Clash of Alliances

by Pierre Dimaculangan

  ​The commandos hacked and slashed and loosed arrows at the horde that tried to claw them off their mounts. Many were thrown and yanked off their saddles and brutally cut down before they could even stand to their feet. Others continued to fight on foot, furiously fending off the enemies that completely surrounded them. General He Jin was thrown off his horse as well.

  ​As the Shan Gui crowded all around him, he raised his rounded shield to block their weapons, and spun around and around in circles with his sword fully extended. He cut them down one by one, using the length of his longsword to keep them at bay. They closed in around him nonetheless, and began picking him off with spears and pikes. His mountain-scale armor blocked most of the sharp blades but others pierced through the openings. His inner legs and underarms were being cut, stabbed, and sliced by the tips of their spears, but still he continued to fight like a rabid animal. He was determined to kill the eunuch even if doing so ultimately took his life.

  ​Armored Shan Gui units tightened the pressure on the General and the mounted warriors that followed him deep into the enemy’s formation. For every Ming soldier they killed, ten or twenty paid the price. However, one by one, the commandos and cavalry units were overcome, overwhelmed by the sheer number of hostiles that surrounded them. “Raaaah!” General Jin shouted as he used a fallen commando’s spear to impale three with just one thrust. The surviving Ming soldiers with General Jin clustered together in a large circle, completely surrounded and yet only a stone’s throw from the eunuch they desperately tried to eliminate. Their polearms were the only things keeping the Shan Gui from completely swallowing them whole. Those that tried to close the distance anyway were skewered. Ultimately, they stood there facing each other in a seeming stalemate. The commando officer with the bronze war mask and a red tassel upon his helmet lobbed a grenade into the crowd of enemies and managed to land extra kills from the resulting explosion.

  ​Mounted Shan Gui riders encircled general Jin’s formation, and they dragged behind them spiked chains. Round and round, they wrapped the chains around the Ming soldiers, then without warning, galloped in opposite directions. The chains tightened around the Ming defensive formation, and constricted them against one another. The power of the horses drove the spikes on the chains straight through them even as the chains constricted and squeezed their bodies mercilessly.

  ​Some including General Jin used his sword to keep the spikes from piercing his body. He pushed off with all his might even as the chains tightened upon them. He could no longer hold it away and he succumbed to the chains. The finger-long spikes punctured through his armor and pierced his pectoral muscles. The spikes were a hair’s breadth shy of reaching his heart and lungs and he screamed with the excruciating pain. Blood poured from the wounds all over his body and he found himself becoming faint. His own screams were just one of many and were drowned out under the pained shouts and cries of his men. They were dying with their backs against each other, but they were together nonetheless. Even in the distance, the Ming was being overrun. The Shan Gui’s cannons fired away, sending fiery iron shells at the Ming’s deteriorating lines and formations. Scores of soldiers were obliterated with each impact, and many began to scramble away from the fight. The commanding officers struggled to keep their men in line. Even the archers and gunners could not make enough distance to keep shooting, and had resorted to full hand to hand combat.

  ​Before General Jin could pass out from the constricting chains and piercing spikes, the sound of commotion emerged from the rear. Horns, gongs, and shouts emerged from behind the Shan Gui lines. From the south, they clashed with the unguarded rear Shan Gui formations, and General Jin craned his neck to see what was happening. Many of the acrobatic fighters leaped into the Shan Gui, brandishing exotic weapons that had not yet been tainted with blood. They wore orange and red and gray, with patterns unique to certain groups of faith. Many of them were also bald. Even the eunuch Liu was thrown off his seated position on his sedan, and was trampled upon by the incoming forces. Many more wearing white robes with black patterns jumped into the fray to join their bald-headed companions.

  ​A large contingent of female warriors entered the fighting and so did hundreds of other uniformed fighters from various temples and strongholds around the empire. The Shaolin, Wudang, Emei, Huashan, and Kunlun temple sects had arrived to fight alongside the Ming army and the Martial Academicians. The tide was turning and the chains that tightened around General Jin and his men were loosed when the mounted Shan Gui that drove them were dismounted and killed by the Wudang priests. The warriors around the eunuch broke formation and scattered across the field, leaving their primary eunuch leader alone. Some were chased, while the rest regrouped elsewhere. A nun named Yang approached him and reached out her hand to help him stand. His armor was bloodied up and more poured from his wounds, but he mustered the strength to get to his feet.

