by Tao Wong
Around the city, the Shen army sat before the walls, siege engines being built from the wood that had been brought and the forests that had been cut down around the city. All along the front of the walls stood the beginnings of long trenches that were to encircle the town and ensure the defenders could not escape. With Body cultivators in play, the trenches were already a couple of feet deep and stretched toward the river’s edge. Of course, the sodden ground threatened to disrupt the work, making this particular siege tactic more difficult to complete.
The town of Guitong was laid out in the usual manner for a riverside town. A small dock allowed ships to land and deposit their goods, while a wall that reached the edges of the river and a little past it covered the rest of the town. In the center of the town itself, with roads leading from the docks and the three main gates, was the magistrate’s office. Wu Ying knew, from his studies in the second year, that the state of Wei had few large noble houses, most of those being relatives of their king. Instead, they used bureaucrats—magistrates—to oversee major cities and collect taxes for the government. Small noble houses, like Lord Wen’s, had been subsumed into the official kingdom lineage, leaving them related to the Emperor by marriage, however distantly. That was why the ancestral home of Lord Wen was left mostly empty in Guitong, and the main branch family now lived in the capital when they were not fighting and joining the imperial army or serving as magistrates.
As for the besieging army, Wu Ying noted the straight lines and orderly set up for the various units of the besieging force. He could now see, with his greater understanding and training, the order in the chaos that he had first experienced as a peasant arriving in the milling throng of the army. He saw how each unit was set up, read the unit flags that indicated the unit’s locations, and spotted where the generals and other commanding officers’ tents were.
Before the group could continue their journey, Bao Cong pointed out the incoming platoon of soldier scouts. Leading them was a familiar face, seated with casual ease on a horse that stood half a hand taller than the soldiers’ own. Wu Ying sighed and shook his head, wondering whether it was destiny or luck that saw him meeting those he knew. Sometimes, it seemed destiny placed too heavy a hand on his actions.
Chapter 13
On Wu Ying’s command, the group rode down to the approaching soldiers from the state of Shen. With friends and allies so close, Wu Ying’s group found themselves relaxing, some of the tension from the past few days draining away. Traveling behind enemy lines, even disguised as they had been, had been stressful. Thankfully, the army of the State of Wei was mostly deployed outside the country, leaving the Wei countryside bereft of their protection but for a few roving patrols of guards and cultivators.
“I thought you didn’t want anything to do with the war,” Liu Tsong called the moment they were close enough to speak. A flick of a gaze at his companions had her adding, “I’m also surprised to see the company you are keeping.”
“It’s a long story.” Wu Ying had to shrug a little at what probably was a strange sight. At least to those who knew him and his friends.
“Cultivator Li, do you know these people?” one of the soldiers, a red crest on his helmet flaring high to indicate his rank as a unit leader, said to Liu Tsong while he eyed the group before him.
“Yes. Even if they look the way they do, they are my Sect members. Though”—Liu Tsong swept her gaze over the group—“I’m sure they will be willing to show their Sect seals.”
After prompting, the group pulled their Sect seals from their storage rings and showed them to the suspicious guards. Liu Tsong crooked her finger and the seals flew to her hand, manipulated by her control of the flow of ambient chi. She touched them, one after the other, infusing a little chi into the seals to verify their authenticity. When she and the guard were satisfied, Liu Tsong sent the seals back to the group with a half smile.
“I need to continue my patrol. But we will send an escort with you to greet the general. I’ll speak to you all later tonight.” Liu Tsong gestured to the guard, who proceeded to designate two of his men to lead the group back to the army.
With a wave, Liu Tsong continued their patrol while Wu Ying and his team rode down the foothills. At least this part was going well so far.
***
“Unacceptable.”
Wu Ying winced as the lieutenant general stated his opinion without hesitation. Their meeting had started out well—until Wu Ying had detailed his needs. Obviously, Wu Ying had volunteered their group to help the army, to join them in their siege of the city. But he had also asked that they be allowed to enter the city when the time came to retrieve the manual.
