“Your free ride ends here!” the first mercenary said to his colleague.
The second begrudgingly put his twenty spirit stones on the table, while the first was elated. After so many losses, he’d finally won something.
Across the bar, several such exchanges took place. Some shouted “retribution!” Others shouted “I win, finally!”
Everyone then looked at the barkeep, who was on his knees, thanking the heavens for their mercy.
* * *
1 Baiju is a distilled Chinese alcoholic beverage, either made from sorghum or rice. Its alcohol content is usually thirty percent or more.
Chapter 4: The Bar Maid and the Lord
A young lady was serving drinks to customers in a bar. She wore a mauve hairclip to complement the mauve dress she wore. This was the best way to make tips, she’d discovered. Unfortunately, it came with many undesirable side effects.
She heard whistling and catcalling as she walked past a table of rowdy men. They were all residents of Stonefell, a remote outpost near the spirit woods. Naturally, there was only so much to do in a town of 1,000 people, so most mercenaries flocked to the only bar in town.
Hong Xin had fled as far as she could before she finally ran out of food and money. She’d sold her horse to stay the night, not knowing what do next. Fortunately, the owner of the bar happened to be looking for a tavern wench. She was hired straightaway.
Serving as bar maid had not seemed like a bad idea. As far as she knew, one only had to serve food and drinks, make pleasant conversation, and look pretty. Yet she had gravely underestimated the gall of drunken men. Every night, she returned to her room in tears, covered in slap marks and overwhelmed with all the unsavory attention she’d gotten that night. That wasn’t counting the bruises that she obtained every time one of her customers grabbed her wrists or fondled her.
Why did I have to run away? she thought. Should I call it quits and go back home?
A sharp slap to her buttocks ended her train of thought and caused her to drop a tray full of drinks as she fell backward. She got up carefully to avoid cutting herself on the broken glass, but to the pleasure of the various men in the establishment, her clothes were soaked. She could only blush in shame as her now transparent clothes stuck to her body, accentuating her generous curves and ample bosom.
She ran to a small closet and retrieved a broom, mop, and pail. She tried to hide her embarrassment as she cleaned the mess up in her revealing attire. Once she finished, she headed over to the owner, who ogled her while crossing his arms in displeasure.
“That’s getting deducted from your pay,” he said. She nodded silently, not daring to make eye contact.
“Can I go dry myself off now?” she asked. Her face flushed red with shame.
“No, I don’t think so,” he replied. His face was covered in a lascivious grin. “You’re still on the clock, and your break isn’t for another forty-five minutes. Just bear with it for now.”
She gritted her teeth but continued her work. It would have been rather simple to dry herself off using her fire qi. She wasn’t completely useless, having reached the fifth stage of qi condensation a short while ago. At least, that’s what she kept repeating to herself. She knew that she’d been far outstripped by her friends at school. Still, there was no use wishing in life. That had gotten her nowhere, and she knew better now than to rely on the sympathy of others.
The last time she’d dried herself off like that in front of customers, she was reprimanded and fined for “scaring” the clientele. Another time, she’d ducked into a room before drying herself off. She was only away for five minutes, but she was fined for taking a break before her allotted time. Her boss’s behavior was getting increasingly unreasonable, but there was nothing she could do. She was poor and miserable, trapped in this small town in the middle of nowhere.
So she continued serving the customers their drinks in her wet attire. The orders were far more frequent than usual, and they likely had bought extra drinks to stare at her lecherously as she served them. Despite the large number of orders, she was careful to avoid the various feet that tried to trip her or the occasional spill on the uneven wooden floor.
Another slap to her soaked bottom came out of nowhere, causing her to yelp in surprise. Her eyes were red, and she was on the verge of tears, but she held them back. She didn’t spill her drinks this time. At this point, butt slapping was the least of her worries. When a customer got drunk enough, she’d sometimes be grabbed from behind and fondled in all sorts of inappropriate ways. At most, these customers only got a slap on the wrist.
This world is so unfair, she moaned inwardly.
Later that night, the customers had gone. Her dress was dried, and she sat at a small wooden table, eating her meal for the night. The sound of clinking coins made her eyes dart up to the owner, who held them in his meaty fist.
“That’s five silvers for the night, and three silvers from tips from our generous patrons,” he said while smiling. She knew it was a lie, of course. She’d noticed how many silvers had been placed on the table after customers departed. However, she knew arguing wouldn’t do her any good.
“Unfortunately, you broke some expensive mugs and spilled some drinks,” he continued. “Not only that, several clients complained, and I had to refund them their money. I’ll take away six silver, so that leaves you with two. No complaints, right?”
She looked to the side and avoided eye contact. She was used to it.
The man then walked up behind her and placed his large hands on her tense shoulders. He dug his thumbs into her muscles as if he were giving her a massage, but she found his actions revolting and not relaxing in the slightest.
“Xin Er,” he said, “I know a much better way for you to make money. You could make ten silver an hour, and I wouldn’t even care if you took long breaks between… sessions. If you’re scared because you’re inexperienced, you don’t need to worry. I’ll train you free of cost.”
