The rest was up to Captain Dui Zhang.
With that thought, he prepared to embrace Forest Flight and leap through the trees at a speed to do any forest denizen proud, hesitating only long enough to see if he could pick up any trace of Xian Hong or her guardian, though he knew they should be well out of harm’s reach, and even closer to Baidushi than he was.
And that’s when he froze, cursing under his breath.
Sensing them not deeply hidden in the woods, but along the High Road once more, among what he could just barely sense was the subtle pressure of dozens of other mortals stopped at a clearing along the High Road.
But what caused Alex’s gut to twist was the far more visible band of reds now blinking so brightly in his interface map at that very location.
Alex flashed a bitter smile, already knowing what he would do.
Of course he could enjoy a stress-free trip straight to Baidushi.
At the cost of a single princess, which, for all he knew, was a key piece that would keep the city from falling to whatever dark machinations the gods above had in store.
In a heartbeat Alex was soaring high above the treetops once more, at a speed that actually began to drain his Qi Pool as his racing mind flashed upon the very tactics he and his friends had used to lethal effect in Duty’s Call and similar shooter games back in a life he remembered so damned clearly. Even if the last time he had held a mouse or 360 controller had been countless centuries ago.
By the time Alex had dropped back below tree level, just a half mile from his targets, he already knew the approach he’d take, for all that he feared he was being an idiot with over half a dozen Bronze cultivators in the vast clearing ahead where a certain trade caravan had spent the night before being stopped as they prepared to leave that morning by a band of the Red Prince’s men, their scout already in position to warn the central band Alex now sensed as a bright red cluster just a short distance off, should a single one of those cultivators send the signal.
But with dozens of traders and caravanners kneeling on the ground in terror as herds of livestock bleated and brayed in their own growing distress, it was obvious that the half dozen Bronze soldiers kitted in steel armor quite different from that worn by Zhengtu kingdom’s own legionnaires were no typical bandits or soldiers.
“Please, honored legionnaires,” said an anxious-looking heavyset man dressed in a fine silk robe who radiated a certain level of cultivation even to Alex, for all that his bloated body was that of a man who enjoyed his excesses. “I fear there’s been some sort of misunderstanding. There are no Ruidians within our caravan train. We are simple farmers and merchants, eager to fill Baidushi’s coffers and grain silos with food and coin aplenty!”
Or so he pled before one giant titan of a cultivator armed with a great cleaving dao and a steel round shield fastened at his hip just like a buckler would be on a smaller man. The shield, Alex noted, radiated the Earth Qi energies of a magical artifact.
The giant frowned, crossing his arms, gazing at his fellows, including four far more slender Bronze cultivators armed with spears or naginata, moving with the fluid grace of those who had specialized in speed or finesse, not brute strength. Save for the final member of their squad, another strength build, much like the squad leader presently interrogating the merchant, kitted in thick steel armor and looking more like an ancient knight than anyone Alex had seen in this world so far, wielding a massive warhammer in two gauntleted fists.
The four slender cultivators wore half helms and flexible lamellar armor around their torsos alone, their arms and legs bare, save for boots and quilted linen sleeves and leggings, and Alex could certainly understand why, if they were specialized for finesse and quickness. Then his eyes widened, Artificer skill sensing the subtle elemental wards surrounding each of them, originating from talismans around their neck. Certainly powerful enough to stop any arrow or mortal sword swing, probably the equivalent of a second layer of armor for most soldiers.
Of course, not one of the caravanners dared to lift their chins before their de facto captors, let alone challenge them in any way, the cultivators sneering as they forced every man, woman, and child to meet their gazes with terrified eyes before shaking their heads in disgust.
“They’re clean, commander. None of them bear a Ruidian’s taint.”
Their giant commander snorted. “Of course none of these fools are going to have Ruidian blood in their veins. Now check the damn wagons and carriages for anyone still hiding inside!” He flashed a wicked smile. “That’s where you’ll find our prey.”
The soldier gave a curt nod and the five of them began inspecting each of the wagons.
