“Do you think they’ll dare come with us here as an escort?” another scoffed.
Silly glorified chickens, Huxian thought.
“Who knows what these bandits will do?” one of them said. “They don’t know how high the heavens are and how low the earth is.”
Huxian facepalmed. That was an offer to get their face slapped if he’d had ever heard one. You didn’t say such things unless you expected an answer, which the universe often provided. On cue, several robed figures appeared.
“Who dares pass here?” a Phoenix Clan member said, drawing his sword. A wave of rainbow flames crashed against the intruder.
Oh boy, Huxian thought.
The cloaked figure, which survived the blast, was obviously a distraction. Cloaked figures appeared all around them from all sorts of hiding places. They’d been waiting until the caravan approached this specific spot. The humans noticed them instantly and began calling out orders.
Huxian summoned his handy communication device and began typing. It was slow going, as he wasn’t used to having fingers, even after six months of practice. Attack on my coordinates. Requesting backup to minimize human casualties. There was no helping those halfwit members of the Iridescent Phoenix Clan.
I have also been attacked, Special Night answered in their group chat.
Let’s wait a bit, Cha Ming answered. Try to distract or hold them off. Others might get attacked in the meantime.
Can do, Huxian replied. He sighed. He finally had a chance at not being bored, but now he had to wait? How fair was that? He hated babysitting, but fighting was something else. Fighting was what demons did. His grin faded slightly as a quest notification popped up.
Space-time Quest Issued: Investigate the disappearance of caravans in demon territory. Your foxy senses are telling you that this is part of something bigger. Could this be connected to the instabilities in the plane?
“Seven hells, why me?” he muttered.
Reward: Variable. No punishment for not taking part, except maybe damage to reality as you know it. Help reality help you.
He hated the universe sometimes.
Mi Fei was bored. Hiding from and following the caravan didn’t take much effort, so she passed her time chatting with Xiao Bai. They used mental communication, as chats didn’t seem so safe anymore. Or so Killjoy had said.
We really ought to go to Shimmerwing City after this mission is over, Xiao Bai said. We could make it a long trip this time.
What’s so great about that place? Mi Fei asked.
Mostly roast meat, but also roasting, Xiao Bai said. Or at least, that’s what I like to call it.
What do you mean by roasting? Mi Fei asked. Xiao Bai always had the strangest expressions.
They have a really weird culture in the Iridescent Phoenix Clan, Xiao Bai said. I won’t spoil the surprise, but basically, there’re people walking around everywhere just begging to be bullied.
What is it with you and bullying people? Mi Fei said. Bullying is wrong, you know.
You bully people all the time, Xiao Bai said.
I stand up for myself all the time and give people who look down on me a hard time, Mi Fei shot back. I’m not like you. I don’t go picking fights.
Same thing, in my opinion, Xiao Bai said.
Mi Fei sighed mentally. Fine. But let’s make it a short trip. I have things to do in the Burning Lake Prefecture.
What things? Xiao Bai asked.
You know… Mi Fei replied. Things. That, and avoiding her family and earning as much coin as she could through missions that kept her out of the city in the first place.
If by doing “things” you mean going to parties, where your person of interest seems to get attacked by a horde of people trying to distract him, while your family runs interference on their own end, I don’t see what you’re missing out on. It’s not like you’re spending quality time together.
We do, Mi Fei said indignantly. We went to dinner together the other day.
How proper, Xiao Bai said. How fun. Mi Fei could hear the scorn in her voice. Anyway, he’s barely allowed to spend time with you anymore. His family will never let him renew the engagement.
Mi Fei sighed. Did you go snooping again?
Yeah, Xiao Bai admitted. During the last party. He had an argument with his father. All I have to say is that he wasn’t very good at standing up for himself. Or you, for that matter.
Mi Fei fell silent for a moment. She looked at the guards, who were repelling yet another demon wave. This time, it was a swarm of demonic bats that sucked the blood from their victims. I know you’re exaggerating, she said finally. You just want me to call it quits and leave.
There’s nothing for you here, Xiao Bai said. This time, she was using her serious voice. Let’s just take off and do our own thing. Isn’t that what you want to do anyway?
