Clash of Alliances

by Pierre Dimaculangan

  ​Through the fire, smog and chaos, Sun Xin spotted his target. The eunuch had survived the blast, saved by the elevated platform at the edge of the square. He lay on his back writhing and squirming in pain. Qinbo was nowhere to be seen. There was little choice. Sun Xin knew that he must brave the flames and navigate his way through the rubble to get his kill. He rushed out of the third story balcony by vaulting over the ornate wooden bannister then landing on the second story tier. He leaped off the second story and hit the ground with a roll and sprinted full speed over the wrecked burning heap before him. This was by far one of the most ill-advised stunts he had ever pulled in his career. He pulled his scarf over his face yet could feel the super intense heat blasting all around him. It almost seared the skin despite the cold weather and the layers he wore over his body.

  ​Sun Xin leaped to the left and to the right, trying to avoid the largest flames, and to traverse the nearest navigable surface whilst being careful to avoid a misstep. He quickened his sprint to gain enough momentum to climb out the fiery pit. After topping out, Xin pulled out his combat knife and made a bee line toward Liu. He leaped into the air for a downward strike but he was tackled midair. Sun Xin rolled onto the ground and found his feet. Qinbo had reemerged, but his bow was bent and broken. His arrows were nowhere near to be found. The eunuch Liu, realizing what had almost happened, forced himself onto his feet to flee. He staggered down a flight of stairs toward the entrance to a subsection of the citadel. Sun Xin unslung his crossbow, but in his haste to secure a kill, the bolt harmlessly shot through the eunuch’s topknot and unfurled his silver-black hair.

  ​Not giving Xin a chance to refocus his attention on him, Qinbo initiated the attack with his fists. A lunging straight punch landed square into Xin’s cheek, but he recovered quickly enough to go on the defensive. Qinbo put the pressure on Xin with a flurry of punches. A series of jabs, straights, and hooks flew at Xin but none had landed cleanly. With precise timing, Sun Xin countered with an uppercut to Qinbo’s jaw exactly between the punches. He stumbled backward and Xin followed up with a low leg kick and a three-punch combination that left Qinbo dazed and unable to lift up his hands in defense. In desperation, Qinbo tackled Xin in an attempt to grapple him onto the ground. The attempt was unsuccessful as Xin defended the maneuver by sprawling. He then kneed Qinbo several times in the gut and slammed a downward elbow at the base of his neck. He fell to the ground gasping and in terrible pain from the attacks.

  ​Sun Xin was eager to find Liu and complete the mission, but as soon as he made chase, enemy forces were already on their way from all over the citadel to try to outflank him. Between the burning heap of rubble and the incoming reinforcements, he was trapped. The only way was back through the burning mess and that would mean his chance to finally sever the head of the snake had been lost. He cursed his failure to complete the mission. He had always completed his task and now that he could not, it enraged him to the core. He cut down Qinbo with a sword slash to the head then proceeded back through the heap. The reinforcements had already spotted him, and he had to make a desperate escape out of the area. It was imperative that he find a heavily crowded space to resume an incognito state. He could always salvage more uniform and armor disguises to slip away unharmed.

  ​Enemy forces closed in from behind while Sun Xin, furious with the disappointing turn of events, jumped right back into the fire and used speed to avoid getting burned. The rapid deterioration of the vantage points made navigating the rubble much more difficult, and his robes and scarf began to catch fire. Arrows whistled right past his head and others missed his feet by mere finger lengths, but he continued on his alternating trajectory to reach the other side. By the time he made it to the end, he dive-rolled over the grass and shrubbery to kill the fire then dashed toward the dark interior of the citadel’s main building. More arrows eagerly targeted his body but ultimately fell short.