Alex’s heart lurched, already knowing what they were going to find, and knowing he was running out of time.
But he wanted, no, needed, to line everything up perfectly, knowing he’d have only one chance to take them by surprise.
It was only when the commanding giant had turned away, distracted by a sheep’s constant bleats, and the second giant was busy tearing open the locked doors of a protesting merchant’s wagon that Alex finally found the opportunity he was looking for, as all four slender spear and naginata wielding cultivators exchanged nods and crouched down, darting as one to cover the four corners of one of the massive wagons, having correctly deduced exactly where Alex’s friends were hiding.
“Commander, I think I found something. We struck gold, sir! It’s the—”
Bullrush! Bullrush!
Adderstrike!
You have critically struck and killed Bronze Cultivator!
Bullrush! Adderstrike! Adderstrike!
One cultivator screams for mercy as he struggles to free himself from undercarriage!
You show him none!
Two more Bronze Cultivators have fallen to your blows!
Experience earned!
Before the man could utter another word, a Dark Qi-covered fist shattered his skull in an explosion of blood, Alex quickly double blinking and repeating the maneuver twice more, catching three speed cultivators completely off guard, killing them in heartbeats, so that by the time the fourth one realized something was wrong and had stumbled back, naginata raised, Alex was already before him, stunning the man with a furious sequence of straight line punches and roundhouse kicks.
And for all that the man was fast, alarmingly so, he was no match for Alex.
Even when the soldier flashed a fierce smile, his darting naginata slipping under Alex’s Dark Qi pauldron to slash open his abdomen, it wasn’t enough to stop Alex’s furious assault, spear hand striking the man’s trachea and forcing the man to stumble back, bulging eyes filled with sudden panic as trembling hands gripped his crushed throat before falling over and spasming, fingers dropping the red healing potion he’d never have a chance to drink as the entire caravan erupted in the roars of angry soldiers and the screams of terrified caravanners as the coppery tang of spilled blood and the awful stench of offal and death suddenly filled the air.
“Cao Fu! Xu Shen!” roared the suddenly-alarmed commander, drawing his dao and shield, racing to where his men had been butchered, the giant with the warhammer a step behind him.
But Alex was already gone, blinking for the trees in a flash.
You have successfully hidden behind cover. Qi Perception range is now 70 feet. You sense the movements and positions of your opponents! Armor reduces Heavy Wound to Medium Wound. Naginata cut through five bronze plates! Power Healing engaged!
Within seconds, his injury had sealed itself up, and Alex could sense the scout monitoring the squad racing away.
But he dare not follow as Princess Xian Hong raced as fast as she could for the woods nearby, her cousin Tung’s face locked in a rictus of terror, Yan Song guarding their rear, arms now radiating deepest Earth Qi as he prepared to block the raised warhammer of the roaring giant of a cultivator intending to sweep Yan off his feet as his commander darted forward, the pair obviously trained to strike and kill in concert.
Before the comma
nder stumbled forward as the clearing rang with the sound of bone ringing against unbreakable steel, Alex’s enchanted dao surprisingly unable to pierce the commander’s helm or shatter his skull, for all that Alex’s blow had been boosted by Adderstrike as he launched himself through the trees.
Bullrush! Adderstrike! Your blow fails to penetrate enemy’s armor! Enemy is temporarily stunned!
Finesse check made!
But Alex wasted no time, rolling to his feet and darting so as to keep the dazed squad leader between him and the giant holding the warhammer, roaring and glaring his hate but unable to pivot around fast enough to strike Alex without hitting his commander.
But Alex knew he had only seconds before both would strike at him in concert, risking the fearsome blow of a warhammer as he gave his all, determined to bring the incredibly tough squad leader down.
Find Weakness skill check made!
Black Swan!
