《Heaven and Earth》


 The Ironclad Monk

    The putrid scent of sweat and naked flesh wormed its way into the man¡¯s nostrils the moment he entered the small village.


    It was only putrid because of the stink of evil that accompanied it.


    Villagers looked on in a mix of curiosity and worry as the man followed the scent. His face was obscured by a black douli hat, marked with the character mie¡ªdestroy¡ªin white. His tall, imposing form was draped in loose fitting grey robes, under an open shenyi garment that fell to his ankles. White cloth wrapping padded his shins and forearms.


    He wore a strange amalgamation of monk¡¯s robes and old Ming clothing. And his hair had clearly been cut, against confucian values, but was allowed to grow out, contrary to the practices of warrior monks.


    While most looked away, some couldn¡¯t help but watch the monk¡¯s spade strapped to his back. The wide, flat blade at its top bore a faint red tint along its sharpened edge.


    The monk¡¯s strides were purposeful and confident, his head held high so he could chase after that evil scent.


    He moved past the clusters of wooden shacks with thatched roofs, eyes on one particular building that was indistinguishable from the others aside from the lack of windows.


    ¡°Oi!¡±


    The monk glanced behind himself at two men in bright red douli and shirts bearing the Qing insignia, muskets in hand.


    ¡°Your presence is causing the village to panic! Who are you, stranger?¡± the soldier asked.


    ¡°Qilin.¡± the monk said. ¡°I¡¯m here on important business. I¡¯d appreciate it if you allowed me to attend to it.¡±


    ¡°Those are Shaolin robes, right?¡± The two soldiers raised their guns. ¡°You¡¯re coming with us.¡±


    Splitting Fist, Fourth Form: Clearing the Brush.


    Qilin spun on his left foot, his right arcing a swift hook. The soldiers were flung back by the blow and landed in the dirt some meters away.


    The villagers gasped.


    Grunting in pain, the soldiers staggered to their feet, and fired their guns.


    Splitting Fist, Second Form: Flash of Steel.


    With blinding speed, Qilin¡¯s hand swept across his body. The movement was accompanied by the clattering of musket balls, cleaved in twain by his strike.


    ¡°If you insist on apprehending me,¡± Qilin said. ¡°Can you at least wait until I¡¯ve finished up my work here?¡±


    ¡°Why you¡­¡± one of the soldiers growled. ¡°I¡¯ll have your head!¡±


    The soldier drew a single edged Dao sword from his hip and rushed at Qilin.


    Splitting Fist, First Form: Woodcutter¡¯s Axe.


    Qilin raised his hand overhead and struck down on the soldier¡¯s conical hat. The sheer force caused the man to crumple beneath the blow, losing both his grip on his sword and his consciousness.


    Qilin glanced at the other soldier, who didn¡¯t hesitate to scurry off.


    He scoffed and kicked the fallen soldier¡¯s dao into his hands. He looked over the blade.


    ¡°This weapon¡¯s rather nice. A shame its wielder is so incompetent.¡± Qilin tucked the sword in the cloth wrap around his waist, under his shenyi, strapping the sword to his hip. ¡°I think I¡¯ll offer it a better home.¡±


    Without anyone else seeming like they were willing to stop him, Qilin entered the building that he had been heading towards.


    As his nose had suggested, the inside of the building was a brothel.


    The scent of flesh on flesh and the bodily fluids that came with such acts mixed with incense, being burnt to maintain a fresh scent to ordinary folk. All of it masked the faint scent of evil on the wind.


    The interior was draped in bright red and pink curtains and banners, while prostitutes both mingled among the few customers they had at this time of day and played instruments to fill the brothel with music.


    Qilin glanced upwards at the second floor balcony that stretched along the walls, searching for the source of that evil scent.


    ¡°Well, this is quite unexpected¡­¡±


    Qilin¡¯s gaze returned to the first floor, focusing on a prostitute who had approached him.


    She was slight in stature, though she hardly looked frail. The smile she bore on her face was far more boisterous than the delicate grace one would expect of a prostitute.


    Her black hair was somewhat messily pinned up with detailed, decorative hair pins. She wore a blue dress that fit just over her breasts and a translucent garment over her shoulders, with long, flowing sleeves.


    ¡°We don¡¯t get many monks in our establishment.¡± the woman smiled. ¡°What can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to speak with the madame of this brothel¡­¡± Qilin said.


    The prostitute pursed her lips, ¡°You see... the madame is currently busy. But if you wait around long enough, I¡¯m sure she could find the time to meet with you. If you could leave your weapons at the door, I can find you a nice place to sit.¡±


    Qilin grumbled, but he set his newly acquired sword, along with a menagerie of other weapons, on a rack that was being guarded by a mercenary. Though he left his spade strapped to his back.


    ¡°I believe you¡¯ve forgotten the polearm on your back.¡± the prostitute said.


    ¡°This is a spade. Just a tool.¡± Qilin said.


    ¡°A tool for digging graves and holding enemies at bay. I can assure you that you¡¯ll have to do neither here.¡±


    Qilin sighed, but set his monk¡¯s spade aside as well, before following the prostitute to a small, round table. He took a seat on a wooden stool across from her as she called to one of her coworkers for two cups of wine.


    ¡°First one¡¯s on the house if you¡¯ll tell me your name.¡± the prostitute said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t drink.¡± Qilin said. ¡°But I¡¯ll tell you my name in exchange for yours, xiao jie.¡±


    ¡°My name is Xu Qin.¡±


    ¡°Jin Qilin.¡± The monk said.


    ¡°Good to meet you, Mister Jin.¡± Xu Qin bowed her head. ¡°What brings you to our little neck of the woods?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve come here to wait, not make idle small talk.¡± Qilin said. ¡°And I can assure you, I won¡¯t be purchasing your services.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯d expect nothing less from a monk.¡± Xu Qin said. ¡°But I¡¯m in the precarious situation of being swallowed up by boredom otherwise. So I ask that you please indulge me.¡±


    Qilin hesitated for a moment.


    She didn¡¯t smell of anything out of the ordinary...aside from a strange metallic scent, but that could be just about anything. And it certainly wasn¡¯t a common scent to that of evil.


    ¡°I have business with the madame. My masters suspect that an evil force lurks somewhere among your village and that she may be able to help root it out.¡± Qilin said.


    ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re an exorcist.¡± Xu Qin pursed her lips.


    ¡°If that¡¯s how you want to put it,¡± Qilin said.


    ¡°Though you know, you lot tend to brand anything remotely resembling a Daoist sorcerer as evil.¡± Xu Qin muttered. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to offend, but are you sure you aren¡¯t just chasing an alchemist?¡±


    ¡°Both alchemists and yaoguai can be considered sorcerers. But only one truly reeks of evil.¡± Qilin said. ¡°And I don¡¯t mean evil in a moral sense. I mean the stink of abandoned divinity.¡±


    ¡°You kill demons, I see.¡± Xu Qin chuckled, resting her chin on her hand. ¡°Tell me more.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t find that the least bit odd?¡± Qilin asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve lived in the same village all my life.¡± Xu Qin shrugged. ¡°Who am I to say what does and doesn¡¯t exist?¡±


    ¡°Currently, I believe I¡¯m on the hunt for a-¡±


    ¡°You will rot in hell for this blasphemy, Huang tai tai!¡±


    Qilin glanced at a man stomping down the stairs of the brothel. He was a foreigner, dressed in the black robes of Christian priests.


    ¡°And you call yourself a Christian!¡± The priest left the brothel in a hurry.


    ¡°I guess she¡¯s available. Well...let¡¯s hope that Madame Huang is willing to put up with another meeting.¡± Xu Qin stood from her stool, just as her coworker came back with those cups of wine. Xu Qin grabbed both of them and downed their contents in no time. ¡°If you¡¯d kindly follow me, Mister Jin.¡±


    Qilin stood and tailed her as she climbed the stairs to the second floor and through the beaded curtain of the Madame¡¯s office.


    Madame Huang was lighting a thin pipe to smoke from as they entered. She lounged on a stool that stood behind a low to the ground wooden desk.


    The scent of the tobacco smoke was overwhelming, invading Qilin¡¯s nostrils.


    She was a woman of middle age, common among those who owned brothels. She wore her hair up in a far more elaborate fashion than Xu Qin or the prostitutes and wore a traditional Manchu cheongsam, which was far less revealing than the dresses the other women wore.


    Madame Huang¡¯s gaze locked with Qilin¡¯s as she smoked her pipe. When she set it down, that seemed to be the cue for Xu Qin to speak.


    The tainted shadow in the recesses of his mind tingled slightly. The demon was certainly near.


    ¡°Madame Huang, this is Mister Jin Qilin. He is an exorcist who claims to have important business with you.¡± Xu Qin bowed.


    ¡°An exorcist?¡± Huang raised an eyebrow. ¡°First a priest and now a monk. The gods certainly insist on eating up all my time today¡­Speak then, Mister Jin.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a demon in this village. I¡¯ve come to kill it..¡± Qilin explained. ¡°But I believe that the demon is hidden among the prostitutes you keep here. I have a strong suspicion that my enemy may be a Huli Jing, a fox spirit masquerading as a human. Have any of the women here been acting strangely?¡±


    Huang sighed. ¡°You have beliefs and suspicions. Do you have anything else? Anything perhaps more concrete than what appear to be mere hunches?¡±


    ¡°My work is rarely ever done on concrete evidence. An exorcist¡¯s most valued skill is his intuition. If I am given some amount of information, I will be able to make the spirit reveal herself.¡± Qilin said.


    Madame Huang picked up her pipe again, but before she could put it to her lips, Qilin pressed his thumb against the glowing tobacco, smothering the light.


    ¡°I may be able to provide you with something more concrete if I can follow a scent.¡± Qilin muttered. ¡°You don¡¯t smoke often, I noticed. The scent of tobacco hasn¡¯t seeped into the walls of this room.¡±


    ¡°I am having a particularly stressful day.¡± Huang said. He could smell it clearly, as the smoke faded. He could smell the source of the scent.


    ¡°Ah, but then you¡¯d have the stench of mental fatigue about you, Madame Huang¡­¡± Qilin said, leaning in closer towards her. ¡°Rather than the stench of evil.¡±


    Splitting Fist, First Form: Woodcutter¡¯s Axe.Stolen story; please report.


    QIlin raised his arm up as though he were about to split a log. And while he was expecting a response from the Madame, something from behind restricted his attack.


    Qilin was dragged to the ground by a rope dart that had coiled around his wrist.


    Xu Qin held the rope in her hands, glaring at Qilin.


    Were the other prostitutes in league with the Madame? No, Xu Qin¡¯s stance was perfect. Each and every muscle in her body was relaxed, a trait only found in well trained martial artists. Who was this woman?


    Qilin snapped the rope and turned back to attack Madame Huang, but the woman was nowhere to be seen.


    He didn¡¯t wait around to figure out Xu Qin¡¯s connection to the Madame and threw his body against the wooden wall, crashing through to the outside.


    He landed on the dirt path and watched as Madame Huang rode past him on a galloping horse.


    Qilin inhaled for four seconds exactly, held it for four seconds, then let it go for four seconds. Well, it was as exact as he could get it. As he continued to breathe and near that perfect breath of exactly twelve seconds, blood rushed through his legs as he leaned forward and dashed after the horse. His Perfect Breaths powered continuous forward momentum in his body.


    As long as he breathed, his forward momentum would never die.


    Qilin had never tried to outrun a horse before, but as his legs started to burn, it didn¡¯t look like he¡¯d have the stamina to keep this up.


    Still, he never wavered.


    As Madame Huang gained more distance, Qilin launched himself into the air.


    Splitting Fist, Ninth Form: Iron Echoes.


    With a flash of movement, he kicked the air, sending a wave of wind hurtling towards the horse.


    The blade of air slashed through the surrounding bamboo stalks and cut through the hindquarters of the Madame¡¯s steed, causing it to collapse on her.


    Qilin approached his target, though without the intent to kill. Not yet, at least.


    He grabbed Madame Huang out from under the weight of the squirming horse and lifted her by the neck.


    ¡°Three years ago, there was a town in Fujian named Taoyuan.¡± Qilin growled. ¡°You were there, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    Madame Huang choked her answer out. ¡°Maybe I was. What does it matter to you?¡±


    ¡°Answer the question!¡± Qilin¡¯s grip around her throat tightened until he could almost feel his fingers wrapping around her windpipe.


    ¡°I was there!¡± Huang coughed out.


    ¡°Who ordered the attack?¡± Qilin roared.


    But before Huang had the chance to answer, he was forced to drop her when a rope dart slashed his side.


    Qilin whirled around, face contorted in rage. Only for a fist to ram into his gash like a geyser bursting through the ground.


    He crashed into a collection of bamboo stalks. The impact didn¡¯t affect him past his toughened skin, but the injury at his side sent waves of agony through him.


    Still, Qilin stood again, facing the perpetrator.


    Xu Qin had caught up to him. She flourished her rope dart before sinking into a defensive stance.


    He¡¯d seen this type of stance before. It was common among the Shuishi exorcists. Water stance monks.


