Demon Hunters (Chi Warriors Book 2)

by Ino Lee

  “The Great Wall,” Tengfei said. “It is your best option. Both close and secure.”

  Takeo nodded. “I will drop off Kai and return as soon as possible.”

  “I want to stay too,” Kai said. “It’s my fault you’re here.”

  “Sorry, little one, it is for the best.”

  Kai shook his head with an anguished look.

  “We’ll be safer without you here, Kai,” Shian said. She stooped to his level. “If not for the mark, you would be an asset here. It is not your fault—it never was.”

  “I don’t want to run away. I want to find Li.”

  “Leave that to us. You did all you could. You rescued yourself and proved a worthy warrior. You should be very proud.”

  Kasumi’s wings beat forcefully, shedding rain in all directions as she landed. Ryuu followed soon after.

  “Take Ryuu,” Youta said. “The rest will board Kasumi.”

  “Four on Kasumi?” Tengfei said.

  “She can manage a short distance.”

  “Li should not be far,” Shian added.

  Takeo quickly mounted the front saddle of Ryuu and reached out for a reluctant Kai.

  “Cheer up, young warrior. You’re safe now.”

  He hauled him aboard.

  “Go quickly,” Youta urged. “Before the demons return.”

  “Bye, Kai,” Tae said, smiling, relieved that Kai would soon be clear of the evil land.

  Ryuu took off, pulling away from the rocky death trap into the darkening sky. Tae, Youta, Tengfei, and Shian looked on, then awkwardly boarded Kasumi.

  Takeo found his bearings and made for the Great Wall, flying just above bow range, but fearful of lightning and climbing too high. He noted Kai’s pensiveness.

  “Nothing to say? You’re flying a bird.”

  Kai remained quiet. He would have normally been elated at his first chance to fly a bird, but it wasn’t enough to overcome his feeling of guilt for leaving everyone behind, knowing they were in danger because of him—a feeling that had become all too familiar. He wondered if it would always be that way.

  40

  DEATH MOVED IN faceless human form, cold and unyielding. The solid black phantom was determined in its approach, showing no emotion as it pointed a sword.

  “Shoukui.”

  Li angled his own blade out to the side, held perfectly in line with his arm through the shoulder. It was an impeccably crafted piece of Shaolin steel, but he felt naked and vulnerable without the Shaolin Sword. He would have to make do without it. The Shoukui would stand on his own. This battle would be a true test of his abilities: man against kaigun-shur, plain metal against metal.

  The demon was suddenly close, carried smoothly across the terrain with stunning silence. Li raised his weapon with both hands, tight to the body, and held his ground. The crackle of swords ensued, as fresh as the sound of thunder.

  Li slid an attack left and a parry right, deftly guiding the kaigun-shur’s blade awry. This was just the beginning, a chance for the combatants to gain familiarity with each other’s swordsmanship before fully diving in. The demon was relentless and forceful, picking from all angles and trying to impose its will on the flow of battle. A furious round of sword strikes was exchanged.

  The Shoukui gave way, unable to match the demon’s raw strength.

  “Weak,” the demon blurted.

  It prodded and poked.

  “Feeble.”

  It knocked aside his sword and slashed low, catching his leg, then moved in close for an elbow to the stomach and a thrust to his face using the hilt of its sword.

  “Pathetic.”

  Li was knocked off his feet. The demon tried to finish him off, but Li was quick to recover, blocking four ensuing strikes, then ducking, spinning, and stepping through, slicing the kaigun-shur across the back with a backhand stroke.

  A puff of smoke spurted from the wound, and the demon grimaced. Li limped back, conscious of the wound in his own leg.

  A chi spark appeared in his eyes. He glared at the demon.

  “Better.”

  The demon held its sword up horizontally. “We shall see.”

  The rains came, turning the blood pink on Li’s pants.

  “This may be your most powerful form, but it leaves you vulnerable,” Li said. “No longer can you hide in spirit form.”

  “I shall not hide.”

  The demon charged. One stroke came through the rain, then another, shattering the falling precipitation into a million drops of dew.

