You have successfully embraced Forest Sense!
Library Grove is positively disposed towards you.
You sense a hidden tunnel to the servant’s quarters!
Alex carefully scanned in the direction his intuition told him there should be something, some tiny breakup in the lush grass covering so much of the academy grounds…and there it was. Just behind some hedges, before a bright yellow pagoda.
Within seconds, he and an only momentarily confused Xun Hu were quickly making their way along the tiled path away from the library, as if on important business, heads kept as deferential and low as any passing cultivator would expect to see in busy servants, before the pair made a beeline for the pagoda, turning off to dive into the shrubbery only at the last second. With a quick use of Qi Perception confirming that no one was looking their way, Alex lifted the servant’s hatch before slipping down the narrow staircase, grateful to be able to lose himself in Xun Hu’s shadow as they headed towards the destination that would put his life in peril once more.
44
“Alex? What are you doing here?” Liqin’s voice raised in a squeak when he and Xun Hu had popped by the side passage leading to her quarters before giving her door a polite knock, and the look in her eyes, exhaustion and dread in equal measure, filled Alex with bitter fire. Though he did his best to hide it from her with a gentle smile.
“It’s good to see you too, Liqin.”
Her features brightened at that, some of the care instantly fading away. “Heavens above, Alex, it is twice as good to see you!” A twinkle sparked to life in her eyes. “I don’t suppose you decided you miss me and couldn’t live without me?”
Alex chuckled softly. “You always lift my spirits with your warm words, Liqin.” His smile faded. “But I see the fear behind your gaze. Please don’t mince words; just how bad is it for you and the others?”
Half a dozen emotions flashed across her face, flittering from surprise to shock to fear, to iron-hard resolution.
“How much do you know?”
“Enough.”
She squeezed her eyes shut, biting her upper lip. “They’ve already begun rounding up the servants,” she whispered.
Alex felt a cold lurch in the pit of his stomach.
“Unfamiliar guards with crimson pins upon their lapels have begun doing ‘work efficiency analyses,’ whatever the hell that means, with the end result being that any servant who’s not doing the work of two or three men under their ice-cold glare soon finds himself led off for ‘discipline reinforcement training.’ Originally, Father was assured that only those truly unworthy would be be forced to leave the academy, and originally there were a few bad apples who did nothing but try to bully and challenge the rest of us! But that handful of surly souls that no one would miss turned into an ever greater number of servants, some with families, who were guilty of nothing more than not being able to work at an absolutely insane pace.”
Alex blinked. “Wait, how long has this been going on?”
Liqin sighed. “Right before you joined the school, Alex. And again, until just a few days ago, very few servants were selected for this ‘discipline.’ We were all assured the servants would come back more motivated than ever to succeed and make something of themselves.”
She gave a brittle little laugh. “Of course, when days turned to weeks and no one returned, ever, and when one or two servants being sent for ‘retraining’ became dozens… we knew something was wrong. Very, very wrong.”
Her haunted eyes gazed into Alex’s own. “Most of the servants here are just basic cultivators, and those guards are Deep Bronze at the least. And just three days ago, about the time they began making crazy quota demands… they made it clear that any attempt to leave the school would be seen as a sign of insubordination and result in immediate punishment, never mind that we’ve been allowed frequent trips to Baidushi proper whenever we liked, or when duties demanded, since forever!”
She lowered her gaze, a tinge of despair in her voice. “For so many weeks, hope's brightness faded to twilight's uncertainty so slowly, you could pretend it was midday still. But during the past week, while you were busy achieving your absolutely glorious physique, the home I once thought a bastion that would keep me safe in an uncertain world has become a steel cage without a key in sight!”
“I understand,” he said, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I do.”
She smiled sadly. “By Long Wang’s Hammer, politics above are now utterly screwing all of us below. And Father says servants are normally never touched!” She failed to hide the bitterness in her laugh. “We’re all in a pickle with this madness, aren’t we?”