“With respect, Lieutenant General, I—” Wu Ying began, only to be interrupted again.
“This is a military operation. Even if you are cultivators, you must abide by our rules. We will not allow you to flounce around, doing what you please, and causing havoc. Nor do you get to the make additional requests from us,” Lieutenant General Hao said. As he spoke, the edges of his large, luxurious mustache quivered. He leaned forward, the top of the crest of his helmet that he wore even now in the command tent almost touching Wu Ying’s face. He glowered at the cultivator. Scattered documents sat upon his table, forgotten after Wu Ying’s interruption. “You can either agree to work for us or you can leave.”
Wu Ying crossed his arms and glared at the lieutenant general only for the other to sneer at him. Wu Ying tried again. “At the least, I want an assurance that we will be allowed to look for the cultivation style when it is safe to do so.”
“Impossible. You will do as I say or not take part at all.”
Wu Ying sighed. “Then I think there is nothing more to say.” He turned around slowly, moving toward the exit.
“Where are you going?” Lieutenant General Hao snapped.
“Away. There is nothing here for us.”
“You can’t do that. This is a military encampment. You are under military law!” Enraged that his bluff had been called, the lieutenant general raised his voice and called, “Guards!”
The guards who stood outside walked in, their spears leveled at Wu Ying. Through the opened flap, Wu Ying caught a glimpse of the other guards that had been watching his friends level their weapons as well.
“We are cultivators from the Verdant Green Waters Sect. We are not military personnel. We have not joined, nor do we intend to join your army if our demands are not met. You have no authority over us,” Wu Ying said.
He ignored the guards and the spear points that glinted so close to his throat, doing his best to keep his voice calm and borrowing some of the arrogance that he had seen his noble friends carry unconsciously. In truth, they were both correct on some level. This was a military encampment, and by coming here, they were subject to military law. But they were also not in the State of Shen anymore, and as cultivators in another country, the reach of the laws was debatable. In addition, Wu Ying was from a respected ally. How far the lieutenant general was willing to push matters would depend on his arrogance and temper.
“We will see how long you are willing to be stubborn after spending time in our prison,” sneered the lieutenant general. At his gesture, the guards grabbed Wu Ying’s arms and escorted the cultivator out.
The guards outside noticed what was happening and gestured at the other members of the group to raise their hands too. Tou He raised an eyebrow at Wu Ying, who quickly shook his head. Already, Bao Cong and Li Yao had their arms in the air.
“What did you do, Wu Ying!” Yin Xue exclaimed.
“I refuse to make us a part of the army,” Wu Ying explained.
One of his captors shifted his hand as if he wanted to strike Wu Ying then thought better of it. Even if Wu Ying was a prisoner, he was also a cultivator.
“I knew one of us should have come with you to speak with him,” Yin Xue complained as the group was led away, spears leveled at their backs.
Not that the group was worried about the small number of guards watching over them. It w
as the larger number of soldiers all about that might be an issue. And of course, the repercussions when they got home.
Wu Ying had no reply to that accusation, because a part of him wondered as well if his friends could have done a better job at negotiating. After all, he was not a noble. He was just a peasant who cultivated. On the other hand, Lieutenant General Hao had seemed extremely set in getting his way.
Before Yin Xue could continue complaining, Tou He spoke up. “Amitoufo[66].”
Yin Xue gritted his teeth but still fell silent. The rest of the group also held off on commenting, knowing there was little they could do now. They could only hope that Liu Tsong and whoever was leading the Sect members in the army could smooth things out.
