The man snorted and activated a movement technique, which brought him right beside Gong Lan. She let out a vicious yell, causing her killing intent to skyrocket once more. She deflected three consecutive blows, and on the third, her baleful aura increased once more, followed by a familiar crack. It was a sound that all qi condensation cultivators would recognize: Gong Lan had broken through to the eighth level of qi condensation!
Cha Ming finally caught up to them using Burst Steps and began assisting Gong Lan once more. Yet despite their progress, the eldest Ling Brother’s defense was ironclad. It was time for desperate measures.
“Gong Lan, get ready!” he yelled, activating the Healing Flower manifestation once more. He gave up on parrying and instead struck out with one Quake Staff after another.
He was full of openings, which his opponent took advantage of immediately. Cha Ming cringed as the expected counterattack came slashing toward his arm. But instead of blocking, he jumped into the blow, using his Gentle Staff Art to offset the blow slightly and avoid damage to his internal organs. The sword bit down hard into his left bicep, almost shearing his arm in half. He ignored the pain and held on to the sword with all his might, causing it to dig deeper into his bloodied arm. Fortunately, the flow of blood had been slightly stemmed by the residual medicinal strength in his body and the Healing Flower manifestation.
Gong Lan didn’t need to be told twice. She sidestepped the man, first cleaving off his trapped arm and following up with a lethal strike to his neck. He didn’t have time to scream before she unceremoniously lopped off his head, showering both Cha Ming and herself in blood. She didn’t pause to help Cha Ming after their hard-earned victory. Instead, she plunged into the nearby carnage and began dispatching the remaining devils. They weren’t faring so well after the three bewitching women had been slain by Fan and their mental effects were removed.
As the battle raged on, Cha Ming kneeled and struggled to stay conscious despite the pain and the blood loss. He didn’t dare remove the sword from his bleeding bicep without any assistance, so he simply endured the pain and sat cross-legged in meditation. He kept himself conscious by mumbling to himself over and over, “I need to free Huxian, and we need to save Fairweather City.”
The battle was over after roughly an incense time. Only half of the original mercenaries that charged in remained, though this time, the casualties affected the weak and the strong alike. Everyone was exhausted and collapsed, popping healing pills and circulating their cultivation bases to recover. Several people were missing limbs—without any precious medicines, they would never be able to fight at the same level ever again.
Fortunately for Cha Ming, his arm was only mostly severed. After taking two minutes to recover her state of mind, Gong Lan and Fan wandered over. Fan had not been gravely injured in the battle, so he pulled out the healing pill that Zhang Yifeng had given him and handed it to Cha Ming.
Cha Ming didn’t stand on ceremony and nodded to Gong Lan. She swiftly pulled out the saber lodged in his bicep, almost causing Cha Ming to pass out from the pain and immediate blood loss. He popped the pill in his mouth and continued pouring qi into his Healing Flower manifestation. After a half hour of recovery, his arm was whole and functional once more. All that remained was a thin scar where the saber had been lodged.
The aftermath of the carnage was no laughing matter. Several people had been crippled, but most of the remaining mercenaries had used spirit medicines to fully recover. Seeing that the situation was under control, Cha Ming walked over to Huxian’s crystal prison to inspect it. Huxian looked at Cha Ming with a worried expression. After all, he had seen everything that had transpired. He had kept silent throughout the battle to avoid breaking Cha Ming’s concentration.
As Cha Ming’s hands ran over the crystal surface, he heard the voice of the red-bearded man from inside the Clear Sky world.
That’s a type of stasis formation, and the one who set it was at least a foundation establishment expert. This formation should have six “formation eyes” set up inside the village. That’s why the formation isn’t inscribed into the ground, like the ones in the last village. Find them, then follow my instructions. A strong lock is worthless when someone has the key.
Cha Ming gave the man a mental nod, then quickly gathered Gong Lan and the four strongest remaining mercenaries. Soon enough, they found a glowing red rune in one of the shacks in the village. From what they could tell, there were no remaining rebels or devil cultivators in the village. The rest had evacuated prior to their attack, if Han Jinlong’s uncle’s words were to be believed.