  ​“My name is Yang,” said the warrior nun. She looked to him with a glimmer in her eye. “A friend inside the city sent us. I believe she is there fighting to defend the emperor. We all prepared for this, and came as quickly as we could.”

  ​“All of you need to go into the city. Thousands have made it inside. You must cleanse it. Go! Now!” said General Jin who was now hardly able to stay on his feet.

  ​Yang nodded and signaled for the others to run into the city and lighten the burden on the Ming troops there. Soon, the united sects charged down the battlefield and pinned the Shan Gui between them and the defending Ming soldiers. They had to get into the city and purge it of the filth of the Underworld. They bypassed the clusters of fighting between the Ming and the Underworld’s forces, and made a beeline toward the capital city’s main gates. Their battlefield would be the streets of Beijing.

  ​General Jin looked over to where the eunuch was seated. Liu stood to his feet, bloodied and bruised from the unexpected arrival and attack of reinforcements. He was also now exposed and alone. He grabbed a sword from the ground and staggered toward General Jin. He raised the blade and brought it down onto the general, but he caught the eunuch’s wrists, shoved the sword aside and slammed a head butt into his nose.

  ​“Nyaarrr! Why don’t you just die!?” the eunuch screeched as he fell on his rear.

  ​“Why don’t you!?” General Jin spat back. He grabbed the eunuch by the collar, brought him to his feet, and slammed a straight punch right into his abdomen, leaning forward to ensure that his full weight backed the force of the blow. Again, the eunuch stumbled backward and crashed onto the ground. Coughing, hacking and wheezing, the eunuch spat blood from his mouth. General Jin tossed away his helmet; the topknot of his hair had come undone. He swung a low kick into the eunuch’s head then turned him face-up, grabbed him by the neck and beat his face over and over and over again. Even as his face was being turned into pulp, he laughed and laughed until his mouth was too deformed to properly utter a word. “It’s not the end,” he garbled out his toothless bloodied, mouth. “The worst is yet to come for you.”

  ​“Yours is right here, right now!” The general stood up, lifted his boot and smashed it down upon the eunuch’s head. Blood, flesh, brains, teeth, and bones, splattered everywhere, and Jin shouted one last victory war cry, “Raaaaaah!” before passing out and letting darkness overtake him.

  - -

  ​Deep inside the city, the united sects of the Underworld continued to fight the Ming and bring destruction wherever they marched. Academicians and Ming guards fought furiously despite being outnumbered at every street, and had resorted to guerilla style tactics throughout the urban areas, picking off the Crimson Moon, Shan Gui, the Iron Dragon School and the Serpent’s Eye priests with hit-and-run maneuvers. Archers, crossbowmen, and gunners took up fortified positions to shoot at the incoming invaders whenever they crossed their line of fire. Ranged weaponry was their only true advantage, but it did not suffice to repel the invaders or discourage their advancement deeper into the city districts.

  ​The same gongs and horns he
ard in the battlefield once again resounded in the city. Meiling turned her head toward the sound. “They’re here! They’ve actually arrived!” she said.

  ​“Who??” said Buff Baby.

  ​“The united temple sects,” she said with an expression of excitement. Further inspired to keep fighting, she rushed out from the Imperial City gates and ran into the city streets by herself to greet the incoming reinforcements.

  ​“Wait, where are you going??” shouted Zuo Shilong.