***
To Wu Ying’s surprise, they were not thrown into an actual prison but instead restricted to the tents they had been given. They were separated, left to stew in their thoughts. With nothing better to do, Wu Ying found himself seated cross-legged, meditating and working on his cultivation that evening. He did his best to remove the negative thoughts and the worries of the day, intent on progressing his cultivation exercise. Unfortunately, his progress in drawing in unaspected chi and working the chi circulation exercise had slowed ever since he had filled his dantian. It was unfortunate, but he would rather be slow in his progress than dead because he had insufficient chi during a battle.
Late in the evening, the food delivered for supper grown cold before him, another familiar presence intruded upon Wu Ying’s awareness. He cracked an eye open, surprised to see the Elder in his tent—especially considering Wu Ying did not notice his presence until he had moved the tent flap aside. In an encampment like this, the Elder should have lit up his surroundings like a bonfire to Wu Ying’s senses.
Wu Ying scrambled to his feet, bowing low. “Elder Po! I did not know that you are part of this army.”
“The Sect felt I should accompany this army as I have the most experience in the State of Wei. But it is not this matter that we are speaking about. What have you done?” The bare-fisted metal-aspected Elder glared at Wu Ying.
They had traveled together on the expedition—the one which had seen the Elder progress in his cultivation after his long years of being bottlenecked—and as such, they had some familiarity with one another. However, none of that familiarity could be seen on Elder Po’s face at this time.
“I have a small assignment that coincides with yours…” Wu Ying quickly explained to Elder Po what had transpired.
Elder Po shook his head after Wu Ying had done speaking. “Bad luck. Lieutenant General Hao is extremely strict about the rule of law. Military law. He is particularly angry that the army must rely on us. Like many of his compatriots, he feels that the army should have the right to enforce recruitment first, before the Sects.”
“Then… Elder?” Wu Ying let a little bit of hope into his voice.
“I will do what I can. But you’ll have to accept military law when you are here,” Elder Po warned Wu Ying.
“Of course.”
Warning given, Elder Po swept out of the room, leaving Wu Ying to his cold dinner and his cultivation.
***
Even after Elder Po’s assurances, nothing happened for days. Wu Ying was left confined to his tent, only able to cultivate. His days were only broken by the arrival of meals, for he did not receive additional visitors, forcing the cultivator to sit and stew by himself. All around, he heard the sounds of the army going on with its day, the talk of idling soldiers, the neigh of horses as they were led past, and the constant strikes of stones against the city wall as the trebuchets fired. If not for the years of training at cultivation; from school to Sect, at being forced to do nothing but sit still and focus within, Wu Ying would have gone insane.
Instead, he threw himself at the task of cultivating. At this point, he was not harnessing the chi from the world except as a secondary by-product for constantly cleansing his body and meridians, sending the cleaned chi to brush against the blockages in his Energy Storage meridians like a water stream against rock before filtering out the new impurities and discarding them. His primary purpose now was meditating—focusing upon the experiences he had gained, his memories.
He saw, once again, Elder Dun as he struck. As the Elder curled himself and launched his attack at Wu Ying, the way the blade targeted his heart, the flow of power through his body and within the blade itself. Wu Ying mined that memory for all the knowledge it could gift, turning it around in his mind’s eye again and again, taking in flashes of reflection on the water. In time, he no longer focused on the flow of chi or the Elder’s body, but the look in Elder Dun’s eyes. That coldness, that implacability. That focus.
Another moment, another memory. A bandit, one that Li Yao and he had killed last year. Wu Ying’s blade plunging through the man’s neck. The widening in the pupils, that moment of clarity and release. When the bandit had realized he was dead. When all that struggle was done. The giving up on life.
The taotei jumping at Wu Ying, seen past the guard of his sword. That last sliver of time before it would land on his weapon. Resolved to make the taotei pay, to injure it at the cost of his life, Wu Ying would not, could not, stop fighting. And rage—rage reflected in the taotei’s never-ending hunger. Anger at the pain its own existence created.