  ​Other pursuers rushed out of the fortress’ hallways, chambers, and rooms as they tried to respond to the alarms blaring all over the valley. Sun Xin hid himself in the darkness of the crevice as guards rushed by while they tried to search for a target. After they had passed, Sun Xin resumed his navigation through the hallways and corridors of the fortress in order to reach the deeper tunnel network below ground. He lowered his gaze as he blended into a tightly-knit group of soldiers who were rushing to get to their respective stations in the citadel. A seamless transition in and out of the group allowed him to find the appropriate path toward the tunnel networks. He simply had to recall the map imprinted into his head. By the time he had reached the citadel’s underbelly, the enemy had already reorganized their pursuit to a more specified sector of the fortress. Sun Xin scattered caltrops in several dark corners to try to impede their progress.

  ​It was not long until he was reunited with Wen Xiao who greeted him with red, teary eyes, and a running nose.

  ​“What has happened? Where are Jade Lotus and Wen Ping?” said Xin.

  ​She merely shook her head and cried even more. “The bowman. He executed her… then murdered my brother with his arrow.”

  ​Xin spun around, and with rage-filled shout, slammed a punch into the wall. An imprint of his fist along with a set of cracks was left upon the wall’s face. His fists bled from the resulting cuts. “The odds have been against us from the start. We shouldn’t have come here, Xiao. We’re no closer to completing our mission than when we had first left the capital. We must get back there posthaste and tell them what we have discovered here. There may yet be time to brace for what the Underworld has in store because there was nothing and no one inside that fortress that revealed the slightest clue as to what they were planning to do with their accumulating forces. Fa Lien knew we would not find the answers we seek inside, and alas we’ll never learn them.”

  ​Nevertheless, Sun Xin and Wen Xiao sprinted through the deeper tunnel network where none have tread for many years. Torchlight illuminated the way. It was hours before the light of dawn shone through the end. The tunnel merged with a natural flowing stream inside the face of a cliff, and the two slid down the shaft and made a short plummet into a cold lake. They warmed themselves by a fire and dried their clothes with the scent of burning mint leaves. Neither spoke a word for both were in silent mourning. The death of an ally, it seemed, was something that not even Sun Xin would ever be accustomed to experiencing.

  10 A Turn of Events

  Zuo Shilong and Buff Baby found the shore after being dragged by the steady current of the river for what felt like ages. They pulled themselves onto the murky ground and could hardly find the strength to stand. Buff Baby lay on his back trying to catch his breath. He began to chuckle and giggle and within moments it escalated into a full-blown bellowing laugh.

  ​“You find this very amusing, do you?” Zuo Shilong said to him somewhat irritated.

  ​“Well, I’ll tell you something, someone with my built and frame should never get into the water! Hahahah,” said Buff Baby. He was, in truth, greatly relieved to be alive, having been able to escape the clutches of a bloodthirsty demoniac deep in the wilderness, and having survived the huge drop into the gorge soon after. “Don’t get me wrong, Monk. I still don’t like you much… but I am grateful that you’ve bailed me out of such a dishonorable demise. I owe you one.”

  ​“I only did what was befitting a truly honorable and righteous man,” replied Zuo Shilong smugly, trying not to show his mutual relief. “We should be getting back to the camp site. So you have any idea where we are?” He looked around for any clue as to their position relative to camp.

  ​“Not a clue, though I reckon we’ve drifted farther than we’d like. Blasted rapids nearly smashed me against the rocks. I say instead of wasting time searching for the others, we find some civilization. I spot a road right across the gully. That means we’ll head north and shan’t be too far from the nearest town. There, they’ll have food, drink, and a proper lodging for this adventurer,” said Buff Baby. “I’d better dry out the
satchel and belt packs.”

  ​“I should not have to remind you, sir, we are in fact on an imperial mission. We have a duty to find the rest of the team and fulfill our responsibilities as members of said team. Simply walking away is most dishonorable, especially when you had promise the mentor that you would see this mission through,” Zuo said to him tersely.