He ducked to the ground as the massive warhammer whistled through the air where his head had been, whipping his leg around in a vicious sweep kick, channeling the force and fury of the sea as his Dark Qi-covered shin blasted through both the commander’s ankles, bone exploding through flesh as the now shrieking squad leader crashed to the ground, and Alex was springing back to his feet and Bullrushing for the trees in an eyeblink, the massive stone hammer head smashing the ground where he had been just a heartbeat before so violently that the ground shook, the trees swayed, and the squad leader screamed as his shattered limbs were jolted.
“That’s the Ruidian we’re after, commander, it must be!” declared the giant of a cultivator, glaring at a smirking Alex who gave him the bird before darting into the trees.
“I know that, Ding! Give me a red. For the love of the gods above, give me a red!”
A quick glance made it clear the Ruidian was out of sight.
The giant, who didn’t seem like the brightest cultivator in the world, quickly nodded, putting down his hammer as he fumbled for a potion in his pouch.
Turning with a frown when he felt someone poke his shoulder.
Before shrieking in sudden agony as his face began to smoke and melt, eyes instantly poached and blinded as caustic acid was sprayed in his face.
“Ding Su, what’s happening?” cried the commander, twisting around as best he could on his crippled legs, eyes widening as he beheld the sight of the cold-eyed Ruidian gazing down at him with a gleeful smile as Ding Su’s skull tumbled to the ground, his body crashing a second later in fountain of hot blood now raining down upon the terrified commander, whose gaze was now locked helplessly upon the oversized bronze dao lined with shark teeth that had just decapitated his friend of a dozen years.
“Who are you? What are you?” the commander cried out as his arms desperately dragged his now crippled body back from the blood-spattered monster before him.
“Your death,” Alex said, before lashing out as fast as his foe could blink.
Black Swan!
“No, wait! I can pay yo—”
And the squad leader said not another word as his head tumbled to the ground, his final panicked thoughts bleeding into Alex’s mind, flashes of the friends and family he had left behind before terror and blackness consumed him.
And Alex did his best to shake away the horror of tasting another man’s mind after his critical success with Soul Sight, having no doubt it was an example of his Spirit Qi element beginning to manifest itself. And for all that his skill was vital for gaining the upper hand in combat, tasting a foe’s final dying thoughts, sensing what an awful monster Alex was in the eyes of his enemies who saw themselves the heroes of their own life’s tales, were burdens he never wished to bear again.
He much preferred it when his foes were truly evil, not just soldiers following questionable orders, making the best of a bad situation.
But he dared not waste another second in bitter reflection, darting forth for the forest and the fleeing scout before the head caravan merchant could either thank or condemn him.
But Alex still spared the heartbeat needed to glare at the man. “You better save their gear and purses for my return, or your head will be joining theirs!” he snapped, the man’s eyes widening with even more fear than he had shown for the reds, quickly nodding his ascent.
“It will be as you say, lord cultivator! I swear it!” the merchant shouted, but Alex was already gone.
The forest was alive with the sound of broken branches, rustling leaves, and the desperate whimpers of a panicked man fleeing for his life as if all the hounds of hell were after him, now cracking his crop against his woodland pony, desperate for speed, using every trick he knew to gain distance and hide himself amongst the countless woodland trails amongst the massive trees he rode between, too terrified to pay any heed to the ripe spirit fruit to be found everywhere in this part of the forest.
His dirt-streaked face lit up in sudden relief when he heard the telltale sounds of his own camp, just a short way off. “Maker’s mercy, I feared I’d never make it!” The scout sobbed with relief. “I don’t know what that monster was, but he sure as hell was no Ruidian!”
The man clutched the amulet radiating a potent Qi ward as if for comfort, before blinking in surprise when he found himself tumbling wildly to the ground, gazing up in what looked to be horrified confusion as his horse whinnying in sudden alarm, his body still holding the stirrups, neck stump spurting blood, before he slowly toppled off his now-panicked mount.
Before it was also silenced with a single cleaving blow, all traces of horse, scout, and the pools of blood they had left behind disappearing into a certain brass ring, and all that was left was the sound of rustling trees once more. And if there had been a concerned holler from the camp just a short way beyond, no one was bothered enough to investigate when a single gruff call remained unanswered.
