Alex took a deep, satisfied breath, gazing up at the moon overhead, knowing dawn was just a few hours away by the time he strolled back towards the camp. The pair of potent sentinels in their midnight armor that blended so well with the gloom fixed him with their intense gazes before flashing the coldest of smiles. Alex frowned, chills racing down his spine under the weight of their stares, but they said nothing and didn’t bar his way when he proceeded to enter the camp proper. Alex gave a relieved smile, surprised by the sudden exhaustion he felt, and the minute his head hit the woolen blanket laid out for him by his traveling companions, he was out like a light.
Only to be woken with a groan at the crack of dawn by a smirking Fangsu with the tap of her doeskin boot, whose twinkling eyes made it clear she enjoyed seeing Alex bleary-eyed and grumpy.
“Wow, you seem a bit sleepy, arena champion! I don’t suppose you were celebrating your victory with a certain pretty sheep herder I definitely saw giving you the eye last night? With a chest so generous she could feed a dozen of your babies like kittens, I’m sure.” Fangsu frowned down at him. “I know most boys are into that sort of thing.”
Alex grinned. “I didn’t even realize anyone was looking at me like that until you mentioned it. But how about you point her out to me so I can see if she’s the celebrating sort?”
Fangsu smirked, tossing him a biscuit. “Not a chance. You’ll probably break the poor girl with those muscles that just ooze Strength Qi.”
Alex chuckled at that. “There’s such a thing as Strength Qi? I thought it was all based on the elements...”
She rolled her eyes, standing up and stretching her lithe back, flexing certain muscles as if to demonstrate that there was far more to womanly charms than merely a generous chest, before flouncing off. “Get up, Alex, we’re rolling out in an hour.”
“An hour? Why didn’t you let me sleep until we actually left?”
She flashed an evil grin, winked, and was out of sight before Alex was even on his feet.
7
“How are you feeling, Alex?” Yan asked when they began their journey near the back of the livestock herds at a brisk walk, Alex’s joy in the sheer beauty of the woodland cathedral they strode through, like a never-ending tunnel of soothing green, with countless jewels in the form of ripe fruit begging for his touch, had been dampened, somewhat, by the stink of animal musk, the grunts of pigs, and the bray of sheep and other livestock. Not that he minded helping corral the occasionally wandering livestock eager to browse on choice bits of grass and lush green undergrowth rustling so invitingly to bovine sensibilities. He just hadn’t quite appreciated how fragrant a job it would be, until now.
“I’m feeling pretty good, all things considered,” Alex admitted, humble enough to appreciate just how great he felt in a body brimming with good health and near inhuman vigor, despite a mere three hours of sleep the night before, and the fact that a day spent walking beside grunting, snorting, and bleating livestock did tend to drag on just a bit. Most of all, he missed the sheer joy of communing with the forest and leaping through the trees at speeds many times faster than their present pace, lost in a joyous connection with the arboreal life all around him, now utterly dampened by the clamor of thousands of animals and scores of people.
Of course, the warm inviting looks he was getting from a certain farmhand named Ehuang, who had taken the time to apply kohl to her eyes and crushed rose hips to her lips helped to pass the time, especially when she took it upon herself to start educating him about the ins and outs of caring for livestock. And for all that her hair was tied back in a serviceable bun and she wore attire quite similar to her male counterparts, it only served to highlight her natural curves, the girl moving with a certain sensual grace that seemed to have caught more than one man’s eye already, if the occasional hungry glances herders, merchants, and guards alike sent her way were any indication.
Yan, guarding the rear, and happily letting his two exasperated-looking proteges handle the herding aspect of things, chuckled softly at that. “I bet,” he said, with a pointed smile, glancing at a certain farmhand’s way. “I know the road can get lonely. If you need to make use of the wagon we’re assigned to, just leave a white scarf looped about the left rear axle. But don’t be surprised if Fangsu is teasing you about your new love the next day.”