What do I do now? Cha Ming asked the man mentally.
Paint this pattern on the floor with the Clear Sky Brush, surrounding the rune. Use earth qi, as it’s the antithesis of blood and water. Cha Ming instantly became aware of a runic pattern. It wasn’t like any talisman he’d painted before. It consisted of four runic symbols, joined together by geometric shapes and lines.
Is this a formation? Cha Ming asked.
Yes, dummy, it’s a formation. Just paint it the same way you would a talisman. Talismans and formations come from the same source, after all.
Cha Ming followed his instruction and took out the Clear Sky Brush and a pot of liquified earth essence, absorbing some of it into the brush. He then began carefully tracing out the pattern in his mind. The process was ten times slower than if he needed to draw a talisman of the same grade. He might be great at painting runic characters, but drawing straight and circular lines was a skill that had always eluded him. After a quarter hour, the last line was drawn, and the blood-red rune suddenly sank into the floor and was absorbed into the counter rune. One formation eye down, five to go.
After two hours, Cha Ming returned to the center of the square and laid down the last counter rune, dissipating the stasis trap. Huxian jumped out while yipping, and Han Jinlong and Zhang Yifeng stood from their meditative postures. While they appeared calm on the outside, Cha Ming could sense they were boiling over with murderous intent.
“I think it’s clear to everyone that their plan was to kill the weakest of us and stall the strongest of us,” Han Jinlong said. “They even dared to turn the Ling brothers against us. That means that their strongest members are on their way to Fairweather now. We will take the strongest four with us and set out on flying swords immediately. Everyone else, please follow at your own pace. I only pray we’ll make it there on time.”
With these words, Cha Ming hopped onto Zhang Yifeng’s sword, while Gong Lan jumped on Han Jinlong’s sword. Two other cultivators accompanied them, and Huxian simply hitched a ride on Cha Ming’s shoulders. Fortunately, the little fox was still a baby.
They left the remaining forty-odd mercenaries in Jade Spring and vanished into the night.
A flock of geese took flight as the sounds of crashing hooves interrupted their mid-morning bath. These were some of the first geese of spring. They migrated as soon as ponds no longer froze over in the Song Kingdom. A carriage rolled past them as they flew away to another nearby pond. It was pulled by a dozen fierce-looking horses. Their red manes were draped across large black bodies, a testament to their demonic heritage.
The carriage plowed through what most would consider obstacles in the road, like puddles and rocks. It didn’t slow down in the slightest. If one looked closely, they would see that the wheels skimmed the water and shattered stones in such a way that the carriage’s motion remained undisturbed.
Inside the carriage, Wang Jun and Elder Bai sat in meditation while Hong Lin and two others sifted through a large pile of documents, taking advantage of every waking moment to submerge themselves in vital information. Unlike Wang Jun and Elder Bai, these three were not cultivators. They had no natural advantage in absorbing information, making perseverance and hard work even more important.
Wang Jun slowly opened his eyes to the sight of these three hardworking individuals. He secretly praised them inwardly. He didn’t require mediocre cultivators who happened to be busines
s people; rather, he required only the best business minds. Cultivators were usually too preoccupied with meditation or fighting, not bothering themselves with what they saw as trifling activities like business and law. For a clan to survive, both supreme experts and sharp business minds were necessary.
As per his usual custom on this three-day trek, he wandered over to the front of the carriage, where the coachman Ren Wufa was seated. The middle-aged man had his eyes closed, but Wang Jun knew that he was fully aware of his surroundings. Wang Jun respectfully sat beside him and waited for him to speak.
“It seems like this latest session was very productive for you. You’ve improved once more, and your cultivation is at the peak of qi condensation,” the man said as he opened his eyes. “When will you stop supressing your advancement and make your breakthrough?”
