two nobles... I have dropped some precious alchemical ingredients and pills before entering the city. I'm positive where they could be - I remember being attacked by bandits, that's when I ditched some of my inventory. But I fear going without proper protection, and by the time I sell enough products to afford guards, the lost inventory will become denatured and worthless!"
The man looked distraught, and Jian relaxed. So that was it. Helping the pair to get the backing of Xun guards made a lot more sense than doing so out of goodwill. Moyu nodded before whipping her hand out to the side - an attempt to appear magnanimous that nearly knocked the serving tray from a waitress's hands.
"VERY WELL!!! I, Xun Moyu, shall guard you while you retrieve your alchemical products! Praise the ground I walk upon to thank me for my benevolence!!!"
Xiao, to his credit, only paused for a second or two before awkwardly lowering himself to the floor and bowing a few times. Jian grabbed at Moyu's sleeve, a pensive expression crossing his face.
"A-are you sure we have time, Moyu? Surely Shen Qiu and the Elders will notice we've left by now and will come searching for us soon. Wouldn't it be smart to sneak back home while we have the chance? We can just send some guards with Xiao - a dozen Xun guards will dissuade bandits just as much as we would, right?"
Xiao raised his head and was about to speak before Moyu cut him off, chiding Jian.
"Once again, Jian, your foolishness knows no bounds! It is only right that a person takes responsibility for their own debts - this merchant requires our aid, so I am loath to pawn off the duty to my underlings so flippantly!"
Well... that was surprising. Was Moyu... growing? It seemed unlike her to not take the easy way out, and helping the common folk was something Jian would never expect from her-
"And, of course, I'm sure Xiao would be more than happy to give me a hefty discount on any products he might be selling! Serene Lake Skin Cream or Yin-Hair Treatment Pills, for example?"
Ah. There it was. Jian had already given up hope of getting home early before Xiao even opened his mouth, the merchant meekly submitting to Moyu's demands.
"O-of course, young lady! Uhm, how about a thirty percent discount?"
When Moyu's expression dropped into a look of disdain, Xiao quickly stumbled over himself to correct his grievous error.
"N-no, fifty percent!"
And back to smiles, Moyu drew her blade, pointing it toward the exit of the gambling den. At least two screams echoed out from other patrons, fearful as the blade swung past them.
"Onward, men! Onto Xun Moyu's next adventure - 'Xun Moyu and the Lost Alchemical Miracles!!!' WAHAHAHA!!!"
She laughed maniacally as she began walking ahead of the other two. Xiao rushed to try and take the lead and show her the path to where his lost goods were, while Jian reluctantly slunk behind the pair. For a brief moment, he contemplated escaping now while he had the chance. Of course, if he did, Moyu would never let him hear the end of his 'cowardice' and would surely force him into more 'spars,' ignoring the fact he wasn't even a sword cultivator.
The journey was much longer than the trip to the gambling den - a consequence of not relying on Sanmo. Xiao was terrified of the beast and refused to fly on her, which was to be expected. Instead, the trio walked down the lightly snow-covered roads through the city, eventually leaving the thick walls and walking on the roads proper. The air was even more frigid as the sun began to set, and Jian regretted not donning warmer clothing before Moyu kidnapped him.
Nearly five miles away from the city, Xiao finally called out to the cultivators following him.
"W-w-we're nearly t-there, y-y-young lord and lady! J-just a bit further!"
Xiao was surely suffering worse from the cold than both Moyu and Jian, as he was not a cultivator. Jian would likely have to dig through the snow himself to find the lost goods - otherwise Xiao would risk his fingers to frostbite.
The trio walked for about five more minutes before Xiao stopped. He pointed to the side of the road, toward a particularly large snowbank. Moyu nodded and turned toward Jian, making a 'go on' motion with her hands. The boy sighed before rolling up his sleeves and beginning to dig through the snow, searching for boxes or crates that might contain the lost product. For a brief moment, he contemplated using his breath to melt the snow - but that would at best denature the pills and ingredients, and at worst might accidentally detonate something explosive.
