Corrupted Crimson

by Patrick Laplante

  A black eye was rapidly forming, and blood was flowing from Prince Lei’s mouth. Cha Ming channeled healing runes into his body as he carried the prince back to his chambers.

  “What did you tell him to upset him so much?” he asked Prince Lei when he’d regained consciousness.

  “Several things that were a long time coming,” Prince Lei said. “What about the test?”

  Cha Ming lifted his right hand, whose palm was adorned with a crystal-shaped burn scar that was rapidly fading away. “It’s as we suspected. Prince Tian is the one who poisoned your father.”

  Cha Ming sat meditating in the small guest room next to the king’s chambers with only Prince Lei to keep him company. Meanwhile, Prince Lei was hard at work, reviewing and completing documents his aides brought to him. His black eye was mostly healed.

  Tick. Tick. Tick.

  They counted the seconds as the twenty-four-hour deadline approached. The door opened like clockwork, allowing them inside the king’s chambers once more. Cha Ming could detect the aura of a cultivator from the king—his qi was now circulating normally through his qi pathways, nourishing his organs and meridians.

  “It is done,” Zhou Bei said weakly. “I have removed all the poison, but I still feel there is something amiss.”

  Cha Ming inspected the king’s body with his Demon-Subduing Eyes. The purple traces within the king’s body had disappeared and shifted over to Zhou Bei’s. “I can’t detect any traces, either. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”

  Zhou Bei nodded. “I’ve done all I can for now. However, I’ve decided to stay within Songjing for a while. Make sure you prepare an isolated cultivation chamber for me.”

  The man then walked to a window and jumped through it. A sigh of relief echoed through the king’s bedchamber as his protectors were finally able to relax.

  Li Yin hurried over from the side of the room. His eyes were bloodshot from having not slept for an entire night. “What an interesting method,” he said before sending his spiritual force into the king’s body to examine it.

  Dr. Dong and his two assistants soon appeared. They glanced about the room nervously before approaching the king.

  “He’s recovered his cultivation abilities!” one of the doctors exclaimed as the three of them began using spirit-doctor techniques to heal the king’s failing body.

  “His organs are rapidly healing,” the other confirmed.

  Only Dr. Dong frowned as the king healed at a rapid pace. “I feel there’s still something amiss. Although he’s recovering quickly, the speed is only a quarter of what it should be.”

  “Perhaps it’s due to the extended qi deprivation?” Li Yin pitched in.

  “Perhaps,” Dr. Dong said. “We’ll need to continue monitoring him closely during the next week. I hope you’ll stick around to offer your guidance.”

  “After some sleep,” Li Yin confirmed.

  Cha Ming looked over to Princess Guo, who was softly crying by her father’s side. He wondered how she would take it if she found out about her brother’s treachery. Fortunately, that wasn’t his decision to make.

  Feeling out of place, he slipped out of the king’s chambers and exited the palace grounds.

  Central Square was far more lively than normal. And with good reason: The seemingly impregnable buildings built by Master Tu had been ravaged by mysterious creatures for the past few nights, causing many gawkers and rubberneckers to come personally inspect the damages. Many others came to enjoy the show. They stayed at various famous restaurants, bars, and teahouses in Central Square, using their enhanced senses to catch every embarrassing conversation that floated around.

  As Cha Ming walked through the throngs of murmuring people, he spotted a crowd of jeering cultivators. They watched on in amusement as Master Tu carefully inspected a scar on his carefully constructed masterpiece, patching it along as he went.

  On a hunch, he activated his Demon-Subduing Eyes and noticed that while Huxian and Lei Jiang had already disappeared, a new threat to the building’s occupants had taken their place. The holes in the building were now chock full of demonic rats, who had already begun terrorizing the neighborhood.

  Cha Ming’s name came hand in hand with Master Tu’s. The city’s inhabitants were all excitedly discussing the two popular professionals and the advantages and disadvantages of each one. Suffice to say, Cha Ming was on the winning side of these discussions. None of his arrays had collapsed while his opponent’s buildings were all in shambles.