I know, I know, Mi Fei said. She hesitated. No, I don’t know. I don’t know what I want. She’d done much thinking since the visit from the mysterious man. She had a few obligations, but she also wanted freedom. Then again, she liked the warmth of attachment. Wei Longshen might be distant right now out of respect for his parents, but he did show her genuine warmth. She’d felt it long ago, and she still felt it now, on occasion. It was like sunshine on a chilly day. If he was willing to fight his parents on this… well, she was willing to let him. At least for a little while.
Let’s talk later, Mi Fei said. She saw a figure flicker up ahead. She frowned, then typed as he began fighting with the guardsmen.
My caravan is being attacked, Mi Fei sent. Hers wasn’t a large caravan, but one consisting of five medium-sized ships. There were three late-grade cultivators on guard duty. I don’t think I need support. Focus our forces elsewhere. One attacker. I don’t see more yet. And judging by his strength, she should be able to take care of him.
Report made, she surrounded herself in a Grandmist cloak and approached the stranger. She’d take him out before he knew what happened.
What a mess, Cha Ming thought. He tapped his lips nervously as he reviewed the group conversation. Huxian had been the first to call in and ask for support, and Special Night had followed soon after. Killjoy also needed help, which was spreading their force a little thin. Mi Fei’s caravan was also under attack, but apparently, she could take care of it.
Decisions, decisions, Cha Ming thought. He typed out an order. Chaotic Lightning join Eight Directions. Silverwing, join Killjoy. Though he knew Huxian’s friends by their real names, it was less confusing to use Dao names. Mi Fei’s Dao name was Misty Sea.
I’m also getting attacked, Xiao Bai sent.
Can you handle it? Cha Ming asked.
Send me the poison guy, Xiao Bai replied.
Crying Toad, go help Lady White, Cha Ming typed. Golden Oblivion, go help Special Night. That left only Mi Fei without support. She also hadn’t replied to his latest message. Had her situation gotten worse, or was she just busy? Should he let her handle it and support another group? He hated this part of the job.
He thought about asking Xiao Bai but reconsidered due to her personality. She’d bite his head off. Huxian and Lei Jiang probably didn’t need his help, but maybe Shneraz and Special Night did. Then again, Mi Fei liked to be independent. She might just want to fight on her own to make a statement. Cha Ming rubbed the space between his eyebrows.
I promised Wei Longshen to keep her safe, he thought. No, that was just an excuse, he realized. He’d promised himself to keep her safe. To him, that alone was more important than the mission.
I’ll support Misty Sea, Cha Ming typed, then took out a gray talisman. He poured his spiritual sense into it and waited. Spatial travel was complex and consumed much energy. Ambient unaligned energy transformed and rushed into it to initiate the transfer.
Here’s hoping the spatial anchors work well, he thought. He’d tested them, but only at a shorter range. He locked on to Mi Fei’s anchor and kept it in his mind. He only needed to focus on it and the talisman would do the res
t. In theory, the talisman would also stop him from summoning a void rift in killing distance of a living being or inside a solid object. All good features, in his opinion.
One second… Two seconds… Three seconds… Three more seconds remained. He hoped he wasn’t too late.
Mi Fei didn’t see the need for caution as she approached the lone figure. The man was tall—or at least, she assumed he was a man. He was weak—a middle-grade cultivator—but the air around him was dark, like a lonely night. There was something eerily familiar about him. And when he moved, the air rippled like water. The ripples were subtle, however, so none of the guards could see them. The ones that weren’t unconscious on the ship’s deck.
So what if he was stealthy? She could be stealthy too. She pulled her Grandmist cloak tight around her body. It was reflective and akin to surrounding herself with a piece of distorted space. Nothing should be able to see her. Or at least, that was the theory. It surprised her when the stranger suddenly stopped. He looked over his shoulder and straight at her.
“Who are you? What are you doing here?” the figure asked. When Mi Fei didn’t answer, the man pointed two fingers. All around her, the night expanded, encroaching on the bubble of Grandmist that insulated her. It was like reality itself was reasserting its place and pushing the Grandmist away.
