Corrupted Crimson

by Patrick Laplante

  “This fortress comes with more conveniences than even a technologically advanced nation like the Quicksilver Empire,” Marshal Yong said, motioning for Feng Ming to sit down. “Have you ever played Angels and Devils?”

  “A little,” Feng Ming admitted. “My father forced me to learn when I was a boy. I haven’t played in ten years.”

  The marshal nodded and placed an open container of black stones in front of him. Then he placed five of the black stones on the board and placed his own white stone. “The average general can only defeat me with a five-stone handicap. I force them to play often—it’s a useful exercise to develop and sharpen their minds.”

  “I’ll likely embarrass myself,” Feng Ming said. He still placed a stone, however. It was a career-limiting move to disobey a superior officer.

  The marshal replied in turn, and before long, they’d each played twenty stones. As far as Feng Ming could tell, he was getting slaughtered. After peering at the board for a while, he shook his head and laughed inwardly. Since he couldn’t will this battle, why take it seriously? He began to treat it as the game it was, and soon the game reached its middle stages. The marshal’s pace slowed to a crawl while Feng Ming kept placing his stones based on gut instinct.

  Marshal Yong frowned as he observed Feng Ming’s latest move. Based on how the boy had played for the first twenty stones, his skill level was at least five stones worse than most of his generals. While Feng Ming was being modest when he spoke of his skills, it nevertheless fell short. Everything changed, however, when he placed the twenty-first stone. While it wasn’t enough to turn the game around, it caused Marshal Yong to hesitate.

  Thirty stones later, the marshal was sweating. Judging by Feng Ming’s relaxed demeanor, the boy had stopped playing seriously and was just following his gut. But that alone revealed a frightening fact—while Feng Ming wasn’t trying, he was supressing the 300-year-old marshal like it was child’s play. Therefore, what he saw as a hundred-point lead in the beginning shrunk to fifty points, and fifty shrank to twenty. Marshal Yong soon found himself taking a teatime for every move. This lasted until the endgame, where the moves became much simpler. By then, his lead had shrunk to a mere ten points.

  I can’t be careless, Marshal Yong thought. I have to fight for every point, or I might lose. Therefore, he played cautiously, closing the existing gaps on the board and therefore reducing Feng Ming’s opportunity to come back.

  There, he thought as he placed one last stone. That should do it. His brow was covered in sweat.

  Suddenly, General Feng reached over to the other side of the board, which the marshal had overlooked as secure. He placed a single stone in the center of his existing territory, and the seemingly casual move caused the marshal to pale. He played a series of moves in his mind before realizing that he had to respond. They played one after another until neither the marshal nor Feng Ming could play anything in what used to be the marshal’s territory without losing something. It was something called dual life, where a move by either player would cause his own stones to perish.

  After some quick calculations, he sighed in relief when he realized that he still had a single-point lead. The game finished without any more surprises.

  “Thanks for the game,” Feng Ming said as they swept up the stones into their respective cups. “I guess I still fall a little short from a general’s standard. Though in all fairness, I just got lucky.”

  His words were relaxed and modest, but his mind was actually working double time as he thought of the implications. Although he didn’t know how he did it, the moment where he stopped thinking was when the losing game turned around. Didn’t that mean that he might have won if he’d played that way since the beginning?

  “In your case, luck is a form of strength,” Marshal Yong said. “In the upcoming battle, I want you to listen to my or Deputy Marshal Mo’s direct commands.”

  Feng Ming nodded. This was what he expected all along.

  “However, that is only in ordinary circumstances.” The man walked over to a drawer and pulled out a red cape covered in black runic symbols. While a general’s cape was an enhanced piece of defensive equipment, it didn’t affect his combat prowess too much.

  However, Feng Ming could tell at a glance that this was a core treasure that would substantially improve his fighting strength.

  “If at any point in the battle you feel there is something you should be doing, I want you to act on your instincts,” Marshal Yong said. “I want you to conscript our men into your group and do what you do best—get lucky. I’ve seen your records, and I know how you can turn even hopeless situations into wonderful victories. You’re even better at it than your father was. This is something that we need, but it’s not something I or the other generals can channel. You need to act on your own terms. That is why, from now on, you’re the second Deputy Marshal of the Southhaven Fortress.”