Jian dug, his clawed hands moving snow faster than a shovel. He worked for a minute before calling out over the harsh winds.
"I don't think I see anythi-"
Suddenly, someone grabbed him by the back of his collar and pulled hard. Jian stumbled back, and an instant later, an arrow shot past the space where his head had been a moment ago. Moyu let go of his collar, drawing her sword and pointing it toward their attackers in the same motion. Jian was unsteady for only a second before he found his footing, entering a martial artist's stance.
All around them, figures began emerging from the treeline. Men and women with their faces and bodies obscured by purple robes and hoods, all marked with a large purple eye emblazoned across their chests. All carried weapons of some kind - some had swords and sabers, others spears, and at least three had bows. As they surrounded Jian and Moyu, they numbered around thirty altogether.
Leading the group was a man - tall, shirtless, skin dark from years of toil under the harsh sun. His body was covered in scars, mostly whip lashes and the marks of rods, and he seemed completely unphased by the cold. The spiritual pressure emanating from the man indicated he was at least in the Pure Realm, but he could have easily been higher and was merely concealing his true rank. At the man's side hung a massive saber with nine metal rings around the back of the blade. The sound of the metal clanging against metal pierced even the howling winds. He smirked as he looked at the younger cultivators, his expression as cruel as it was confident.
"Wow~ I'm surprised it played out exactly as that fucked-up sorcerer said it would. To think, we only had to spend a few days staking out that gambling den before the Jade of the Xun Clan fell right into our hands, hehehe..."
He drew the blade, swinging it until the back rested against his shoulder. The metal rings clanged again, the sound echoing through the path and momentarily making Jian drop his guard.
"M-Moyu... That sword... It doesn't sound right..."
Moyu disregarded Jian's warning, clearly more focused on the approaching cultivator and the many cultists surrounding them.
"Hmpf... So you wish to meet with the Precious Jade of the Xun family, Xun Moyu? Well, I can't say I'm surprised - many would sacrifice their own children simply to gaze upon my beauty. However, shooting an arrow at my ally is an unforgivable offense - I demand you cut off your lackey's arms and legs as punishment!"
The man whistled, eyebrows raising a fraction.
"Wow, they weren't kiddin'. Ya really do got a mouth on ya. Surrounded and you still think you're able to make demands? Pretty stupid, kid."
The man stopped beside Xiao, clapping a hand on the merchant's shaking shoulder.
"Even more stupid than fallin' for a trap like this. I mean, really? Helpin' a merchant find his lost products? I never thought it'd work, but guess all the pills you've popped melted your brains."
The man laughed, the motion making the rings on his sword jingle. For some reason, the sound sent a wave of fear down Jian's spine. He could read the tone better than anyone else here thanks to his cultivation technique. Something about that sword, the rings... it was wrong. Dangerous. Like if they made the wrong move, if the man really wanted to, he could slay them in an instant.
Only Jian seemed to sense the threat that sound promised, however, as Moyu's rage bubbled and she violently swiped her sword through the air in the man's direction.
"STUPID!? You dare!? I shall carve your flesh from your bones for that transgression! Tell me your name, so I may have scholars write your crimes so future generations may cringe in HORROR and DISGUST!!! And you!!! Xiao Gouzi! I shall tie your limbs to four beasts and have them pull you apart at the torso!!!"
Xiao shook violently at the threat, but the shirtless man bellowed in laughter, nearly doubled over. Eventually, he slowed, wiping tears from his eyes and dropping the sword from his shoulder. The ringing sound was clear and crisp.
"...You can call me Duan Lian. The Unshackled."
A silence followed the man's introduction, the weight of his words clear to the cultists. Jian did not recognize the man's name or title, and evidently, neither did Moyu.
"Hm? That's a dumb epithet."