    ¡°What the hell is an exorcist doing defending a demon?¡± Qilin growled.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing here, after the higher ups already sent me?¡± Xu Qin asked. ¡°I¡¯ve been at this for a month. I won¡¯t be upstaged by a damn metal stance monk.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re gonna get in my way, then I won¡¯t hold back from killing you too.¡± Qilin said.


    ¡°Oh really?¡± Xu Qin scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s rich! I¡¯m Shuishi! Water rusts metal.¡±


    Splitting Fist, Fourth Form: Clearing the Brush.


    Qilin¡¯s hand swept through a bamboo stalk, cutting it to the perfect size for an improvised bo staff. He flourished his new weapon before rushing in for an attack.


    The splitting fist was naturally weak as a fighting style against the drilling fist. But that would not stop Qilin from dispatching of this interloper.


    Qilin evaded a series of swipes from Xu Qin¡¯s rope dart as he closed in and slammed his staff into Xu Qin¡¯s side.


    The girl was thrown to the dirt.


    ¡°If you¡¯re really a Shuishi monk, shouldn¡¯t you be a tad bit more nimble?¡± Qilin asked.


    Xu Qin responded by leaping to her feet and charging at Qilin. He countered her attack by simply stepping forward and ramming his elbow into her.


    But Xu Qin¡¯s body seemed to warp around him as she appeared at his backside.


    Three strikes from her sent unyielding pain coursing through Qilin¡¯s body. Qilin collapsed, his body quivering with sudden weakness.


    But his mind broke through the agony and he managed to sweep Xu Qin¡¯s legs out from under her.


    Qilin stood over her, but before he could knock her out, Xu Qin kicked the back of his leg and threw a punch to his jaw from the ground.


    He attempted to crush her ribs with an elbow strike, but she managed to wrap herself around him and pin him to the ground.


    Qilin forced Xu Qin off of him with an awkward throw, but it did the job.


    He pushed himself to his feet, only to find that Huang had vanished once again.


    ¡°Damnit!¡± Qilin snapped.


    ¡°Shit! I am not sharing that bounty.¡± Xu Qin hissed as she stood.


    ¡°Qi si wo le, I would¡¯ve just given you the damn bounty if that¡¯s all you wanted!¡± Qilin sighed in exasperation.


    ¡°Wait, really?¡±


    Qilin huffed and turned towards the village. ¡°Never shoulda put my spade down.¡±


    ¡°N-now hold on, let¡¯s not part ways so quickly.¡± Xu Qin scurried in front of him. ¡°If you¡¯ll give me the bounty, I¡¯ll give you...whatever it is you want from all this. Let¡¯s help each other.¡±


    Qilin raised his eyebrows. ¡°Sorry if I¡¯m not very inclined to help someone as skittish about money as you are. And there are reasons beyond that I would insist you avoid me.¡±


    ¡°Well, I have an idea of where her den might be.¡± Xu Qin said. ¡°And you never know when you¡¯re gonna need some extra help on a job.¡±


    Qilin pursed his lips. ¡°Twenty-five, seventy-five, majority to you. I call the shots.¡±


    ¡°Done.¡± Xu Qin said a little too quickly.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go gather up my things. Meet me at the edge of town just after sundown.¡± Qilin started back towards the brothel.


    _____________________________________________________________


    Xu Qin fitted her black douli hat over her head, trying not to disturb the long, loose braid she¡¯d tied her hair into, as she squatted atop the roof of the brothel. The hat bore the character mie, printed in blue across the metal plating on the surface of the hat.


    She¡¯d opted for more practical clothing for combat, rather than a prostitute¡¯s dress. It felt good to get out of all that expensive silk. She wouldn¡¯t have to damage it anymore before selling it off.


    She had ensured to bring three rope darts this time and a meteor hammer, all coiled in the blue sleeveless garment draped over her improperly tied navy robes. Her forearms were wrapped in cloth, tied to her skin with coils of rope that could be pulled to increase the spin of her drilling fist.


    Who did the higher ups think they were, sending another exorcist to do her job?


    Sure, it was taking her a while, but a good job was never a rushed job. And a bad job invariably resulted in death. And she wasn¡¯t very keen on meeting her end so soon. If not for herself, then at least for her village.


    That iron skull was walking in the open moonlight, wearing reflective as hell white to sneak up on a Huli Jing.


    Xu Qin leapt from the second floor and landed gracefully on her feet, the impact being absorbed by her abnormally strong bones.


    ¡°You look about ready to just knock on her door and demand she surrender.¡± Xu Qin muttered. ¡°I thought we were waiting for night in order to sneak in.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how I do things.¡± Qilin muttered, sniffing the air.


    Ass.


    ¡°By all means, if you see an opportunity to catch her by surprise, be my guest,¡± the metal stance monk said. ¡°But I think it¡¯s unwise to try and outclass a demon in a skill they¡¯re probably better at than me by nature. Now, you said you knew where the den was?¡±


    ¡°I had an idea.¡± Xu Qin said. ¡°We¡¯re headed north.¡±


    Xu Qin sprinted towards the north of the village, the metal monk in close pursuit.


    Under the cover of night, the two were like shadows, indistinguishable from the silhouettes of branches and bamboo in the darkness.


    Eventually, Xu Qin climbed to the top of one of the bamboo stalks, causing it to lean.


    ¡°I¡¯ve followed Madame Huang out here about one a week for the past month.¡± Xu Qin said. ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯ve never gone much further than here. Can you smell her?¡±


    ¡°Wind¡¯s coming from the south.¡± Qilin said. ¡°If she¡¯s north of us, I won¡¯t smell a thing.¡±


    ¡°Mm...Alright, I¡¯ll see if I can hear anything.¡± Xu Qin cupped her ear. ¡°I was really expecting you to be a bit more useful.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ve misplaced your expectations,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Shut up, I need to hear.¡±


    Through all the wind and the animals that come out at night, Xu Qin could hear the faint sound of jingling chains. Likely the bindings for human prisoners. The noise echoed several times after reaching her ears. No doubt, bouncing off a cave wall.


    ¡°Got her.¡± Xu Qin said. ¡°Come on.¡±


    She slid down the bamboo stalk and proceeded to a small clearing in the forest, where she¡¯d heard the noise coming from.


    Further listening drew her to the edge of the clearing, which was actually a cliff. The sound was coming from a cave mouth on the side of the cliff.


    ¡°Hm...I¡¯ll bet you another twenty five percent of the bounty there¡¯s an easier way in.¡± Xu Qin looked at Qilin.


    The monk glanced over the cliff. ¡°No time. This way¡¯s easy enough.¡±


    Qilin jumped off the cliff without so much as a second thought and swung himself into the cave mouth.


    ¡°Ma de...Damn metal heads¡­¡± Xu Qin murmured to herself.


    She followed Qilin¡¯s tracks and managed to land inside the cave, though she stumbled a bit on her landing.


    Qilin had the gall to shush her.


    Part of Xu Qin really wished she¡¯d gone and studied Wood Stance for that sweet, sweet supernatural eyesight as Qilin started making his way deeper into the cave.


    ¡°Wh-what are you doing?¡± Xu Qin heard the voice of a very, very scared man, accompanied by his panicked heartbeat coming from another cavern.


    ¡°Filleting you. I can¡¯t afford to stay here anymore.¡± Madame Huang¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Wh-what? No! No, I beg of you, please don¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut your mouth. This was always going to be how it ended for you.¡±


    Qilin and Xu Qin crept into a larger cavern, where dim torchlight illuminated the jagged rocks and reflected off a pair of manacles that were bolted to the wall and restrained a man¡¯s wrists. Only a few meters away, Madame Huang was sharpening a rather nasty-looking knife.


    The two exorcists hid behind a large rock formation.


    Huang¡¯s body was no longer completely human. Along with the setting of the sun, the Huli Jing¡¯s nature was trying to release itself from her own shapeshifting.


    A pair of fox ears poked through her black hair and nine bushy tails spilled down her backside, like a second layer to her dress.


    Then, without warning, Qilin sprung up from their hiding spot and rushed at Huang.


    Idiot!


    Xu Qin didn¡¯t move as Huang noticed Qilin¡¯s charge.


    The fox demon summoned three spheres of blue fire in the air around her, launching them as projectiles at Qilin.


    The monk dove out of the way, as the balls of fire hit the ground, exploding in violent flashes of flames.


    ¡°Is that you, Mister Jin?¡± Huang asked. ¡°I felt it before. I can feel it now. What¡¯s that shadow you¡¯ve got behind you?¡±


    What? What was she going on about?


    Likely using a Perfect Breath, Qilin closed the distance between himself and Huang with supernatural speed, slamming the crescent shaped blade of his monk¡¯s spade against Huang¡¯s throat, sending her staggering backwards.


    ¡°Splitting fist, first form: Woodcutter¡¯s Axe!¡± Qilin¡¯s roar quickly followed the raising of his weapon overhead.


    But before Qilin could land his finishing blow, Huang scratched him across the chest with a set of razor sharp claws on her hand.


    Qilin and Huang both fought furiously. Qilin¡¯s movements were sharp, quick, and precise, not unlike a sword. Huang fought more like an animal, trying to maul her opponent more than actually kill him. Both had practically abandoned their own defense.


    Metal stance monks were all about moving quickly and being impatient. The style was a fool¡¯s excuse for kung fu.


    But while Xu Qin wouldn¡¯t respect the style, she had to admit it made for a great distraction. And entertainment, depending on the circumstances.


    But something about Qilin¡¯s metal stance was off. It was less like a sharpened sword and more like a red hot iron being swung about by a monk who¡¯d forgotten a good chunk of his training.


    So she waited in silence.


    Eventually, the fight brought itself towards her hiding spot.


    She waited until Huang was right in front of the rock she was watching from. Then, she could pounce.


    Drilling Fist, First Form: Scorching Geyser.


    Xu Qin slammed her fist against the rock in front of her and twisted her arm. The force caused the rock to shatter and fly out towards Huang right where she¡¯d hit.


    The blow caught Huang off guard, giving Xu Qin a chance to take over.


    She lashed out her rope dart, the blade piercing the Huli Jing¡¯s arm. Xu Qin yanked the demon towards her and refused to give her any reprieve as she struck Huang with her elbow, knee, and foot.


    Huang staggered right into Qilin as he used the flat of his monk¡¯s spade to crush the back of her skull, causing her to vomit up blood. He slammed the crescent blade of his weapon into her neck and pushed her up against the cave wall. A swift metal-stance kick elicited a nasty crack from the demon¡¯s ribs as she cried out in pain.


    The Huli Jing freed herself by coiling Qilin¡¯s weapon in those blue flames from before. The iron skull dropped his spade and leapt back, shaking the heat from his seared hand.


    Xu Qin quickly moved to take his place, having been given some time to rest.


    She started wrapping her rope dart around her body as she engaged Huang with a series of kicks. It was enough to take her focus away as Xu Qin loosed her weapon. It swung from over her shoulder, completely opposite to where her limbs were poised to strike.


    The dart ran through Huang¡¯s eye, bringing little more than a snarl to the demon¡¯s lips.


    Without decapitation, a demon was in no real danger of death. But that didn¡¯t make Xu Qin¡¯s attacks hurt any less.


    Xu Qin let go of the rope dart as azure fires consumed the twine.


    Both of them backed off somewhat, in need of a breather.


    Xu Qin pulled out her meteor hammer and started twirling it slowly. The weapon was constructed just like a rope dart, except the head was blunt. Better for crushing damage, which took longer for demons to regenerate.


    Huang didn¡¯t bother healing her eye. Rather, the Huli Jing took up a stance and began moving her arms very fluidly. Xu Qin recognized it as Tai Chi.


    She was accessing the Tao.


    Xu Qin¡¯s eyes widened. Ordinarily, yaoguai and other demons had nominal access to Taoist sorcery. But to go so far as to channel the Tao¡¯s power into oneself? That took extensive training, even for the Wu Tang...


    Qilin joined Xu Qin as she took up a defensive stance, kicking his spade back into his hands.


    Under a demon¡¯s control, energies of the Tao were different from a human¡¯s usage. More...physical. More dangerous. Any iron-skulled attempt to cut her off could result in everyone in this cavern going up in flames.


    Huang¡¯s body began to contort and shift. She became more fox-like, though still maintaining a humanoid appearance.


    However, as the guise of humanity lifted from the demon, Xu Qin could hear the crackles of power in the air around her.


    When her transformation was finished and there was no longer any danger in intervening, Qilin immediately rushed in for the kill.


    The Huli Jing knocked Qilin¡¯s spade away and sent him flying into the cave wall with one palm strike.


    ¡°Your paths end here, monks!¡± Huang snarled.


    Huang made a move towards Qilin and without even really thinking about it, Xu Qin launched her meteor hammer out to try and grab the yaojing¡¯s attention.


    Huang grabbed the hammer with her bare hand and yanked on it, dragging Xu Qin towards her. Xu Qin rolled to her feet before she lost balance, but was assaulted by a flurry of claw strikes.


    Xu Qin had to bear the brunt of two of them before she managed to evade one and catch Huang in the jaw with a quick jab.


    Drilling Fist, Third Form: Hailstorm.


    Xu Qin unleashed a storm of blows, each working into the small crevasses and acupuncture points of the human body.