  A curtain of darkness hung over Songjing as two figures jumped from rooftop to rooftop. Their spryness exceeded their apparent cultivation realm: middle foundation establishment. While the qi they consumed for each movement and the pressure they emanated fit the bill, their movements bore a charm that could only be produced by unfathomable experts.

  “You’re awfully swift for a mere foundation-establishment cultivator,” Li Ming commented as they landed on the wall surrounding the Sima family. He waited as Hei Ling pulled out a sharp black dagger.

  “Right back at you,” Hei Ling said as he twirled the black dagger in his hands. It cut into a translucent membrane a mere foot away from the wall. He moved it in a wide circle, leaving just enough room for a person to fit through. They both jumped through it consecutively, landing on the soft ground below.

  “Do you normally do this sort of work?” Li Ming whispered.

  “I wouldn’t go around announcing it to the world if I did,” Hei Ling said, chuckling. They passed three patrolling guards before jumping up to the third floor and carefully opening an unsecured window.

  What did you do before working for the young master? Li Ming asked while they rummaged through the room’s contents. He was the first to locate a pile of sensitive documents, which he carefully scanned with a recording globe before replacing it exactly as he’d found it—with a few added details.

  I worked for the main branch in Gold Leaf, Hei Ling said. You can tell the young master that if he has any concerns, he can speak to the family head for clarification. Or he can speak to that man. He will tell him everything he needs to know.

  Li Ming’s face flushed. I don’t know what you’re talking about.

  Look, Hei Ling said, walking up to Li Ming, you and I both know that the young master suspects me of foul play. We don’t have to pretend. I’m comfortable with my background. But are you comfortable about yours?

  Li Ming tried to retort, but the words stuck in the back of his throat.

  Hei Ling chuckled. We both know what your background is. So I’ll tell you what: Stop sabotaging my efforts, and I won’t expose you to the young master. I think that’s a more than fair offer given your line of work.

  Li Ming gulped. Fine. You win this one. Now what about the Sin Crystals?

  We’ll walk through the front door, of course, Hei Ling said. A cloak of shadows covered him as his aura rapidly changed to that of a core-formation expert. Li Ming’s cultivation also increased to match his.

  Their combined auras caused everyone in the residence to fall unconscious. They entered Sima Liang’s bedroom without a hitch and walked over to the safe hidden in his wall. Hei Ling withdrew a small black lockpick which immediately transformed into a suitable key for the safe. He opened it and placed a small black bundle into a corner of the vault. Then it disappeared as though it had never been there in the first place.

  That should be damning enough evidence, right? Li Ming said.

  It’s enough to make the Church of Justice suspicious of the crown prince, but not enough to convince them, Hei Ling said. They’re a big fan of the “innocent before proven guilty” rhetoric.

  After securing the room and ensuring everything was undisturbed, they floated out to the window they entered and stepped back onto the wall. This time they didn’t use the black knife to tear open the membrane; they used their qi to directly supress it.

  A few roofs later, their cultivation returned to normal. How about you give that recording crystal to me? H
ei Ling said.

  Li Ming chuckled. Only if you give me yours. And your backup.

  Hei Ling shrugged. Only if you give me your backup and your second backup. How about we sign a life-bound oath, and whoever spills the beans dies?

  As if I’d be crazy like you, Li Ming said. They soon negotiated a deal and signed a black contract.

  Chapter 23: Deterioration

  A week passed by without complications. Aside from the occasional conversation with Prince Lei and his daily visits with Wang Jun, Cha Ming immersed himself in talisman crafting and the mystical Swamp Tribulation Totem. He focused on supplementary or “buffing” talismans to aid his physical prowess but didn’t ignore other utility talismans.

  During the day, he spent some time assisting Feng Huoshan in teaching budding young talents. While Feng Huoshan and his friends were very experienced, they knew far less than Cha Ming did about runic characters. He was very rigorous in his approach. As he taught, he kept an eye out for any talents that might be worthy of accepting Fuxi’s legacy.