  Li would not win with pure strength and swordsmanship. The demon drew power from the chi pool and was both stronger and faster, and to make matters worse, its wound began to heal. He would have to add more to his repertoire in order to take it down.

  He stepped back into a deep puddle. The demon took a step closer and he retreated another before lifting his foot, sending a splash of puddle water into its face. His leg ached from his wound, but the pain and effort was worth the price of distraction. Stabbing through a weak block, he caught the demon in the torso.

  The kaigun-shur flailed out, annoyed at the Shoukui’s trickery. After two strikes of its sword, Li flared a light orb in its face, blinding it, then slashing it across the chest. The demon screamed. Li charged in for a finishing blow, but the kaigun-shur ducked low and plowed into his lower legs, flipping him. It continued past him and crashed into the wet ground, creating space and giving itself a moment to regroup.

  Li pushed off the slick earth despite his pain and tiredness. He had to press the attack while the demon was injured, lest it recuperate, so he rushed clumsily, favoring action over deliberation.

  The demon seemed a step slow. He aggressively pursued but could not get past the retreating demon’s defenses. The thought of taunting to get the kaigun-shur to engage crossed his mind, just as the demon had earlier while he was in retreat, but decided against it; he responded to the taunts by slashing it across the back shortly after and didn’t want something to backfire similarly.

  He lunged with his sword and forced the demon to redirect his attack, stalling its backward momentum. After rattling off four more exchanges, the kaigun-shur jump-kicked him. Li stumbled but did not fall, allowing the demon time to break away again. He realized they were moving toward the chi pool and away from Kai; either the demon was strengthening its bond with the radiant energy, seeking reinforcements, or headed back for an entirely unknown reason. It did not seem hurt enough to abandon its pursuit of Kai, adding to his confusion. Whatever its purpose, he figured it would be best to stop it.

  He flared a chi orb with his palm out and slowly clenched his fingers, tightening the ball of light to a tiny, burning spark. Punching out with his palm again, the spark shot into the fleeing kaigun-shur’s back, burning it and causing it to twist and contort, falling and rolling on the rainwater to dull the sting.

  A swift hack followed as the demon rolled away.

  “You shall not hide,” Li said.

  For the first time, he noticed activity away from them—a flash of chi energy—somewhere toward the pool. He wondered what could be happening, but first had to concentrate on the task at hand. The demon rose, clearly incensed.

  “I shall not hide.”

  It erupted forth, no longer defensive in nature and hindered by its injuries, rage fueling its demonic outburst. Their swords connected, now familiar friends, chattering back and forth, a long drawn out conversation.

  The battle would not end as quickly and decisively as Li had hoped. They strained their muscles and battled through the rain, one stroke at a time. The demon’s blade cut Li on the side, while his own caught the demon’s arm, scars to mark the progression of their unyielding fight.

  They separated and caught their breath. Thunder crackled and their eyes locked. Li raised his sword and the kaigun-shur did likewise, with the realization t
hat their journey would soon come to an end.

  Fast steps.

  They came together with their eyes still locked, with an understanding that they were mortal enemies, but also with respect and admiration for each other’s great skill.

  Li dropped to his knees.

  41

  “A LIGHT ORB,” JAGUAN said. “It is not far.”

  Wong stared at the sky. “Kai’s in trouble. We have to get there.”

  “There is something ominous in the way.”

  Wong understood. He could feel dark chi energy screaming through Shenren, a nagging sensation that was now almost electrifying. His mind grew foggy and he wondered if he should take off the mask.

  “A radiance pool. I feel it.”

  “Hmph,” Renshu said. “Lo-shur demons. This magic stick better work, Wong.”

  “It will not fail, monkey. Will you?”

  Renshu sneered, beginning to develop a distinct distaste for the masks.

  Troops crossed their path, fringe movement designed to net in Kai. The combative assortment was composed of dagwais and ninjas, led by an unan bearing a panther mask. Something snapped within Wong and he no longer held back. He surged ahead, eager to satisfy Shenren’s violent nature and soothe the burning in his brain.