    But all of that seemed to have no effect on demonic physiology. Either that, or the Tao was preventing any interruption to the flow of the Huli Jing¡¯s qi.


    Xu Qin let herself be on the backfoot as Huang¡¯s attacks pushed her further and further away. Once out of arm¡¯s reach, Huang summoned another volley of azure flames, much faster than before.


    Xu Qin had to duck and dive around the projectiles, her movement completely under the control of the Huli Jing.


    One of the fiery spheres landed within a meter of her and exploded, sending her body flying like a ragdoll and scorching her right arm.


    She landed hard against the cave floors, pain coursing through every inch of her body.


    At least now she knew why the bounty was so high¡­


    Xu Qin tried to lift herself off the ground, but her right half wouldn¡¯t respond to her brain¡¯s commands.


    Ta ma de¡­


    She was out of this fight. And if Huang kept it up with the fire, she was as good as dead.


    Huang summoned yet more blue fireballs around herself, while Xu Qin was forced to just watch as the Huli Jing was allowed a free shot at her.


    ¡°Splitting Fist, Fourth Form: Clearing the Brush.¡±


    The tip of a dao sword swept across Huang¡¯s abdomen. Her balls of flame vanished as blood started leaking out from her stomach.


    Both Xu Qin and Huang stared at the wound, shocked for different reasons.


    Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, Qilin grabbed the Huli Jing¡¯s top half of her now severed body and dragged it away from her lower half.


    Huang screamed in panic, ¡°No! No! Unhand me, you moron! Let me go!¡± she tried to scratch, claw, and struggle from the iron skull¡¯s grasp.


    ¡°I asked you a question earlier today.¡± Qilin threw Huang against the cave wall. ¡°Taoyuan. Who ordered its destruction?¡±


    ¡°If I tell you, let me live!¡± Huang half pleaded, half demanded.


    ¡°How about,¡± Qilin muttered, a subtle growl behind his voice. ¡°I instead offer you a clean cut to the neck. I¡¯m sure you¡¯d prefer that to the twenty odd minutes I¡¯d be spending, cutting through your neck with a rope dart.¡±


    ¡°You...you¡¯re supposed to be a monk! A Buddhist monk!¡± Huang screamed. ¡°Show some damn mercy!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in no position to be making demands.¡± Qilin drew a severed rope dart, one he¡¯d cut earlier during his and Xu Qin¡¯s skirmish and began sawing the blade at Huang¡¯s neck.


    ¡°No! Please! I don¡¯t know! I don¡¯t know who made the order!¡± Huang pleaded.


    For every moment this display continued, Xie Wei¡¯s eyes felt like they were getting wider. True, Huang was a Taoist sorcerer, a rival to Shaolin Buddhism, and without a temple, the moral codes travelling monks abided by were loose, but...this was barbaric.


    ¡°Then you¡¯re of no use to me.¡± Qilin muttered.


    The rope dart broke Huang¡¯s skin. She thrashed and squirmed as she wailed in agony. The dart was very slowly making its way around her neck.


    Xu Qin tried to turn her head and look away, but it seemed she was unable to do even that.


    ¡°P-p-please! I...I know who told me about it! Maybe he knows!¡± Huang cried.


    ¡°Names.¡± Qilin said.


    ¡°G-general Cao Zheng! Stationed in Guangdong, I think!¡± Huang gasped in the small moment of respite she had. ¡°H-he¡¯s a bull demon!¡±


    ¡°See? Was that so hard?¡± Qilin set the rope dart down.


    Even though she was a demon, Xu Qin still hoped he would spare Huang after all he¡¯d put her through.


    Unfortunately, Qilin stuck to his word. He grabbed his dao and decapitated her in one swift blow.


    Her torso collapsed to the ground, while he still held her head in his hand.


    The corpse started to dissolve into ash, as most demons did once they were dead.


    Qilin sheathed his blade and walked over to Xu Qin. Somehow, she knew he wouldn¡¯t hurt her. But that didn¡¯t need to be the case for the fear pounding away in her chest to exist.


    He knelt and investigated her wounds.


    She could hear his breaths. They were quivering and uneven. He gulped, like he was trying to swallow bile in his throat.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty badly burned¡­¡± Qilin muttered. ¡°We should...we should get you to a physician.¡±


    ¡°Hey¡­¡± Xu Qin groaned. ¡°What...what was that? About Taoyuan?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing you need to concern yourself with.¡± Qilin said as he picked her up and started carrying her out of the cave.


    ¡°H-hey! What about me?¡±


    Oh right. There was a prisoner.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back to get my spade. Maybe I¡¯ll consider letting you go then.¡± Qilin scoffed.


    Xu Qin didn¡¯t know what to think of the man before her.


    All she could really do was take solace in the fact that there seemed to be at least a bit of his humanity left.

 Solidarity, Part 1

    Qilin looked out across the massive stretch of river before him, shifting the rudder of his tiny sampan fishing boat that he¡¯d bought off a fisherman a long way northeast.


    Vibrant greenery and vegetation of the forests seemed to act like curtains to the massive mountains in the distance.


    Qilin had never really thought about travelling to Guangdong before, but were his quest not so grim, he would¡¯ve considered settling down here in his old life.


    The vast stretches of green contrasted perfectly against the blue skies. The pillar-like mountains, carved by rivers into poles that seemed to hold up the sky were...well, there wasn¡¯t any way to express it aside from majestic.


    In all his travels, Qilin had never really taken the time to absorb the natural beauty of the world around him. A value that was practically beaten into him during his time in training. But through every moment of his journey to become an exorcist, he only ever had one goal in mind.


    He only had the time to appreciate the scenery now because it would distract him from something else during this long trip down the Dong river.


    The one thing interrupting his awe was the heavy, heavy scent of animal musk in the air.


    ¡°You know, you still haven¡¯t told me why you¡¯re after this general. I have a feeling you¡¯re gonna get sick of hearing about it enough to spill your secrets.¡±


    Qilin didn¡¯t so much as offer a glance of acknowledgement to Xu Qin.


    ¡°And you still haven¡¯t told me why you¡¯re following me.¡± Qilin muttered.


    The young water stance monk sat up from her position lounging against the side of the boat. ¡°Really? Huh. Well, you¡¯re after a bull demon, right? Those guys have huge bounties on them. Plus the fact that exorcists are rare in the south, that means I¡¯ll probably get three times as much money as I would killing a baigujing up north.¡±


    ¡°What are you even going to do with all that money?¡± Qilin asked. ¡°Humiliate your future husband?¡±


    ¡°Bold of you to ask me about my motivations when you won¡¯t reveal your own.¡± Xu Qin crossed her arms and grinned like the smug brat she was.


    ¡°Whatever.¡± he sighed.


    ¡°I, uh...I also lost my copy of the Bai Ze Tu some time ago when I started the job in Fujian.¡± Xu Qin murmured.


    Qilin grabbed a small leather-bound book from inside his shenyi and tossed it to Xu Qin.


    ¡°You can have mine.¡± Qilin said. ¡°Honestly, why do they even bother making us carry these things around when the Bai Ze themselves show up to brief us on jobs?¡±


    ¡°I find them rather useful,¡± Xu Qin said. ¡°A Bai Ze isn¡¯t always gonna have time to tell you everything.¡±


    A scent of immense magic invaded Qilin¡¯s nostrils.


    ¡°What¡¯s that...noise?¡± Xu Qin muttered.


    Qilin and Xu Qin both followed their senses and looked to the left, towards the riverbank.


    A small, hunched over white goat leapt along the banks, the eyes of his human face locked on the two monks. The terrifying stillness of an old man¡¯s grinning face followed them.


    A Bai Ze.


    Qilin and Xu Qin both stood in their boat and bowed to the creature.


    Jueyuan. Very near to the south. Hurry. Danger.


    The Bai Ze¡¯s withered voice projected into each of their minds before the creature leapt into the foliage, vanishing.


    ¡°See what I mean?¡± Xu Qin asked.


    Qilin sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not taking the job. If you want to, I¡¯ll be docking at the nearest town to stock up on food and supplies later today. But if you get into trouble, don¡¯t expect me to rush in and save you.¡±


    But Xu Qin was already looking up the creature in her Bai Ze Tu.


    ¡°Jueyuan...Jueyuan...There we go.¡± Xu Qin muttered. ¡°Navy blue simian-like creature...thousand year old monkey...has a habit of...kidnapping women and forcing them to bear its children¡­¡±


    A shiver traveled down Qilin¡¯s spine.


    Death, he could handle. Massacres, were almost commonplace in this line of work. But something about those demons that kidnapped humans without the intention of eating them, but to just violate them, made him deeply uncomfortable. Xu Qin was probably even more off put. But then again, she didn''t have the personal experience with such things that Qilin had. By exorcist standards, she was still green.


    ¡°I...I think I¡¯ll pass on that one.¡± Xu Qin sighed.


    ¡°Wise.¡± Qilin said. ¡°Though the Bai Ze said it was ¡®very near¡¯. But I don¡¯t smell anything. Can you hear him?¡±


    Xu Qin shook her head. ¡°I just hear songbirds and insects.¡±


    ¡°Well, stay vigilant.¡± Qilin muttered.


    Qilin steered the boat through a narrower, but more rapid part of the river that flowed underneath a line of overhanging trees.


    Then a navy blue lump dropped from the sky and landed on the sampan, hunched over. A pair of golden eyes stared at Qilin, before quickly shifting to Xu Qin.


    His shadow flickered to life with an irritating itch in the back of his mind.


    Qilin scrambled to stand up and grab his monk¡¯s spade.


    That musk. It was stronger than ever.


    The demon was using its own natural musk to mask the scent that usually lingered on a demon¡¯s body from hell.


    Splitting Fist, Sixth Form: Thrusting Spear.


    Qilin dashed forward. His monk¡¯s spade thrusted out, with more range than expected as he dislocated his own shoulder for an extra bit of reach.


    The Jueyuan ducked under Qilin¡¯s attack and grabbed onto his wrist with its tail before he could retreat.


    Qilin grunted in pain as the demon tugged on his arm, preventing him from relocating his joint.


    He was only given reprieve when Xu Qin unleashed her drilling fist. Her attack missed the surprisingly nimble demon, but the resulting force was enough to rock the boat, putting the monkey off its balance.


    Qilin relocated his shoulder and attempted to hold the Jueyuan back with the crescent blade on his weapon, but the creature closed in and unloaded a flurry of attacks that sent him reeling back.


    That monkey¡¯s movements were far too honed and precise to just be the wild rampaging of a demon.


    Qilin was on the backfoot, parrying powerful spinning kicks and palm strikes from this creature.


    Who the fuck had taught a demon kung fu? Wu Tang? A rogue master? A shapeshifter?


    It didn¡¯t help that he had to watch five limbs on this enemy instead of four. And that he had to mind his balance, compensating for his enemy''s movements to avoid capsizing.


    Qilin managed to turn his momentum around by stepping past the striking range of the Jueyuan¡¯s limbs and jamming the crescent blade into the monkey¡¯s throat.


    Xu Qin swung her meteor hammer, cracking the metal sphere on the back of the monkey¡¯s skull, not giving the creature an opportunity to recover.


    Splitting Fist, Third Form: Ironsmith¡¯s Cleansing.


    Qilin leapt into the air and brought the flat of his monk¡¯s spade down with violent speed towards the dazed demon¡¯s head. But his weapon didn¡¯t make contact.


    Instead, a flash of navy blue slammed into his abdomen so hard, he flew out of the Sampen and landed in the raging river with an eruption of white water.


    Unable to get his footing, Qilin swirled and spun, banging extremities of his body off rocks or getting cut on jagged edges.


    He tried to stay afloat, but beyond the fact that he was trying to navigate rapids, he could barely swim.


    In his attempts to resurface for air, he saw little of the boat. But of what he could see...it was empty.


    __________________________________________________________________


    Qilin¡¯s first impulse was to vomit.


    He coughed and gagged as water spilled up from his lungs. He turned himself onto his stomach in the silt of the riverbank, trying to spit up as much liquid as possible.


    Qilin took in his surroundings.


    On the river behind him, his Sampan had been reduced to driftwood. The Jueyuan and Xu Qin were nowhere to be seen. And Qilin couldn¡¯t figure out if the demon had even left, since the creature had no scent. Or at least, not among the present stench of animal life.


    ¡°Xiansheng! Are you alright?¡±


    Qilin glanced around the river bank and spotted three young boys, caked in mud, approaching him. He staggered to his feet and rolled his relocated shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, boy.¡± Qilin muttered. One of the boys was dragging his spade through the mud. ¡°Oi. I need that spade back.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± the boy exclaimed, ¡°But it¡¯s mine! I found it!¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°A kid like you shouldn¡¯t be carrying a monk¡¯s spade.¡± Qilin said. ¡°Especially when its owner isn''t afraid to throw said kid into a river.¡±


    The boy pouted, but reluctantly dropped the weapon.


    Qilin picked it up and chose not to sling the mud-covered spade over his back.


    ¡°You boys live near here?¡± Qilin asked.


    They nodded and proceeded to run off. It took him a second to figure out they wanted him to follow them.


    Qilin gritted his teeth. He was essentially forced to take this job whether he wanted to or not. Yet another delay on his path.