  Since Songjing was a large city, there were seven talents that possessed high innate soul force and five-element affinity. However, none of them had accrued a merit halo. He found that three of the seven had a good character. He encouraged them to focus on their heart and good conduct as they cultivated and gave them much more pointers than he did everyone else.

  Among the other students, there were two with an affinity for shadow that came after hearing of his rare ability to teach them. The Church of Justice also sent three talented inquisitors to learn light-based runic arts from him. He wished these peaceful days could continue, but he knew this was only the calm before the storm.

  A thrumming sound interrupted Cha Ming as he was painting a complex high-grade talisman. He frowned and sent a generic automated message to the recipient, indicating that he was busy. Moments later, however, the ringing resumed. He sighed and reabsorbed the ink from the near-perfect talisman before checking who the message was from.

  “I hope this is important,” Cha Ming said to Prince Lei. Their relationship had turned a lot more collegial than before.

  “It’s a matter of life and death,” Prince Lei said in a worried voice. “Please come over as quickly as possible.”

  Cha Ming dropped what he was doing and hopped out his office’s window. He used the power of the void to quickly fly through the city streets. He ignored the indignant guards at the palace gates and immediately flew to the king’s chambers, where Prince Lei awaited him.

  “It makes no sense at all,” Li Yin whispered to the other doctors. “His qi is fine, but his vitals have all given up.”

  “I can’t detect any poisons,” Zhou Bei said. “No poisons should be able to escape my senses now that the qi-binding venom has been purified.”

  Cha Ming swiftly walked into the room. He immediately activated his Eyes of Pure Jade and his Demon-Subduing Eyes but detected nothing out of the ordinary. “Huxian?” he asked. The cute two-tailed fox jumped out of his shadow and awaited instructions. “Please fetch Wang Jun. Perhaps he can shed some light on this situation.”

  “But Brother Jun is…” Huxian started.

  “This is just a precaution,” Cha Ming said. “Please help Protector Ren escort him. I’ll be fine on my own.”

  Huxian nodded and disappeared back into the shadows. Through their bond, Cha Ming could tell that he’d immediately arrived at Wang Jun’s bedside.

  Without saying a word to the three doctors, he quickly set down thirty-six array flags. His proficiency had greatly increased, so it only took him thirty breaths to install it. He immediately shared control with the three doctors and Li Yin, who scoured his organs.

  “There are no traces of demonic or devil influences,” Cha Ming said.

  “Medically this doesn’t make sense,” Dr. Dong said.

  “The timing is also very strange,” Li Yin said. “As soon as the clock struck midnight, his condition immediately worsened.”

  Cha Ming glanced at the ancient clock in the room and confirmed that it was only an incense time past midnight. “At this rate, he won’t last more than an hour.”

  Hurried footsteps sounded from across the door before Princess Guo suddenly rushed in. “What happened?” she asked worriedly.

  “The king’s condition has worsened,” Dr. Dong snapped, “and I would greatly appreciate if everyone stopped asking me questions while we’re trying to save him!” The red-faced doctor turned back and continued his conversation with the other medical experts. They were currently employing powerful healing techniques to fight for the king’s rapidly failing body.

  Suddenly, a black door opened into the room. Huxian and Wang Jun suddenly appeared inside the king’s chambers. Wang Jun looked extremely gaunt and fatigued. “What can I do for you today, Brother Cha Ming?”

  “Remember how you said you couldn’t read the king’s story?” Cha Ming asked. “Can you read it now?”

  Wang Jun focused his gaze on the comatose king. He held his hand out and tried to grasp invisible threads, but to no avail. “I still can’t do anything. It seems that the poison wasn’t the only thing afflicting him.”

  While Cha Ming wracked his brains for a solution, heavy footsteps sounded outside the king’s chambers. “We need to speak to Prince Lei,” a guard said. “It’s urgent!”

  “What is it now?” Prince Lei said as he left and closed the door.

  Cha Ming cocked his ear to the door to catch the gist of the conversation. They’d just received a message from the southern battlefield that the south’s attacks had suddenly intensified. Marshal Yong’s battlefront was faring particularly badly. This was also the battlefield where Feng Ming was headed.