Wang Jun smiled and replied politely. “Protector Ren, I can’t hide anything from you. I intend to break through in a few days. However, I have something very important to accomplish in the capital, and my breakthrough will have to wait until the matter is finished.”
His reply prompted a snort from his protector. “I can only see your cultivation if you let me. Anyhow, what could be so important as to delay your cultivation? Strength is everything in the cultivation world.”
“A few days won’t matter much,” Wang Jun replied. “However, the events in the next few days will affect the whole Song Kingdom. Trifling as it is, the Song Kingdom is critical to my plans. You wouldn’t understand. Besides which, this task will also help a very important friend.”
The man shrugged and handed a bag of holding to Wang Jun, who peeked inside before asking, “How many last night?”
“Just seven,” Wufa replied casually. “Five feelers at peak qi condensation, one distraction at early foundation establishment, and an actual assassin at mid-foundation establishment. I just can’t understand why you would leak your involvement in the rumors behind the princess and subsequently announce your intent to personally attend the trial. It’s obvious that they would send assassins after you, but killing these small fries isn’t worth giving up the element of surprise.”
Wang Jun shrugged. “You’re right, they aren’t worth it. But the resulting chaos is worth it. I am also baiting an opponent to remain in the city for the next few days. I’m naturally not concerned about these minions while you’re around.”
The man sighed. “But I won’t always be around…” They both sat in silence as they approached the gates of the Song Kingdom’s capital, Songjing City. Their demonic horses neighed loudly as they came to a sudden halt before the city’s drawbridge. The guards at the gate were not accustomed to such mounts, and they quickly made arrangements for them to enter the city, lest they provoke some unreasonable young master by delaying him.
Soon, they arrived at the Songjing Jade Bamboo Auction House. The familiar décor incorporating carefully cultivated bamboo was a sight for sore eyes for those who had been trapped in the carriage these last three days. The carriage was naturally taken care of by a group of attendants, and the six of them walked into the building.
After walking for only a few breaths, they were greeted by a squeaky voice. “Young Master Wang, welcome to the Songjing branch. Everyone and everything here is at your disposal.” A five-foot-tall man in purple robes trotted hurriedly toward them and bowed slightly. Wang Jun nodded slightly in response to the bow.
“Elder Jin, you know I hate all the pomp and fanfare.” Wang Jun said. “Please take us to the meeting room to review the situation. Also, I’m parched. Please arrange for snacks and tea for me and my companions. White Celadon tea is well suited to the local cuisine’s flavor, am I right?”
“Of course, Young Master. We bought several limited-edition packages specifically for your arrival. If this tea was ranked second in the dynasty, no one would dare claim first,” he said in a humble tone.
After a quarter hour, the tea and refreshments had been delivered to the meeting room, and everyone took a moment to relax. Everyone except Wang Jun, who reviewed the latest information at lightning speed. Their future plans would be determined by this carefully collected information.
As he reviewed the information, a smirk appeared on Wang Jun’s handsome face. The smirk soon turned into a chuckle once he reached the last page.
“Elder Jin, please go ahead and send out the messenger falcon, instructing our partners outside the city to proceed as planned. Meanwhile, everyone else should review the case once more and see if they can determine any additional variables. Meanwhile… Xiao Li?”
“Yes, Young Master?” Xiao Li was one of the young attendants who had accompanied them on the journey. Besides her sharp, business-oriented mind, her looks were also top notch.
“You and I are going on a date tonight. I hear the Radiant Dynasty Pavilion’s pheasant dish is to die for.”
Chapter 28: The End Goal
The sound of clinking dishes could barely be heard amidst the murmuring and gentle zither music in the Radiant Dynasty Pavilion. She was the best zither player in the entire kingdom, and this famous restaurant had spared no expense in roping her in. Her music ran like water and soothed the soul, calming even the most agitated and stressed individuals. As such, the people that came to this pavilion invariably came out with straightened backs and lightened shoulders.