    Part of him thought he should just leave and move on. If Xu Qin had never followed him, neither of them would have to deal with this. In a way, it was her fault for following him.


    But he knew that was ridiculous.


    The only reason the damn thing went after them was because of his shadow. The tainted brand on his memory that drew evil spirits to him and caused demons to grow in strength if they were around him for long enough.


    Qilin rubbed the back of his neck, touching no physical evidence of the mark on his soul, but still fruitlessly attempting to wipe it away.


    Beyond that, the Jueyuan inspired a bloodlust in Qilin that he rarely felt. There was a kind of peace in death; an end to the suffering. But to be taken captive and violated¡ªto have your life completely altered and set by a vile injustice...That was far worse than simply dying.


    There was a power in that kind of violation. A power to forever torment somebody, without even being there. A power to plunge them into despair, unable to escape being haunted by their own minds¡­


    The village that the boys led Qilin to was far less packed than the typical village. All of the houses and buildings were made of a mixture of stone bricks and dull orange plaster, likely made from some kind of clay, with each building allowed its own spot of green for a number of uses.


    As per usual with the places he visited, people gave him looks.


    ¡°Come with me!¡± the boy who¡¯d picked up Qilin¡¯s spade said. ¡°My mama and baba will help wash your clothes.¡±


    Qilin looked down at himself and for the first time, saw how dirty he was.


    Black and white made no effort to hide the filth. He could at least use some time by a fire. Despite his endurance, his teeth were starting to chatter unless he forced his jaw shut.


    Qilin obliged the boy and followed him up the steep path that wound through the village, towards one of the higher elevated houses. He followed the boy through the wooden door and was met by a plethora of startled glances.


    The house was occupied by a woman nearing middle age, a young girl no older than twenty, and another boy of about twelve, as opposed to the boy who had led Qilin here, who looked to be no older than ten.


    ¡°Mama! I found this man by the river!¡± the boy exclaimed.


    The middle aged woman opened her mouth to speak, but held her tongue for a moment before looking Qilin up and down.


    ¡°My, you look rather exhausted, Heshang.¡± the woman said.


    ¡°I feel just fine.¡± Qilin muttered. ¡°All I¡¯m really looking for is some information. You see, I-¡±


    ¡°Well, you should at least stay for tea. We don¡¯t get very many visitors around these parts.¡± the woman turned to the girl. ¡°Xiao Min, go put a pot of tea on for our guest. Yazhu, go get a pair of dry clothes for him.¡±


    The middle boy and girl scattered to do their assigned tasks.


    ¡°Tai tai, I genuinely don¡¯t have time to receive hospitality.¡± Qilin said. ¡°A friend-¡±


    What was he talking about? Xu Qin was probably already done for. All he cared about was killing that damn monkey. He needed to buy a new boat anyway. And he needed every ounce of information he could get. There was no use in trying to rush the job.


    ¡°On second thought...thank you for welcoming me so warmly.¡± Qilin said. ¡°My name is Jin Qilin.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Chang Fei.¡± the woman smiled. ¡°My daughter is Chang Min. My eldest son is Yang Yazhu. My youngest is Chang Lin.¡±


    Qilin frowned. Why did her middle child have a different surname? He decided not to press her on it.


    Yazhu came back with a set of dry clothes. They seemed like they¡¯d be baggy on Qilin, undoubtedly belonging to whoever their father was.


    He was led to a room where he could change. While in there, he made sure to keep his dao strapped to his back, under the clothes. It wasn¡¯t the most convenient spot to put it, but he liked to have some kind of protection on him at all times.


    Qilin handed off his dirty clothes to Chang Fei¡¯s daughter, Min, and sat with the woman for tea at the circular table that took up most of the common space.


    ¡°So, Heshang Jin, what brings you here of all places?¡± Chang Fei asked.


    Qilin sighed and lowered his voice. ¡°There¡¯s a Jueyuan near this village. A navy monkey, as tall and strong as a man.¡±


    Chang Fei blinked, staring at her table. ¡°A...w-what?¡±


    ¡°Look, just...have any young girls gone missing from this village?¡± Qilin asked.


    Chang Fei seemed to have a difficult time focusing on what he was saying.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± His voice seemed to startle her. He furrowed his brow as suspicion started to creep up his back.


    The woman gulped and nodded, though she wouldn¡¯t meet his eyes. ¡°Yes, heshang. I¡¯m fine. I haven¡¯t heard much, but there was a girl who went missing just over a month ago. Though I know no more than that.¡±


    Qilin nodded. ¡°Has anyone gone looking for her?¡±


    ¡°There have been search parties, but...none have been able to find any clues as to her whereabouts.¡± Chang Fei said.


    ¡°Is there someone related to her I could talk to? Who may have seen what happened?¡±


    Chang Fei shook her head. ¡°Her grandfather died less than a week ago. Poor thing¡­he was the only relative she had left, I hear.¡±


    Qilin sighed. Back to square one.


    ¡°Well, if it¡¯s not too much to ask, do you mind if I stay in your home while I conduct my work?¡± Qilin asked. He grabbed some coins from a leather pouch assembled with his belongings and dropped them on the table next to Chang Fei. ¡°Will this cover my stay?¡±


    Chang Fei blinked. ¡°Oh my, this is very generous, heshang. We would be happy to host you during your stay. But really, you needn''t-¡±


    ¡°Chang Fei!¡± A disheveled man, overweight with age, stumbled through the house door. He threw a shovel to the ground. ¡°My spade¡¯s gone to shit. Have your brat get me a new one¡­¡±


    Qilin recoiled at the strong stench of rice wine and sweat.


    Chang Fei¡¯s head snapped up, at attention. ¡°Of course, dear. Yazhu¡­¡± She looked at her oldest son, who seemed hesitant to pick up the shovel, but did so anyway, and left.


    ¡°Huh? Who¡¯s this?¡± The man nodded towards Qilin as Chang Fei stood and offered him her seat.


    ¡°This is Heshang Jin, an exorcist.¡± Chang Fei said. ¡°This is my husband, Chang Yun.¡±


    ¡°An exorcist? A Buddhist exorcist?¡± Chang Yun asked, scrunching his wide nose up. ¡°We don¡¯t want your kind here, foreigner!¡±


    ¡°Lao Gong, don¡¯t be rude¡­¡±


    ¡°Shaddup!¡± Yun growled. ¡°These damn Buddhists have been unwelcome on our soil for hundreds of years! The Qing finally do something useful and burn down that damn temple and they¡¯re still around? We have our own exorcists!¡±


    Qilin narrowed his eyes. ¡°Not that it matters...but I¡¯m every bit as Han as you are.¡± Qilin stood and drew his face within centimeters of Chang Yun. ¡°And Han or not, I¡¯m here to kill something that could easily skewer hundreds of your likes in an instant. So unless you wanna take a trip to Diyu today, I suggest you keep your unsolicited thoughts to yourself.¡±


    Chang Yun broke eye contact. No matter what someone thought of the Shaolin monks, it was no question that anyone who invoked their wrath would be very sorry, very quickly.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re here for that...uh, that monkey, right?¡± Chang Yun muttered.


    Qilin frowned. ¡°How do you know about it?¡±


    Chang Yun matched Qilin¡¯s frown and glanced towards Chang Fei, whose eyes were focused on the floor.


    ¡°This man¡¯s here to finally do away with that thing for good and you didn¡¯t tell him?¡± Chang Yun demanded. ¡°Speak, woman!¡±


    Qilin stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Mister Chang. She may tell me what she likes. I¡¯ll kill that thing either way.¡± He glanced back towards Chang Fei. ¡°It would be really helpful if you could elaborate on what he means, though.¡±


    Chang Fei took a few deep, quivering breaths. ¡°Th-this...Jueyuan, you called it?¡±


    Qilin nodded.


    ¡°That...thing...when I was a girl, i-it...it took me¡­¡± Chang Fei murmured.


    Qilin took a sharp breath, conveying his understanding through that method.


    ¡°That c-creature is Y-Yazhu¡¯s father...It made me bear its child!¡± Chang Fei covered her mouth with one hand as her breaths devolving into quivering sobs.


    Chang Fei collapsed to her knees, tears spilling from her eyes. Only her daughter rushed to comfort her.


    Qilin stared at her, unshaken, but still solemn. He was more occupied with the strange fact that Yazhu looked completely human. He hadn¡¯t smelled anything strange from the boy either.


    Chang Yun turned to him. ¡°You see? If you can kill that son of a bitch, I¡¯ll be in your debt, heshang. Buddhist or not. That damn demon put a bastard child in my wife. If you¡¯ll help restore my honor, I¡¯ll do what I can to help you.¡±


    Qilin wanted to twist his face in disgust. He was a lone killer. He didn¡¯t know these people. And what kind of husband only cared to see his wife¡¯s rapist dead for the sake of his own honor?


    ¡°Can you help me?¡± Qilin asked.


    ¡°I, uh...You show me where it is and I can give it a thrashing! I used to serve in the army, you know.¡± Chang Yun said.


    Qilin scoffed under his breath and looked to Chang Fei, who was still crying, but had calmed somewhat from her initial breakdown. ¡°Chang tai tai. If you were a victim of this thing, that means you know where its den is, right? Point me in the right direction and it¡¯ll be dead by sunrise tomorrow.¡±


    Chang Fei shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s no use. He...the demon...changes location every so often. I was released over ten years ago¡­¡± Her words were still impeded by choked up heaves. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know where he is.¡±


    Qilin was about to respond, but saw the glint of the orange sunset streaming through the window.


    It was already this late?


    ¡°Shit¡­¡± Qilin growled.


    His mark would soon start trouble. He could already feel the prickling at the back of his mind.


    But...if the Jueyuan was nearby, perhaps the mark could be used to his advantage.


    The stain on Qilin¡¯s soul drew the attention of demons. It didn¡¯t force them to come to him or summon them nearby, but it would heavily suggest their path. Moreso in the night than in the day.


    If he could get something to draw the Jueyuan in addition to his mark, he could force a confrontation.


    That¡¯s what happened on the Sampan. A young girl like Xu Qin, plus the mark¡­


    ¡°Mister Chang¡­¡± Qilin grabbed his coin purse. ¡°I need to borrow your daughter.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Chang Yun and Chang Fei both exclaimed.


    Chang Min glanced up, her eyes as wide as lilypads.


    Qilin dumped out his coin purse on the table. ¡°I¡¯ll bring her back to you safely. But I need to draw out the demon.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Chang Fei gritted her teeth. ¡°Absolutely not!¡±


    But Chang Yun¡¯s eyes widened with greed.


    ¡°Mama, what¡¯s happening?¡± Min asked as her mother held her tightly.


    ¡°Fei¡­¡± Chang Yun muttered, still looking at the coins. ¡°Let him take her...¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Chang Fei screamed. Her eyes moved to Qilin, shaking with fear.


    Qilin didn¡¯t have time to waste. Night was falling. He pulled Chang Fei off of Min and grabbed the girl by the wrist. ¡°I won¡¯t let any harm come to her.¡± Qilin told the wailing mother as both of them protested. ¡°I promise.¡±


    ¡°No! No¡­¡± Chang Fei had no more strength left to resist and simply broke down in the middle of the house while Qilin dragged Min away.


    He had no time to waste.


    He didn¡¯t know these people¡­


    __________________________________________________________________________


    Xu Qin snorted awake, but was immediately assaulted by ringing in her head. That accompanied a multitude of panicked, quivering breaths that made her skull pound.


    She massaged her temples as she sat up.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± she groaned. Then, as all her memories returned, she remembered being kidnapped by the Jueyuan.


    Frantically, she felt about her body, ensuring her clothes were still intact and that nothing had happened.


    She sighed in relief upon finding no evidence of anything.


    But, she had been stripped of her coin purse, all her weapons, and the rest of her belongings.


    That damn yaoguai...if her coin purse had been lost, she¡¯d spin silk out of its guts.


    A dim campfire lit the small cavern she was in.


    What was it with demons and caves? Would it kill one of them to have a nice spa or a manor for a hideout?


    Around the fire, were huddled several shadowy figures. They weren¡¯t big enough to be more Jueyuan, but Xu Qin stayed on guard.


    She clambored to her feet and crept up on the figures.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± She snapped.


    In response, around twenty or so screams hit her head.


    ¡°Ta ma de!¡± Xu Qin clamped her hands over her ears and staggered, her head pounding more than before. She looked at the perpetrators, only to find a group of young, dirtied women all huddling away from Xu Qin in fear. ¡°Qi si wo le, give my damn ears a break!¡±


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re awake¡­¡± one of the girls muttered, almost surprised at that fact.


    ¡°You¡¯re damn right I¡¯m awake. I don¡¯t know how anyone could sleep with all that noise you¡¯re making!¡± Xu Qin hissed.


    ¡°Sorry, we thought you were...him.¡± the girl said.


    ¡°Lao Gong went to find us dinner¡­¡± Another one of the women, among the older ones around thirty or so, giggled as she spoke.


    Xu Qin wrinkled her nose. ¡°Did that lady just refer to the Jueyuan as her husband?¡± Xu Qin asked the younger girl.