She shuddered when she heard these words and felt his breath beside her ear. Her heart palpitated, and her whole body tightened as she forced herself away from him.
“Fine, have it your way.” Her boss walked off unhappily.
She looked longingly at the two silver coins on the table, which she took to the bartender when she finished her meal. He handed her the usual and shot her a sympathetic look. Although he was a healthy young man, he was the only one in the establishment who didn’t look at her in a perverse manner.
“It’ll only get worse,” he said, sighing.
She knew what he was implying. However, as an employee, he couldn’t tell her to quit directly. She thanked him and took the two flasks of wine up to her room. That night, like every night, she drank herself to sleep.
Huxian lifted his small head up when a pack of wolves brought him yet another beast carcass. Like most times, it was a small one. However, beggars couldn’t be choosers. He munched in satisfaction as the wolf pack looked at him, salivating.
“When are you guys going to catch something bigger?” he asked coldly. He’d perused his inherited memories intensely these past few weeks, and his predecessors agreed on one thing: Spirit beasts and demon beasts respected power. Being nice with them never got you anywhere. He used beast language when he spoke now, something that all spirit beasts understood innately.
The wolves shuddered in fear before their pack leader gulped and spoke up. “Lord, there is nothing bigger to hunt within the limits of our territory. We don’t dare hunt outside it, for fear of attracting retribution from the other lords.”
The wolves cowered. These words had to be said, but the consequences of uttering them could be disastrous. They could only hope that this young lord kept his temper under control.
Huxian grunted when he heard this. “What’s the weakest lord’s strength? Where can I find him?” he said while stretching out his limbs.
The wolves shuddered when they heard the cracking of his bones. In front of Huxian, they couldn’t
help but prostrate themselves in fear and awe. It was a complete suppression that stemmed from their very blood.
“Lord, I’ll explain to you right away,” the leader said excitedly. “The weakest nearby lord is a demon ferret. He is a first-level demon beast that controls a territory twice the size of our current territory. Regrettably, this means that us canines have been reduced to beggars in that same territory. Instead of being their natural predators, we’ve been reduced to second-class existences there.”
This didn’t surprise Huxian. This was what every spirit beast did when they took over a new territory. They elevated the status of their subservient beasts, enslaved the rest, and monopolized the resources. Every legendary herb or mushroom growing in the territory would be reserved for their use alone. This way, the strong thrived and the weak faded.
Huxian’s presence increased as he began to walk out of the shadows. This was the first time he was revealing his full form to the wolf pack. Now that his wounds were ninety percent healed, he could afford to head out. The wolves gasped and whined when they saw his two dazzling tails. He had kept them hidden, so they’d assumed that he was an ordinary demon fox.
But he didn’t show his true appearance to others quite yet. Instead, he camouflaged himself as a normal two-tailed demon fox. He walked forward proudly, and his orange and white fur was a sharp contrast to the motley gray colors of the wolf pack. The wolves cowered as he released his aura, an aura five times more powerful than he had let on before.
“Great Lord!” one wolf gasped. “With a two-tailed demon fox leading our territory, there’s no way that those stupid ferrets can continue monopolizing this area.”
Huxian ignored their comments and walked out of the cave, and the pack of wolves followed him proudly. He was now six feet long and carried the aura of a conqueror.
The forest seemed to come to life as he walked through it. Various spirit beasts came out of hiding and prostrated themselves before him. He didn’t deign to look at them but continued walking. These spirit beasts didn’t feel slighted in the least; they might have died of fright if he’d paid attention to such lowly servants.
Soon, their group arrived at the border. The demarcation of land was clear as day, as both sides had urinated to indicate their respective territories.
“Come out and meet your maker, you stupid ferret!” Huxian growled. The forest before him became a flurry of activity, as dozens of spirit ferrets charged out and looked toward him with murderous glares. They didn’t dare charge, however. This was clearly the lord of another territory, and only their own lord would stand a chance against him.
“You dare!” a squeaky voice sounded out from behind the woods. Soon, a large ferret appeared. It stood four feet tall on its hind legs, and its massive teeth were over six inches long. The wolves near Huxian paled when they saw those glistening teeth but didn’t dare cower and stood firmly behind their lord. This was their chance for success, their chance for revolution!
“Here’s how this is going to work,” Huxian growled. “Immediately hand three quarters of your territory to your father1 and scram!”
His intimidating aura surged, and the dozens of ferrets cowered behind their leader, who was slightly affected by the bloodline suppression. They cast fearful glances at his two wagging tails, an unusual sight in these woods.
“Come now, give me some face2,” the demon ferret said. “I can tell that this esteemed sir is a powerful demon beast that deserves a much larger territory than he currently has. How about I give you half of my territory, and we call it quits?”
The lesser ferrets whispered amongst themselves in surprise. This kind of compromise would only happen when one lord felt disadvantaged against the other.
“I’ve changed my mind,” Huxian replied. “You can scram the hell out of your territory with the rest of your weasels, and I’m taking the whole thing!”
The demon ferret’s face contorted in rage. “You’re going too far,” he snarled. “How could this lord3 be left without a territory? You can clearly snatch some territory from the other lords. If you keep pushing, I’ll fight you, and we’ll be mutually wounded. How will you hold on to your territory then?”
