Triple Cultivation

by David Stephan

  Han Fen coughed up blood, tossing a small dossier onto the grassland beneath his feet.

  Blood was dripping out of his chest as he stumbled forward, falling on Qui Kang’s shoulders as he hugged him.

  “I have to whisper because the hills may have ears. In two weeks, they are going to send in three Foundation cleansing experts in the third realm.”

  “It could even be tomorrow if whomever that girl is gets impatient… We weren’t allowed to learn her name. The Cai Dynasty is very suspicious.”

  “Damn it!” Kang pat him on the back, tossing him off. “Let me guess… you’re going to be one of those Foundation cleansing experts… There is no way we’ll survive! Even if my grandfather wants to help in the heaven’s will be powerless!”

  “You’ll be fine,” Kang wobbled off, looking forward as he laughed and fell onto his knees. Tao Bo bowed in the distance as Qui Zhou and Tao Bo approached behind him.

  “Ah, so even the worst of enemies are forced to come together… Fen… get out of here… tonight shouldn’t even exist.”

  Chapter 15: Father and Son

  Qui Kang found a table lying next to a tree broken in half and wedged it down into the grass.

  Qui Kang and Han Fen had done so much damage to the backyard that there was a tree in the center of the waterfall.

  The moonlight was bright enough that their light shadows were cast. Han Fen walked off holding his chest as blood dripped out of his mouth.

  “Well, since tonight couldn’t get any worse… Consider yourself allowed here for one-night, Tan Jin… Let me guess… You found out about the lady of the forest? What should we call her?”

  “I know her name,” Tan Jin threw down a drawing he received from Zou Fang… “Her base has roughly three hundred soldiers in it in the mortal Condensation Realm, and Ten Foundation cleansing Cultivators… if I had anywhere to run to besides the forest or the mines, I obviously wouldn’t be here.”

  “ah, well… I guess tonight we are the same,” Qui Kang laughed, waving over an attendant who was shaking by the doorway. “Please bring out every valuable bottle of wine we have! We may not be able to celebrate it next week.”

  “As for you two, do you think I’m idiots? Did you really think I didn’t know you two were hanging out? I’ve kept an eye on you every time you went down to North street little crook,” Qui Kang said, pointing at his son. “Now, since you two are finally out of the closet… what should we do?”

  “Father… I apologize…” Qui Kang fluttered his eyes, worriedly looking down at the drawing. “I never intended to deceive you… However, I couldn’t just stop seeing the friend I grew up with.”

  “I know, and that’s why I allowed it. It’s also why Tan Jin here is still alive… However, he was getting close to getting killed… So tell me brats, what do you know?”

  “Her name is Cai Kun… an assassin told us whom she happened to hire to kill us. We thought it was the Vermillion Nobles, but it wasn’t. She went to the Vermillion nobles to ask about us, and told them to spread a rumor… We’re in over our heads.”

  Qui Kang received a bottle of wine from the waitress.

  Her legs were cut from the whiplash of the battle, and she hadn’t been allowed to move.

  Her eyes were drenched with tears, and her face was covered with dripping eye liner.

  Kang told her to take the night off before she rushed off in tears. Pouring them all a bottle of wine, kang tossed away the gold crystal bottle, smashing it into the tree in the waterfall.

  “We may be in over our heads, but we have two weeks to plan… I’m prepared to sacrifice myself for the city, however, no matter what… Qui Zhou must survive… do you hear me Tan Jin?”

  “Enough holding me up to the heaven’s father! What exactly do you see in me that you don’t see in him! You left him alive for a reason right! Stop making it seem like I’m the center of the universe.”

  “You’re born with the same talent as your grandfather, Zhou-Er…” Qui Kang tossed back his drink, breaking the glass in his hand. “I didn’t want to tell you until you were old enough to know what to do with it… However, I guess two weeks isn’t a long time.”

  “We really only have one week,” Tan Jin said, pointing at the map. “We’d have to be crazy to let them attack us… the only way to beat them is on their territory…”

  “The Han Officials were in charge of all the Defensive arrays in the city… If we’re sitting here, we’re going to die in our own traps.” Tan Jin sighed, shaking the wine glass in his hand. “You both Aren’t going to like this, but Qui Zhou is going to need to be the the one to invade as well!”