Alex nodded, having already picked up enough caravan lore to know that dalliances were by no means an uncommon thing during a month-long journey, and that more than a few couples had paired up from strangers to betrothed in the space of a single trip. For that reason, allowances were made, and people were careful never to look too closely under wagons or bang on the sides, save when it was time to break up camp. Because antagonizing people you lived beside for twenty-four hours a day for multiple weeks straight with no outlet was never a good idea, and one day it might be you looking for companionship along the road.
For that reason, caravan masters not only looked the other way, but everyone was given a white scarf, just in case. Unexpected pregnancies were not the caravan master’s problem, after all. Getting safely to the next destination was all that mattered.
Alex managed an embarrassed chuckle. He still found it both surprising and refreshing how forward people were here, at least those living on civilization’s edge, which, come to think about it, was absolutely everywhere, save for the massive cities that served as the main arteries of the empire.
Of course, there was a catch. People took relationships very seriously in this world, and as attractive as he found the increasingly gregarious farmhand explaining the ins and outs of their temporarily shared trade, Alex had no real desire to run a farm or tend to large herds of swine or cattle. At least, not at this point in his life.
Besides, there was another who had already touched his heart, and for all that it was absurd to think they would actually be able to connect, with all the obstacles the gods themselves had thrown between them, he would hold tight to the promise in his heart, at least for now.
After all, until he reached Silver, romance was totally out of the question anyway, lest he risk destroying himself far more thoroughly than his enemies ever could.
Yan clapped his back. “Whatever you decide to do, just make sure you have the energy to take on any fresh challengers you might get tonight. And that includes a rematch. My status as an instructor depends upon it.”
The man had the moxie to flash a confident smile. “And, of course, if you get the best of me, we’ll chalk it off to my teaching you a fresh technique.”
Alex chuckled softly. “Of course.”
Yan’s gaze turned serious. “I do mean that, by the way. You’re skilled, Alex, but if you’re open to learning new techniques, I’m more than happy to show you what I know.”
Alex bowed his head, genuinely grateful. “I’d appreciate that, Yan. I’ll admit, I’m not as well trained at grapples, pins, and holds as a true well-rounded martial artist. Or at least, not as well as I’d like to be.”
Yan frowned. “I’d say your skills are quite sound, Alex. You got the best of me and Cai Lu both.”
Alex nodded, Cai Lu being the other Bronze that had challenged him last night; a squat, powerfully-built Earth cultivator with a style very similar to Yan’s own.
“And I was grateful for the sparring practice. What I know, I know well. But there’s always room for new techniques.” He smirked. “Of course, Academy rules frown upon any pin lasting for more than five seconds, so most matches were more about strikes and blows and quick take-downs, with very little focus on grappling, chokes, and submission holds.”
Yan snorted. “Well, Dragon Academy rules hold little sway outside of Yidushi. You’ll notice no one you sparred with yesterday gave a rat’s backside about five second holds or such. Because out on the road, with untested allies and only one middling healer at best, you’d be a fool to be hitting and kicking all out, every sparring session. Wrestling, if done smart, can be both safe and mimic real-life grapples and take-downs. Why do
you think half the matches ended with a successful mock stab to the throat?”
Alex frowned. “I didn’t realize that was going on.”
Yan grinned. “That’s right. You were so caught up in your own matches, you didn’t bother watching anyone else’s. In real life, Alex, fighting is messy. You were right to rush me when our bamboo staves shattered and pin me to the ground. But if you want to stay true to form, fights are normally finished with a thrust to the throat of a fallen or incapacitated enemy with your war knife. Good against all but the strongest cultivators, and the best way to get past the armor many elite soldiers use is a knife thrust to the neck or eyes, once a soldier’s sent tumbling to the ground in battle.”
Alex nodded. “So, sparring tonight includes no holds barred wrestling without any five-count idiocy, and your foe loses if you get him to submit, have him mastered, or place a mock dagger to his throat?”
Yan grinned. “You got it. Just like guards do most nights on this caravan. After spear sparring, of course. There’s a reason why most bandits pay a price when tussling with the guards.”
