by Jeremy Bai
As the cold mountain air blew against her face, Hui looked down at Heart’s Ridge Prison and fingered the images of fish and birds carved into the Kun-Peng Pipes.
“It won’t be very long now. Not very long at all…”
***
It was from the salt mines that the leaders of the Dragon-Phoenix Sect went about organizing one of the most complicated tasks they had ever undertaken: regathering the sect.
The empire was huge, but the Dragon-Phoenix Sect was no small organization, with over six thousand disciples between the two divisions. Even if the lower-ranking disciples—the ones who had only made one or two breakthroughs in qi cultivation—were left out, there were still thousands of members.
To move such a large number of people through the empire unnoticed would be no simple task.
Therefore, a three-pronged approach was finally decided upon. The disciples who had dispersed to locations north of the Banyan Mountains would gather in Yu Zhing. Those who had scattered into the Banyan Region and Jian Shu Forest would gather in Xuanlu. A smaller group, mostly the elite disciples and top fighters, would go to Zun City, which was very close to the salt mines.
After the orders were sent out, the leaders in the salt mines had little to do other than wait. A few of them left on important tasks, such as meeting with key disciples in their division or retrieving powerful weapons or artifacts that would likely be useful in the coming days.
Thankfully they did receive updates via the information networks operated by Li Runfa, as well as the Eyes of the Phoenix, who reported in to Wang Tian.
Li Runfa’s speculations were proved correct: All of the captured women, children, and elderly folks were being taken to Heart’s Ridge. There were a few reports of martial heroes attempting to raid the prison fortress there, presumably in an attempt to free certain captives.
No such attempts were successful.
There were a handful of other martial artists who joined them. Blackleaf from the Hen-Shi Sect seemed very irritated to be forced to work with them, but he clearly recognized that there was strength in numbers. Kind Devil Fuling also appeared, the same old man who had tried to rob them years ago on a tributary of the Southern Fei River.
Disturbingly, there were reports of ships being built in a makeshift shipyard just below the fortress. They were supposedly huge, with multiple masts and decks, apparently designed to hold large numbers of people.
They could only speculate why such ships were being built. On the one hand, it seemed to indicate that the captives in Heart’s Ridge Prison were meant to be kept alive. On the other hand, it also indicated that there was a plan to move the prisoners to another location. But where?
To the north, the Yangu Plains were now mostly a desolate wasteland. To the south was Dhamma, and beyond that, Nangu. Farther in the deep ocean was the Eastern Archipelagos and the Desert Island of the Hechi. None of those places seemed likely destinations for a large group of captives, not unless slave camps were constructed to hold them, but then what had been the point of building a huge prison?
It was a source of much debate among the leaders of the sect, but in the end, no one could come up with any good theories, not even Li Runfa.
However, it did impress upon them the fact that time was running out.
***
Lin Cuirou was one of the leaders who had left the salt mines on important business. Currently, he was sitting at a table in a teahouse in Zun City, examining himself in a copper mirror, when a man in tan robes sat down at the table next to him.
“Have you tried the white monkey tea?” the man asked.
Lin Cuirou’s eyes flickered away from the mirror for a moment to look at the man. He seemed ordinary in every way, neither tall nor short, neither handsome nor ugly. He was the type of person who was instantly forgettable.
“I prefer the yellow leaf tea,” Lin Cuirou said.
“But that’s only suitable when the west wind blows.”
“All winds blow from the central plains.”
The man in tan chuckled. “You picked a nice table. Very private.”
Lin Cuirou smoothed his eyebrows out and then put the mirror away. “Do you have it?”
“Of course.” The man in tan reached into his robe and pulled out a small jade vial, which he placed on the table.
Lin Cuirou reached out to grab it, but before he could, the other man’s hand shot out and clamped down on his wrist.
“Do not take the potion until at least one of them is dead,” the man said. “I cannot emphasize this enough. The King of the Pure Ones is taking a big risk by providing the payment for your services in advance. He won’t take kindly to duplicity.”