  ​“Look, man. I ain’t a deserter, nor am I implying that we abandon our ‘duty’. Heck, I’m beginning to admire your juvenile sense of honor and your loyalty… but considering the unique circumstances, I say it’d be impractical to simply wander about wasting our time, yeah? Least we could do is find the nearest town, get food and rest, and regain our bearings before we can continue. We haven’t eaten decent in days nor enjoy a much needed proper night’s rest. Even you would realize the folly of continuing without your strength?”

  ​Zuo Shilong sighed and resented that he was in agreement with Buff Baby. He spoke sensibly despite his uncouth nature. “Very well, Bao. We will find the nearest town for some food and rest. However, we shall stay no more than one night. At first light, we will regroup with the rest of the team. You have not the luxury for carousing and merrymaking. Agreed?”

  ​“Most certainly, my monk friend,” replied Buff Baby with insincere and sarcastic politeness.

  ​The weather had warmed and the morning sunshine beat upon their backs as it dried their soaked clothes. They crossed a land bridge to cross the gully, and walked north hoping that the old beaten road would lead them to a village or town. Hungry, exhausted, and tired, neither spoke another word. Buff Baby merely chewed on his last serving of betel nut as he walked next to Zuo Shilong, lips smacking, spitting, and slurping as he did. It was half past noon when the road led them through farmland that had otherwise been left unattended. Tools lay about and oxcarts sat on the side of the road with no ox to pull it.

  ​“Looks like they left here in a hurry,” observed Buff Baby.

  ​“With all that has been happening all around us, you cannot blame the folk for seeking refuge in the cities or in more remote places,” said Zuo Shilong.

  ​“I thought the army was supposed to protect them.”

  ​“They are assembling and organizing in high-population zones or preparing to be dispatched to battle at a moment’s notice. Do you not pay attention, Bao?”

  ​“Sometimes I don’t care enough to remember what I hear.”

  ​“Typical…”

  ​The duo continued past the farms and deserted villages until they happened upon the province’s local township. Guards from the local garrison surrounded the area and were encamped at the entrance to the town. Buff Baby and Zuo Shilong were stopped before they got anywhere near the township’s towering gates.

  ​“Halt! By order of the provincial government this town is under the strict protection and supervision of the Ming imperial army. All travelers and visitors are subject to questioning and scrutiny,” barked the commanding officer. He had a frame and stature that was befitting his position— a textbook soldier. His armor and uniform were in impeccable order, and even his wispy black beard was straight and groomed, and his moustache had been finely trimmed like a shapely rooftop sheltering his thin lips. Other soldiers moved in and surrounded the duo with spears at the ready. The officer observed the two with great curiosity.

  ​“What is a Shaolin monk doing with this oversized vagrant?” he asked, scanning the duo head to toe.

  ​“Well sir, we have been tasked with an operation formulated by the imperial administration in the capital; it has been mandated by the emperor himself. We were to accompany their special agent for a classified mission, but alas, we were separated. My companion and I went in search of a settlement to eat and lodge,” Zuo Shilong answered respectfully.

  ​The Ming commander burst out into laughter, sincerely amused at Zuo Shilong’s answer. “Looky here, boys. We’ve ourselves a comedian! A Shaolin monk who forgot to shave and has a brilliant imagination. I like you, Monk, if that is indeed what you are, chuckle. I have a lot of respect for your sect, if that’s really where you’re from. Great warriors I’ve heard them to be. The emperor may even decide to finally draft them to fight against the rebels. Though, I think the Ming army shan’t be in need of their services. I’ve respect for them though. Respect.”

  ​“I hope we shall not need their services either,” answered Zuo Shilong.

  ​“I don’t care much who the two of you are. You may enter the town premises, but you are required to surrender your weapons to us—both of them, until such time you decide to leave. Naught but standard procedure, I’m sure you understand,” informed the commander.

  ​“I’ve been forced to part with my weapon before only to have brushed shoulders with great misfortune. There’s no way I am going to hand over my glaive to soldier boy here,” said Buff Baby, already hovering his hand over his weapon’s handle.