“Perhaps,” Alex admitted, looking at her so intently she began to blush. “Or perhaps we’re not quite out of moves yet.”
Her gaze turned desperate, slender hands gripping his own as hard as her mortal strength allowed. “Please don’t play games with me, you too-bloody-handsome Ruidian. If you know anything…”
“Look behind you.”
She did, her eyes widening in a breathless gasp as a sparkling golden portal manifested before her eyes in the back of her chamber before fading to no more than a wavering shimmer, as if the miracle had been no more than a trick of the light.
“What did you do?” she whispered.
Alex smiled. “Found the key to unlock the prison this school has become.”
He had forgotten how fast she could move. Eyes filled with wonder and perhaps a small amount of fear were suddenly peering intently into his own. Artfully dyed lips were just an inch away from his, her breath seductive and sweet.
He felt his heart start to race as her words caressed his lips. “Tell me about this key.”
“So long as you swear an oath never to deliberately harm, hinder, or steal from the master of this domain or his other guests, you’re free to enter a palace of wonders that even Dukes and Kings would envy.” He gently brushed her cheek. “A manor so wondrous, you’d think it was the heart of its own little world, with meals so satisfying that you’ll feel its benefits with every bite, and so spectacularly delicious that I have no doubt you’d be making friends with the head cook before the day is out. Because all you have to do is look out the floor-to-ceiling dining hall windows and catch sight of the endless groves of every single fruit tree you can imagine to know that you’re someplace special. And once you spend an afternoon racing across fields filled with countless herbs and flowers that would make any alchemist weep for joy, your ears delighting in the serenade of Silverbell blossoms so numerous that you can actually hear them tinkling in the breeze, you’ll realize just how wondrous life can be, at the cost of a single heartfelt oath.”
Liqin gazed at him with awe-struck eyes. Her desperate hope was palpable. But all she did was offer a tiny smile. “You’re having me on with wondrous Ruidian fairy tales and a bit of Spiritual magic, aren’t you?” She forced herself to chuckle. “I appreciate you trying to lift my spirits, but honestly, Alex, what I need now is, well… a miracle, I guess.”
She gave a sad shake of her head. “And best you get out of here as fast as you can. I still have my ways, and more than a few bitter words from people who think me no more than a smile and promise of tasty treats have made it clear that there’s a certain Ruidian they very much want put in his place, and the sooner, the better. If they find you here… well, I don’t think they’ll pass up on the opportunity to make sure you never leave.”
Alex felt a chill with those worlds, but he restrained himself to clenching his fist and flashing a fierce grin of his own. “I’d like to see them try,” he whispered, no longer holding back the hot fury in his core. And the look on Liqin’s face, as if she were suddenly gazing upon death itself… Alex quickly turned away. “Anyway, this isn’t about me; it’s about you. You and any servant or friend you find worthy, that you can safely escort here, may leave through the portal I set up. And I know just how fast you move. So, if anyone can round up your friends and get them here safely…”
The girl swallowed, gazing at him with odd intensity. “You’re not jesting, are you, Alex? You’re actually serious.”
Alex nodded. “You can try it out if you like. I will warn you, though, I’m not entirely sure the headmaster can’t sense it. But with the anomaly above… he’s distracted. At least for now. So, gather whoever you can. Whoever you trust that has a good heart and won’t try to screw you or anyone else over. If they’re willing to say that oath and mean that oath, they’re welcome to step through the portal, and they will find safety and succor just a few steps away.”
“Alex…”
“Yeah, I know it’s a broad oath, but it keeps everyone safe. No one’s going to give you a hard time for agreed-upon sparring matches, or bumping into someone in the hallway. Hell, you can even plant your own spice garden, if you like.” He smiled sympathetically into her worried gaze. “You should know I wouldn’t trap you, Liqin, if you know me at all. But ultimately, it’s your choice.” His gaze hardened. “Just be careful who you offer succor to. I’ll leave it open for as long as I can, at least till first light, but it will close pretty damn fast if I sense anyone hostile trying to cross.”