  ​“Don’t worry ‘bout her, mate. She can take care of herself,” said Buff Baby. They continued to help the Academicians and the Ming troops directed civilians toward the entrances to the Imperial City district where the mandarins resided. Many from the Shan Gui and the other sects made attempts to infiltrate their defense and harm the civilians, but Ming soldiers and Academicians from throughout the city had fallen back to the district to defend the palace and the incoming civilians from further incursions. The troops fighting in the battlefield outside the city were beginning to retreat toward the city as well, but were only met by enemies who had already occupied the streets. The leaders and masters of the sects were also already inside, directing the continued destruction and occupation of the capital. The battle for Beijing became increasingly difficult. Only small companies of Academicians and Ming troops remained to conduct minor skirmishes and guerilla tactics against the invaders… until hundreds of monks and nuns from Shaolin, Wudang, Emei, Huashan, and Kunlun sects stormed through the Outer City district gates and took the fight to their outcast rivals and counterparts. They dispersed in large squads on a seek-and-destroy objective with no intent to give leniency. Their age-old rivalries and wars have made the capital city their battleground. The battle was reignited, and the sound of steel clashing against steel could be heard throughout the squares and courtyards once again. Fires raged all around but there was no one available to address them.

  ​In the square before Meridian Gate, the Martial Scholars lay on the ground motionless, and bearing no signs that they still lived. Blood spatters, broken armor, and bits of steel were strewn about the area, and the only figure left standing was Kurr himself. Virtually unscathed and unaffected by the Scholars’ confrontation, he was even prouder than ever. The royal guards remaining in the capital, still numbering in the hundreds, stormed out of the gate to attack him full force. Kurr unlatched a trio of fist-sized spheres from his belt and rolled them toward the incoming force. They sparked and popped and unleashed a large cloud of toxic gas that engulfed the entire square in mere moments. Being immune to the toxins, Kurr stood before them merely an arm’s reach away and watched as the warriors succumbed to the poison. Their swords and spears clattered to the ground.

  ​The toxic cloud dissipated as quickly as it spread. The Meridian Gate was left wide open and Kurr proceeded toward the Emperor’s main hall— the Hall for Venerating Heaven. The way was clear and no opposition remained to challenge him. He marched on toward the majestic and monumental hall; his dark presence alone was a symbol of defiance to the imperial majesty that was the Forbidden City. He walked up the steps leading to the hall’s entrance, and barged through the lattice doors. There, the Emperor Hongzhi sat upon his throne, erect, and unfazed by Kurr’s presence.

  ​“Imperial Majesty,” said Kurr sarcastically with a bow. “It is a pleasant delight to finally come face to face with the leader of the most powerful nation in the world of men. I am surprised to see that you have not fled. I feel you are denying me the thrill of the chase.”

  ​The emperor kept his head high and sat erectly perched on his golden throne. He stood with his chin elevated. “I know why it is you have come. Though you may succeed in your endeavor, I know for a fact the final victory does not belong to you. Do what you will, but there is— ,”

  ​Kurr rushed toward him, closing the distance in one instant and placed his face directly in front the emperor’s. “I could take your life right here, right now if I so wished. The entire empire would belong to the Terukk. But I for one am fond of games. The swordsman who has stalked the Middle Kingdom— I desire to finish what we started… and the sage, oh yes, the sage. Those two have influence that I think shall be too dangerous to allow to thrive. Once I am through with them, I will destroy you. Then the Terukk conquest of the Ming Empire shall be complete.” He slammed his forehead into the emperor’s face and knocked him unconscious. He caught his body before it could slump back against the throne and carried him to the square outside the hall where he laid him down.

  ​Soon, hundreds of Shan Gui and other fighters from the Underworld poured from the southern grounds and stood guard by him in the square. The palace’s remaining defenders had been forced to scatter, spread thin from their engagement with Li Hong’s mercenaries. Kurr sat and patiently waited in meditation. He sat with legs folded, arms crossed, and eyes closed. His long, white hair waved gently in the cold wind, and he sat completely still as the sun progressed in its course across the overcast sky.

  ​His seated position remained unchanged for the next several hours while the fighting across the vast cityscape of Beijing continued between clashing alliances of the sects which continued to fight for territories and strongholds within the urban areas. The Shan Gui army and the Ming troops held their ground in various areas of the battlefield, scattered for dozens of square li. Both sides, completely battered and exhausted, had created distance between each other far from the range of field artillery, but the struggle for control of the capital continued despite the heated combat being momentarily postponed.