  Suddenly, bells tolled within the palace. Cha Ming walked out and looked to Prince Lei, who frowned. “There’s an intruder in the city,” the prince said. “How much more bad luck could we ask for in a single hour?”

  A figure in an orange kasaya walked through the streets. Wherever she walked, people shied away. Any guards who tried to stop her immediately put down their swords and renounced their violent ways. Occasionally, a foundation-establishment cultivator popped out of the woodwork and attacked her with a qi-based technique. She swiftly spoke a soothing mantra, which formed runic characters that blocked his attack and rendered him unconscious.

  There’s one, Gong Lan thought.

  She pushed off from her location, traveling three hundred feet in the blink of an eye. An old man gasped as a blade of light cut right through him. A dying wail pierced the air as specks of crimson dissolved into nothingness. The old man kneeled with grateful tears. She didn’t stop to accept his thanks, however. Time was limited.

  She repeated this action many times, slaying dozens of evil spirits before arriving at the palace gates, where she was joined by nine other monks in orange kasayas. They had funneled into the city from various directions to catch as many evil spirits as possible in a dragnet.

  “It looks like we have company,” she said calmly as they walked toward the small army at the gates.

  “In the name of the king, halt and surrender!” a figure wearing a black-and-gold cape shouted. It was Marshal Feng, and Prince Tian stood beside him. Their overwhelming battle intent combined with the soldiers beside them, forming a repulsive barrier that was impossible to pass. For most people.

  Gong Lan simply sheathed her swords and whispered some reassuring words, which formed protective runes around her body. Her orange kasaya turned golden, and wherever she walked, the small cracks on the road mended and the plants breaking through them receded.

  “I said halt!” Feng Chuan shouted. He waved his spear, sending fire and brimstone raining down on the bald, gold-cloaked woman. Gong Lan and the other nine sped up, expertly dodging the fire and ashes that rained down upon them. Whenever she couldn’t dodge, she waved her hands, sending golden runic patterns out like shields to deflect them.

  Seeing that Feng Chuan couldn’t hold out, Prince Tian and a dozen gen
erals joined him in creating a battle formation. It took the shape of a giant blue flood dragon. Their combined power pushed the dragon’s might into the peak of late core formation. Most experts wouldn’t dare face such a technique head on.

  But Gong Lan and the nine weren’t most experts. She spoke gentle words of gold that rushed toward the flood dragon, imprinting themselves on it. One character after another struck its giant frame until they accumulated into words spoken by the Buddha himself:

  “Hatred will not cease by hatred, but by love alone. This is the ancient law.”

  As soon as these words were fully formed, the flood dragon roared and dissipated into a million motes of golden light. They shot back to the soldiers, who had created the dragon in the first place. As soon as it touched them, they dropped their swords, unable to move a single inch toward them. Even Feng Chuan and Prince Tian were affected.

  Gong Lan and the monks walked past them and entered the palace unhindered. They walked through the palace with purpose until they arrived at the door to the king’s chambers.

  “Who are you? What is your purpose here?” a distorted voice yelled out. Three red-cloaked figures suddenly leaped out and blocked off the bedroom door.

  “I am here to treat your king’s affliction,” Gong Lan said. “As I come with a peaceful purpose, you cannot stop me.”

  She walked toward the three men unperturbed. All three of them tried drawing their swords to act against her, but to no avail. As soon as the very thought of stopping her crossed their minds, a powerful force pressed down and paralyzed them. The nine monks followed.

  Gong Lan pushed open the doors and was greeted by eight shocked humans and a baby fox.

  “The king isn’t poisoned,” she said in a deadpan voice. “He is possessed and cursed.”

  After briefly ruffling Huxian’s fur, Gong Lan walked over to the king and placed her hand on his forehead. Those who wanted to speak out against her couldn’t. Cha Ming couldn’t help but gawk at her metamorphosis. He exchanged glances with Wang Jun, who was similarly affected. However, to Cha Ming’s surprise, Wang Jun quickly recovered from his fatigue. In fact, a slight rosy blush blossomed on his face.