The cultists tensed at that, the three bearing bows going so far as to draw arrows and point them at Moyu. Duan Lian, for his part, didn't seem phased, his smirk staying on his face as he continued.
"Yeah, not too original. But when you're the first slave to escape the Jin Empire's Spirit Stone Mines in over three hundred years, ya get saddled with something cliche, y'know?"
The cultists began to approach, weapons drawn and tense. Only one or two were at Spirit Essence - the majority were only Foundation Strengthening. Still, with this many, it was unlikely that Jian and Moyu could escape unscathed.
A bow-wielding cultist was the first to strike, launching an arrow from behind. It shot with preternatural quickness, aimed straight for Moyu's neck. Jian turned on his heels, throwing a foot back in a clean roundhouse that struck the arrow in the side, kicking it off course as it slammed into a tree trunk. He followed the movement with another kick through the air, closing the distance between him and the nearest group of cultists in an instant. Another beat, and he fell back to earth in an axe kick, his foot landing squarely on a cultist's head and knocking them unconscious instantly. His tempo was already established - throwing kicks at a rhythm only he knew, using their momentum to dodge the strikes of the cultists before retaliating with his own.
Moyu wasn't nearly as graceful with her own attacks. She merely pointed her sword at the nearest crowd, and dozens of blades shot from her shadow. Around half of the cultists had the reaction time needed to leap to the ground, avoiding the worst of the storm of blades - the unlucky ones were forced to attempt to block and were quickly turned into pincushions, rapidly bleeding out in the snow.
Duan Lian made no movement to assist his men, content to stand beside Xiao, whose fear grew by the second as Moyu and Jian cleaved through the cultists. When Xiao attempted to back away, moving behind Duan for protection, the shirtless warrior shoved him, sending the man sprawling several feet away on the ground.
Jian's assault on the cultists continued unimpeded - he was making more headway than Moyu in clearing an escape route, but that was purely because he was actually trying to escape. She seemed more focused on retribution for some perceived slight, clearly not seeing the danger of the situation. Jian chanced a glance her way, watching her approach Duan Lian with her blade drawn.
"Moyu, what are you do-"
Jian barely had time to roll out of the way of an axe-wielding cultist's strike, the blade catching him in the shoulder. Not a deep cut, considering the difference in realm, but not something to carelessly allow. He retaliated with a sharp kick to the side, and a beat later, a back kick to the groin. The cultist folded instantly but was replaced by two more, the circle congregating around him to separate the two young cultivators.
Duan Lian smirked as the girl approached, while Xiao shivered and violently attempted to scramble away, his frostbitten fingers finding no purchase as he tried to find his footing.
"You're not thinkin' straight, girlie. Fightin' a guy like me is sure to get ya killed. And I need ya alive. So how 'bout this - surrender, and I'll leave your dantian intact. Maybe with enough medical treatment, someone will be able to give ya new limbs after I cut yours off and mail them to your gramps."
Moyu sighed, a surprising reaction considering the threat she'd just been given. She looked to the ground as she responded.
"Perhaps you are right, even with your sub-room-temperature IQ. Surmounting a realm of cultivation is a difficult task, after all. Even I, the mighty Xun Moyu, risk chipping a nail against a brute like yourself..."
In an instant, she snatched Xiao by the hair, jumping back a dozen feet and dragging him along with her. The man screeched as his scalp was nearly ripped from his skull with the force of the movement.
"So I will fight dirty, then! Like the wise generals of the old Jin Empire, committing atrocities is the greatest strategem! Now, if you wish for your men to survive, you will kowtow and surrender to your better! That is, I, Xun Moyu!!!"
"A-AAAH!!! S-S-SAVE ME, M-MASTER DUAN!!!"
Duan's expression never shifted from its slightly bemused look. He didn't seem to care in the slightest that his 'ally' had been taken hostage, despite the man pleading violently for his life. However, seemingly at Moyu's command, he slowly began to lower, crouching until he was almost in a kneeling posture. The young girl seemed slightly shocked at the sudden compliance, but a pleased smirk crossed her face as she stared down at the man.