  ​“I found the general!! He’s over here! Someone call a doctor. I think he’s still alive!” cried a commanding officer in the field. The soldiers rushed to rescue General He Jin. They carried him back inside their surviving encampment for immediate medical treatment. “He is alive but barely,” said the doctor. “We must seal his wounds. There is still a chance he’ll live.”

  ​The next officer in line at the chain of command who was present in the field was Lieutenant General Yi. He beheld the devastation on the battlefield. Smoke, fire, and countless dead were scattered across the land. What wind blew carried the stench of blood, death, and scorched flesh, but such things were not new to him. However, the pain of beholding such a sight always felt fresh. He could hear the moans and pained cries of hundreds injured and maimed from the battle, and he struggled to zone them out.

  ​“Report!” he barked to one of his officers.

  ​The officer bowed and saluted. “Sir, we have lost over half of our defenses and nearly all of our cannons. The situation is consistent throughout the northern, eastern, and western encampments as well. The fighting continues on and off in the capital, but the current circumstances are unclear. We have lost contact with our men and the Academicians in the chaos, and anyone we had sent inside have yet to return.”

  ​Lieutenant General Yi frowned and cursed under his breath as he wiped away the spattered blood from his chin. “Do you have news of the emperor and the fate of the palace?”

  ​The officer hesitated. “It is uncertain, sir. Though last we heard, it was infiltrated, but defenses were successful in keeping them from reaching the emperor.” He paused and could not help but ask. “General, will reinforcements be on their way?”

  ​Lieutenant General Yi looked at him squarely in the eyes and observed the fear he saw in them. “No, son. We’re alone. The warrior monks and nuns fighting in the city streets are the most help we’ll be receiving at the moment. The bulk of the army is nowhere near the capital. Reinforcements from other provinces and from the north won’t arrive for days… weeks even. The field marshal is busy readying the troops with the governor generals at the Nine Border Garrisons of the wall.” He took a deep sigh and lowered his gaze. “I admit I didn’t expect this attack. We weren’t prepared nearly enough, and I can’t believe we did not detect nor intercept their arrival long before they got within spitting distance of the capital. Curse the sneaky bloody bastards. We’re all we’ve got,
son.”

  ​A rider rushed to the general’s side, horse coming to a full stop from a gallop. “Sir, we’ve spotted several riders approaching posthaste from the roads southeast. They’re coming this way. General, it’s the swordsman the Martial Scholars have employed.”

  ​General Yi wasted no time. He rushed to his mount and rode off with a light company of riders to greet Sun Xin and his companions.

  14 A Duel of Opposites

  All riders halted their gallop and faced each other, both companies looking like they’d just emerged from fighting in hell. It was already late in the afternoon, and only a few hours of light remained.

  ​“General! We saw the fires and the smoke from hours away. What has happened??” Sun Xin questioned.

  ​“The worst has happened, son. We were attacked, full force with no restraint or respite. I can’t explain it, but the-the-these creatures attacked us at the dead of night. They looked like corpses. Then the Underworld attacked the capital when morning came. Thousands of them came from nowhere like the dead. Our forces are severely crippled. Unless something miraculous happens, I don’t think we have enough strength and ammunition to hold off another assault.”

  ​“Good Heavens,” cried Wen Xiao as she cupped her mouth in disbelief.

  ​“Rah! Blow them up; blow them all to smithereens!” shouted Big Bang in angry excitement.

  ​“That’s impossible! The Jiangshi? Already here? And I left the Shan Gui behind in the mountains to the south. There’s no possible way they have arrived here in such great numbers before we did!” Sun Xin exclaimed. He had never expressed an emotion so passionately in many years. The revelation greatly distressed him.

  ​“I’m just as surprised as you are, but it only gets worse,” said General Yi. “We have lost contact with the city itself. Many enemy soldiers run wild in the streets, and all defensive forces including what few Academicians remain are already fully engaged, though we cannot be completely certain of their fate. We fear that the emperor is in danger. There is not much else I can tell you. You need to hurry. I’ll use the remaining cannons and what few rounds we have left to lay suppressive fire and grant you passage into the capital. Come.”