    She nodded. ¡°Those who can¡¯t bear children...they stay with him so long they begin to just...accept things as they are.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Lovely. I¡¯m Xu Qin. I¡¯m a Shaolin exorcist.¡± Xu Qin sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯m called Yin Cai.¡± the younger girl said. ¡°We know you¡¯re an exorcist. Every so often, the creature captures one of you.¡±


    Xu Qin frowned. ¡°Wait, really? How many exorcists has it captured?¡±


    Yin Cai looked at one of the older women, whose eyes were particularly more lucid than the others her age.


    ¡°As far as I know...maybe three?¡± the woman said.


    ¡°Why?¡± Xu Qin asked. ¡°I understand going after the people wanting to kill you, but why capture us?¡±


    ¡°The creature likes exorcists¡­¡± Yin Cai said. ¡°He...seems to take pleasure in breaking them.¡±


    A shiver went down Xu Qin¡¯s back.


    ¡°S-so...the monkey¡¯s out and about, right? Did any of you see where he put my weapons?¡± Xu Qin sighed.


    Yin Cai pursed her lips. ¡°He kind of...threw your things into the river.¡±


    Xu Qin¡¯s fear gave way for a seething fire in her chest. Her fists clenched. She felt a vein about to pop in her temple.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna kill that son of a bitch.¡± Xu Qin muttered to herself. ¡°Throw my fuckin¡¯ coin purse in the river. Throw out my damn rope darts. Fine. I¡¯ll kill you with my bare fuckin¡¯ hands. And I¡¯ll enjoy it.¡± Though upon the check of her clothes, she still had two backup darts in her leg wraps.


    The part of her mind that wasn¡¯t a fool demanded she calm herself. She got into this scenario in the first place because she wasn¡¯t able to defeat that demon.


    Without weapons and without backup, she wouldn¡¯t be able to puzzle out a way to beat this thing without seeing the extent of its abilities. But she wasn¡¯t going to wait around to meet him.


    ¡°Tell me.¡± Xu Qin said. ¡°What¡¯s stopping us from just...walking out of the cave right now, hm? He¡¯s not here.¡±


    ¡°He seals the exit with a giant boulder.¡± Yin Cai said. ¡°We¡¯ve tried, but we can¡¯t move it. There¡¯s only enough space for air and smoke to travel in and out.¡±


    A giant boulder? Her drilling fist could do some damage to stone, but...she wasn¡¯t a Wu Tang martial artist. She couldn¡¯t control her flow of qi that well. Or at least, not well enough to prevent her hand from shattering before she could punch through it.


    Onto another plan, then. ¡°This Jueyuan...does he go for the fresh meat first or does he let them...I don¡¯t know, marinate for a few days.¡±


    ¡°Marinate?¡± Yin Cai asked.


    ¡°Look, I haven¡¯t exactly made a habit of kidnapping people.¡± Xu Qin shrugged. ¡°Will he try and...attack me tonight? Am I on a clock?¡±


    Yin Cai considered for a moment, then nodded. ¡°Sometimes, he gives us time to warm up to him...well, maybe that¡¯s the wrong way to put it. But for exorcists? The more they resist, the more he likes it.¡±


    Xu Qin wanted to vomit.


    ¡°How¡¯s that bastard so good at fighting anyway?¡± Xu Qin asked.


    ¡°He gives them a choice sometimes.¡± Yin Cai said, her face somehow growing even more solemn. ¡°He gives all of us a choice, actually. If we can teach him a skill of noteworthy value, he¡¯ll let us go without...planting his seed. That includes Kung Fu. But most of us are just farmgirls. We don¡¯t know any skills.¡±


    Xu Qin grumbled to herself. Her only hope of really getting the upper hand here was to delay the Jueyuan. If that meant teaching the demon kung fu, well...she didn¡¯t really have a choice.


    She picked up a sharp rock off the ground. Otherwise, the rock was her best bet.


    Some part of her wished that Qilin would have the heart to come help her. She wanted to believe he still had the decency to do that.


    But he made it more than clear he never wanted her on this trip.


    So despite the shivers of abject terror that tried to make their way to the surface, she had to do this herself.

 Solidarity Part 2

    Jahangir Alam wasn¡¯t sure what to think as he rode into the tiny farming village atop his loyal steed, Shamal.


    A man in a white shenyi, clearly wearing an exorcist¡¯s douli, stood atop one house, forcibly wrangling a young girl.


    He tipped back his own douli, printed with the character mie in vibrant green, to get a better look at it.


    The girl was clearly trying to resist him. And he could see another woman on her knees at the ground, seeming to beg the man for...well, presumably the girl.


    He drew his bow.


    He would stick to deterrence. If it proved to be a misunderstanding, there was no harm in apologizing.


    Jahangir kicked Shamal¡¯s sides, knocking an arrow into his short bow.


    He fired, aiming towards a spot really close to the man¡¯s foot. The arrow hit its target, startling the man, but not truly fazing him.


    ¡°Oi!¡± he called up to the man as he approached. ¡°What exactly is going on here?¡±


    The man glanced down at him and sighed. ¡°Another one?¡±


    The woman on the ground was indeed crying and wailing, though she had calmed her cries to look up at Jahangir.


    ¡°First, they sent me a prostitute and now a Uyghur Shaolin monk?¡± the man scoffed. ¡°Now I think the higher-ups are just trying to get a reaction from me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d best let go of that girl, xiongdi. She doesn¡¯t seem to appreciate whatever it is you¡¯re doing there.¡± Jahangir said.


    ¡°You¡¯re wood-stance, right?¡± the man asked. ¡°Look, just...leave your hero complex out of this until I do my job. I¡¯m here to kill a demon. After that, I¡¯ll let her go.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t do that, xiongdi.¡± Jahangir said. ¡°I¡¯ve sworn an oath to defend all women.¡±


    The monk furrowed his brow. ¡°...why? Just on a practical level, that sounds like an absurdly stupid idea.¡±


    ¡°Even so, I must stick to that oath. Now unhand that girl.¡± Jahangir said.


    ¡°Ta ma de...¡± the monk muttered. ¡°Fine. Help protect this woman from the Jueyuan that¡¯s on his way here.¡±


    ¡°Please!¡± the woman on the ground pleaded to Jahangir, tears streaming from her eyes. ¡°You have to save my daughter! Please keep her safe!¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± Jahangir nodded. That alone, with the conviction in his voice, was enough to make the woman¡¯s sobs subside. ¡°A Jueyuan? I suppose that thing would do far more damage to a woman than you could do.¡± Jahangir sighed. ¡°Very well. My name is Jahangir Alam, or Fang Zhange.¡±


    ¡°Jin Qilin.¡± Qilin said.


    ¡°Well met, brother Jin.¡± Jahangir dismounted Shamal and clambered onto the rooftop to join Qilin. ¡°You could at least stop handling her so roughly.¡±


    Jahangir pulled the girl from Qilin¡¯s grasp and patted her on the shoulder.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Jahangir asked.


    The girl nodded.


    ¡°Sorry about all this. But we¡¯ll keep you safe.¡± Jahangir said.


    ¡°Keep your eyes on the forests.¡± Qilin said. ¡°The wind¡¯s not letting me pick up its scent.¡±


    Jahangir knocked another arrow into his bow and scanned the outskirts of the village from atop their perch. ¡°Are you certain the Jueyuan will come?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡± Qilin said, rubbing the nape of his neck.


    As if on cue, a rush of motion crossed Jahangir¡¯s vision.


    He locked his eyes on it as the shadow leapt up onto a roof and fired an arrow at it before it could get its footing. Though, the creature flattened itself against the roof as the arrow passed overhead.


    Despite the dim moonlight, Jahangir could see clearly that it was a simian creature, taller than both him and Qilin.


    ¡°There!¡± Jahangir pointed to the Jueyuan.


    He loosed arrow after arrow, but the demon moved with such blinding speed that his shots simply missed.


    As the Jueyuan closed in from rooftop to rooftop, Qilin threw himself at the creature, tackling it out of the air and slamming it through the wall of the house it had just jumped from.


    Qilin was thrown out from the cloud of dust that resulted from the impact, so Jahangir jumped down and landed a round kick to the monkey¡¯s jaw before it could try to escape.


    He grabbed the Jueyuan and tried to lock up its limbs, but the demon threw him off. Jahangir rolled to his feet and assumed a fighting stance.


    The Jueyuan assumed its own fighting stance.


    Jahangir furrowed his brow.


    What?


    ¡°That thing knows wushu. I don¡¯t know how, but it does.¡± Qilin said, drawing a dao from his back.


    Jahangir roared and rushed at the Jueyuan.


    Crushing Fist, first form: Falling Timber.


    He flipped into the air and brought his leg down with the same power and appearance as a falling tree.


    The demon crossed his arms above its head and caught the kick. A shock wave of force rumbled throughout the ground beneath the both of them.


    Jahangir backed off as the demon shook out its arms.


    Impossible. No demon, not even another monk, should¡¯ve been able to withstand that attack. At the very least, he should have forced it to parry.


    What the hell was going on here?


    Jahangir charged again, but slipped under the Jueyuan, popping up behind it. His arms and legs slithered around the demon like vines around a tree.


    Crushing Fist, third form: Binding Ivy.


    Qilin kicked the demon in the chest before swinging the blade at the creature¡¯s neck. In order to prevent his own arm from getting cut, Jahangir let go of the Jueyuan.


    With its newfound freedom, the demon leaned back, causing Qilin¡¯s dao to only put a gash across the monkey¡¯s face.


    The wind left Jahangir¡¯s lungs like smoke from a fire as his body broke the Jueyuan¡¯s fall.


    He tried to keep the demon in place, but was kicked in the head as it launched off the ground.


    ¡°No!¡± a woman¡¯s scream echoed through the night.


    Jahangir leapt to his feet, shaking off his clouded mind. His fears were all but confirmed as he looked up at the rooftop he¡¯d been perched on.


    The girl was gone.


    Jahangir looked at Qilin, snarling. ¡°You! Because of you, that demon¡¯s made off with another girl!¡±


    ¡°He never would¡¯ve gotten free if you had left his neck open.¡± Qilin replied, annoyingly apathetic. ¡°Demons can only be killed by decapitation. What made you think that grappling his neck would help?¡±


    ¡°How dare you try to pin this on me, you sick bastard? What¡¯s your plan now? To grab another woman¡¯s daughter and string her up as bait again?¡± Jahangir demanded.


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Qilin muttered. ¡°I already have all I need.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Qilin tapped his nose. ¡°I can smell its blood. From the gash.¡±


    Jahangir calmed down a bit at that. It didn¡¯t make him any less irritated, but if they had a way to track the demon down, they could rectify this mistake.


    ¡°You damn Shaolin!¡± the girl¡¯s mother screeched. ¡°Get out! Get out of our village! Bring back my daughter or I swear to the heavens I¡¯ll kill you! I¡¯ll kill all of you!¡±


    Though clearly too weak to stand against a trained martial artist and too distraught to stand up straight, Jahangir¡¯s throat clenched at the mother¡¯s words as she screamed at him.


    He deserved far more than this for his failure.


    _________________________________________________________________


    Xu Qin breathed as softly as a butterfly¡¯s wings as the long, lanky silhouette of the Jueyuan met the light of the fires in the cave.


    She watched from a hiding place among the rock formations in the cavern.


    The Jueyuan had another girl over its shoulder.


    As those who had gone mad enough to love the demon greeted the smug creature with kisses, the others kneeled in its presence. Yin Cai¡¯s eyes kept glancing over towards Xu Qin.


    Stop looking at me, moron¡­


    Four seconds in. Four seconds holding. Four seconds out.


    Xu Qin still had trouble achieving Prefect Breath, but she could get close enough. Her fingers clenched so tight around the stone in her hand that the rock started digging into her flesh.


    The Jueyuan set the unconscious girl¡¯s body down and stretched, before looking over his women.


    ¡°Heshang¡­¡±


    Xu Qin¡¯s eyes widened, her perfect breaths stumbling.


    How? How was this possible? What was up with this damn monkey? First, it can fight. Now it can speak?


    And that was besides the fact that the creature had just called for a monk. For her.


    Unwilling to let the older women rat her out, Xu Qin leapt from her hiding spot.


    She regained her perfect breaths and closed the distance between her and the Jueyuan.


    Drilling Fist, fourth form: Winding River.


    The demon attempted to grab her, but she slithered around it and slam the rock in her hand into the Jueyuan¡¯s head.


    But before she could land another blow, the demon¡¯s tail wrapped around her wrist and threw her to the ground.


    Her heart beat as fast as a rabbit, and she felt the urge to vomit. But getting out of here was a higher priority than anything she wished to do right now.


    She tried to stand, but was forced to the ground by the Jueyuan stomping on her chest with one of its filthy paws.


    Xu Qin glared up at the creature, the anger in her face threatening to break under the terror.


    The Jueyuan¡¯s heaving calmed for a moment and in that second, Xu Qin thought she could see some kind of...empathy in its eyes. As if it were being forced to hold her down.


    An act of impulsive defiance made her try to hit the acupuncture points on his leg, but his tail bound her hand before she even crossed half the distance.


    The monkey¡¯s paw stepped her other hand on, fully pinning her to the ground.


    She struggled and fought, but it was all to no avail.