  Lao Gong saw him coming and stared in shock and disgust at the corrupted form of Shenren, and of the hated human who wore its face. In that moment, Wong understood fully what the unan felt—the fear, the loathing, the utter helplessness of facing a friend—and laughed. After having fought with loved ones possessed by lo-shur, he finally understood what it felt to be one of them. A wicked joy bubbled up from within. He wasn’t sure if it came from Shenren or was his own, but he reveled in Lao Gong’s pain and his sweet revenge. His laughter grew into a taunting, boisterous mock.

  Wong barreled into the unan forcefully, his Iron Fist leading the way. The demon backtracked, uncertain of what to expect from the abomination and wary that its strength was still that of a god mask.

  Renshu flanked Jaguan and put the Dragon Arm to practice against the Koon Gee minions. A nimble twirl and thump flattened a dagwai, while a jab and follow through knocked out a ninja. The weight of the weapon began to feel natural in his hands, the thick metal packing much more clout than a wooden staff. He was glad to have it in the rocky terrain that was devoid of trees, needing to take more of his enemies head-on.

  Jaguan pounded a ninja and kept on moving, focused on reaching the site of the light orb’s flash. He saw Wong peeling away to pursue Lau Gong.

  “Wong! Don’t get distracted.”

  It was no use. Shenren’s bloodlust was too strong. He thought to pursue, but instead held course, deciding he might be able to find Kai without Wong by flashing his own orb.

  “Renshu, stay close.”

  He summoned chi light.

  Over the crest of the next ridge, he found the source of his uneasiness—four zhuks surrounding an enormous mobile radiance pool, three of them mutated with lo-shur power. Jaguan stopped. The demons were aware of their presence thanks to his light, but it would not deter him—this was their chance to make a difference.

  Two of the lo-shur zhuks rumbled forward and screamed a deafening roar, shaking the valley with their lungs.

  Jaguan grabbed a vial of chi water. “Renshu, are you with me?”

  Renshu growled. “Take down the chi pool?”

  Jaguan smashed the vial on the gemstone of the Phoenix Staff. His eyes glowed and his voice deepened.

  “Yes.”

  Renshu thumped the Dragon Arm on the ground, its runes blazing a purplish hue, mixing in with his own dark aura.

  “Let’s fight.”

  Lau Gong ducked into a narrow pathway. It would not fight Shenren out in the open, instead using its stealth and cunning in the canyon. Columns of rock and shadows shrouded the panther from view, letting it disappear in the rain-sodden terrain.

  What was this creature that it stalked? Never before had such a thing been heard of. Though it looked like a human wearing a mask, Shenren’s demonic presence could be clearly felt. Killing it first would be the priority, and finding answers secondary. The brute monstrosity trampled loudly through the canyon without fear and would have to be taught a lesson for its haughtiness—perhaps a quick slice to a leg muscle would suffice.

  Shenren’s hoarse voice echoed. “Where are you, panther? Face me.”

  Lau Gong burst from the shadows. It approached from the rear and hunched low, aiming a short blade at the back of his leg.

  The fire god heard the attack coming and twisted, sweeping aside the blow with his sword and then unleashing a downward punch of the Iron Fist that landed on the unan’s back and flattened it. He recoiled his fist and pounded twice more, screaming as his metal knuckles pushed through unan flesh and almost made contact with rock. Shenren prepared to stab through the back of its head, but Lau Gong flipped over and kicked him away.

  Shenren stumbled back a few steps and then charged again, chasing the panther and hacking stone as the unan maneuvered away. A weak pillar of rock was struck by his sword and pushed down by Lau Gong, causing him to deflect falling debris with his shield as the wily panther moved away.

  The rain came down and filled the crooked surfaces as a field of shallow puddles, each step turning up a burst of displaced liquid.

  “Face me, panther!”

  Lau Gong jumped at him again, flashing a sword and smacking his shield as it sped away from sight.

  “Fear me, coward!” Shenren screamed.

  “I fear you as much as a predator that stalks its prey,” a voice echoed somewhere nearby.

  Shenren laughed mockingly. “You think you can hunt me?”

  “Your force is impressive but I will stalk and kill you in this canyon grave. You will not see it coming.”

  “Your cunning is not so impressive.”