“You overestimate yourself,” Huxian replied in a grave voice. “Very well. If you want to fight, let’s fight!”
The demon ferret’s eyes narrowed as he ordered his minions to fall back. The dozens of wolves that had followed to witness this battle retreated as well. The surrounding circle became a holy dueling arena where their leaders would decide the fate of their respective species. Squeals, squeaks, growls, and howls filled the air, and the tension was palpable.
The demon ferret was the first to make his move. Ferrets were creatures of the forest, with tenacious vitality. They were naturally attuned to earth and wood. Their skin was thick, their bones were hard, and their regenerative capabilities were nothing to shake a stick at. The demon ferret’s squeaky howls pierced the air, and energy from the earth glowed as it seeped into his skin like a raging river.
Huxian saw this happening but didn’t stop it. He was here to show his dominance and expand his territory. He wanted to grind that ferret’s face into the ground and bite through its skinny neck when it was at its strongest. As he waited, the earth transformed into a yellow armor on the surface of the demon ferret’s fur. Its sharp claws and fangs had increased in length by fifty percent, and the ferret had grown to twice its original size. It now looked like an enormous badger lord, a king of the weasel family.
Despite his increased stature, the armored demon ferret didn’t slow down in the slightest. It darted out toward Huxian, using extreme speed to take a quick swipe at the fox’s neck. A look of glee appeared on its face when its claw made contact. However, it was replaced with disappointment when it realized that it had just struck an afterimage. Huxian had swiftly moved out of the way and placed himself behind the ferret. He still didn’t attack; he simply yawned.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Huxian asked provocatively. “Your father could beat you even without racial abilities. Why don’t you bite off your left leg, kowtow three times, and scram? At least this way I won’t be forced to kill you.”
This further enraged the demon ferret, who immediately burned his blood essence while charging toward Huxian. His speed increased by fifty percent, and he slashed out with both his claws and his impressive fangs. However, he was suddenly stopped by an overbearing pressure.
“Burning your blood essence isn’t very sportsmanlike.” Huxian growled. He was now surrounded by an aura of pure white light, and his two tails fluttered in the wind.
The aura ate away at the ferret’s armor, causing it to break down piece by piece. When the armor disappeared, his fur began burning soon after.
“Mercy, my lord. I’ll be your servant!” the demon ferret shouted. It wasn’t that the demon ferret didn’t want to move—rather, he couldn’t. The suppression ate away his demonic qi and pierced his defenses.
Huxian ignored his pleading. He revealed his fangs and approached the demon ferret at a steady pace. Saliva dripped from his mouth; after all, demon-beast flesh cores were nutritious supplements.
The demon ferret cowered as he approached him, not daring to say another word. It was then that Huxian heard a loud voice.
“Stop,” the voice said. “As per the rules of this mountain, the demon ferret’s territory is yours. However, you may not kill another lord in my territory in ordinary circumstances. Do I make myself clear?”
Huxian frowned as he pondered. The voice was coming from the peak of the mountain, and the aura that accompanied it was far more powerful than he was. Clearly another demon beast had taken residence on the mountain, one that was much stronger than him.
Things being as they were, Huxian grunted and dispelled his Aura of Purification. The demon ferret gasped and kowtowed three times in succession. The spirit ferrets accompanied him and kowtowed three times as well.
“Take your brood and get the hell out o
f Lord Two Tails’s territory,” Huxian said. He was in an extremely bad mood. Just as the ferrets were about to take off, he yelled, “Wait!” The ferrets turned around. “Leave six corpses of peak ninth-level ferrets. The rest of you may leave.”
The demon ferret looked at his brethren with an expression of anguish, but his claws slashed out and killed six of his closest brothers. In the wild, anything could be done for survival.
Huxian looked up to the peak of the mountain, and the lack of response confirmed that this was allowed. “Take these corpses back to my cave,” he growled. The spirit wolves were happy to comply. From now on, wolves and foxes would rule over this expanded territory.
As the wolves reveled, the spirit deer and other larger animals mourned. The ferrets had never bothered them, preferring to feast on spirit fowl and other small critters. Wolves and foxes would have no such appetites.
That night, Huxian ate the six spirit ferret corpses, bones and all. He let out of sigh of relief as his wounds fully healed and his power edged a little closer to the early stages of the Purification Realm. Demonic qi surged throughout his body, strengthening his bones, flesh, and blood. His core also grew a tiny bit.
As Huxian strengthened himself, he thought about the mysterious entity at the peak of the mountain.
It’s a good thing I kept all my aces up my sleeve, he thought. Who knows if I’ll have to fight that guy in the future.
* * *
1 An insulting form of self-address in Chinese culture. Addressing yourself as someone’s father has obvious implications and also indicates that you expect the other person to respect you like they would their own father.
2 Chinese culture often refers to giving face. When you give in to someone when you shouldn’t, you are giving them face and respect. When you withhold respect that is owed, you are not giving face, or slapping them in the face. This ties in with the concept of family and personal “honor.”
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