Which might have been a bluff. He wasn’t even sure he could sense enemies trying to cross. But if it kept Liqin focused on getting as many people out as fast as possible and not revealing more than she should… that was all for the better, he thought.
Desperate eyes locked onto his own. “Alex, I… if there’s a chance this could work…” She swallowed, lowering her gaze. “Alex, I know damn well how badly my father treated you. Even my mother, terrified you’d kill me, was ready to strike you down. It’s just… I just pray that you’ll…”
“It’s alright. Should they give the oath, they too can cross.”
Liqin released a deep, shuddering breath. “For that alone, I will forever be in your debt if this works, Alex. Listen, I know it’s probably too much to ask, but for most of the servants, serving the school has become our lives, and many have settled down.” She bit her lip. “A handful of girls formed very strong bonds with the men they hope to marry one day, though they continue to live down here until their future husbands ascend as far as they can. That means, well…”
“Panicked girls will be carrying babes in their arms, desperate for succor, with no way to get them through?” Xun Hu instantly deduced.
Liqin flashed the kitsune girl a relieved smile. “Well, yes. Babies and children of all ages, really. And it wasn’t so bad, even a few weeks ago. Guaranteed employment, safety, shelter, community, and the knowledge that your child would also be employed with the chance for so much more.”
Alex gazed for long moments at the shimmering golden door before smiling, glad his modification had actually worked. “Alright. So long as one family member gives the oath, anyone else one degree removed can pass.”
Liqin’s eyes widened with gratitude as she immediately flowed into dogeza, nearly kissing the hard stone floor. “This lowly one thanks you from the bottom of her heart! I’ll begin gathering up anyone who might be…” Her words cut off and she abruptly jerked up her head, only to find nothing in front of her save shadows and gloom... and the golden gate her mysterious friend had left behind.
45
Alex took a deep breath when they kissed fresh air once more, sheltered by evergreen shrubbery and the sounds of training coming from the nearby dojo, having popped out exactly where Liqin had last exited the servant’s tunnels with him, just days ago.
“Thanks for the cover,” Alex whispered, more acutely aware of the potential for hostiles than ever before, and truly grateful to have a talented kitsune by his side.
“That girl is seriously interested in you,” Xun Hu noted, peering intently at her blushing companion.
“I know. But any relationship between us is impossible.”
“Because you prefer boys?”
“Because I prefer not risking the destruction of my foundation after embracing forbidden techniques.”
The kitsune raised a curious brow. “Techniques that let you cleave through a Silver Diabolist with your arm radiating Death Qi?”
Alex looked back at the young kitsune girl. “Death Qi?”
“Well, what else would you call it?”
Alex shrugged. “Channeling Water Qi with a bit more punch?”
“What about…”
“Shh! Spirit Wolves!”
And sure enough, half a dozen Spirit Wolves had just made their way to the South side of the Aspirant’s Quarter, greeted by one of the adepts who immediately turned to a scowling Master Bang Jiao. Alex frowned, almost surprised to find that he couldn’t make out a word they were saying, but the meaning was clear enough. Something horrifying had occurred, and all the students and Master Wei had vanished without a trace. All of which earned a clenched, furious expression, Bang Jiao not wasting a moment to march his way back to the Assignment hall with the Spirit Wolves tagging along like the tools and lackeys they undeniably were.
Alex flashed a bitter smile.
Sometimes he hated to be proven so right, that the more jaded and cynical his outlook was in this world of endless potential and glorious wonder, the more accurate his predictions were likely to be. At least, in terms of the human condition.
Sometimes it seemed that power was the only genuine purity left in this world. That, and perhaps friendship as well. Which to him, at this point, truly was more precious than gold.
He quirked a smile Xun Hu’s way. “Ready for a quick dash to safety?”
“You mean a quick dash into the heart of our enemy, where a wrong move before tomorrow morning will spell both our deaths?”