"That's right!!! Sit your ass down! Kowtow one thousand times while reflecting on your crimes, and I might let your men live the rest of their miserable lives in the Xun clan's Spirit Stone mines!!"
The man didn't follow through with Moyu's demand. Instead, he raised the sword he held to his shoulder, the nine rings clanging as the back of the blade met his flesh. A melodic tune, calm and serene. Jian instantly tensed, pausing his kick as it was inches from colliding with a cultist's neck. He had come to a sudden understanding that Moyu couldn't possibly comprehend.
"Moyu!! He's about to activate something! Dodge i-"
"First Ring. Ignition."
Duan's smirk deepened as he adjusted his grip, looking more like he was wielding a pipe or bat than a sword. The topmost ring of the man's sword began to radiate an angry red light - like the blazing glow of a forest fire. The light rapidly grew in intensity, almost blinding, before it snapped. The sound of metal breaking echoed throughout the entire battlefield, a final bell tolling their fates.
A mere Spirit Essence cultivator likely wouldn't have been able to follow what happened next. Even for Moyu, whose perception was exemplary among her peers, the movements of the man were nearly imperceptible. There was a sudden roar as the slots where each ring connected to his saber bellowed great plumes of fire, each like a dragon's breath. Duan surged forward, the sword propelling him far faster than he should have been capable of. Even with her exemplary reaction time, Moyu only had an instant to decide how to defend herself.
Could she block the strike? Even if she was the greatest sword cultivator in the North (which she was), there was simply no time to move her arms.
Could she dodge it? Not physically - she couldn't move her arms fast enough to block the strike, let alone move to evade it. And the nearest shadows were too far for her to reach to escape with her shadow steps.
The man blazed past her, his deceleration as abrupt as his impossibly fast acceleration. He had cleared fifty paces in an instant. The sound of metal on earth rang out as the broken ring landed in the fiery crater where he'd initiated his attack, the snow surrounding it for five paces having been completely melted. He had finished his attack before the ring had landed. Duan's sword dripped with a viscous black sludge, thick like tar. The smug smirk finally left the man's face, a look of annoyance replacing it as he sighed.
"Tch... Now that's embarrassin'..."
Moyu shook where she stood, hands placed on the hulking form of Mohen. The Infernal Shadow-Tiger huffed and breathed violently as blood poured from the stump where his front left leg once was. It had been severed at the joint by Duan's attack, as easily as a swordsman might hew a bamboo pole. Mohen was Moyu's strongest beast, and had the attack been only a little higher, he would have been slain instantly...
Just how strong was this man?
"Guess that one's on me. When you're trying to kidnap a brat whose whole gimmick is shadows, why the hell would you attack from the east during sunset? Bad planning on my part, but I've never been much of a thinker, y'know?"
Duan Lian scratched the back of his head, turning to look at the setting sun. The only reason Moyu was still uninjured was because, purely by chance, Duan had been attacking from the east - facing toward the sun. Moyu's shadow was between the two, and that allowed her to summon Mohen to take the strike for her.
Moyu dropped her grip on Xiao, who collapsed to the ground. His shaking was somehow even more violent as he bled from a severed hand. Apparently, Duan had managed to slip some of his blade past Mohen - just at the wrong target.
"aah-aaa... AAAAAGGGHHHH!!!!!!!"
Xiao's scream of pain was delayed, clearly in shock as he scrambled for the severed and burnt hand that now lay on the ground. He wasn't bleeding nearly as much as one would expect - likely due to the flames cauterizing his wound as soon as it was made.
Jian closed the distance in seconds, using two kicks to clear the dozen or so paces quickly and interpose himself between Moyu and Duan Lian. He adopted a fighting stance, feet bouncing as he prepared his Dancing Dragon Kicks technique.