Lin Cuirou jerked his wrist out of the man’s grasp and then took the vial. “I’m not a fool,” he said. “In addition to the main effects of the potion, it will also give me superhuman strength, correct?”
“That’s right,” the man said, pulling his hand back. “You will live forever, your beauty will be like that of a statue, and you will be so strong that no hand will be able to harm you.”
“What if I need that strength to do the killing?” Lin Cuirou asked. “Seems kind of silly to wait until after the deed to gain extra strength.”
The man in tan rose to his feet. “Kill at least one of them, then take the potion. Afterward, you will have a status higher than you can possibly imagine.”
Chapter 85: North Tower
When the time was right, they left the salt mines and headed northeast to the Zun River. After rafting east, they turned into one of the main tributaries that headed almost directly north.
At one point on the journey upstream, they could see a mountain off to the west that was now the tomb of Li Buwei, the Timeless Master. The mountain loomed on the horizon for an entire day, casting a somber mood upon the leaders of the sect.
Eventually the waters grew too shallow, and they disembarked, hiking through the trees and low-lying foothills of Mount Hai’an until they were no more than a day’s walk from the Southern Fei River.
That was where they holed up in some caves high on the cliffs of the north side of Mount Hai’an. Mao Yun and Tie Gangwen were the only ones to proceed onward. Tie Gangwen went north to Yu Zhing to lead the forces from there, while Mao Yun went east to Xuanlu. The appointed time had already been set for the departures from Yu Zhing, Xuanlu, and Mount Hai’an. If the timing was right, the entire sect would reunite just below Heart’s Ridge.
Anxiety mounted with each day that went by. It was as if everyone could sense the friends and family being held captive only a few short days away on Heart’s Ridge.
Time went by both at a crawl and in a flash. On the appointed day, they left the cliff caves and marched north, crossing over the Southern Fei River and heading northeast. Their timing was perfect, and in the exact moment that they crossed the river, a large group of people appeared on the road from the southeast, led by Mao Yun.
For most of them, it was their first time seeing Bao and Sunan in almost two decades, making it a joyous and exciting reunion. For others, it was their first time to ever lay eyes on Bao and Sunan. To them, the legendary Dragon Sovereign and Phoenix Sovereign were almost like gods whose stories they had heard recounted, sung, and even acted out. Despite the solemnity of the occasion and the dire circumstances, it was still an amazing and almost surreal experience for everyone.
The formalities were kept to a minimum, and then they headed north.
Soon, Heart’s Ridge rose up ahead, as well as the fortress prison built atop it.
As Sunan and Bao led the group north, Tie Gangwen appeared, leading the rest of the sect south.
It was on the shore of the Yao Yun Sea, right at the base of the Banyan Mountains, that the Dragon-Phoenix Sect assembled in full for the first time in many years.
Dragon Sovereign Sunan and Phoenix Sovereign Bao stood at the head of the sect, flanked by Dragon General Tie Gangwen and Phoenix General Mao Yun. Behind them were arrayed the seven Dragon Lords a
nd the seven Claws of the Phoenix leading the fourteen halls.
When in hiding in Xuanlu and Yu Zhing, the various members of the sect had worn random and nondescript clothing. But here, they donned their official robes. The Dragon Division was clad in gold and the Phoenix Division in silver. It was a splendid and grand sight as they stood in formation, the sun shining down on them, the sea wind at their back.
Off to the side was Sun Mai with his people, and next to them were Blackleaf and his red-robed Hen-Shi Sect disciples, as well as other famous martial artists such as Kind Devil Fuling with his flying crocodiles.
After everyone was assembled and they were prepared to march, Bao put her Phoenix Crown on her head, and Sunan pulled out his Wind Saber, although he kept it sheathed. No one else could sense it, but as soon as the two objects were out in the open near each other, a resonance formed between them. To Bao and Sunan, it felt like tiny vibrations tugging between the two objects. During their many years in Nangu, they had experimented with the crown and the saber, and they knew how powerful they could be when used in unison. Now was the perfect time to draw upon that power.
