Clash of Alliances

by Pierre Dimaculangan

  ​“Do you think those things are gonna find us again?” asked Jirgal with a frown. “I’m getting tired of running.”

  ​“No,” said Xin with a cold, hard stare at the mountain from where they had escaped. He suddenly spun and punched a tree with enough force to splinter and shatter its bark. “Bai Lang has betrayed us. He gave us up to that necromancer.” The rest of the team was speechless and in shock of the realization.

  ​“What are we going to do? We cannot keep fighting or running from those undead,” said Zuo Shilong.

  ​“I will have to hunt down Bai Lang. I will make him tell me where to find the necromancer and reveal everything he really knows about the rallying Underworld. All of you stay here where it is safe. I will return soon,” said Xin. “It is time to hunt the hunter.” He secured his broad-brimmed hat and pulled on his scarf to mask his face.

  ​“You can’t go alone,” said Wen Ping. “We can find him more quickly if my sister and I join you.”

  ​“I said stay. Bai Lang is far too dangerous for you to hunt. I know how he thinks. I know his secrets. He shared them with me years ago. I will return soon.” Sun Xin enunciated each and every word with a cold, hard tone that intimidated the team. His eyes sparkled with an unnerving stare that even unsettled Buff Baby.

  ​“Just listen. Do as he says,” said Buff Baby. Sun Xin turned and sprinted deep into the bush and disappeared out of sight. Tong was right about Bai Lang all along. “I should have seen this coming from a bloody merc,” Xin growled.

  ​His rage caused him to race through the trees and the bush more quickly. He rounded the rock formations at the foot of the mountain back toward the cliffs above the relative area of the pass. The terrain was steep and treacherous and it would have caused even the monk and the Academicians some difficulty without extensive training in urban or environmental acrobatics. It was commonly known as light body because of the swiftness and grace the runner utilized in traversing and overcoming environmental obstacles. A large plateau stood out from the terrain and it stood tall over the treetops of its surroundings. He would begin his search there.

  ​“I need to get to the high ground,” he muttered. Sun Xin made a quick ascension over the terrain by bounding and striding over large rocks and fallen trees then leaping onto a cat stance on the side of a shallow cliff. He shimmied to the very top like a spider by hugging the cliff’s face, and exploited every nook, crack, creeping vine, and protruding stone to grab hold. After he had made it to the top, he scanned the area of the large plateau covered mostly in trees. The morning sunlight shone through, but the overcast sky had blocked it once again. Once patrolling the plateau’s edge, he extended the monocular spyglass Tian Qiu had given him from his travels abroad. He lay prone and peered through the lens, scanning the forested area below the plateau. All seemed peaceful from the elevated perspective. The land was lush and boasted many features. No signs of clearings, no smoke, no disturbances in the vegetation, no startled birds taking flight, nothing. The beaten paths, roads, and trails along the edges of the landscape exhibited no signs of activity either.

  ​However, the sound of approaching footsteps emerged from his rear, and in an instant, Xin turned to face the source of the sound with his crossbow ready to shoot. There was nothing— nothing but the wind and the sounds of nearby wildlife. He lowered his guard and slung the crossbow onto his back holster.

  ​“Maybe I really am losing it. Might be the sleep deprivation,” he said to himself.

  ​He turned to redirect his attention onto the landscape below but met face to face with a ghastly figure covered head to toe in loose cloths and bandage wraps of brown, red, and white. The faceless figure grasped Xin by the face and threw him onto the ground with enough force to cause stars to explode in his eyes. The figure crawled over him, its wrapped head positioned directly over his face. It placed a bony hand upon Xin’s neck and wrenched it. Xin chocked and gagged but combat instincts triggered him to kick the faceless figure away and out of arm’s reach. The two rose to their feet as Xin unsheathed his blade. It was the Puppeteer. The necromancer.

