Silver Fox & The Western Hero: Warrior Reforged: A LitRPG/Wuxia Novel - Book 2

by M. H. Johnson

  The merchant snorted, glaring at the backside of the pair of surviving guards. “But you have no need of any techniques save dance and unarmed kung fu, and how well the two complement each other. How enticing to watch you and your master train both arts at once! And had those fallen fools at our feet even been worth the salt on their food, cutting down those wolves should have been no effort at all! I mean look, even the Ruidian managed the feat!”

  The merchant blinked, offering another oily smile. “No offense intended, Ruidian. What did you say your name was?”

  “Alex.”

  “Ah, well then! I have a proposal for you, young Alex. Since you managed to deliver us from a most alarming predicament, I would like to do you a good deed in turn. What say I hire you to escort us to Yidushi? Of course, I’ll include food, water, shelter, and my clan’s eternal gratitude!”

  Perception check made!

  Alex frowned, peering intently at the grinning merchant. “I notice you didn’t mention a word about payment.” He looked pointedly at the butchered beasts. “To say nothing of good deeds already done.”

  The merchant gave a nervous chuckle. “But of course, of course!” The rotund man peered thoughtfully at Alex. “I am, it must be said, a rather discriminating individual of significant means, whereas you Ruidians, not to put too fine a point on it, are considered the absolute dregs of society. The lowest of the low.

  “But that actually works out best!” The man declared, raising placating hands along with his words, though all Alex did was glower. “You may consider the wolves’ defeat a successfully-passed test showcasing your impressive martial acumen.” He chuckled. “In fact, you should thank those wolves! For how else could you possibly hope that an honest man would hire someone such as yourself without seeing exactly what you were capable of? Why, not to put too fine a point on it, you fought almost as fiercely as a cultivator!”

  The man flashed a bright shiny smile filled with too many teeth.

  Very much like the wolves Alex and the surviving mercenaries had just managed to cut down.

  “I will tell you what. Agree to accompany us to Yidushi, and I promise not only to surprise you with my munificence, but to reward you so fittingly that only a city lord… no. Let us instead say no free man would dare to complain, no matter how outrageous their demands, when you savor the prizes in store for you!

  “Gold? Exotic Mere-silks? Priceless herbs? I have it all! And I just know that you would absolutely love the feel of soft warm gold between those powerful, bloody paws of yours, wouldn’t you?”

  Alex all but glared at the man who reminded him so much of a used car salesman, and a desperate one at that. But the look of fear on the children’s faces, even the man’s own daughter struggling so hard for aloofness, yet the way her slender hands tightly clenched the keepsake around her neck…

  And her cousins looked like nothing so much as a pair of frightened animals, twitching eyes making it clear the wolves that had nearly killed them would live again in their nightmares, perhaps for years to come.

  Alex forced himself to dip his head. “Alright,” he said, immediately raising his hand before the suddenly relieved looking man could say a word. “But I have a few conditions.”

  The smarmy merchant immediately hardened his glare. “You will be rewarded in Yidushi, and not a moment before. And the wolves slain. All their meat, their spirit stones, are mine. All of it! I’m the one who was forced to endure dire peril! I’m the one who lost five mounts, seven guards, and if those damned fools can’t jury-rig something together, I will be forced to leave behind one of my precious wagons.”

  The man clenched his fists so tight veins popped along arms powerfully built despite his blubber, his mouth tight with avarice. “It’s mine, Ruidian. All the prizes of battle are mine!”

  Alex blinked, feeling a cold chill looking into dark, soulless eyes filled with desperate hunger.

  Before his gaze turned to three pairs of frightened gazes, ignoring his own screaming instincts as he slowly shook his head. “No,” he said. “I wasn’t demanding payment now.”