Impossible, she thought. She struggled. She rebelled. But the night would have none of it. The darkness squeezed, and there was a light pop before she reappeared outside of it, black cloak and all.
“Who’s asking?” Mi Fei asked, landing atop one of the transports.
The man stared. She couldn’t see any of his features beneath his hood, but he had black markings on what she could see of his forearms. “You’re not with them. Run away, little girl. Run away while you still can.”
Little girl? Little girl? Mi Fei’s eyes narrowed. No one had dared call her that since she was eight—not even her father and mother. We’ll see who’s a little girl when you’re crying on the ground.
Mi Fei lunged. Her Grandmist domain expanded. Not to its full width—that was foolish in a one-on-one battle, but in a more manageable area. That was enough to alert the guards, who immediately halted the caravan. Light-blue lanterns lit them up as she lashed out with a sword infused with gray mist.
“Annoying,” the man said. He didn’t draw a weapon but flicked his sleeve. The lights went out in the blink of an eye. She looked around with her transcendent force and barely sensed a wave of water headed her way. It came out of the air and intruded on her personal bubble. She sent out Grandmist to hold it back, and to her surprise, they somehow canceled each other out. How was that even possible?
Mi Fei didn’t have time to wonder. They were only a few feet apart. She slashed diagonally, and the man stepped back, barely avoiding her blade. Its tip touched his robes, but the sword slid off before it could do any damage. She stabbed at him again, pushing off with the balls of her feet, and extended the strike using Grandmist in its crystalline form. Then, and only then, did he draw the strangest weapon she had ever seen.
Her technique broke as it struck the awkward and heavy thing. Her sword, a peak-rune-carving treasure, bent and threatened to break when they collided. The man swung the weapon around, and when Mi Fei tried to jump back, a force drew her inward. The man was a whirlpool, and she was caught up in his waves.
No you don’t, Mi Fei thought. She slapped out with her palms, sending a blast of gray wind. It blew him back into a cloud of darkness that cushioned his impact. She felt at her cheek. Blood was dripping where the strange double-hooked weapon had caught her.
“Go away,” he repeated. “You’re sloppy. You barely know how to fight. I don’t have time to play around.”
Play around? Play around?! Now she was angry. She wasn’t just some hired help. She was a Kingfisher Guardswoman! He should know that by the silver pin on her cloak. She lunged, and he flew back into the night. Waves struck her, but she pushed back, using her Grandmist domain as a web. His own domain parted, but it struck her in the back, pushing her forward. She picked herself up, but as she did, she caught a glimpse beneath his hood. She saw eyes blacker than night itself and skin with dark marks. His expression was cold and devoid of emotion.
“Have it your way,” the man said. He pulled back his odd weapon, and darkness swirled in the air. It formed a massive watery curtain, and when he swung his weapon, the waters formed sharklike jaws from the depths of the deepest ocean. It had row upon row of teeth, and around it, the ocean raged.
It was overwhelming. Mi Fei was a confident woman, but she’d grown used to pushing people of her own level around. The man was only a middle-grade cultivator—she could tell with her strong soul. But he was much stronger than he had any right to be.
Mi Fei summoned a shield of gray mist and tried to absorb the wave. Grandmist was creation and destruction, she’d heard. There was nothing it couldn’t absorb. Sadly, she was incorrect. It drank none of the water before succumbing. Thousands of vicious teeth bit into her shield. It cracked, and the creature bit down on it, its massive jaws forcing it apart. Black water trickled through the cracks, and they corroded her Grandmist domain. They wore away at the source of creation and destruction.
“You have a strange technique,” the man said. “But you’re no match for me. Give up, and you can still walk away.” He raised his hand, and the creature of darkness he’d summoned began gnawing. Pieces began to break away from her shield, exposing her to an alien energy that seemed to have a life of its own. It refused to be devoured or absorbed, even by her Grandmist. It had its own identity, with its own mind. It wouldn’t be manipulated by anyone else. Even her.
“Give up,” the man repeated. The biting intensified.
“Never,” Mi Fei said with gritted teeth.