Alex grinned. “Pretty much.”
She chuckled. “Sure. Why not? Beats sitting in prickly bushes all day.”
You have successfully chained Bullrush 5 times!
Within a handful of eye-blinks, Alex was standing before his Silver-ranked meditation hut, his one shelter in the metaphoric storm. And if half a dozen brooding pairs of eyes happened to slip past his form as he quickly slid his talisman into the slot and slipped inside, one pair of eyes did not.
A pair of eyes that manifested into none other than Zhu Bi when Alex answered her polite knock, and the look shared between the two kitsune girls nearly brought tears to Alex’s eyes, though not a word was said aloud. Only then did Zhu Bi look Alex’s way, eyes filled with sorrow and gratitude both.
“So, what’s the plan?”
Alex smiled and produced his near-translucent jade talisman. “I have no doubt that I’ll soon be challenged to a duel by at least one cultivator who wants me out of the way. Permanently. So it’s up to me to shape the battlefield to suit my needs while hindering the Red Prince’s pawns as much as I can.”
Zhu Bi paled, the worry clearly evident in her features. “Alex, you’re just one person. What can you possibly do that would hinder the whole school?”
Xun Hu tilted her head. “Have you never seen him fight?”
Zhu Bi gave the kitsune waif a gentle smile. “Indeed I have, little sister. He’s a match even for the Adepts. But only because they have been pulling their punches, consigning themselves to the most basic techniques.”
The younger kitsune studied Zhu Bi with eyes that had seen far more than her years would suggest. “Then so was Alex. Because when he doesn’t hold back…”
Alex frowned at the girl.
She flinched, finishing awkwardly, “Things get messy.”
Alex chuckled away Zhu Bi’s too-intent gaze. “Never mind that. What matters now is that we prepare for tomorrow.” His expression was almost pleading. “I need to meditate upon everything that happened today, run it all through my mind’s eye, and get as much as I can from it. But more than anything else, I need to not succumb to sleep until the Eastern sun is washing this room in golden light.”
Zhu Bi blinked. “Wait, you’re not allowed to fall asleep until tomorrow morning? Why ever not?”
Alex sighed. “Are you aware why
half the school is in a panic?”
Zhu Bi furrowed her brow, then abruptly paled. “Was that the cost of you coming back to us, grandfather? Are we all…”
Alex adamantly shook his head, pointedly ignoring the hard look Xun Hu was giving both of them. “No!” He took a deep breath. “You’ll all be fine. Everyone will be fine.” He flashed an apologetic smile. “As long as I don’t fall asleep before dawn.”
Zhu Bi swallowed. “Heaven’s mercy, what did you do, Alex?”
Alex stiffened as his smile faded. “Exactly what needed to be done. Let’s leave it at that.”
“Sister?” Zhu Bi jerked her head, staring fixedly at the younger kitsune, who began loosening the collar of her qipao, revealing the ugly red scars around her neck, and elsewhere.
Zhu Bi gasped in horror as the girl lowered her head in sudden shame. “I sensed your presence when you entered the… assignment hall. I was so damned grateful that your gifts allowed you to sense the soul-binding traps those scrolls truly were.”
“What… what did those monsters do to you? How did I not know you were there?”
Xun Hu’s gaze was almost pitying. “I won’t burden you with the past’s bitter pain, sister. All that matters is that monster will never ensnare another cultivator, or enslave another kitsune, ever again. Let’s just leave it at that.”
Alex’s mind recalled the promise of a future tournament and the furious countenance of a god who would do anything, absolutely anything, to prevent Alex from claiming his descendant’s greatest prize.
No matter what it took, he was now determined tear that prize free of any opponent, any contestant, no matter how steep the odds or how fierce his foe. For the simple sweet joy of hearing his enemy howl in frustration, as much as any desire to master the secrets within.
Silver Fox & The Western Hero: Warrior’s Path Page 65