  The merchant’s ferocious gaze immediately slipped back into the demeanor of oily merchant once more, brushing off his abrupt shift with a forced little chuckle. “Well then, how may we accommodate you? Sleeping arrangements? We have all the blankets and furs you could want. Over a half dozen sets now without an owner! Food?” He gave a thoughtful nod. “The men will no doubt be roasting prime cuts of spirit meat shortly, and once we smoke the meat and hides, they’ll easily keep for the remainder of the trip, assuring we all enjoy the boons of endless feasts of Qi-enhanced flesh. Who knows what benefits those victuals will impart upon our frames? Why, such meat costs a pretty penny, even in Yidushi. When you think about how easy a life you will have, keeping a gentle pace, enjoying a pleasant nature walk during the day, peaceful star-filled nights, and savoring fare even a city lord would envy, we should be charging you!”

  Hao Chan’s eyes widened. “Father, there is no way we can properly store all that meat! We have to both smoke and dry it so no trace of Water Qi remains if we’re going to call it fresh after a week, and we risk further spirit beasts coming with the smell! Even if that weren’t an issue, we are down five horses and will already be leaving one of the wagons behind!”

  “No!” her father snapped, turning around to glare at her. “We’re leaving none of our treasures behind. None!” He took a deep breath. “Out of all the trade runs I’ve made in the last fifty years, none have been as beset with folly as this one!” He glared at his niece and nephew who cowered before his gaze. “And I will be damned before I accede to loss and folly. Damned if I don’t make a profit yet!”

  He turned to Alex, gaze imperious and cold. “Well, Ruidian? Are we done here? Sun Sun no doubt has plenty of tasks to keep you busy, and I expect absolute dedication from all my employees.”

  Alex frowned, no longer bothering to hide the animosity he felt. Were it not for these children… “You want my help making it back to Yidushi? Fine. If I sense trouble coming, your men listen to me. They don’t give me shit for being Ruidian and second-guess my orders. If I say they need their spears out and trouble’s coming, all they’re to ask is what direction.”

  The merchant’s eyes widened, caught somewhere between outraged and thoughtful.

  “He did save our lives, Father. He obviously has a nose for this sort of thing,” his daughter whispered.

  The merchant glared her way again. “He did no such thing!” he snapped. “He did but prove his worth, on a provisionary basis, mind you, and picked up the slack my lazy, good-for-nothing hires were unable to handle as they should have!” His venomous hiss made his daughter pale. He then turned to Alex, cold smile in place. “I deny any blood debt between us. You understand, yes, Ruidian?”

  Alex just sighed. “Whatever. As for sleeping arrangements, I’m not sleeping next to your men.”

  The merchant glared. “Do you dare abandon us? You, a mere Ruidian, breaking contract with your employer? That’s a capital offense, dog!”

  Alex took a deep breath, doing his best to hold back his temper. “First off, I swore to nothing. I took pity and rescued you, and I don’t care how the hell you try to justify it to yourself, that’s on you. You need my help getting back to the city? Fine. But I’m doing it for the sake of your kin, not your damned coin!”

  The merchant’s face mottled with fury. Alex cut him off before the man could say anything so stupid that he would be forced to leave or throttle the conniving merchant, and to hell with the whole damned caravan. “And no. I’m not abandoning you,” he said, thinking quickly. “My master taught me how to comfortably and safely sleep in the trees. Speaking of which, first shift is the only one I’ll take, since I’m not setting myself up in the foliage twice in one night. And if you would deny me even that grace, then I really will be taking my leave.”

  The merchant’s anger instantly faded to an anxious pallor, the transformation from hot-blooded arrogance t
o smarmy placation so quick it was almost chilling. “No need for that, my dear Ruidian. No need for that at all! As to your demands? I find them most reasonable! I am sure dear Sun Sun will be absolutely delighted when I explain to him the nighttime watch rotations our newest associate insists we embrace, and should your odd Ruidian talents extend to an affinity for the wild, savage beasts of this land, quite fitting, really, I am sure my men will be grateful for any warning you can provide, so long as you side with us, and not the beasts! Ha ha.”

  Alex dipped his head, choosing to ignore the peppering of insults the man must have thought he was too stupid to pick up on. In fact, were it not for Hao Yin’s desperate gaze, he very well might have left right then and there.

  He wasn’t stupid.

  He already knew the merchant would try to shortchange him for his efforts, as much as the conniving bastard thought he could get away with.