The seating arrangement in this establishment was quite peculiar. There were no such thing as private booths. Instead, there was only a single floor with no differentiation in status. Attendance was a clear indication of social class, as both status and wealth were required to enter in the first place. Any attendants, Dao protectors, or chaperones were strictly prohibited. They were hosted in an adjacent building, where they waited for their charges to leave the premises.
Wang Jun and Xiao Li were seated at a table for two, one of twelve such tables surrounding three larger tables in the center. All tables were occupied, as this restaurant never lacked a waiting list. In fact, Elder Jin had pulled several dozen strings to arrange for this “date.” Xiao Li clearly relished the opportunity, and she had spent the whole afternoon dressing up for the occasion. She wore a slim green dress covered in vines and beautiful mauve blossoms. Unfortunately, she lacked matching earrings, but settled for a mauve hairclip that fastened her long jet-black hair.
Wang Jun was dazzled for a moment when he first saw the dress. It made him recall his first date with Hong Xin. After the pain in his heart subsided, he brought her over to the restaurant with a fake smile plastered on his face.
“The Song Kingdom boasts some of the best spiritual blacksmiths. It’s a pity that their alchemists are so lacking,” Wang Jun said casually to Xiao Li, who agreed with him profusely. They both ignored cold stares from multiple directions.
“Of course, dearest,” Xiao Li said. “Everyone outside the kingdom knows the alchemists here are garbage. They even have to hide behind trade barriers to make a living. You’ll teach them a lesson in court tomorrow though, won’t you?” Wang Jun was amazed to hear such vicious words coming from the sweet woman’s mouth. Should I get her a raise? he wondered.
“Of course I will. I just hope that Zhou Li is man enough to attend. Maybe he’ll be too busy making love to his sister. Have you heard the latest rumor?” Wang Jun’s latest comment was followed by a loud crash. Several attendants rushed over to another table in a panic, picking up pieces of broken glass and sweeping away spilled wine with their qi.
Wang Jun continued as though nothing had happened. “I heard that he and his sister make love every three nights, the same schedule as she’s together with the crown prince. It’s amazing that he hasn’t clued in yet. I guess that makes it exciting. The mere thought of getting caught in the—”
“You dare?” an angry voice shouted. A man and a woman, both with long black hair and dressed in purple robes, walked out from the rubble that was once their table. The scent of fire and sulfur was thick in the air as the man walked toward them with a murderous aura.
&n
bsp; “How dare you slander me in this city. You might talk big to impress women, but I dare you to leave your name.” As the man spoke, the woman beside him gave both Wang Jun and Xiao Li a blood-chilling glare.
Wang Jun finished eating a few bites before looking up, unperturbed. “And who might you be?” he said nonchalantly. “Oh, you said I was slandering you. Well, I didn’t slander anyone that I know of; I just stated facts. Speaking lies and deceit is morally reprehensible. In fact, we were only discussing the cuckold crown prince and his incestuous consort. Now, where was I?”
The young man, who was clearly Zhou Li, couldn’t take it anymore, and black flames began to accumulate in his open palm. The woman beside him glanced at the fistful of flames nervously and whispered to him, “Brother dearest, you know we can’t act as we wish here. Just let it go, and we’ll keep tabs on him later.”
“You should listen to your sister. She clearly cares a lot about you. If my eyes don’t deceive me, she might just be willing to bear your children. Now, I’m not one to stand against forbidden love, but the citizens in the Song Kingdom—”
Crash.
The table in front of Wang Jun was smashed to bits. None of the food flew out, however, as it was instantly incinerated by the strange black flames. The pale-faced Xiao Li was breathing quickly, while Wang Jun was still holding a cup full of tea. He drank a few sips, then looked up to a set of stairs leading to the establishment’s second level.
“Manager,” Wang Jun said, “is this how you allow guests to treat each other in your establishment?”
A cold voice snorted, and a blur of a figure shot out, placing himself between Wang Jun and Zhou Li. The black flame summoned by Zhou Li was quickly extinguished by a mysterious force.
Blood Moon Page 27
