The Sage, the Swordsman and the Scholars

by Pierre Dimaculangan

  Xin and the team waited for the cover of night before they were to proceed with the mission. Together with the Academicians, he drew a map of the enemy encampment and the positions and placements of troops, storehouses, and amassment of weapons. They were to take the war to the enemy by severely crippling them before they could cause damage to the capital.

  “Now we see why the savages have delayed their attack upon us. They needed time to prepare turning themselves into these beasts,” said Big Bang in one of his rare moments of clarity. He then promptly resumed staring blankly into the distance.

  After the sun had set and the enemy troops had for the most part vacated the premises of the structures, Sun Xin and the team proceeded to eliminate the guards. It was not an easy task. The “mutants”, as they were, had a special resilience against lethal strikes. Anything less than a killing blow to the head or neck did not suffice to kill them. Still, with limited effort Sun Xin made good use of his dagger and crossbow and moved through the darkness like a shadow in the night, as if an assassin on rampage. After he had hidden the bodies, he blazed a trail towards the machines of mutation as Big Bang grew excited in anticipation of finally being able to exercise his role in the mission: demolition. Throughout the night, Xin and the crew assisted Big Bang in the construction of powerful bombs which he had assembled from his oversized back pack and tool belt.

  They stealthily proceeded through the exterior of the massive camp attaching the bombs in hidden places against storehouses, depots, and their makeshift harbor, and at one point nearly having been spotted by guard patrols. One guard had nearly alerted the entire encampment were it not for the fact that an Academician loosed an arrow into his head. It was nearly dawn by the time they had finished.

  After the slow-burning fuses had been lit, Xin and the team regrouped to the edge of the encampment only to discover a new set of patrols were hastily circling the outer edges of the camp.

  “We are about to be discovered,” said one Academician. “They have found the bodies.”

  A blaring horn resounded from the camp, alerting all the troops stationed within two li of their position.

  “We got to move, and quickly!” commanded Xin. “How much time remains before the bombs blow?”

  “Any glorious second now!” said Big Bang. By the time they had reached the horses along the shore, the bombs that were dispersed throughout the camp erupted in quick succession, lighting up the early evening sky. Horns blared for many li throughout the occupied coastlines of the peninsula as the team made a mad dash towards their boat which waited for them at the shore. Big Bang laughed maniacally at hearing the success of his bombs. The enemy had never anticipated such an infiltration and unlikely breach of their security. Sun Xin hoped it would suffice to buy the emperor and the Scholars more time to prepare the Ming military.

  Their path however, was blocked by yet another tall figure under the cover of a broad deep red hood that extended to a cape. He stood confidently alone blocking their access to the boat pulled to the shore in the distance. With a gauntleted hand, the mysterious figure unsheathed a long slender blade of dark metallic texture that reflected the moonlight. Sun Xin recognized the figure. It was the Terukk swordsman he had seen entering the government headquarters back at Guangzhou.

  The six Academicians unslung their crossbows and shot simultaneously, but every bolt was slashed out of the air in one stroke. Sharp bolt heads and splintered shafts littered the ground as the Terukk swordsman lifted his blade and pointed it at Sun Xin. He was challenging him to a duel. Xin signaled for Big Bang and the Academicians to return directly to the boat and start heading towards the anchored ferry near the shore. The Terukk swordsman removed his hood and cloak to reveal his pale unblemished face and long hair as white as snow. His deep-set eyes shone bright red as it reflected the unusually clear moonlight which cast dark shadows around his high arched cheek bones. Sun Xin loosened the strap on his wide brimmed hat and let it hang behind his upper back. His long blue scarf danced in the breeze together with the tall grass around them.

  “You are a cunning one, sword master,” the Terukk warrior said with a heavy accent. “I remember your spying on me from the rooftops of one of your great cities… a city which will soon belong to the Terukk along with the rest of your empire. The nations to the South and across the sea already belong to us. It will be just a matter of time before yours will fall as well.” Sun Xin remained silent and unsheathed his blade and assumed a low reverse-grip sword stance. The Terukk warrior simply smirked. “Your skills are admirable. I have heard many a great folktale about you, but do not mistake me as merely another one of your pathetic opponents. My name is Kurr, and I am here to slay the slayer,” the Terukk warrior said arrogantly as he bared his sharpened teeth and spread his arms.