"Do you have any idea what you're doing!? You'll infuriate the whole Xun clan with your actions! There won't be a single place in the entire Northern Territory you can hide without drawing their ire! B-but... If you let us go now, we won't mention this to anyone. I swear upon my honor!"
A feeble attempt at a peaceful resolution, but one that Jian may have meant. All he truly wanted was to escape - maybe this experience would even humble Moyu, prevent her from dragging them on a needlessly dangerous quest in the future.
Unfortunately for him, Moyu was shaking not with fear, but with fury.
"YOU DARE!?!? You look upon my mercy and spit on it by attacking me! And, almost as bad, you severed the limb of my favored Mohen! A dirty brigand like yourself deserves the cruelest of torture! I'll have Ri tattoo the vilest images upon your face so no one can stand to look at you! Not that they could with that accursed nose - I'll slice that off for you as well! I'll have your skin peeled away with a knife in strips, and I'll salt each wound! I'll, I'll... I'll boil you and castrate you and-"
Moyu was waving her Thousand Man Arming Sword in the air toward Duan as she shouted her threats and obscenities. Jian paled as he realized there was now no chance they could resolve this confrontation without violence. Duan, for his part, seemed more amused by the young girl's crass tone and words, laughing as she grew red in the face.
"Heheh... Wow, ya really do have a mouth on ya, girl. I was gonna cut all your limbs off and send your torso back to the Xun clan when they gave us the Jade Emperor's Tear... But you gave me a good laugh, so I'll be nice. Tell me - you want to keep your legs, or your arms?"
Duan knelt down once more, assuming the same pose he'd had before his last attack. When he raised his blade, the eight remaining rings on his saber rang with the same serene tone as before. Jian shoved himself between Moyu and the man as soon as he heard the tone, understanding the threat it carried. He dropped his stance, shifting to a purely defensive one. Smart, considering there was no chance he could dodge such a fast strike - but surviving a hit that had severed Mohen's limb was unlikely for the boy. Best case scenario, it would allow Moyu enough time to escape via her shadow steps technique, using his own shadow to teleport through.
"Second Ring. Igni-"
"Oi."
A familiar voice rang out from behind the group, and Moyu and Jian wheeled around to see who had arrived.
The man was unassuming - he was not armed like the bandits, did not have the sheer mass of Duan. Besides being exceptionally tall, the only thing of note about the man was his scarred lip and his cold, dead eyes. Jian sighed in relief at the sight of their savior, while Moyu scowled and quickly admonished the man.
"Shen Qiu! You have taken far too long to arrive! Unbecoming of my retainer!!!"
"Thank the heavens you've arrived, Shen!"
Shen didn't respond to either of the youths. Instead, he simply walked in front of the young scion of the Xun clan and Jian, hands in the pockets of his robe. He rummaged around in one of them before removing a small rolled paper - likely stuffed with tobacco or spiritual plants - and holding it to his lips. He didn't appear prepared to fight at all. He held no weapon, didn't adopt any stance, and wore little more than wrinkled robes. He didn't even deign to look at the opponent before him, his eyes closed as he searched for something else in his pockets.
Despite this, Duan Lian made no move to activate his technique. Something about the man had given the warrior pause. The second ring of his saber, which had already begun to glow, was slowly dimming as he stood back up.
"Shen Qiu? Heh... I would have thought the brat's retainer would have taken longer to catch up, especially with the cultists we left behind to distract ya. How'd ya sniff us out, 'Black Beast of the North'?"
Shen Qiu did not immediately respond, still rifling through his pockets. Eventually, he found what he was looking for - a small metal device, clearly one of Heinrich's inventions. He fiddled with it briefly before there was a soft crack of flint on steel and a small flame appeared, illuminating the hard lines of his face. He lit the rolled paper as he spoke.
"Don't hype me up too much. Lady Wen's work, mostly - tracking talisman sewn in Lady Moyu's clothes. Had it done after her last foray in the city market led to eight casualties and sixty thousand spirit stones in property damage."