  Alex’s father, once one of the sharpest businessmen out there, had raised no fools. And the ugly flash of absolute avarice and greed the smarmy merchant had revealed was unmistakable.

  Alex wasn’t sticking around for that astoundingly greedy fool, but for the children who had the misfortune to be under his care.

  The rest of the day went about as well as Alex had expected, the powerfully-built Sun Sun and the shorter guard who only went by Li, who refused even to speak to Alex save to glare, doing their best to accommodate the demands of the gesticulating merchant who grew positively red in the face, screaming in inchoate fury when his exhausted animals proved insufficient to the task of hauling both carriage and the pair of wagons.

  “This is outrageous! We have four healthy beasts and all the spirit meat any beast of burden could ask for! Sun Sun, simply link the carriage and wagon together. We’ll have the strongest pair pull that; the weaker pair will cart the remaining wagon!”

  Alex gazed at the mounts, massive equestrians built more like giant oxen than horses, their wild eyes and sweaty hocks making it clear they still weren’t over nearly getting butchered by savage spirit beasts. With so many horses butchered, the remainder were laboring under the weight of the massive goods-stuffed wagons. And how the hell the stupid merchant expected any herbivore to eat flesh, even Qi-enhanced flesh, was beyond him.

  Sun Sun glowered, then schooled his features and bowed.

  Qi Perception skill check made. Artificer skill check made.

  Alex’s eyes widened, only then catching the telltale glint of a copper collar around the man’s neck that could easily have been mistaken for jewelry, but Alex could sense the twisted flow of Qi so reminiscent of the bondage he had so recently endured, still forced to hide his now-inert iron collar about his own neck as best he could.

  “It will be as you say, master merchant. But I fear the horses will die of exhaustion long before we reach our destination. Either that, or we’ll be stuck at a sedate walk even if they don’t break down.”

  The merchant glowered. “Then what would you suggest?” He enunciated with acidic precision.

  The guard, or slave, Alex suspected, flashed a mirthless smile. “That we dispose of the bulk cargo with the lowest value per weight. And that all of you walk beside your carriage. The horses will last longer, and we won’t be going at more than a walk in any case.”

  “Fine!” Hao Zei snarled. “But don’t think you can mock me and take your ease, Sun Sun. Because whatever we’re forced to take off the wagons, I’ll see on your back!”

  The second guard’s eyes widened at this outrageous demand. “Sir...”

  Sun Sun raised his hand. “Say nothing, Li. Our job is not to question, but to serve. Best we get serving.”

  “But Sifu Sun Sun, we haven’t even had a chance to properly bury our fellow men! What about Tien’s keepsake? Jelkin’s promissory ring? Someone needs to tell their families—”

  “—And we’ll be sure to let the fools who should be patrolling this road know what their sloth has cost us! They will bear the burden of proper rights and burial, boy!” snapped Hao Zei, flashing his supercilious smile. “In fact, I will even give you the personal honor of reporting the news of this tragedy, and I shall even trust in your ability to memorize the terrain so as to best report the location.” His gaze hardened. “Any more reasons to complain or dither? No? I thought not. Now let us be off! Every day we’re behind our optimal goal is coming out of your bonus!”

  The younger guard paled. “But, sir...” He gasped when Sun Sun gently squeezed his arm.

  “Silence, boy. Help me unpack the smaller wagon,” at which point the pair of guards began unloading the massive wagon carrying a truly impressive amount of trade goods and carefully wrapped valuables with practiced hands that made it clear who had also done the original packing.

  If they ever got tired of guard duty, Alex had no doubt they could make a killing if they hired themselves out as the historic equivalent of a moving company. Strangely, they declined having Alex assist, making it clear that his only job was to keep an eye on the forest all around them. Not that Alex blamed the cautious stance, considering that other spirit beasts might be attracted to the kill site, but he privately suspected it was because they didn’t want him to see whatever prizes and secrets were hidden in the wagons more than actual concern for a fresh pair of eyes on the lookout that had him semi-relaxing on guard duty while the pair of them worked up a sweat.