Obviously, it had just been the cry of a woodland beast, or leaves rustling in the wind.
Congratulations! You have killed seven Bronze cultivators! You have claimed no Soul Stones. Experience earned!
But Alex paid no mind to the messages as he huddled a short distance off, now that the danger had passed, shaking with the final memories of the men he had so ruthlessly cut down.
Knowing he had had no choice. Not if he was going to save his friends, not if the caravanners were going to live to trade another day. Yet he knew as well that none of the men to fall to his fist and blade that day bore the taint of true malice. They were enemy soldiers of a sort, but even in that it was only to a degree, all of them sworn to serve the same emperor as he when it counted the most.
And not one of those men bore souls so stained with sin that Alex could possibly justify claiming their immortal cores.
But they had been in the way of Alex keeping his friends safe, and he was forced to wonder if any of the caravanners would have even been allowed to live, having seen the faces of their interrogators.
He took a deep breath as the momentary shakes passed, almost certain that had he not acted as he had, far more people would have died.
He chuckled softly.
Killing was far easier when his opponents radiated malice, when he was wrapped up in a cloak of darkest fury, when he couldn’t taste the desperate terror radiating from their souls.
If he was lucky, these would be the last men he’d have to kill in his quest to reach Baidushi.
If he was lucky.
And what the hell did that say about him?
He gave a rueful shake of his head before making his way back to the caravan, not surprised to see the caravan master cajoling all his panicked employees and fellow travelers to get their mounts, livestock, and conveyances ready as fast as they possibly could.
When the man caught Alex’s eyes, he paled and stumbled back, before flashing a desperate smile. “The hero who saved our caravan. Thank you, hero! Truly we are grateful. Beyond grateful!”
He quickly led Alex to the fallen soldiers, moved away from the wagon that several farmers were hurriedly secu
ring frantic mounts to, but otherwise left untouched. “Everything they owned awaits your perusal, my lord. We claimed nothing. I swear it!”
He then flashed an anxious smile, handling Alex a small purse that jingled not with the harsh clank of silver, but rather with the warm tinkle of gold. “And a personal gift of gratitude. For you have surely earned it! And if we could perchance request that you accompany us just a bit further...”
Alex coldly shook his head, already knowing his enemies’ cards would doom them all, if he accepted their boon. “Your thanks are not necessary. I just want what’s mine.” Alex ignored the man’s proffered pouch, instead honing in on the fallen soldiers, stripping them of purses and coin pouches, all too happy to claim the commander’s enchanted helmet, strong enough to resist cracking even under Adderstrike and his shark-toothed blade, flashing a darkly pleased smile at the power he sensed radiating off it.
A powerful prize indeed.
He didn’t forget the steel shield that also radiated protective Earth Qi magics, though it had done the poor fool no good against a sweep kick aimed at his shins with all the power of the sea crashing through his limbs.
The man had been late stage Bronze, but Bronze still. Alex knew he could crack even a Silver’s bones with Adderstrike. So wasn’t surprised that the man’s legs had exploded like shrapnel when Black Swan tore through his foe’s lower limbs, Alex’s own Dark Qi-covered shin suffering no damage at all, though he knew he was taking a gamble every time he dared using that attack with shin or ridge hand strike, without enduring hundreds more hours of training.
Training he could only hope he’d have a chance to master when he no longer had to race forth to meet insane deadlines or otherwise be forced to constantly fight for his life.
Strong as his struggles had made him, he was all too aware of his deficiencies and everything he needed to polish and perfect before he could truly be confident in his skills. Until then, all he could do was hope he’d get a chance to study his foes, plan an attack that played to his strengths and their weaknesses, and if he was lucky, overwhelm them with such killing force that they didn’t realize how fragile he truly was before he had taken them all out.
Silver Fox & The Western Hero: Warrior Redeemed: A LitRPG/Wuxian Novel - Book 5 Page 46