Alex nodded. “So, this is your profession? You don’t just live at a city academy?”
Yan gazed at the rustling forest all around them, breathing deep of the fresh clean air and flashing a satisfied smile, seeming to take as much joy in being one with the outdoors as Alex did. “I rarely spend that much time in the city, Alex. The caravan masters pay me well for my talents, and I’m far safer than most guards. Joining the caravans as a cultivator is a great way to make good coin while getting the opportunity to visit exotic cities and towns I would otherwise never explore. I get a chance to meet countless city dwellers, town folk, and farmers I would otherwise never come across, learning a bit about their lives, hopes and dreams, all of which helps me to better understand the grand story of life as a whole.”
Yan gave a satisfied smile. “Somehow I feel this connects me to my Dao. The closer I feel to understanding people as a whole, the complicated beast that is civilization as a whole, and this world as a whole, the closer I feel to enlightenment.”
Alex nodded, getting the strangest feeling that the cultivator before him was both being completely sincere, while leading him down a path of assumptions as far from the truth as could be. But if there was one thing that had struck Alex in the time they had both been seeking to master the other while grappling, one thing his Soul Sight pinged so clearly, even if everything else was utterly hidden, was that Yan had a fierce, honorable soul.
“So, you like exploring the world, meeting new people, and getting paid while doing it. And it might just be helping your cultivation base every bit as much as sitting in a lotus position for eight hours every day. Sounds like a good life to me.”
Yan chuckled at that. “I also have something of an eye for spotting talent, Alex, and when I see a prospective temple disciple or two, I take them under my wing for as long as we’re a good fit. If they really have potential, I speak to my associates at Thunderbird Academy, and they will offer the lad or lass a scholarship for a period of sworn service in return.”
Alex nodded. “Like an internship.”
Yan gave him a curious look before continuing. “Anyway, with luck, everything works out, and the minute one of my former students ascends to Bronze, I get a very nice bonus to my account. So you see, it’s in my best interest to find the best, recruit the best, and train them as best I can. And pitting their mettle against your own surprising talents is perhaps the greatest kindness I can show my disciples right now. So, I do hope you’ll be good enough to put them through their paces tonight as well.”
Alex grinned. “I’m happy to help. And who knows? I can always use a friendly word if I find myself at Thunderbird Academy one day.”
Yan gave a knowing chuckle. “Just the arrangement I was going to propose. It’s always nice to meet a cultivator with as much going on in his brain as his body.”
Alex smiled, appreciating the compliment. “And still it’s somehow your students herding the animals and you taking a leisurely stroll.”
Yan winked. “Funny how that all worked out.”
“Frankly, I’m surprised you’re not snoring away in one of the wagons.”
Yan outright laughed at that. “I’m savvy, Alex, but I’m not a complete ass. Besides, only those crazy enough to take the night watch are allowed to sleep during the day.”
Alex froze, taking in Yan’s words, considering all its implications.
“Alex? Are you alright?”
“So, what are the duties of the night shift?”
“Simple enough. Stay awake, keeping an eye on all four cardinal directions, and alert the caravan if anything seems suspicious. That, and don’t die of boredom.”
Alex gave a thoughtful nod. “Who do I see about switching to night shift?”
Yan frowned. “Are you serious? You’ll die of boredom within a week.”
Alex shrugged. “Maybe. I still think it would be exciting to try it, though.”
Yan sighed, pointing to one of the lead wagons, some distance ahead. “Talk to Captain Dui Zhang. He’ll either call you an idiot and chase you back here, or be all too happy to sign you up for that unenviable position, especially since he’s paying you just as much as I am. Nothing.”
Alex chuckled. “Not so. At least you promised to put in a good word for me at the academy you’re affiliated with!”