    The Jueyuan snarled and roared, that simple act of intimidation causing Xu Qin¡¯s conviction to evacuate. It gave way to violent floodwaters of disillusionment and horror.


    All she could do was...cry.


    Xu¡¯s body trembled under its grip, beyond her control. Her nostrils flared and muscles tensed beyond her control. Her heartbeat thrashed in her ears, beyond her control.


    ¡°I am called¡­Shun,¡± The Jueyuan¡¯s voice scratched against the inside of its throat like a rock being dragged against concrete. ¡°...you exorcists...you killed my father. He was...like me. Then...you come to kill my first wife...then my son...you take...most sacred thing from me...so now...I take from you...most sacred thing.¡±


    Xu Qin¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°Why?¡± She hadn¡¯t been thinking when she asked it, but the heat of courage rose in her again with that question. ¡°What do you think violating me will do? You think it¡¯ll make you feel powerful? You think it¡¯ll bring the people you¡¯ve lost back?¡±


    The Jueyuan¡ªor Shun, as it had dubbed itself¡ªblinked.


    ¡°All this...At least with the exorcists, it¡¯s just petty revenge.¡± Xu Qin said. ¡°It won¡¯t make anything better. If anything, it makes you worse than the people who killed your family.¡±


    ¡°How...How you know this?¡± Shun asked.


    ¡°You...you give deals to some of us, right?¡± Xu Qin asked. ¡°Knowledge for our freedom?¡±


    Shun nodded, loosening his grip on her. ¡°What you have...to teach.¡±


    ¡°The folly of revenge¡­¡± Xu Qin let out a trembling, but more confident, breath. ¡°If you spend your whole life trying to repay your enemies...then all your actions are based around your enemies. All your choices are determined by your enemies. Then you don¡¯t really really control your life, do you?¡±


    ¡°I...I am...what...you mean?¡±


    ¡°Just let me go¡­¡± Xu Qin said. ¡°And I¡¯ll teach you.¡±


    Shun screamed in pain as a few hot droplets of liquid splattered against Xu Qin¡¯s face.


    Her eyes had been squeezed shut, though she hadn¡¯t consciously noticed it.


    The Jueyuan¡¯s eyes were as wide as plates, staring at the head of an arrow coming out of his shoulder.


    The mad women screamed in horror as Xu Qin heard the creak of a bow being drawn and the whirl of long polearm being flourished.


    ¡°Unhand her, fiend!¡± a voice she¡¯d never heard before demanded.


    A rush of adrenaline replaced Xu Qin¡¯s desperation as she took advantage of the opportunity. She grabbed onto the demon¡¯s tail and dragged him off her.


    At the entrance of the cave, two exorcist monks stood ready. One was Qilin. One was a man looking like he came from the far west, dressed in a dark green douli.


    After a moment to breathe and gather herself again, she joined the other two in preparing to fight the Jueyuan.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    But Shun just scrambled to his feet and ran deeper into the cave.


    ¡°It must be going after another exit.¡± Qilin said. ¡°After it!¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Xu Qin said. ¡°Let¡¯s just...get these women back to safety.¡±


    Qilin frowned. ¡°What? What about the bounty?¡±


    ¡°I...I don¡¯t care about that.¡± Xu Qin muttered.


    ¡°Well...I¡¯m killing this thing.¡± Qilin declared. ¡°If you want to help these women instead, fine. Go with Jaha-¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Xu Qin snapped. Qilin stopped and stared, which was the iron skull¡¯s equivalent to flinching. ¡°What the hell makes you think you¡¯ll be worth a damn in a one-on-one fight with that thing?¡±


    Qilin grimaced, but turned his back to the dark tunnel the Jueyuan had run to.


    ¡°All three of us can take it on together.¡± Xu Qin said. ¡°You, me, and Jahan-whatever.¡±


    ¡°Just...call me Zhange.¡± The other monk said.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Qilin muttered begrudgingly.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Zhange asked.


    Xu Qin hesitated for a moment, but nodded. ¡°The demon didn¡¯t actually have time to...do anything.¡±


    ¡°I would argue it¡¯s done quite a bit.¡± Zhange said, stowing his bow away. ¡°But if you¡¯re well enough to help escort these women, we don¡¯t have to speak on it.¡± the wood stance monk turned to the other women. ¡°Are any of you hurt? Will anyone have an issue descending the hill?¡±


    The women murmured in agreement that they could descend just fine. But Yin Cai spoke up.


    ¡°What about them?¡± She asked, pointing to the older women, who had gone back to blankly staring at the fire as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°Those women have been with the Jueyuan so long that they...actually started to love it.¡± Xu Qin said.


    Zhange gulped and looked at the older women, mouth partially open. ¡°I...I don¡¯t know what we do with them. Should we not also take them with us?¡±


    ¡°If we did,¡± Yin Cai said. ¡°They would not be able to return to their homes. They would not be able to function in society. But up here...they would no doubt starve or die or thirst.¡±


    ¡°Well then, we should take them with us, should we not?¡± Zhange asked. ¡°I am under oath to protect all women. Mad or not.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s stupid.¡± Xu Qin said. ¡°But...we can just let them starve to death.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re both missing the obvious answer here.¡± Qilin said. ¡°Kill ¡®em.¡±


    Everyone present, save the mad women, looked at Qilin like he was one of them.


    ¡°Just...hear me out on this.¡± Qilin said. ¡°What kind of life would we be giving them by taking them back to their village? The ones who come back after bearing the Jueyuan¡¯s children are almost considered less than human for the damage it does to her family¡¯s reputation. These women would be treated less than dogs. And I agree that letting them starve to death is cruel. So the only option is to grant them a quick death.¡±


    ¡°But-¡± Zhange started.


    ¡°But what, Jahangir?¡± Qilin asked. ¡°What kinder option is there? It may not seem nice, but it¡¯s the nicest we have to offer.¡±


    Xu Qin hated to agree with Qilin¡¯s method, but...he was right. Compared to the other options, death seemed a kindness.


    ¡°You all go one ahead.¡± Qilin muttered. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Xu Qin looked at Zhange, who seemed still opposed to the idea, yet resigned to the fact that there was no other way.


    The two of them led Yin Cai and the other girls out of the cave and started down the path back to the village.


    Then she heard screams.


    Only her ears could pick up on it.


    Xu Qin gulped, but continued on.


    _____________________________________________________________________


    Qilin only had to swallow a little of bile this time, as he caught up to his allies while they trekked down the hill, back towards the village.


    His eyes met with Chang Min, who quickly hid behind one of the other women. He pushed forward in the group and matched pace with Xu Qin and Jahangir.


    Neither of them seemed to be anything other than depressed.


    Usually it was the wood-stance monks who brightened the mood. But it seemed that would not happen.


    Xu Qin, he could understand. To have been so close to being assaulted like that was enough to make anyone shaken.


    But what did Jahangir have to be upset about? That a bunch of women he¡¯d never met were suffering? You couldn¡¯t feel sorrow and grief for every person who falls victim to a demon. At least, not as an exorcist. You¡¯d die of despair far too early.


    Well, they seemed to at least be vigilant. In their sulking, Xu Qin appeared to be intent on listening, and Jahangir was scanning the trees for any signs of movement.


    ¡°You know...more often than not, it¡¯s about power.¡± Qilin muttered.


    ¡°What?¡± Xu Qin asked. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Being violated¡­¡± Qilin said. ¡°The perpetrators do it to feel powerful. Even if nothing technically happened to you, it¡¯d still be fair to say that the demon managed to-¡±


    ¡°Can we not talk about this in front of...twenty odd victims?¡± Xu Qin nodded her head back at the women following them, who had been engaged in their own conversations. ¡°I¡¯m fine. And don¡¯t talk about things you know nothing about.¡±


    Qilin opened his mouth to respond, but kept quiet. It wasn¡¯t worth the trouble.


    This always happens. Why would it be any different this time?


    Qilin shouldered his spade and closed his eyes.


    He took a deep breath through his nostrils. Then he stopped in his tracks.


    ¡°What?¡± Jahangir asked.


    ¡°I smell smoke¡­¡± Qilin said. ¡°A lot of smoke.¡±


    Jahangir narrowed his eyes and looked ahead. ¡°The village! It¡¯s on fire!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Xu Qin exclaimed. ¡°How?¡± Her attention was drawn upwards. Qilin followed her gaze towards the heavens. ¡°Thunder¡­¡±


    Dark clouds swirled and coalesced into a single entity in the sky, blocking out even the moonlight. Flashes of lightning made the sky seem even darker than before.


    Qilin¡¯s eyes widened.


    He¡¯d seen this once before.


    Qilin took a Perfect Breath on his first try and surged with forward momentum, sprinting towards the village as fast as his legs could carry him. The yelps of surprise from his two allies faded into the distance as wind ripped against his skin.


    He leapt out of the forest to find the entire village ablaze, save for one bell tower.


    A navy blue figure sat hunched atop the tower¡¯s roof, a single torch wrapped up in its tail. The Jueyuan looked to the sky as well, reaching out towards the heavens.


    And the heavens reached back.


    Qi flowed throughout the area in uncanny, unsettling ways, yet seemed perfectly attuned to nature. The will of the world, the Tao, was making itself known to this demon.


    Most believed that immortality, at least in the fashion granted by the Tao, could only be achieved through careful spiritual cultivation.


    But there was another way. A despicable, traitorous path to immortality. A sacrifice to the heavens.


    The dark clouds of the thunder storm swept into a cyclone and spiraled towards the Jueyuan.


    Sons.


    The Jueyuan had forced many women to bear its sons. And they all bore the same name, from the same father.


    The sons were the sacrifice.


    Qilin rushed through the flames, giving no heed to his own safety as char and soot caked his face.


    He could not fail again.


    Splitting Fist, ninth form: Iron Echoes.


    Qilin leapt into the air and unleashed a kick so powerful that a blade of wind resulted from its force, carving out a chunk of the bell tower.


    The top of the tower tipped over with its crumbling center, dropping the Jueyuan away from heaven¡¯s deliverance.


    But the clouds kept up, following the Jueyuan as it dropped.


    Splitting Fist, second form: Flash of Steel.


    Faster than a bolt of lightning, Qilin threw himself into the demon in midair, distancing the creature even further from the clouds.


    His muscles burned and twisted from the exertion he¡¯d put on them. But he paid no mind to the distortions of flesh in his legs.


    The Jueyuan scrambled to its feet and leapt towards the spiral of clouds.


    And Qilin was helpless. His legs crumbled when he tried to launch off them, in so much pain they simply neglected to follow his orders any longer.


    ¡°NO!¡±


    The spiral pierced the Jueyuan through the chest.


    A shock wave of wind threw Qilin back like a rag doll as immortality suffused the Jueyuan¡¯s spirit.


    He was there again. Back at Taoyuan.


    Fire consuming the earth, lightning infesting the wind. The shadow appearing in his mind for the first time.


    While Qilin¡¯s mind despair, though, his heart raged.


    He just had to breathe.


    One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four.


    Inhale, hold, exhale, repeat.


    Qilin pushed himself to his feet, his legs once again obeying him.


    The storm enveloped the world in an instant.


    His shadow was coming home.


    __________________________________________________________


    Xu Qin covered her face with her robes as she and Jahangir navigated through the clouds of black smoke and the burning buildings that produced it.


    Qilin had used his Perfect Step out of nowhere and just left without them.


    Where had that fool iron skull run off to?


    She got her answer as a war cry and the sound of blows landing.


    ¡°This way!¡± Xu Qin shouted at Jahangir as she followed the noise.


    Well, it was less of a duel and more of a brawl.


    Qilin made every strike a Splitting Fist technique, causing the ground and air to rupture with power, but destroying his own body in the process. Blood drenched his skin. His arms and legs were bruised and battered.


    What the hell was so important to him he would throw his life away like this?


    ¡°The air¡¯s strange here¡­¡± Jahangir muttered. ¡°Do you feel that, sister?¡±


    Jahangir was right. A burning tingle crept along every inch of Xu Qin¡¯s skin like lightning had just struck.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Tao.¡± Xu Qin said. ¡°He¡¯s channeling the Tao. Wait...no, this is something different.¡±


    In an instant, storm clouds flooded the village like fog, the azure darkness lit only by the still burning houses


    ¡°What is this?¡± Jahangir exclaimed.


    The Tao¡¯s presence was stronger than ever. But it was far from the feeling Xu Qin was accustomed to. The sensation was like a million wriggling worms across every inch of her skin.


    ¡°Disciple Shun¡­¡±


    Xu Qin glanced up as the silhouette of a crane swooped over the village. Amongst the ambiguous shapes of the darkness, the crane¡¯s form shifted to that of a woman, clad in a raiment and flowing gowns. Her jet black hair was adorned with elaborate golden flowers. She flipped a fly-whisk in her hand as she landed atop one of the burning houses. Her sleeve billowed as her hand unfurled, presenting a golden lotus flower.


    ¡°Hail, sister! Thou art too quick to come to this creature¡¯s aid!¡±


    Xu Qin covered her face and was nearly thrown to the ground as a bolt of lightning flashed, accompanied by a boom of thunder. As the dust cleared, a man in impeccable imperial robes and wearing a well-groomed beard appeared. He held himself with the pride of an imperial officer, bearing a large jade tablet in his left hand.