  With a blur of motion, Xin initiated the duel with a bursting charge and attacked Kurr with circular strokes and slashes with his reverse grip. The Terukk ducked, leaned, and side-stepped each strike effortlessly. In a swift continuous motion, Xin altered his sword grip and lunged at Kurr with a thrust. Kurr grabbed the blade with his armored hand and yanked it towards himself. He threw a bone crunching uppercut into Xin’s abdomen as he stumbled forward. Xin fell to his knees, coughing, hacking, and spitting blood. The pain blared in his body; however, he felt the surge of another powerful force rising into his spirit. The Swordsman’s Curse was once again upon him and the fury it brought to Xin was… sinisterly reassuring.

  “I can sense darkness within you, sword master . Why would you not welcome it? It might just make our little game more entertaining… for me, at least,” Kurr laughed. The sound of it infuriated Sun Xin. Without even looking up, he burst into motion furiously slashing at Kurr from every height and every angle pushing the limits of the speed for which he had grown infamous. Xin’s newfound dark strength however, was to no avail. With his every attempt to strike him down, Kurr became more untouchable and impervious, and he continued to laugh in mockery.

  “Go on, feed that darkness. It betrays you and will only prove to be in my benefit,” Kurr said. He brought his own sword to bear and began to strike back with his black metallic blade. Every parry, every block, and every deflection rocked Xin to the bone; the very force of the swords’ impact blurred his vision and numbed his hand. Kurr grabbed Xin’s wrist, wrenched it, and twisted his arm causing Xin to flip backwards and collapsing onto the ground. Sun Xin rolled back onto his feet and switched to the offensive. The furious duel had eventually led them to the edge of a steep cliff near the shore.

  “I am the incarnation of the very darkness that breathes within your soul. The harder you fight, the stronger I will grow,” Kurr proclaimed. He raised his sword for a killing blow.

  Unbeknownst to Kurr, Big Bang sneaked behind him with a lit grenade in his hand. He signaled for Xin to create some distance quickly. Xin rolled backwards onto his feet and dove away from Kurr. In the same instant, Big Bang tossed the short-fused grenade right at Kurr’s feet. It detonated upon impact, sending chunks of shrapnel, dirt, and dust in every direction, and with Kurr seemingly falling off the cliff. After the dust and smoke had settled, Sun Xin rose to his feet and peered over the edge searching for Kurr’s body, but saw only jagged rocks and foamy water. He turned to give his thanks to Big Bang for the bailout, but collapsed at his feet before he had the chance. He drifted in and out of consciousness as the Academicians carried him back to the ferry returning to the capital a few days’ journey away. At the shore under the shadow of the cliff, Kurr stood watching his opponent sail on the ferry. He smirked with satisfaction as he removed the scorched and torn plates of his armor before making his way back to the camp.

  13 TURNING WAR GEARS

  THE GLARE OF THE AFTERNOON sun beamed through the window in the room of an inn where Xin had been laid since his return from Liaodong Peninsula. He opened his eyes to a room bathed in golden sunlight and to the noise of a bustling nearby street. His body ached and he groaned with the soreness that coursed through hi
s limbs; his abdomen still tender from Kurr’s powerful blow.

  “If I had not believed in the orchestrations of a higher power, I would say your stubbornness was what has sustained you through the past several hours,” said a familiar voice in the room. Xin strained to focus his vision to a figure sitting in a shaded corner of the room.

  “Master,” said Xin. “What has happened? How is it that you are here?” He struggled to sit upright fighting the heavy weight of sluggishness that had come upon him.

  “No, do not force yourself up just yet. Your body’s strength was sapped from your battle. Your life force has yet to recover from the exhaustive effects of the Swordsman’s Curse,” said Master Lo.