  ​“Then I am afraid you will have no choice but to leave and find food and lodging elsewhere,” the commander said plainly.

  ​Buff Baby attempted to force his way through the guards and enter into the town without first handing over his Guan Dao glaive.

  ​“Bao, do not be a fool!” shouted Zuo Shilong.

  ​Four large guards rushed Buff Baby and grappled with him. The first was thrown off balance and slammed into the ground. However, the other three swept his feet and muscled him down, barely able to provide an answer to his brute strength.

  ​“Wait, stop, do not hurt him. He is not the enemy,” pleaded Zuo Shilong.

  ​“You’d be wise to stay out of military business, monk, or you will be joining him in the cages,” the commander ordered.

  ​Zuo Shilong, taking offense to the way they were handling Buff Baby’s behavior, tried to force them to remove their hold on him. He too was pinned down to the ground and promptly shackled. Their weapons were confiscated and were immediately delivered to their camp near the town.

  ​“This is your entire fault, you big brute. If you had just acted humbly and handed over your weapon we would have been filling our bellies with sustenance at the moment. Now we have neither,” scolded Zuo Shilong. “Misfortune seems to have hung a dark cloud over us now.”

  ​“Would you shut up,” said Buff Baby.

  ​“Both of you shut up or we’ll whip you in the streets!” shouted one of the soldiers.

  ​“After all we have endured, I did not think we would still have been locked up like animals. I hate you, Bao. You refuse to listen,” Zuo Shilong whispered.

  ​“The feeling is mutual, Monk,” replied Buff Baby. He struggled with the shackles locked upon his wrists but did not even come close to bending and breaking them. Even the chain link was too heavy to break, and probably would have held the weight of an elephant. “Stupid soldiers… I’m going to give them injuries to last a life time, and whenever they’re inflicted with pain, they’ll remember my name and their stupidity. Oh, to see the fear in their eyes once they realize that I am under the protection of the emperor. They’ll see who gets the last laugh,” he declared. Zuo Shilong just merely shook his head at Buff Baby and decided to say no more. It would truly seem that misfortune has found a home right above their heads.

  ​“At least we have decent view of the town from up on this hill,” said Zuo Shilong as he pressed his face against the bars. “This is no longer just a mere town. Tis be a small city by the looks of it.” He shifted his gaze to southern side of the township. Away from the view of the surrounding guards, a hooded woman mysteriously emerged from a shaded area of an alley. Having managed to bypass the checkpoints at the entrances, she was able to maintain sole ownership of her weapon— clearly a sword tightly wound and wrapped in cloth.

  ​“Lucky little lass, she is,” commented Buff Baby who happened to have been observing the same woman. “How on earth did she manage to prance her little feet around town without fret?”

  ​“It is because some people have the cleverness and patience to discover and exp
loit such opportunities. Clearly we have neither… especially you,” Zuo Shilong mumbled to Buff Baby.

  ​“I swear, monk, when I am free of these restraints, I’m gonna—”

  ​Gongs were rang and horns were blown before Buff Baby could finish his sentence. Troops scrambled to and fro their small encampment, trying to respond to the alarms and assess the situation.

  ​“Are we under attack?” said Zuo Shilong as he craned his neck to see what was happening.

  ​Into the distance near the entrances to the town, marauders rushed the soldiers standing guard in their formations. Zuo Shilong and Buff Baby watched them charge the Ming troops in full force, wildly swinging their axes and halberds with no restraint. They were going berserk and wore little to no armor. They descended upon the defenders like a horde of barbarians shouting and throwing themselves into the Ming in full hand to hand combat. None showed the slightest regard to organized approaches or tactics. Many of the defending soldiers were unprepared for the ferocity of the incoming forces and were nearly overwhelmed until the commanding officers brought their fighting formations back in order. The Ming soldiers so far held their own, having the overall numerical advantage.