“Stubborn fool,” the man muttered. He raised his strange weapon, and darkness accumulated around it. It sucked all the light away, creating a swirling ocean that was many times stronger than even the shark that was breaking her defenses. “I don’t want to kill you. Try not to die.” He swung, and the world went black. Mi Fei prepared for the crush of energy.
There was a crashing sound, and her shield shattered. Her robes fluttered from the impact, and as a last-ditch effort, she covered her skin in a layer of liquid Grandmist. She prepared herself for the impact, but it never came.
“Silver Fish? Why are you here?” Cha Ming said.
She recognized the voice and opened her eyes. “What are you doing here?” Mi Fei asked coldly. “I have this handled.”
“Clearly,” Cha Ming said with a sigh. “Why don’t we finish this and talk later?”
She gave him a grudging nod.
That went about as well as I expected, Cha Ming thought as he faced down Silver Fish. Instead of thanking him for saving her, Mi Fei had glared at him. Women, he thought, shaking his head. He’d waited as long as he could to interfere, but any more was taking a risk, especially considering who her opponent was. “Silver Fish, why are you here?” Cha Ming repeated. He’d recognized the man the moment he laid eyes on him, even before he summoned his anchor.
“I’d imagine we’re here for the same reason,” Silver Fish said.
Right. The caravans. Was he part of the bandit group? Cha Ming doubted it.
Silver Fish hadn’t changed much. He still had inky-black hair and black eyes without whites. His skin was covered in inky-black runes. He wielded his usual demon weapon—a ship’s anchor that was much too heavy for Cha Ming to lift. Though he had a dominion, he also had a domain. He was not a demon. He was a hybrid. A Dao Lord whose Concept of Inky Sea had grown stronger if that was even possible.
Cha Ming had history with Silver Fish. He was at least partially responsible for his friends getting killed by Lord Dripping Blade. Silver Fish had been left for dead, but Cha Ming had saved his life by sealing his soul inside his body. As a result, his friend had attuned to his demon bloodline, and even modified it with the Rapid Turtle Clan’s inky well. And while mo
st hybrids would not have a demon weapon, Silver Fish did. He’d been given one by the Clockwork Ancestor. Very few cultivators at his level could match him.
“Just leave,” Silver Fish said. “I had this perfectly handled before you came.”
“Talk to me, Silver Fish,” Cha Ming said. He looked to Mi Fei and realized she’d disappeared. She reappeared just above Silver Fish, and a waterfall of gray water game crashing down. Silver Fish deflected the blow by summoning a ship’s hull with his domain. It was black and inky, just like his anchor. “Mi Fei, stand down.”
“I can handle him,” she said. “Go help someone else.”
“Mi Fei…” Cha Ming started, only to realize that Silver Fish had gone on the offensive. He didn’t disperse the gray waterfall so much as swim through it like salmon going upriver. He punched upward at the end, aiming for Mi Fei, who’d summoned it. Cha Ming didn’t think twice before summoning his staff, extending it, and smashing down with Crushing Chaos. Silver Fish cursed and dodged.
As he retreated, Mi Fei lashed out with whips of gray water. They encircled Silver Fish, who activated his combined domain and dominion to resist. Cha Ming sighed and used his own domain to press down on him, all the while painting inky-black characters.
“Inky Rain? Really?” Silver Fish asked. He smashed at the characters with his anchor, then looked surprised when the characters turned smoky before returning.
“It’s a useful trick,” Cha Ming said. He spun around and struck out with Searing Sands of the Sacred Desert. The blast of hot earth caught Silver Fish in the chest. Normally, he might have been able to defend himself, but a whirlpool of gray appeared around his body and slowed his movements. He could only pull his dark domain back around himself and defend.
Cha Ming painted in a hurry. Twelve sets of characters appeared in quick succession. When he painted the last set, inky-black prison bars appeared and locked Silver Fish into place. The Dao Lord struggled, and normally, he’d have been able to break free. Unfortunately for him, he had a thick layer of Grandmist holding him down. The combination smothered him, though Silver Fish’s muscles were bulging. Inky energy appeared out of nowhere and fed into him like a steady stream.
Crown of the Starry Sky: Book 11 of Painting the Mists Page 19