  Feng Ming’s jaw dropped as he accepted the black cloak that resonated with his rune-covered black armor and even his lucky spear. He felt his movement speed double and his physical resilience shoot up to the point where only marrow-refining body cultivators could exceed his toughness.

  He felt strong enough to fight against a demon beast monarch.

  Chapter 25: A Beast’s Nightmare

  “This is awesome!” Huxian yipped. “We finally get to go on a trip! We’ve been so bored in this city. The only bit of excitement we’ve had is tearing apart those shabby buildings.”

  Three days had passed since Cha Ming sent out the message. After confirming with Wang Jun that his help was no longer required in Songjing, he spent all his time preparing talismans and studying the Swamp Tribulation Totem.

  “They should be here any moment,” Cha Ming muttered. Sure enough, he soon sensed four presences approaching from afar. Two were at the peak of foundation establishment, and two were core-formation experts. All four of them wore alabaster-white cloaks.

  “Sister Xuehua, Brother Hao, I’m so glad you could make it,” Cha Ming said. “And these are?”

  “Two elders we convinced to come along,” Xuehua said. “Teacher decided to allocate some contribution points for participating in this mission. It turns especially lucrative if devils end up being involved, though he was especially intrigued by the cooperation between devils and evil spirits. Such cases are rare, even in transcendent realms.”

  “I’m glad he could spare some manpower,” Cha Ming said. “Gong Lan should be here any minute.”

  “We’re already here,” a voice said from beside them. Gong Lan and nine other monks had appeared without anyone noticing. “Greetings to our friends from the Alabaster Group.”

  “Teacher Lu sends his regards to your master,” Luo Xuehua replied.

  “If only he were still around,” Gong Lan said wistfully. “However, I am thankful that the Alabaster Group remembers our long-term friendship. This is an important turning point for this small kingdom, and while the situation isn’t as dire as in the south, the consequences for failure in this mission are far-reaching.

  “Noted,” Luo Xuehua said. “I’ve just transmitted this information to Teacher. He’ll be monitoring the situation for external interference.”

  No wonder they agreed so quickly, Cha Ming thought. It was just a passing suggestion, but they already have history. He now felt much more confident about this outing. Anything Lu Tianhao was concerned about was worth investigating.

  “Are you sure Silverwing is up for carrying so many people?” Cha Ming asked Huxian.

  “He’s actually getting quite fond of carrying people around now,” Huxian said. “It’s a great way to show off.”

  A falcon’s cry suddenly pierced the skies, and a small whirlwind formed as Silverwing majestically landed before them.

  “See what I mean?”

  “Everyone hop on,” Cha Ming said. He and Huxian jumped on Silverwing’s broad back, which he had padded with a cushion of clouds. Seeing their concerned expressions, he laughed. “Don’t worry,
I’ve flown with Silverwing many times before. It’s perfectly safe, and extremely quick.”

  “I, for one, can’t wait to experience flying,” Luo Xuehua said. It was usually only possible to do so at her level with the help of special artifacts, and just barely at that. After seeing that even a blind woman was willing to hop onto the beast, the remaining members hopped on to save face.

  Only Gong Lan remained. Instead of hopping on, she walked up to Silverwing’s large head. “A friend of mine was good friends with your ancestor, Silverwing,” she said. “He asked me to pass on this blessing to you.”

  A tiny green bodhi seed appeared in her hand. She crushed it between her thumb and index finger, and the green dust flowed into Silverwing’s open beak. Cha Ming’s eyes widened as Silverwing’s back suddenly doubled in size. His wingspan also doubled to 160 feet.

  This is amazing! Huxian sent. She just fed him super-concentrated life force. The bloodline he painstakingly nurtured suddenly became much stronger. I’ve never heard of such an impressive tonic.

  There’s no point worrying about a good thing, Cha Ming sent back. Who knows, maybe she has something for you.