  ​“Your head is mine, necromancer.” The faceless figure gave no reply. Its breathing was not even discernable. Sun Xin resumed the fight with a forward sword thrust and sideward slash but was only able to cut the cloth and bandages. The necromancer unfurled a long strand of cloth that wrapped itself around his wrist and yanked upon it violently to make him drop the weapon. The sword clattered to the ground and slid off the ridge but managed to get caught in the tangled vines dangling off the cliff face. Xin flung three small knives at his attacker, but they were swiped away by a wave of the creature’s long cloth. Sun Xin followed through with the attack using a jumping side kick, followed by a four-punch combination into its ribs, face, and abdomen. He finished off the combo with a spinning wheel kick into its head—a blow strong enough to crack skulls and break necks. The necromancer staggered and lost his balance, but did not make a sound. Xin maintained his fighting stance as he observed the effects of his blows on his opponent. It stood slowly and hauntingly without showing any discernable hint of pain or injury from the attacks. It was very thin, almost like a corpse, with arms dangling in front like it were an ape and it stood with an awkward inhuman posture. Its very presence was menacing and unnatural. In all his years as a knight-errant, Sun Xin still found it disturbing. He scowled and spat as he watched the creature rise to its feet.

  ​Before it could fully recover, Sun Xin pushed through with his attacks to keep the pressure on the necromancer. He threw jab–cross and hook combinations so quickly, his fists appeared to never have left form. He then swung a wide arcing hook into the abdomen and the jaw then locked him into a clinch to ram two powerful knee strikes into the face. The blows were some of the hardest he had ever thrown. The necromancer took the full force of each strike— strikes which would have broken many bones, and would have brought the strongest men into unconsciousness or even death. The necromancer stumbled backward and fell. Without warning, it unfurled two lengths of cloth from its arms and wrapped them around Xin’s neck and chest; it lifted the swordsman up and off his feet. The wrappings tightened with every passing moment, inhibiting his ability to breathe and he felt his ribs were on the verge of breaking. He struggled to reach for the dagger tucked under his belt. It should be able to cut the cloths but he was on the verge of blacking out. His vision blurred and narrowed. Before he completely lost consciousness, he cut across the lengths of cloth just as another figure appeared from his peripheral view.

  ​Bai Lang, wielding Sun Xin’s sword, leaped into the scene. He swung downward on the cloth that was crushing Xin and completely severed it with a clean cut. He swung wildly at the necromancer but every strike fell short. “Raah!” Bai Lang tackled him head on, but it managed to hold its ground. He slammed an upward elbow strike into its jaw, then unsheathed his knives to stab the creature several times in quick succession at the neck, head, and chest. The blades penetrated deep beneath the wrappings and cut several layers worth of the cloth, but no blood could be seen pouring out from them. He attempted a round kick to the head but the necromancer ducked low and grabbed Lang by the waist straps. With a full rotation and maximum centrifugal force, it tossed him violently into a nearby tree. The force of the impact knocked the wind from his body, crushing several ribs which pierced his lungs. While still gasping for breath, he tossed several incendiary pellets into the necromancer’s feet, and they popped, sending up clouds of black smoke and sparks that ignited the body wrappings. The flames engulfed the Puppeteer’s body instantly, causing it to berserk and retreat. Covered in fire, the necromancer immediately leaped off the edge of the plateau and landed into the trees with a controlled descent. It disappeared deep into the bush where the terrain was impassable. Black smoke could be seen rising out of the foliage but it vanished within moments.

  ​Bai Lang slumped against the tree, coughing blood and wheezing. “Didn’t think I’d come back for you?” he said, as blood ooz
ed out of his mouth.

  ​“Shut up and lay still,” said Xin rushing to his side. He pulled out herbal capsules from his belt compartment. “This will help with the pain.”

  ​“No, it doesn’t matter. It’s-it’s too late for me. Forgive me. I tried to use you to draw out the necromancer. It seems that I deserve my fate,” he gargled and coughed. “Did your team make it?”

  ​“Yes. They await my return,” Xin answered.

  ​“The Underworld has gotten stronger than it has ever been. They’re staging their operations from the Shan Gui. You must go there quickly and do what you do best.” He grabbed Xin by the collar and leaned toward his ear. “Don’t underestimate the Pale Foreigners. They are powerful. Man’s wars are but child’s play in comparison to the destruction and fury they will leave in their wake. When winter comes, they will stage their invasion, and without a miracle, the Ming Dynasty is doomed.”