  “Are you out of your mind, Tan Jin! I should kill you right now!” Qui kang got up, smashing the half-broken table further into the ground.

  Cracks spread all the way to the trees, sending roots bursting out the ground as they started to turn from the impact.

  People in the Foundation Cleansing Realm were roughly four times as strong as people in the Mortal Condensation Realm.

  Tan Jin’s glass broke, sending liquid into his face. Throwing it away, he sighed before pointing over at Tao bo.

  “Show him your arm, Tao bo… Show him what little Qui zhou was able to do to you with a single lash…. He’s able to use the poison of the Black Tail Raven… If we can just get an appointment with his brother… Qui Jia… we can end this before it starts.”

  Qui Zhou nodded his head and patted his stomach, laughing merrily as he slurped down another bottle of wine in his hands.

  “Well… It’s not like anything can go wrong dad! I’ve had fifteen years of practice lying to you! I’m practically a wolf in sheep’s clothing!”

  “No, didn’t I just tell you you’re like your grandfather!” Qui Kang sighed, flicking him in the head. “We’re going to send you two idiots away tonight whether you like it or not… In a few years when you’re stronger, you can come back and avenge us… Until then, we’re surrendering even earlier! Now!”

  “Tao Bo… Guard them with your lives,” Qui Zhou said, appearing behind tan Jin like a flash, “If they can think up such schemes now, I can’t imagine what they can think up in the future.”

  “Yes master…” Tao Bo kneed on the ground, watching Tan Jin and Qui Zhou look shocked as they fell over onto the table.

  Chapter 16: Two Lumps

  Tan Jin and Qui Zhou awoke ten hours later.

  They were tied to a stranger’s back that they didn’t recognize, and a carriage was following behind them.

  The carriage had twenty-five familiar faces, and enough materials to build a small city.

  They were heading in the opposite direction of quill Province, and a fire could be seen burning brightly on the hill.

  The ropes were so tight they could barely move their arms, however, the man laughed when he heard they’d awake.

  “Hey brother, Bo! The two crooks have awoken! Should we put them back there with their friends?” The man said, looking at Tao bo as he stabbed a knife into his arm.

  He had a focused expression as he peeled a thorn out of his arm, dropping it on the floor as he looked back with a grimace.

  “No, the city is on fire… if those two idiots are let loose, they’ll ruin the plan. Qui Kang specifically ordered me to watch them until they were both in the fifth foundation cleansing realm… Until we’re at least 8000 miles away from that city, they are not getting off your back!”

  “What about my father!” Qui Zhou said, kicking his feet as he flared with anger. “Why is the city burning! Why would they burn it when we surrendered?”

  “If I knew, I’d bake you a cake in the flames of that fire and feed your fat tummy with it… “However, I’m guessing their either celebrating, or burning a mound of bodies…”

  Tan Jin also felt an unbelievable rage to try and escape. He had over 300 women working under him in South District!

  All the people closest to him were tied up, true, and being dragged along in the wagon… However, when he heard th
at bodies were being burned, he screamed as his two soul beasts flooded out of his weapons and perched on top of the horse drawn carriage.

  “It’s pointless… Even if you attack us, you’ll only die, Tan Jin… Just get ready for the next phase of your life okay?”

  “What about all those women? All the women who worked under me. Are they just supposed TO ROT IN THE MINES?!”

  “At least let me go back and save some of them! It’s been my entire life creating the brothels, and Geisha houses! What about all the girls…”

  Lin Wen cleared her throat, hoping towards the front of the wagon as Lu Tu and the main members of the Gang of Harems let her through.

  “They… They were already warned by Tao Bo,” Lin Wen said, her throat raspy and dry from the parching journey. “However, they all wanted to stay, Tan Jin… they were sure the cai would need prostitutes in her new city… The Geisha all felt the same way…. You have nothing to worry about.”

  “No, you don’t understand! We already heard her plan Lin Wen! You weren’t in the room at the time! They’re going to put everyone in the mines! If I don’t get back there soon, there death is all but guaranteed!”

  “So, you just have to stronger quickly,” Lu Tu chimed in, filled with heart wrenching emotion as well. “We’ll be back in a few months to save them all… With two girls in your bed… isn’t anything possible Tan Jin?”