And in a very short while, Alex found himself bowing before the larger than life captain, who looked quite a sight in full battle regalia with his own fangtian ji hanging on a custom rack within his carriage, a vehicle rumor said held the most valuable items being transported between cities. But of course, such a rumor might have been planted as a false lure to any thieves. In any event, even the most avaricious rogue would think twice before trying to rob the giant who looked, if anything, even more imposing scribbling notes in a fine vellum ledger upon a compact table just the right size for the wagon that the warrior could no doubt throw it at any would-be assailant before drawing his deadly blade and running them through, moving so fast that he and the thrown table would strike as one.
Alex felt a cold shiver, somehow certain that such an event had occurred just as he had visualized it, turning his head right where he knew a shrieking thief had once been pinned to the wall.
Of course, the blood, stink, and filth of loosened bowels would have long since been scrubbed away. But if he didn’t know better… a chill raced down his spine, eyes widening as he caught sight the ugly jagged rent in the wood paneling, just the right size, shape, and diameter to match a disemboweling thrust from the man still scratching notes in his ledgers.
“Yes?” Dui Zhang finally asked, for all that his eyes were still firmly on his books, quill radiating a certain amount of Water and Wood Qi. The equivalent of a pen that never ran out of ink, Alex was sure.
Alex cleared his throat. “I wanted to ask about the possibility of my joining the night shift, Captain.”
This got the man’s attention. He lifted his gaze from his ledger, powerful eyes radiating a deadly killing aura peering into Alex’s own. “Ah. The fool of a Ruidian who, so rumor goes, can actually fight.” He gave a thoughtful nod. “If nothing else, those rumors got the men’s blood up. Always best if they’re hungry for some competition, keeping themselves in fighting shape. Might be worth seeing for myself. Maybe some of you lads are actually worth betting on.”
He gazed back down at his ledger, frowning, scribbling something with his quill. “Was there anything else?”
“Um... no, sir.”
“Good. You are dismissed, Ruidian.”
“I... yes, Captain Dui Zhang,” Alex said before darting out of the carriage, having absolutely no wish to antagonize an authority figure who didn’t actually hate him on first sight.
The afternoon passed by much as the morning had, Alex passing the time chatting with Tung and Fangsu about polearm techniques, or learning about the ins and outs of running a large farm under the au
spices of Ehuang, the helpful and exceedingly well-endowed girl letting it be known through a number of hints and smiles that she would be more than happy if a certain Ruidian wanted to be more than just friends, giving his hand a playful squeeze when they finally stopped for the night.
“Good luck in the fights, Alex, and thanks for the help today. I know you didn’t have to, and I really appreciate it,” said the husky-voiced Ehuang, clasping his hand and darting in for a quick kiss on his cheek. He caught a whiff of lavender scent and the natural musk of a girl in the peak of health.
She didn’t smell like her charges at all. Definitely a blessing.
Alex grinned. “Thanks. And thanks for the herding tips today.”
She positively beamed at his compliment. “Farm work can strain your body just as bad as a warrior’s training. If you find yourself feeling sore and stiff after your matches, I hope you’ll come find me. I’m quite the hand at massaging sore muscles, and if you let me tend to your stiffness, I’ll massage you so well you’ll feel like you’re floating in paradise.”
There was no mistaking the look in her eyes or the smile she flashed him, and Alex was more than flattered. “Any man who turned down that offer would be a right fool,” he said with a smile. “So if I do play the clown and find myself too tired to do anything but collapse in a heap, I hope you’ll forgive this fool and still call me friend.”
She blinked at that, looking a bit flustered. “Well, of course, Alex. I hope you don’t wear yourself out too badly, and good luck.”
There was a certain fervor and excitement to the guards and watching farmhands when they gathered for a little free-form sparring that night when none other than Captain Dui Zhang made an appearance, frowning thoughtfully as the men paired off with dao or polearms.
Alex and Master Yan paused before their own bout in the fifteen-foot-wide circle demarcated by pegs and rope, as did everyone else both competing or watching, with quick half bows given to the captain as he nodded back. But he didn’t say a word, just raised a silver chalice to his lips.
Silver Fox & The Western Hero: Warrior Redeemed: A LitRPG/Wuxian Novel - Book 5 Page 12