  “The Curse? I can barely remember. I thought I had tamed that price a long time ago, but it has been resurging of late,” said Xin as he groaned in discomfort.

  “It will always be there deep within the recesses of your soul, for a man you are, and in a man’s heart darkness will always linger. You can never fully remove the Curse. But starve it, you certainly must,” Master Lo replied. “It is a continual ordeal you will have to undertake for the rest of your life.”

  “How so, Master? I carry the Curse with a great pain and a high price.”

  “Only with the Way can you achieve this through the transformation and the renewing of your mind,” said Master Lo simply.

  “You speak so much like the teacher I had encountered from the far South… and he is here, in the capital. The capital, I must get back to the capital immediately!” exclaimed Xin.

  “I know of whom it is you speak for I accompanied him all the way here from the Huangshan. I have received word from him. Your mission in Liaodong has severely crippled the enemy. All that you have discovered there has been reported to the emperor, and now he plans to maneuver to strike them down with full force before they can recover from the blow,” Master Lo informed him. “Some Scholars from the palace are in the inn’s lobby anticipating your presence at the court.”

  “You are acquainted with the hermit from the south? It is such a coincidence for I had met him not long ago. He had saved my life,” said Xin. Master Lo nodded slightly and frowned.

  “You did not tell me you were aligned with the League of Martial Scholars. I cannot say I fully approve of this alliance. They make many moral compromises and do not adhere to the teachings of the sages despite the ‘good’ they claim to enforce. Do not ask me how I know of them, but just know that not all of what they do is not in accordance to higher standards.”

  Sun Xin leaned his head back against the head rest and signed. “The League of Martial Scholars is a noble and honorable band of good men. They may not be perfect in their ways and dealings, but their cause is pure and just according to the standards of the law. That alone will suffice for me, Master,” answered Sun Xin. Master Lo just sighed and gestured for him to meet with the Scholars and Academicians waiting on the ground floor. Xin mustered the strength to rise and get dressed. He needed to know the details of what the Scholars and the emperor were planning. Master Lo accompanied Xin in meeting with the Scholars below. Tian Qiu the polymath greeted him with relief and gladness.

  “It is a relief to see you on your feet, comrade,” he said to Xin. “If I am on my feet I do it with great discomfort. My encounter at Liaodong has left me exhausted. Never mind that. What of the activities in the palace?” Xin asked.

  “The Academicians and the demolitions expert have reported the success of your mission to the emperor. I must say he was quite impressed. He did not believe that you all would have survived, calling ‘suicidal’. In any case, the Scholars have received his majesty’s approval of a major assault on two fronts through land and sea. The palace anticipates imminent the arrival of troops from several other garrisons. It must be quick; I am doubtful that the Dark Armies amassing in the central provinces will be giving us time for respite after this great battle is over,” said Tian Qiu.

  Together with Master Lo and the Scholars, Sun Xin reported back to the Forbidden City and received commendations from the emperor.

  “Though I am slightly disturbed by your infamous reputation as a vigilante, your selfless actions on behalf of the Ming Empire has made you a hero, and a hero you will be in the eyes of the imperial law,” said the emperor. Sun Xin bowed to the emperor and extended his gratitude for the commendation. “The second stage of our strategy is nigh. The garrisons to the west have arrived with many warriors; the industries have delivered many fresh armaments for land and sea, some of which were made with Fung’s modifications,” the emperor said. “He would be the one whom you all call ‘Big Bang’, by the way.”

  There, in the Forbidden City palace complex, the emperor, the Martial Scholars, army officers, Sun Xin, and the company of Famin Jie, who were privileged guests, gathered to discuss the army’s decisive strike against the enemy camped on the edges of Liaodong and Shandong Peninsulas. The Art of War and its commentaries have always emphasized knowledge of the enemy. Thus, the information gathered from the covert operation led by Sun Xin was decisive for their strategy. Imperial Commander He Feishen and the master strategist Shang Jian presented the strategy for the battle. A large map of the Northeast Ming Empire was laid out before them and moved the models accordingly.