  “Good,” said a panting and sweat-drenched Sun Sun a short time later, looking at his exhausted partner. “We’re done with the hard part. Now grab the reins and lead the first wagon back to the road. I’ll be just behind you.”

  Li jerked a quick nod, panting heavily, almost stumbling to his wagon seat with how hard the pair had worked, quickly caravanning the first wagon with a practiced hand.

  Sun Sun locked gazes with Alex. “You kept your eyes on the forest, where they belonged. Good. At least you can follow orders.” He then turned to bow before the still fuming merchant. “It is done, master.”

  “Now you will bear the burdens of your ill-gotten idea, Sun Sun!” snapped Hao Chan. “If I must walk to save my profit, then walk I will! But first, we’re putting that back of yours to good use.”

  He pointed to the assortment of miscellaneous goods they had been forced to leave behind, tightly packed bundles of linen and hides among several pieces of tastefully-made furniture. “Let’s see what that physique of yours is really capable of! I expect two of those bundles on your back by the time the children are ready to go.” He then turned to Alex. “And I expect you to do your part as well, Ruidian.”

  Alex smirked, glaring cold daggers back at the conniving merchant. “I think I’ll pass.”

  “You will do your duty, Ruidian!” Hao Zei roared, eyes incensed with sudden fury. “You will do what you were paid to do, or I’ll have your head, you lazy good-for-nothing layabout!”

  Alex took a deep breath. “First off, you haven’t paid me anything. Second of all, I agreed to assist as a guard. I didn’t sign on to be a porter. And most importantly, tying up the arms and mobility of the only men keeping you from being eaten alive by the next band of spirit beasts we stumble across is not exactly sound tactical thinking.”

  The merchant glowered, before giving a final angry shake of his head. “Fine. If you’re too lazy to help, I will forgive it this once, in light of the service you’ve already performed. But don’t think this won’t come out of your bonus, and I still expect a sharp eye out for trouble!”

  Without another word the merchant spun on his heels and quickly ushered the children out of the carriage, Hao Yin and Hao Chan tightening each other's cheongsams before switching delicate silken slippers for sturdier leather boots. At least the slender, anxious-looking boy Hao Lin was already well dressed for walking.

  “Well?” the merchant glared at the long-suffering Sun Sun, leading the pair of work-horses by their reins, still burdened with all the sacks Hao Zei couldn’t bear to leave behind. “Get going, Sun Sun! And we had better make considerable distance by nightfa
ll!”

  Alex exchanged a quick look with Sun Sun. There was so much he wanted to ask the man, so much he wanted to say, but the older cultivator just gave an angry shake of his head, lowered his gaze, and refused to say a word to their newest addition as the day wore on.

  And Alex faking embarrassment and the sudden need to relieve himself only minutes after the start of their journey hadn’t done anything for Hao Zei’s temper.

  But it had done loads for Alex, who had felt a certain vindictive satisfaction when he emerged back in the clearing after a mad dash through the woods, effortlessly storing the massive quantity of spirit beast meat and hides the greedy man had at last been forced to acknowledge he didn’t have a hope of bringing, as well as all the crates, sacks of miscellaneous goods, and discarded weapons the merchant had completely given up on.

  Alex also claimed the fallen horses and a massive trench of soil, determining both would be good for the long-term growth of his ring’s mystic garden, for all that it presently grew no faster than any garden blossoming under a gentle golden sun, save when he was lost in high intensity cultivation, claiming the experience generated from his kills.

  And into that impromptu trench, he solemnly buried all the fallen men, offering a prayer into the ether for a peaceful transition to the next life, then covering them with burlap and soil as best he could in the handful of minutes he allowed himself, knowing it was only thanks to his ring and his cultivator’s strength that he could even do that much.

  The merchant was glowering by the time Alex returned.

  Alex returned his cold gaze, not saying a word.

  The man gave an angry shake of his head. “Are you finished? Any other last-minute ablutions you have yet to perform? We are on a tight schedule!”

  Alex said nothing, just taking the lead, keeping an eye and ear out for trouble, fearing it was going to be a very long day.

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