  ​Sun Xin turned his gaze away from Lang, finding it difficult to see him in such a condition.

  ​“Your sacrifice will not be in vain,” Xin said.

  ​Despite his pain, Bai Lang managed a smile. “The Puppeteer… there’s a reason why he has emerged from the shadows. The Pale Foreigners seek to use him for their cause cough, cough. They’ll want to make use of his powers. I have no doubt about this. My map, take it and see your mission through like you always have. I have several documents in my pockets. Take it back to the capital and have them decrypt it for study. I’m sure you’ll find it useful for what’s ahead.” his voice trailed away as he gagged and choked. His lungs continued to drown in blood.

  ​“Go in peace, brother. I will not forget you have done here. The Ming will remember you,” said Xin. With those words, Bai Lang breathed his last breath and his lifeless eyes stared blankly into the gray sky. Sun Xin laid him down gently and shut his eyes. After a moment of silence, he gathered Bai Lang’s knives and remaining supplies and unfolded a small map that detailed the quickest route to reach the Shan Gui stronghold located southwest of the pass.

  ​To his pleasant surprise, it also outlined key points of interest which included the strategic positions and secret locations from which the Underworld operated. Included with the map was a small journal stuffed with written accounts and folded sheets of encrypted messages related to happenings within and without the Underworld and the empire. He reached into the chest pocket and found papers and a small notebook full of notes and etchings.

  ​Well, old friend, you will never know how you’re helping save the world with these. I do not know from where you acquired them or by what means, but only you could have done so. The wealth of information found here could very well determine the fate of Middle Kingdom’s travails and the outcome of the impending great war. The Martial Scholars and the imperial court would make great use of this to turn the tide, Xin thought to himself, glancing at Bai Lang one last time. He stood and sprinted back to his waiting team.

  - -

  “The rest of the team stood at attention when Sun Xin returned. He walked slowly, his face emotionless yet focused.

  ​“Welcome back, Xin,” said Wen Ping.

  ​“So, it is done then? Bai Lang is no more?” Zuo Shilong asked.

  ​“He’s dead. The necromancer killed him.” Sun Xin kept his gaze low and he sat on the ground with arms and legs crossed. He stared blankly into the dirt as the team gasped and murmured to each other. Not but one moment had passed until Zuo Shilong asked another question.

  ​“Whoreson got what he deserved!” Buff Baby commented.

  ​“Don’t be quick to judge. He came to my aid when the necromancer challenged me one on one.”

  ​The team gasped.

  ​“So, you saw him then? The Puppeteer? Did you kill him?”

  ​“It fled when Bai Lang set fire to its robes. But I do not think we have seen the last of it. Bai Lang came to his senses and died fighting to come to my aid.”

  ​“So he was not a bad man after all,” Zuo Shilong said. “We have judged him prematurely.”

  ​“Well, I say he paid the price for his treachery against us,” said Buff Baby.

  ​“What was this necromancer like? How dangerous is this Puppeteer?” Wen Xiao asked.

  ​“It’s hard to describe. Its appearance is even more outlandish than the Jiangshi themselves. He… or it was covered in robes, wrapped head to toe in long sheets of cloth. Fights in a way I’ve never seen or faced before. In any case, I’m sure that isn’t the last time it will surface.”

  ​“I’ll be looking to see how it eats a bullet or three,” Big Bang commented out of the blue.

  ​“You’ll get your chance. You all might. In any case, we have to keep moving. The mission isn’t over.”

  ​“So… where do we go from here, chief?” asked Wen Xiao.

  ​“I hope it’s as far away from this place as possible. We have to warn the capital about this Jiangshi threat. What we discovered here changes the course of history forever. It changes everything! Who knows when until we’re all like those leaping corpses!” her brother Wen Ping said. “The empire needs to respond to this.”