    A cloud of fog swirled to life from the blackness and vanished as quickly as it had appeared. In its wake was an ugly old man, covered in filth and unkempt hair, tied together by a golden band. The man limped forward, supported by a metal crutch, and swung a gourd tied to a rope over his shoulder.


    Awe and dread coalesced in Xu Qin, becoming overwhelming confusion. She recognized these three.


    The woman was He Xiangu. The man with the tablet was Cao Guojiu. The man on the crutch was Li Tieguai. Three of the famous Eight Immortals. Why were they here? What was happening?


    As if appearing from nothing, someone materialized before Xu Qin, carrying a basket of flowers. A man rode into sight atop a deer, carrying a flute around his neck. A hunched over elderly man walked on the air, as if descending an invisible staircase, with a donkey at his side. Another man, larger than all the rest, burst from the ground, his giant gut exposed by his open robes with a fan in his left hand.


    There should only be one more.


    A fit man, clad in black silk with gold trim, emerged from the flames of a nearby house. A thin double-edged jian sword was strapped to his back while he carried a fly-whisk in his hands. He held his chin high, looking down at the monks and the Jueyuan. Lu Dongbin, leader of the Eight Immortals.


    All eight of them...right before Xu Qin¡¯s eyes. Eight living gods. Surely, they¡¯d come to help th-


    Qilin screamed, his voice hoarse and nearly dead. Despite his beaten to hell body, he rushed at Dongbin with reckless abandon.


    But before he could even get close to the immortal, Qilin¡¯s form froze in time.


    Lu Dongbin looked Qilin up and down. ¡°You¡¯re still wriggling about, are you worm?¡±


    Why did the leader of the Eight Immortals recognize Qilin? Xu Qin¡¯s mind was a cyclone of questions.


    ¡°I¡¯m not here for you, unfortunately.¡± Dongbin muttered, maintaining whatever paralysis magic he¡¯d put on the monk. ¡°Jueyuan. In your desperate desire, you have performed a noble sacrifice of your beloved earthly attachments. Tell me, what is it you desire?¡±


    Wind vacated Xu Qin¡¯s lungs. They were...granting the demon¡¯s wish?


    ¡°Great Teacher.¡± Shun spoke with perfect fluency, like a human. It was just one drop in a tidal wave of strangeness and confusion currently drowning Xu Qin. ¡°I have given to you the souls of the many sons I have sired throughout my years. I wish to reach greater understanding. Greater harmony with nature. I beseech you, grant me the powers of godhood. Generously bestow access to heaven unto me.¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Li Tieguai muttered before snapping. ¡°Sons! Are sons all you have to give us? Sons, who are not only raised by your women alone, but sons which you are capable of creating afterwards?¡±


    ¡°I have nothing more to give, Master Li.¡± Shun dropped to his knees. ¡°They already forced me to sacrifice what is beloved to me. My wife and my first child. Slain by humans!¡±


    Tieguai growled.


    ¡°DIE!¡±


    Xu Qin¡¯s gaze returned to Qilin with a start as he could finally touch the ground. With the speed and fury of Splitting Fist techniques, he attacked Dongbin without hesitation.


    She could feel Qilin¡¯s bloodlust and rage in his frantic breathing, in his pained heartbeat.


    But Dongbin barely acknowledged him. Each of Qilin¡¯s blows, which would¡¯ve crippled any demon or simply killed any man, was parried with the flick of a finger.


    Dongbin made one motion that was so fast Xu Qin couldn¡¯t see it. Whatever had happened, it sent Qilin crashing into a burning house.


    ¡°The Jueyuan¡¯s family...I believe that to be a worthy price, do you not, Tieguai?¡± He Xiangu said, her head alone moving with inhuman grace.


    Qilin dug his way out of the debris and stumbled out, trying to push himself to his feet.


    ¡°JINGYI!¡± Qilin roared at Dongbin. ¡°You¡¯re going to remove your lackey¡¯s stain! You clean my soul of your filth! And when you do, you¡¯ll pay for your crimes with your life!¡±


    ¡°Fool.¡± Dongbin muttered.


    Qilin screamed without warning, clutching his head and dropping to his knees. He writhed about on the ground, gasping and crying out in agony.


    Xu Qin took a step back, too overwhelmed to even react. She covered her ears, preventing his screams from drowning everything else out.


    ¡°You have to admit, Dongbin.¡± He Xiangu grinned. ¡°His will is strong. If it weren¡¯t for that mark, I¡¯d bet he¡¯d find a way to kill you right now.¡±


    ¡°Then you should reconsider how you choose to gamble, sister.¡± Dongbin said. ¡°Regardless, your arguments for the Jueyuan have weight. But the creature did not choose that sacrifice and thus, it wasn¡¯t a sacrifice.¡±


    ¡°Then...then what do I get?¡± Shun asked. ¡°I¡¯ve sacrificed all my sons! I¡¯ve spent thirty years creating them!¡±


    ¡°We can still afford you immortality, demon.¡± Dongbin said. ¡°But here are the terms. You pride yourself on being above your peers, for your knowledge. The skill you have accumulated is commendable, but it is something intrinsic to you. Give up your knowledge and we will make you a god.¡±


    ¡°M-my knowledge?¡± Shun asked.


    ¡°Alternatively, your soul will go to the underworld. To Diyu.¡± Dongbin said. ¡°You have not yet been...how do the Christians say it...baptized in the fires of hell yet. It will be good for you. And perhaps you will have something of worth to offer us in your next life.¡±


    Shun nodded. ¡°Alright. My knowledge. Take my knowledge.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡± Dongbin said.


    Without another word, the immortals and the surrounding void vanished as if they were never there.


    The storms fled from the sky, leaving only the crackling of flames to fill Xu Qin¡¯s ears. And the Jueyuan remained hovering in the air.


    ¡°Thank you, my sons¡­¡± the creature muttered, its speech perfectly human.


    Qilin struggled to get to his feet. Now that the immortals were gone, he seemed to be...well, back to normal. ¡°I¡¯ll tear out your spine, you bastard!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The Jueyuan offered a shit-eating, fang filled grin. ¡°You¡¯ll tear out my spine? I¡¯m immortal, you fool. No exorcist can kill me.¡±


    Qilin drew his dao and leapt towards the demon, thrusting the blade at the Jueyuan¡¯s throat. In an instant, the Jueyuan threw him towards the ground, his impact making a small crater in the dirt.


    Thankfully, Qilin¡¯s toughened exterior prevented the impact from really damaging him.


    ¡°For too long, you exorcists have assumed that your endless quest to slay us demons was infallible. That it was the will of heaven. That you would not be punished for all your barbarism.¡± The Jueyuan roared. ¡°I show you now, the true will of heaven! You will know your place in it, human! And I will punish you for the lives you¡¯ve taken!¡±


    Qilin gritted his teeth and pushed himself to his feet. ¡°Don¡¯t fuckin¡¯ talk to me about taking lives...after slaughtering your sons¡­after taking that deal!¡± Qilin groaned, trying to weakly reassume his fighting stance. ¡°I can still kill him. Help me cut his head off.¡±


    ¡°All you exorcists are responsible for taking the lives of countless demons.¡± Shun declared as he hovered above the ground. ¡°These are the consequences of your acti-.¡±


    Jahangir wasted no time in drawing, knocking, and loosing an arrow. The trajectory seemed to be bound to miss, so Shun didn¡¯t move, just as the arrow curved and stuck in his throat.


    The arrow forced Shun to touch the ground and stagger backwards. He clutched his neck, glaring at the archer.


    Xu Qin took up her water stance and met Shun¡¯s glare. ¡°That¡¯s no excuse for your sins.¡±


    She breathed. Four seconds in, four seconds out. Blood rushed through her veins, warming her muscles with energy.


    The demon closed the distance between them in but a moment.


    Perfect Drilling Fist, fourth form: Winding River.


    Despite Shun¡¯s incredible speed, the boost to her bodily functions from Perfect Breathing allowed Xu Qin to snake around him and lock his limbs up, ramming her knee into his ribs before throwing him to Jahangir.


    Jahangir clotheslined the unsuspecting demon and wrapped him in a stronger Crushing Fist lock while Xu Qin pounded her fists against sensitive pressure points.


    The Jueyuan held her off with his legs, however, and shoved her away. He threw himself back, crushing Jahangir between himself and a wall.


    Qilin hailed a flurry of strikes upon the demon, but Shun matched his speed.


    ¡°Hey, river brat!¡± Qilin shouted between blows. ¡°I hope you¡¯re just standing there to come with a plan!¡±


    Xu Qin blinked. He was right. They needed a strategy beyond ¡®beat the demon up¡¯. Especially now.


    The Jueyuan could move as fast as any Jinshi monk, but was outdone by Perfect Breathing. The Tao¡¯s presence once again kept its users safe from pressure points, but it didn¡¯t protect them from death.


    The problem was getting around all of Shun¡¯s new abilities to a point where one of them could actually make a clean strike to the neck. Figuring out just the number of abilities would be too long and too deadly for the three of them to commit to.


    Qilin roared as he unsuccessfully attempted to disembowel the Jueyuan. He seemed too angry to be conducive to any strategy for right now.


    He seemed to always be this way. Just angry and hateful. No regard for others. Always expecting everyone to keep up with him.


    But then again...he had come back for her. Even though he said he wouldn¡¯t.


    It very well could¡¯ve been a coincidence.


    Still, he¡¯d helped her in her time of need. Who was she to not at least return the favor?


    She at least knew that if she could make an opening, Qilin wouldn¡¯t let it go to waste.


    ¡°Jahangir,¡± Xu Qin grabbed the Uyghur¡¯s attention and tossed him one of her rope darts. ¡°Tie that to an arrow. Can you stick it in the demon¡¯s hand?¡±


    Jahangir nodded. ¡°I can try. But won¡¯t he be strong enough to snap the ropes?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to worry about that. A moment is all we need.¡±


    Xu Qin uncoiled a rope dart of her own and started running around the two combatants, giving a wide berth to Qilin and Shun¡¯s exchange.


    She started throwing her weapon about, wrapping the cord around her body as Jahangir knocked his arrow across from her.


    Both fired simultaneously. Jahangir¡¯s arrow pierced Shun¡¯s left hand. Xu Qin¡¯s rope dart flung out and stabbed through his right. Both monks pulled on their ropes, forcing the Jueyuan¡¯s arms out of the way.


    But the demon was far faster than she¡¯d expected. Shun leapt up and kicked Qilin in the chest with both legs, sending him staggering. He pulled on both ropes, forcing Xu Qin and Jahangir off balance before they could react.


    Xu Qin, being lighter, was pulled into the Jueyuan¡¯s range and struck across the face by the demon.


    She landed on her feet and snarled at the creature.


    Her gaze shifted slightly as she looked at Qilin, stumbling to pick himself up. He picked his sword up off the ground and met her eyes.


    Four seconds in, hold, out.


    Perfect Drilling Fist, ninth form: Tsunami.


    Xu Qin looked back at the demon and rushed forward, propelled by the enhanced movement of a Perfect Breath.


    Tsunami was an unrelenting wave of attacks that specifically targeted the opponent¡¯s vulnerable spots. It was almost as fast as a metal stance technique.


    But that wasn¡¯t the important part. It only mattered that Xu Qin put so much force behind her blows that she could keep knocking Shun off balance. Keep him on the back foot.


    Her last blow sent him stumbling just as a flash of light blurred across her vision.


    Blood splattered from Qilin¡¯s sword as Shun¡¯s head was divorced from his body.


    _______________________________________________________________________


    Qilin had to keep himself from falling over after making the last stroke that killed the Jueyuan. His muscles were constantly tense, burning like hot coals.


    Though that was to be expected from so many Splitting Fist techniques used at once.


    Xu Qin steadied him before he collapsed.


    ¡°Thanks¡­¡± he muttered. ¡°For...more than just that.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, it was barely any trouble.¡± She scoffed.


    Qilin rolled his eyes as Jahangir approached them.


    ¡°I hope you understand the catastrophic consequences of your ruthlessness, xiongdi.¡± Jahangir glared at him.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I should tell the both of you.¡± Qilin sighed. ¡°The method by which that demon became immortal was by sacrificing twenty of its own sons. I suspect he was planning to get enough to eventually become a god.¡±


    ¡°Demons can do that?¡± Jahangir asked.


    ¡°Humans too.¡± Qilin said. ¡°Regardless of whether I intervened, this village would¡¯ve suffered losses. I just hope that my ruthlessness killed fewer than that demon¡¯s revenge would¡¯ve.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Jahangir looked away. ¡°Well...good work, then.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen this kind of...exchange before, haven¡¯t you? You¡¯ve seen the immortals before.¡± Xu Qin asked as she helped Qilin take a seat on some fallen debris.


    ¡°This destruction...this depravity...it¡¯s only a fraction of what the Eight Immortals are capable of.¡± Qilin muttered. ¡°If you value your life...go on your own path. Join Jahangir. Do...anything else. You are just a woman. You stand no chance against a god.¡±


    Xu Qin looked at him, then averted her gaze. She sighed, then...chuckled. ¡°You can¡¯t scare me away that easy, Iron Skull. And you¡¯re only a man. You don¡¯t stand any greater chance than I do. But it¡¯s nice to know you care.¡± He should¡¯ve punched her for that smug grin on her face.