  Huxian shook his head. I wouldn’t dare take something like that until you break through to core formation. We don’t want a repeat of last time.

  Cha Ming agreed. As they spoke, Silverwing excitedly flew off. Each flap of his wings carried them ten miles. It only took them an incense time to reach their destination.

  “There.” Gong Lan pointed to an old forest that didn’t stand out in the least bit. “Once you fly through the barrier, you’ll understand.”

  Silverwing nodded and plunged down. Everyone on his back felt an incredible repulsive force before hearing a loud pop. The forest disappeared and was replaced by a large stone city. It was filled with crumbling buildings and covered in rampant greenery. The only undamaged structure was the front gate, where three characters proudly displayed the name of their location: Song Imperial Tomb.

  They circled five times on their way down. Silverwing’s wind gusts cleared the dust and gravel that had accumulated on a large road that led up to the tomb’s opening.

  “This is where the first twelve emperors of the Song Dynasty were buried, along with their famous generals and selfless protectors,” Gong Lan said. “Even their first emperor, who transcended, returned to be buried with his people at the end of his lifespan. They served their country well—for a time. Now, they have been corrupted by time and conflict.”

  A golden aura covered Gong Lan and her nine protectors. It spread out one hundred feet before stopping and enveloping the entire group. As they approached the tomb, they became aware of an ominous presence. Crimson veins covered the once-pure pathway that should have lasted for millennia. Meanwhile, crimson spirits hovered around them, wailing in resentment as they approached the entrance. Some told them to go back, while others goaded them to approach. The distance to the tomb seemed to increase one moment and decrease in another. Only one thing remained constant—the writing on the entrance: Guardian Labyrinth.

  “Brother Cha Ming, what’s a labyrinth?” Huxian asked.

  “I’ll tell you later,” Cha Ming said. “Let’s just get inside and discuss once we get there.”

  “It’s important to stay together inside the labyrinth,” Gong Lan said. “One misstep, and you could be trapped for all eternity. As a precaution, here is the labyrinth’s map, which was discovered by my master 160 years ago.”

  A beam of light shot from her forehead and split into each of theirs. A clear golden picture of the maze within was etched into their minds.

  “What are all these lines about?” Huxian said nervously. “And why do I suddenly feel afraid?”

  “Relax,” Cha Ming said. “Nothing will hurt you. I’m here.”

  “Let’s enter the labyrinth now,” Gong Lan said. As they approached the doorway, the lines of corruption grew increasingly dense. Gong Lan crossed the threshold first, while Cha Ming crossed alone. The three beasts followed, and Luo Xuehua, Dongfang Hao, and the two core-formation cultivators passed next. A crimson light shimmered once the last person passed.

  “It’s a spatial fluctuation!” Huxian yelled. He pulled back Silverwing and Lei Jiang and rushed toward Cha Ming. “Stay together!” he yelled.

  Cha Ming rushed toward Huxian, but it was too late. A gray light enveloped him, and the next moment, he was surrounded by tall gray walls.

  Brother… Brother… Where have you taken us? Huxian yelled mentally.

  Cha Ming sighed. He could only hope they’d get over it. He tuned out Huxian’s ranting and focused on his surroundings. The tall stone walls were inlaid with golden runes, but for all he knew, these were illusions just like the outside of the tomb. All around him, voices whispered in his ears.

  He walked a few steps before a voice said, “There’s a trap up ahead!” He pushed the voice out of his mind, but to his surprise, the warning was accurate. The floor crumbled, revealing sharp stakes dripping with deadly poison. He screamed as his body was impaled in three dozen places.

  “And I thought things wouldn’t get complicated until later,” Gong Lan said wryly. “It seems that even the protective labyrinth has been corrupted. The map is now useless.”

  “I hope Brother Hao will be fine,” Luo Xuehua said. “He’s very strong, but he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed.”

  “I believe I saw him teleport together with your two elders,” Gong Lan said. “They should be fine. I take it that communication is impossible between our different parties?”

  “Right,” Luo Xuehua replied. “The walls seem to be covered in some sort of dampening formation.”