Bao hoped that by using her Phoenix Crown, they would be able to simply walk into Heart’s Ridge Prison. But that wasn’t the only plan. Despite the sect having been separated for quite some time, over the years, Dragon Lord Sima Zikang had relentlessly trained the sect in their formations, and at the moment, they were ready for virtually any outcome.
If troops came out to meet them with spears and swords, they would use the Foxes in the Thicket formation. If arrows were loosed upon them, it would be Tiger Exploits the Boulder. If they needed to scale the outer walls, the sect’s top qinggong experts would be utilized in Cloud of Bats. And those were only a few of the tricks Sima Zikang had up his sleeve.
The Dragon-Phoenix Sect was ready. They had come to take back their friends and family. And nothing could stop them.
***
Heart’s Ridge Prison was a hulking structure whose architecture was not the type normally seen in Qi Xien. It had four towers, one in each corner of the prison, all of which were facing in the cardinal directions.
The north tower was the tallest of the group, and the room at the very top of that tower was set aside for use by the prison warden.
At the moment, the warden was in that tower, but he wasn’t seated behind his table like he normally would be. That spot was occupied by none other than Bone General Geng Long, who was fiddling with four jade pendants laid out in front of him.
“Bone General, sir,” the warden said, “the Dragon-Phoenix Sect is assembling down below.”
Geng Long looked up. “Hm? Oh. Yes, as expected.”
“Er, Bone General, it’s quite a large group. Close to ten thousand from the look of it.”
“Yes. The largest sect in the land now that I slaughtered that bitch Li Buwei.”
The warden cleared his throat. “Sir, even with the Bone Slicers you brought, we don’t even have two thousand men in the prison. This structure was designed to keep people inside, not the other way aroun—”
“Yes, yes. Have the men put up a good fight.” He waved his hand dismissively. “Be off with you. Bring me updates as necessary.”
As the warden hurried off, a slightly confused expression on his face, Geng Long picked up one of the jade pendants and held it closer to his face. It seemed ancient, and one could imagine how the faded whitish-green had once been as vibrant as a field of fresh grass in spring. But now it was faded and dull, and there were even dark spots on the surface that looked like rot.
A creature was carved on the surface of the pendant, something that looked like a half snake, half dragon, with two claws and a long tail.
“Flood dragon…” Geng Long murmured. “I really can’t wait to see what you look like.” A twisted smile slowly spread out across his face.
***
Just as the warden had said, the Heart’s Ridge Prison had not been designed with a siege in mind. There was no narrow path leading up to its main gate, nor any impressive barbicans or ramparts.
The Dragon-Phoenix Sect marched up the slope leading to the fortress, stopping just out of bowshot.
Then Bao, Sunan, Tie Gangwen, and Mao Yun approached the gate on foot.
As they walked out in front the sect, the gate opened, and a young man in a suit of armor walked out, flanked by five soldiers. All of them looked very nervous but were trying to put on a front of confidence.
The two groups stopped a few meters apart, whereupon the young man in armor frowned and said, “I am Lieutenant Xue Lihu of the Heart’s—”
Bao was in no mood for chatter.
“We are the Dragon-Phoenix Sect,” she interrupted. “Open the gates and let us in immediately.”
Lieutenant Xue’s eyes widened for a brief moment, and then he nodded. “We’ll open the gates right away.” Turning on his heel, he added, “Should we notify Bone General Geng that you’re here?”
Suddenly all the veins in Bao’s body ignited with fury. “What did you just say?”
Lieutenant Xue stopped in his tracks. “Ma’am?”
“Bone General Geng Long is here?”
“Why, yes, ma’am. He arrived only a few days ago for an inspection.”
Bao’s eyes flickered with a cold light. After exchanging a glance with Sunan, she said, “Take me to him.”
***
Geng Long was carefully applying some poison to a wickedly serrated knife when the door burst open and the warden hurried into the room.
“Bone General, they’re inside already!”
Geng Long looked up. “What?”
“I don’t know what happened. The guards just opened the gate. None of them even put up a fight!”