  “I am the one that brought Kai into the Koon Kagi and stole him from under your nose.”

  “You will learn soon enough.”

  “Learn what, creature?”

  “That I am the one hunting you.”

  The panther peered around the corner and was surprised to have lost sight of the god mask. It examined the hillsides for movement, but nothing could be seen. Where did it go? It growled warily and prowled slowly, guarding multiple directions with dual blades.

  The startling face of an unan suddenly appeared out of the rock ahead, but Lau Gong soon realized that there was no demon attached, just a propped up mask that was once Houzon. What was it doing there? It tried to reason its purpose, but the trap had already sprung.

  Shenren dropped from the heights, smashing its face with an Iron Fist.

  Jaguan rolled under the slice of a swordaxe and bounded toward the demonic beast. He gathered his power and lashed out with the Phoenix Staff, jabbing the zhuk in the gut. A bright flash separated spirit from flesh, knocking the lo-shur back in a puff of smoke, which quickly materialized into solid form. Whether the demon was stronger now than before was uncertain, thought Jaguan, as he continued his attack on the newly gathered kaigun-shur.

  Renshu trailed directly behind the Shoukoo, leaping high at the dispossessed zhuk. His war cry triggered a metamorphosis of the Dragon Arm, transforming the blunt end into a pointed tip that found its way into the beast’s skull. Another hop off the zhuk’s head propelled the monkey king skyward, providing for a good view the battleground. Jaguan pummeled the displaced kaigun-shur with a single blow of his staff, dispersing the energy of the Infinity water in its entirety. Beyond him, the second possessed zhuk stirred, splitting into beast and solidified spirit on its own accord, doubling its numbers. This would be Renshu’s new point of focus.

  The Dragon Arm lengthened and touched the ground, giving the monkey king leverage to redirect midair. He bounced into the zhuk’s face and double-tapped it with con
secutive strikes of his feet, stunning it, then landing. A thump on its kneecap bent it low for a strike to its face. As he wound to deliver another blow, the kaigun-shur appeared, grabbing the end of the staff with a single arm and whipping him across the field.

  Renshu rolled and flipped back to his feet.

  “Kaigun-shur. You will know the magau king.”

  “Your kind is weak,” the demon said. “Game for ninja.”

  The demon charged.

  “Wait!” Renshu said, holding up a hand.

  “Are you afraid for your life?”

  “No delaying for the human.”

  The burning tip of the Phoenix Staff sliced through the air and backed up the kaigun-shur. Renshu moved in, spun, and swept the demon’s legs with a backstroke of the Dragon Arm. Jaguan flipped the grip of his staff and stabbed downward, rupturing the surface of the rock with the power of his gemstone as the kaigun-shur flipped skyward.

  The demon landed away from them and grinned. Jaguan and Renshu were surprised by its speed and evasiveness.

  “The pool,” Jaguan said. “There is a mark that radiates the energy inside. Disturb it and the lo-shur will revert to harmless spirits. That is our best chance.”

  Renshu eyed the carriage nearby.

  “How will I know it?”

  “It bears semblance to a glowing claw mark.”

  Two remaining zhuks guarded the pool; the one possessed separating into beast and kaigun-shur, forming three guards around the carriage. Jaguan removed another vial of Infinity water from his chain and smashed it on the Phoenix Staff gemstone.

  “Remember the pool.”

  “A glowing claw mark.”

  The nearest kaigun-shur they were already engaged with charged, weaponless since it had previously separated from a zhuk kwai. More weapons could be found on the side of the radiance pool carriage, but the solidified spirit didn’t bother to run back to retrieve one—bare hands were enough.

  Li braced for attack. “I have this.”

  Renshu split off.

  Jaguan lashed out against the black specter and ripped his searing gemstone across the wet air, popping droplets of water into hot vapor, each sizzle a testament to the power of his Infinity-infused staff. The demon deftly avoided each attack, weaving between swings and jabs, careful not to let the chi spark touch its flesh. It blocked phoenix bone with a forearm and moved in close, rattling off several rapid punches. A fist connected and knocked the air out of Jaguan’s lungs. He fell back in seated position, heaving and finding it difficult to catch his breath.