  Fortunately, Gong Lan’s aura covered the walls in their vicinity. They could see a plethora of crimson lines along with the authentic appearance of the maze walls.

  “Stop!” Xuehua suddenly yelled as Gong Lan was about to take a step.

  Gong Lan paused in midair and allowed Luo Xuehua to send three dozen blue sigils right below her feet. The tile she was about to step on shimmered before going dull. “There seem to be traps in this labyrinth,” Luo Xuehua said. “Please let me scout ahead before we proceed any farther.”

  “It’s fortunate that we came here together,” Gong Lan said as they walked. “I think Cha Ming will pull through fine, but I’m more worried about those beast friends of his.”

  “Why is that?” Luo Xuehua asked as she disabled yet another trap. “Their physical bodies are so strong. How could these traps possibly do anything to them?”

  Gong Lan chuckled. “Beasts have an innate phobia of walls. While I’m not worried that the traps can damage their insanely strong bodies, I’m more worried about them going insane. Think about it, what is a labyrinth made of?”

  “Um… walls?” Luo Xuehua said.

  “Exactly,” Gong Lan said. “Endless walls, up, down, and to the sides. It’s literally a beast’s nightmare in here.”

  “Don’t stop running!” Huxian yelled as they stumbled across one trap after another. “It’s the wall’s ploy! If we stop to face the traps, they’ll surround us, and then we’ll be doomed!” A white aura surged around him, crushing arrows and spikes to smithereens. He’d already torn fifteen of these damnable traps to bits, but it wasn’t enough. It was never enough.

  “Boss, I touched one!” Lei Jiang yelled. “Am I going to die?” To avoid one of the poisonous spikes, he’d jumped off one of the tall gray abominations. In his memories, that spelled certain doom.

  “We must never lose hope,” Huxian said. “I’ll die before letting any of them get to you.”

  Meanwhile, Silverwing was putting on an impressive show of aerial gymnastics. Evidently traps had been laid in such a way that even flight could not avoid them.

  “There’s even a wall above us!” Silverwing yelled. “What sort of damnable place is this? And where is Cha Ming? Did he betray us and abandon us?”

  “I just don’t know,” a teary-eyed Huxian said. “I tried to speak to
him, but he cut me off. Is he upset with me? Does he want to get rid of me? I swear, if he takes us out of this damnable place, I’ll behave.”

  “Incoming!” Lei Jiang yelled. A large marble man detached from the wall and charged at them. “The walls even have servants to do their bidding. What can we do? Boss, I think we’re doomed.”

  “Let’s charge this wall servant together,” Huxian said grimly.

  Light and darkness overlapped as he used his strongest move to charge at full speed toward the stone monster. Silverwing sent blades of wind at him while Lei Jiang turned into an iridescent ball of lightning. The guardian didn’t stand a chance. It crumbled before it could even swing its mighty hammer.

  “Ha! There’s hope yet,” Huxian yelled. “Onward! There’s only one road up ahead—it must lead to the outside.”

  They continued for some time before arriving at a fork.

  “Um, it must be the center one,” Huxian said confidently. Then they arrived at a second fork. “The center one?” Huxian said in confusion.

  Before long, they arrived at a tall gray blockade. There were now four walls—one above, two to the side, and one ahead.

  “This…” Huxian breathed in sharply. “This is worse than I ever imagined.”

  For the first time in their lives, they prayed to their ancestors.

  Chapter 26: Trap

  The labyrinth was eerily silent. Very few traps now sprung as Gong Lan and Luo Xuehua carefully walked from one hallway to another. Despite their superior senses and spiritual perception, the quiet felt like a prelude to a sinister attack.

  Suddenly, a blade sprung out from the wall without warning. It was followed by a crimson stone hand and a muscular statue. Gong Lan’s eyes narrowed as she sensed the immediate threat to her life. Golden sabers materialized and slashed out against the incoming blade. She felt a snag at her feet, however. A hand appeared from the ground below, interrupting her defense. She chanted a mantra just in time to defend herself, but the stone figure swung back again with another strike.