“Spineless cowards!”
The warden shook his head. “Bone General, there must be some magic at work. Not even your Bone Slicers at the gate did anything. They simply dropped their weapons and sat down on the ground.”
Geng Long sheathed his dagger and rose to his feet. “Dammit, what other tricks do they have that we’re not aware of? Well, it doesn’t matter. This just means things will move a bit faster than planned.”
“Sir, should we activate the Krahang door?”
“Fool!” Geng Long bellowed. “That door is worth a thousand times more than the lives of everyone here combined! It’s to be used only after the Dragon-Phoenix Sect has been wiped out! You think the Five Ghosts would be happy if we reneged on our agreement?”
***
Bao couldn’t be everywhere at once, so there was some fighting as the Dragon-Phoenix Sect spread out through Heart’s Ridge Prison. But they had numbers on their side, as well as passion, and no amount of resistance could stop them for long.
No one interfered with Bao and Sunan at all as Lieutenant Xue led them through the corridors toward the north tower of the prison. They were joined by Sun Mai, Lin Cuirou, and Ma Ge.
However, after making the long climb up the tower and cautiously entering the room at its top, they found no trace of Geng Long or the prison warden.
“I-I-I don’t know where they are,” Lieutenant Xue stammered. “They should be here!”
“That bastard probably ran as soon as he knew we were coming,” Bao spat. “No matter. Whether he turns up now or later, I’ll kill him. Let’s get back down to the main courtyard.”
At the bottom of the tower, just as they were about to head toward the main courtyard, Lin Cuirou said, “Dragon Sovereign, according to my man on the construction crew here, there’s a secret storage chamber not too far from here. It might contain some items we could use in our fight.”
“Sounds interesting,” Sunan said, looking over at Bao.
She nodded. “You go with Lin Cuirou. I’ll take charge of the evacuation.”
Lin Cuirou turned and headed down the corridor in the opposite direction, a slight smile on his face. Sunan hurried after him.
Chapter 86: Look!
Lin Cuirou led the way through a fe
w winding corridors and down some staircases until they were beneath the main level of the prison. Soon they reached one long corridor with a door at the end.
“I doubt it’s unlocked,” Lin Cuirou said. “You wait here, Dragon Sovereign.” With that, he hurried to the end of the corridor to confirm that the door was locked.
“Locked,” he called out. Taking several steps away from the door, he lifted his left foot up and said, “Glamorous Stomp!”
He slammed his foot down, which caused a burst of green energy to surge out around him. Without pausing, he took another step forward, and the green energy grew stronger. A third step, and the energy transformed into a finger-thick streak of blinding light that snaked forward across the ground, slamming into the door, which subsequently exploded into a shower of splinters.
The Glamorous Stomp was a move invented by Lin Cuirou himself, and it had become quite popular, especially among the Dragon Division.
“The way’s clear, Dragon Sovereign,” he said, entering the room and then stepping aside to allow Sunan to pass.
Sunan hurried forward and found himself within what appeared to be a storeroom. However, a single glance revealed that the room was completely empty.
“Lin Cuirou, are you sure—”
Before he could finish speaking, he sensed a powerful force bearing down on his neck, and instinctively leaned forward in a dodge, after which, a sword sliced through the air above him. Spinning and leaping back, he swept his sheathed Wind Saber out to find Lin Cuirou lunging at him with a stabbing attack.
“What are you doing?” he cried, swiping the sword to the side with his Wind Saber. When the blade of the sword made contact with the sheath of the Wind Saber, a blast of energy erupted, and Lin Cuirou was shoved backward three paces.
“Sorry about this, Sunan,” Lin Cuirou said, wiping a tiny drop of blood off the corner of his mouth. “But some things in life are more important than ideals. If I don’t kill you this day, the Bone General will.”
Anger flashed in Sunan’s eyes. Although Lin Cuirou’s actions were befuddling, there was obviously no time to ponder the situation. “So that’s how it is,” Sunan said. “Very well. Wind Devastation!”