Another memory, floating alongside the others. A newer one. The rest stop keeper from before, angry and sad, his hard work stolen by the army. Left with nothing but the little he had managed to hide, the few coins and goods he had managed to keep for himself. All that he had managed to secret away to rebuild his life. Refusing to leave, give up, or despair. Serving subpar food and the same within, knowing it for what it was. But refusing to leave.
Stubbornness. Resolution. Will.
Elder, bandit, monster, and peasant.
Reflections of one another. Neither good nor bad—but a facet. Imposing one’s will upon the heavens, demanding it change. Sometimes failing, sometimes succeeding. But trying. Always trying.
It was not enlightenment. There was no greater Dao involved in this. But a knot within Wu Ying’s heart, one that had grown when he failed to breakthrough, eased.
Failure happened. Destruction happened. But starting over, going on. That too was part of the Tao. That too was human.
***
The curtain of his tent was drawn aside, leaving Wu Ying to blink into the early morning sunlight. Wu Ying stood, brushing down his robes as he stared at Chao Kun.
“It’s time.”
The serious and grim expression on Chao Kun’s face made Wu Ying decide not to ask any further questions. At least, not just yet. When Wu Ying took a step forward, Chao Kun shook his head.
“Change first.” He tossed Wu Ying a set of clothing and armor similar to that worn by the regular members of the army. “And make sure you have all your equipment. We will be fighting.”
Wu Ying nodded. He took the armor and clothing and retreated behind a privacy screen to change. In short order, he walked out, clad in black-and-grey lamellated armor like all the other soldiers—if not for the jian by his side. As for his own clothing and armor, he had placed it in his storage ring.
“Ah, I forgot. You are still using your jian.”
Wu Ying touched the weapon at his side, raising an eyebrow. “I did not bring another weapon.” Well, he had a couple of other swords in his storage ring, but they were of the same type.
“You know how to use a dao, yes?”
“Obviously,” Wu Ying replied.
Even if he did not specialize in using a dao, the Long family-style had forms and passages devoted to the weapon. He had also practiced with the weapon in his village. It just was not his preferred weapon. After all, the Long family weapon style focused on the jian, but a sword was a sword and things like distance, timing, muscular chain activation were the same.
“Then we shall get you one.”
Chao Kun gestured, and together, the pair exited the tent. They walked along the path
way between tents, the army personnel dodging around Chao Kun and Wu Ying as they hurried to their stations. Finally, they crested the slope of a hill and spotted where the hubbub that had grown around them was focused. Sprawled below them in formed ranks was the majority of the army. In the morning sun, spearheads pointed toward the sky glittered, bathing the waiting army in shifting beams of sunlight as they faced the city.
Arrayed before the walls, between the army and the city, were the siege weapons, many of them still leaking sap from being cut down and built. They had stopped firing last night, allowing more rocks to be placed near them for this morning’s assault. Assault covers—mostly simple rolling, covered carts—were the majority of the siege weapons, though Wu Ying spotted a few more elaborate assault covers. Behind the initial assault covers was the mixed group of archers and infantry who would hide beneath the covers as they rolled close to the walls. Directly behind the initial wave of siege weaponry were the sky carts, mobile siege ladders with a hinged, folding ladder that would be deployed when they were in place.
As for the city itself, its wall were beaten, fractured in the front. Targeted attacks had knocked down or damaged the guard towers, but the walls still stood. None of them had been destroyed or shattered. No gaping holes faced the waiting army. For all intents and purposes, in spite of the damage done to the walls, they were intact.
“Are we starting now?” asked Wu Ying.
“Yes.”
Chapter 14
Chao Kun let Wu Ying marvel at the sight for a long minute before he gestured for him to hurry along. Together, the pair headed for the army’s blacksmith, where weapons were being fixed and sharpened. Chao Kun spoke rapidly to one of the guards before he made his way to one of the racks and searched through the repaired daos before finding one to his satisfaction. He tossed it to Wu Ying, who caught it and the scabbard that followed, testing the weapon in his hand.