"You dare!? Shen Qiu, my privacy shall not be invaded in such a manner! You shall tell me where this accursed talisman is at once, and then you and Wen-ayi must beg for my forgiveness for ten days and ten nights!"
Shen ignored Moyu as she scrambled with her robes, attempting to find where the tracking talisman had been sewn. He took a deep breath from his lit cigarette, held it for a moment, then breathed out, closing his eyes as he did.
"I was gonna let her have her fun until I noticed her going a ways out of the city. And not toward the Dark Demonic Mountains either - pretty unusual. Guess it ain't your lucky day..."
Several of the other cultists approached slowly, weapons raised. While they had seen fit to harass the two children, the sudden appearance of Shen Qiu was not planned - he should have been occupied, either fighting the cultists stationed around the city or still at the Xun compound, ignorant of Moyu's flight. Still, even if he was strong, they had numbers. Seventeen of the original thirty were still standing - three of which were Spirit Essence and the rest being Foundation Strengthening. He couldn't defeat all of them AND Duan Lian.
And then, Shen Qiu opened his eyes.
Thick waves of killing intent and bloodlust rolled off the man, engulfing the surrounding cultists and Duan Lian. His stance had not changed, he hadn't moved from where he stood, and even his expression was the same. The only thing different was the hard look in those eyes.
Eyes that promised a cold and inevitable death.
It was like mortals standing before a tiger. Half of the cultists collapsed instantly, falling to the ground. The few Qi Refining cultists that remained were even having seizures, and Xiao was so still that he may have straight up died from the shock. Another third of the cultists backed away and began to flee, several wailing at the spiritual pressure the man had given off. Of the remaining cultists, only Duan Lian stood his ground and maintained his drawn weapon - though even he had to wipe away a small trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. He must have bitten his tongue to avoid showing his fear.
"W... Well I'll be damned... Your reputation doesn't do ya justice, Black Beast... Y're almost as scary as the Old Man himself..."
Shen Qiu took another drag of his cigarette before tossing it away. The end burned for a few more moments before the flame died out.
Then, he began to approach.
Every cultist still standing took at least one step back as Shen Qiu slowly closed the distance. Some even began lowering their weapons, prepared to surrender. Even Duan Lian seemed affected, slowly crouching to that familiar kneeling posture.
"Yeah, you're real scary. I can handle the two brats easy enough, but with you in the mix too? Well... I've always been more fond of easy fights, y'know? Fair fights ain't really my speed."
Duan Lian raised his sword once more, and the eight remaining rings echoed their now-familiar tune. Jian called out.
"Shen! Watch out!"
"Second Ring. Tempest."
The light of the second ring glowed a bright green. Thanks to Jian's warning, Shen finally entered a proper martial artist's stance - a firm and steady position, arms angled and poised to deflect. Vaguely reminiscent of a bull preparing to charge.
The second ring broke, and Duan Lian moved even faster this time - to the point where not even Moyu could follow his technique. One moment he was standing in front of Shen Qiu, and with a burst of wind, he was gone the next. Where he'd stood, the ground was covered with deep gashes and cuts, as if someone had taken a blade to the earth. Shen Qiu was similarly marred, lacerations bleeding violently all along his arms and torso. Still, they were nowhere near as deep as the cut that had severed Mohen's limb - were they simply shallow strikes, or wind pressure from his attack?
Shen Qiu seemed unphased by his injuries, moving in a sweeping defensive circle around the two younger cultivators. His dead eyes flickered around the treeline, searching for wherever Duan Lian had gone. He continued his circle for nearly three minutes and maintained his stance for another seven.
When no new attack came, he finally relaxed.
Duan Lian had fled. In his wake were over a dozen cultists - most dead, the few survivors unconscious and freezing.
Shen Qiu scratched at the back of his head, turning to face the two youths.
"So... How'd you piss that guy off?"