  “Our assault will focus on Liaodong. The armies on foot and horseback will coordinate with the border garrison along the Great Wall and navigate the terrain using old passes that cut around the Nuzhen plain. We may strike the peninsula from the north. Our refurbished navy now harbors at the coast near the evacuated city of Tianjin and is ready to strike from the Gulf of Beizhili. The battleships will initiate the battle and will bombard the enemy encampment with a barrage of missile and cannon fire from a safe distance before proceeding in formation against the enemy vessels blocking the entrance to the gulf. If all goes well, they will converge with the fleet coming from the harbors near Nanjing to attack the Terukk ships from both sides. The improved weapons systems provided by comrade Big Bang will be instrumental in our effectiveness for the assault from the sea. After the initial bombardment, artillery and cavalry units will push the mutants towards the sea. They have made a grave mistake placing their mutant forces in an isolated area. With coordination and a strong will, the battle can be won decisively in a day,” said Shang Jian and He Feishen.

  “Something does not feel right. It seems all too simple, as if it is a distraction for something greater,” Xin thought aloud. “We have shifted so much of our focus on this area of the empire, I’m afraid we are not seeing the darkness rising elsewhere.”

  “I suspect that this is just a means to study our forces, our methods, and strategies. In this battle we would be revealing much of our capabilities,” Lu Guanying said as he rubbed his chin.

  “Fear not, Xin. The empire has many capable military commanders scattered throughout the provinces. Many citizens have been placed under special protection and the majority of our vast army moves actively on high alert in the provinces,” assured Shang Jian.

  “Besides, the 100,000 mutant warriors are a significant threat to the capital at the northern border. They must be neutralized immediately,” added General He Jin. “The success of our mission depends heavily on the element of surprise. I doubt the Pale Barbarians have anticipated neither the impressive takeover of the Scholars nor the impressively expedient assembly of our resources and forces, as previously emphasized. They will not anticipate our maneuver on such a massive scale as this.”

  One of the Academicians entered the room with an urgent report saying that spies have been detected in the capital and have escaped capture.

  “They have seen the hidden assembly of our forces and know our imminent attack, but luckily, our tactical teams posted on the rooftops have shot them down,” the Academician reported.

  “That is good news. However, it does not matter if they discover the plans of our assault. There is nothing they can do to provide an answer for our attack. The army and navy will prepare to depart immediat
ely,” said Imperial Commander Feishen. “There is one other important matter I must mention to the rest of you,” he added. The congregation gave their full attention in anticipation of what he would say. “The mutant armies are led by figures that are likened to priests. In the heat of my recent battle they recite dark and powerful incantations to as a means to ‘bless’ their warriors. They must be a priority target lest the Ming forces have great difficulty achieving victory. They are Terukk that wear long black robes with red borders, headdresses of nails, and ominous masks. The Scholars must assemble strike teams to seek out these evil clerical Foreigners and eliminate them if the army is to be victorious.”

  “A cooperation of my personal commando units together with the skills of the Martial Academicians would suffice to complete this task,” said General Jin.

  “Sun Xin, are you willing and able to lead this aspect of the mission during the heat of battle? Are you fit to fight again so soon?” they asked.

  Xin nodded and was determined to complete the mission. In his heart, he felt that this was his calling, the very thing for which he was born. Buff Baby, Big Bang, Jirgal, and Zuo Shilong volunteered to join the Commandos and Academicians to aid Sun Xin with the operation. Master Lo volunteered to fight alongside his student whom he still saw as his son. He did not say however, that he was joining out of fear for Sun Xin’s safety. He wanted to be there to protect him. Such was the fatherly instinct within him.

  “I too will accompany you, Commander,” said Famin Jie unexpectedly. “We must not forget that this war is but a manifestation of a greater spiritual conflict. I would like to personally oversee this operation to petition Heaven for victory over the spiritual warfare that transpires directly with the one we are about to undertake, for if we proceed without Heaven’s blessing, we proceed to defeat.”