  ​“No, we must continue with the mission together. If you go back to Beijing now, you may never make it. The game has changed now. We don’t know enough about the Jiangshi or the necromancer to be heading back so soon. Our next destination is the Shan Gui stronghold. Bai Lang said that the Underworld is coordinating under their banner,” said Xin.

  ​“Whoa, whoa… One does not simply go to the Shan Gui, mate. One avoids them at all costs,” said Buff Baby. “Dealing with the Shan Gui is asking for death.”

  ​“I know the one who now leads their clans.”

  ​“How do you know him?” asked Zuo Shilong.

  ​“I know her,” corrected Xin.

  ​“A woman is leading the deadliest and most shadowy underground organization in the Middle Kingdom?? And here I thought I’ve heard a few things.” Buff Baby raised an eyebrow.

  ​“I ran with them once… some years ago. She and I were not on the best terms when I left. It’s a long story. I barely got out of there alive.”

  ​“Wait, wait. I keep hearing this Shan Gui. What is that? Why are they such a threat??” Jirgal asked.

  ​Zuo Shilong and Big Bang were also quite curious about the secretive order and were visibly ready to listen to an explanation.

  ​Sun Xin turned to Jirgal to answer his question. “Ghosts of the Mountain—they are believed to be responsible for many mysterious high-profile assassinations in recent years, some of which include high-ranking officials across the empire. They are a sophisticated and highly-skilled underground group that has long-sought the formation of a ‘new world’. They are involved in black market trade and are not above the use of kidnapping, extortion, and arson to reach their goals. They’re practitioners of the arcane arts and the dishonorable skills of war. Local governments have wrestled with them for a long time and have struggled to equalize their activity and influence.”

  ​Wen Ping was leaning against the tree with his arms crossed, hood covering the upper half of his face. He continued to add to Sun Xin’s response.

  ​“Exposition time, Jirgal. The rest of you listen up. Want to know something you won’t find in textbooks and official records? The Ming Dynasty wasn’t just simply the result of a successful revolt. It is an era founded by an underground organization called the White Lotus Society, and it was powerful and influential enough to rival even the emperor and the entire imperial bureaucracy. The White Lotus was a rebel empire, a parallel state hiding within the state, and was run by a few extremely wealthy men who had kept the true magnitude of their wealth a secret. They’re the reason we were successful in overthrowing the Menggu Yuan Dynasty. A sect under their command was the Red Turbans. They’re the ones who sparked and fueled a massive rebellion against the Yuan government. As you can recall, a peasant monk led the rebellion, and when he had succeeded in ousting the Menggu… surprise, surprise, the White Lotus
enthroned him as the first Ming emperor and thus called himself Hongwu. He and his successor, the Jianwen Emperor, including their many officials, served as White Lotus puppets. It wasn’t until the oh-so-great warrior prince Zhu Di, Hongwu Emperor’s fourth son, usurped the Ming throne that the influence of the White Lotus sect came to an end. Being crown prince of Yan, his rise to the throne was swift and shrewd, but in order to legitimize his reign he ordered a great purge that caused the deaths of tens of thousands, comprising mostly of mandarins loyal to the Jianwen Emperor. Not even their families were exempt from the purge.”

  ​Wen Xiao continued her brother’s history lesson. “The truth goes well beyond the histories, Jirgal. Here is the kicker— Emperor Zhu Di’s Great Purge wasn’t just a nationwide manhunt for loyalists. It was an offensive campaign against the White Lotus Society. The bad news is that some of the key members survived and went into hiding. Some assumed leadership of other underground organizations. One of those organizations is the Shan Gui, which was also instrumental in the formation of the Ming Dynasty. They were secretly employed by the White Lotus Society to do their dirty work and were mostly the ones responsible for assassinating and eliminating many key Yuan Dynasty officials.”

  ​“I already knew all o’ that. Showoffs,” Buff Baby snorted.

  ​“Good heavens, I shouldn’t have asked. My head is going to explode,” said Jirgal as he massaged his temples.

  ​“How do you know such things?” Zuo Shilong asked.

  ​“We’re senior Academicians, monk, Secondary Martial Scholars. We’re supposed to know,” answered Wen Ping with a casual wink.