    ¡°Well...don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.¡± Qilin said. ¡°What about you, Jahangir? You¡¯re also going to insist on following me around?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that from me.¡± Jahangir grinned. ¡°I¡¯ve got my own path to travel on. Besides, somebody has to help rebuild this place. It was...an adventure meeting you though, xiongdi.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you when I see you, then.¡± Qilin said. ¡°Xu Qin, go get my things. We¡¯re getting back on the river.¡±


    ¡°Oi, I didn¡¯t agree to be your pack mule.¡± Xu Qin said.


    ¡°You wanna follow? You carry the luggage.¡± Qilin said. ¡°Plus, I scored the last shot on the demon. If you want your cut, the crows are bringing it to me.¡±


    Xu Qin grumbled as she picked Qilin¡¯s weapons up off the ground. ¡°I¡¯m going to piss in your tea for that.¡±


    Qilin forced himself to his feet and glanced down at the fallen body of the Jueyuan.


    Seeing the lifeless body of that monster...it made him proud of his work for the first time in a long, long time.


    ¡°You!¡±


    Qilin turned to face Chang Fei, disheveled and burned.


    ¡°I told you never to come back here! Never!¡± Chang Fei snarled. ¡°And look! Look at what you¡¯ve brought upon us! My sons are dead!¡±


    Xu Qin and Jahangir looked at the woman.


    Xu Qin intervened. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened, but if we hadn¡¯t come back, the Jueyuan would be running loose. He was the one who started the fire. He was the one who killed your sons.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Chang Fei screamed, pointing at Qilin. He made no response. ¡°That man is a walking curse! Death on legs!¡± Tears started rolling down her face . ¡°I¡¯ll see you dead, demon! I will avenge my sons!¡±


    Qilin¡¯s face struggled to remain composed. He just looked at her and muttered. ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to it.¡±


    Qilin turned and started walking away as the woman continued to hail obscenities at him from behind.


    He gulped down his guilt. It would be far more painful than any of his injuries.

 Sunset

    Qilin shouldered the bundle of firewood on his back as he approached the small town of Taoyuan. The sun was almost setting. He had time to make this last delivery. Probably. If he ran.


    Qilin glanced into the sky. He¡¯d have about...two, maybe three hours before he had to be back home for dinner. It should¡¯ve been more than enough time. But¡­Master Xin had a bad habit of going on tangents.


    Two weeks ago, he and his father had visited a matchmaker.


    With the price of lumber rising and the role of artisans becoming more and more prominent, his family was on the cusp of being rich enough to wed into a bureaucrat¡¯s family. And with his younger brother, Lingxin studying for the civil service exam, the matchmaker allowed him to be set up with the daughter of a regional governor.


    But while the matchmaker handled their fortunes and his parents handled the politics, Qilin couldn¡¯t help but feel as though he should meet the girl. Her family was satisfied with his status, but there was no telling if the two would enjoy each other¡¯s company.


    So he hired a courier to exchange messages with her and arrange a meeting without the knowledge of their families.


    Qilin didn¡¯t know if such a thing was considered inauspicious or not, but his fiance shared his opinion on the matter.


    Curses...he¡¯d been running around all day and was soaked in sweat. And he forgot to bring a change of clothes with him.


    Though, it was easy to forget things now that his workload had doubled. Ordinarily, his mother would¡¯ve helped his father in prepping the lumber and Qilin would just deliver. But since her passing just over a year ago, he was split between work for two people. Even so, he managed.


    Qilin shifted the lumber yet again as he started to jog towards the gate.


    Taoyuan was a quaint cluster of white plaster buildings with pagoda roofs, enclosed by a stone wall. Being the middle of spring, the village was sweltering. But spring heat had nothing on the summer humidity.


    ¡°Qilin!¡± Tai shouted from his spot near the wooden gates. ¡°Did Mister Yan make another emergency order again?¡±


    ¡°Ha! I wish. At least then I¡¯d get a tip.¡± Qilin scoffed as Tai pushed the gate open for him. ¡°No Lin today?¡±


    ¡°Lin¡¯s dragged himself out to Funan with some caravan. Something about wanting to see the world.¡± Tai scoffed. ¡°I¡¯d bet he just wanted to fool around with girls instead of working an actual job.¡±


    ¡°Well when he comes back, that''s a few nights off for you, right?¡± Qilin asked.


    ¡°It better be!¡± Tai barked a laugh as Qilin started down the main road.


    ¡°Qilin!¡± Someone, probably Huang Tai Tai, called to him.


    ¡°On a job, talk to you later!¡± Qilin said.


    Qilin picked up his pace, running down the winding dirt roads towards Master Xin¡¯s smithy.


    He had to stop just outside the shop to catch his breath. Maybe he could¡¯ve been a little less hasty. Still, that meant more time at his meeting.


    As Qilin entered the shop, he noticed that there were a lot more weapons on the racks than usual.


    Master Xin, a portly man of middle age, wearing a soot-covered apron, wandered into the shop from the back.


    ¡°Ah, Qilin. You have my firewood?¡± Xin asked.


    ¡°And a few lumps of charcoal for your forge, sir.¡± Qilin took the basket off his back and set it on the ground.


    Xin waddled over and inspected the product. ¡°Hm...fine stuff your father always cuts. Even if I can barely pay for it.¡±


    ¡°Lumber¡¯s in demand.¡± Qilin shrugged. ¡°Is business bad?¡±


    Xin nodded. ¡°The Manchus are trying to modernize. No one uses spears and swords anymore. I¡¯ve been trying to make muskets, but I¡¯ve spent thirty years forging blades.¡± He chuckled, despite his bleak demeanor.


    ¡°There are plenty of collectors who appreciate fine work.¡± Qilin encouraged, looking at all the fine blades on display. ¡°In fact, I¡¯ll happily pay for this basket if you¡¯ll sell me...I don¡¯t know, that sword there?¡±


    Qilin pointed to a straight sword on a display rack that was nailed to the back wall with its scabbard, full of intricate filigree and carvings on its crossguard and pommel. The blade itself had an inscription that he couldn¡¯t read at this distance.


    ¡°Ha!¡± Xin scoffed. ¡°A thousand baskets of charcoal, no matter how fine, won¡¯t pay for that sword. But...if you¡¯ll foot the bill, I¡¯ll propose something more fair.¡±


    Xin grabbed a sword from one of the ground racks and unsheathed the blade. Like every other work in the shop, the blade glistened with brilliant craftsmanship. But it was a simple single-edged dao, without any etchings or decorum.


    Instead, the handle was just wrapped in red ropes and the pommel had a bright crimson tassel tied onto it.


    ¡°This is far more reliable than that jian anyways.¡± Xin offered the sword to Qilin. He gladly took it, his eyes wide with awe.


    It was heavier than he thought it¡¯d be. He didn¡¯t know why he expected metal to be light, though.


    Qilin put the sword back in its sheath and tucked it into his belt.


    ¡°So, I hear your father went to see the matchmaker.¡± Xin said. ¡°Is he getting remarried or are you finally getting to that age?¡±


    ¡°It was for me, sir.¡± Qilin said.


    Xin sighed. ¡°It feels like only last winter you came into my store as nothing more than a boy. Who¡¯s the lucky lady? Or do you not know yet?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the governor¡¯s daughter.¡±


    Xin¡¯s jaw gaped.


    QIlin couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Lumber¡¯s in demand!¡±


    ¡°I suppose so!¡± Xin chuckled. ¡°You¡¯ll be a Mandarin!¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go that far.¡± Qilin grinned. ¡°My brother¡¯s the one taking the exam.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯d better be good to us when you¡¯re governor.¡± Xin mockingly threatened.


    ¡°I will, Master Xin. It¡¯s been good catching up, but I need to get going.¡± Qilin bowed his head. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to come to you if my tools ever need repairs.¡±


    ¡°You go then, Qilin. And I¡¯ll hold you to that!¡±


    Qilin left the shop and at that point realized that his fiance hadn¡¯t told him a specific meeting place.


    A finger tapped on his shoulder.


    He turned to see a mountain of a man towering over him, cloaked and armed. At first, he thought he was being robbed.


    ¡°Jin Qilin?¡± the man murmured, like an avalanche cross with a tiger¡¯s growl.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Qilin stared for a moment before breathlessly nodding.


    ¡°Come. The Lady wants to see you.¡± the man began to walk off without another word.


    ¡°O-oh! Oh, you¡¯re¡­¡± Qilin made himself move to keep up with the man. He didn¡¯t finish his sentence, as he didn¡¯t seem like the talkative type.


    He was led out of the walls and towards the river bank on the way to his home and into the surrounding bamboo forests. The setting sun gave the whole forest a yellow hue and cast an array of shadows that nearly mimicked the strokes of a calligrapher¡¯s brush.


    The man stopped in a clearing, where a small stone shrine stood. He gestured to the girl sitting under its pointed roof.


    The girl lounged atop an altar, dressed in navy silk that swept across her like ocean waves. Her long, black hair was draped over her shoulder, contributing to her overall simple look for someone of her stature.


    Still, the air about her held dignity in it. It reminded Qilin that he had been considered lower than a farmer not two months ago.


    Qilin swallowed and took tentative steps towards her, only getting her attention once he was close.


    Qilin cleared his throat and bowed as she looked up at him. ¡°Um, my name is Jin Qilin. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you!¡± He accidentally shouted.


    The girl frowned. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s better if I have you write everything you want to say. You were far more eloquent in your letters.¡±


    Qilin grimaced.


    ¡°I¡¯m just joking. I didn¡¯t mean it like that.¡± The girl chuckled. ¡°No need for all the formality. We¡¯ve already met one another.¡±


    He gulped and sat with her on the altar.


    ¡°Though I suppose we still haven¡¯t exchanged names.¡± she said. ¡°I am Zhuan Yahui. It¡¯s good to finally meet you in person.¡±


    ¡°S-same here.¡± Qilin said.


    ¡°I must say...you¡¯re rather handsome for a peasant. Oh, sorry. Craftsman.¡±


    ¡°I-it¡¯s fine. I, uh...thank you.¡± Qilin felt warmth rising in his cheeks. ¡°You too are also very beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Well, if these arms of yours can bulk up so nicely, perhaps we can do something about that tongue of yours with a bit of practice.¡± Yahui giggled.


    Qilin sat stiff as the rock under him, while she moved so gracefully as she talked, like a thin tree in the wind. It¡¯s just...she was so...amazing. And he was...himself. Not exactly an equal match.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind my prying...what exactly caused your father to accept my proposal?¡± Qilin asked.


    ¡°Oh, he didn¡¯t accept. I did.¡± Yahui said. ¡°I was given a batch of options and I chose you. I won¡¯t lie, I kind of wanted to get under his skin by marrying someone of lower station, but in our exchanges, I find myself growing quite fond of you.¡±


    Every word dripped from her mouth like sweet honey.


    And she chose him. Chose. That was big.


    ¡°So, tell me. Did I make the right choice?¡±


    ________________________________________________________________


    Qilin was still warm in the cheeks as he made his way home after the bodyguard fervently denied him the pleasure of escorting Yahui home.


    The sun barely peeked over the horizon as he walked along the river bank.


    He had no words to aptly describe how excited he was to marry this girl. She was forward¡ªvery forward¡ªbut Qilin didn¡¯t mind that much, especially when he couldn¡¯t carry the conversation himself. In fact, it was comforting in a way.


    She was deep and intelligent in a way that was beyond him, but not incomprehensible. Not to undermine her beauty, of course. He wasn''t exactly focused on it at the time. But if his memory didn¡¯t deceive him, she was far and above any of the marriage prospects he could¡¯ve been expecting.


    He wanted to tell his father all about it. He could use some good news right now.


    Qilin approached the gate to his family¡¯s house as iron wafted into his nose from the wind. His father had probably chopped so much wood that the axehead was starting to shave off.


    He walked into the courtyard and frowned. None of the windows showed any sign of light.


    His older sister should¡¯ve been cooking dinner about now.


    He slid open the door to the main house.


    ¡°Father? Feng di di? Mei jie?¡± Qilin called. No responses.


    Something eerie crept up his spine.


    ¡°Father?¡± he called out again.


    He started towards the kitchen but didn¡¯t make it two steps. Every muscle in his body froze as if stricken by frost. The whole room seemed to get cold as Qilin¡¯s eyes rested on a limp hand coming out of the shadows cast by the kitchen. It laid in a pool of dark liquid.


    The scent of iron was stronger now. No, the scent of blood.


    Bile rose up in Qilin¡¯s throat as he took another step towards the hand.


    Lightning flashed, accompanied by a clap of thunder as rain started to pour. The lightning illuminated the house for all of one second. But that was all Qilin needed to see.


    His father¡¯s disfigured body laid on the kitchen floor in a pool of his own blood, pale as a ghost.


    Qilin¡¯s hand shot the sword at his hip.


    Was the killer still here? Who would¡¯ve done this? One of Yahui¡¯s suitors?


    Another flash of lightning drew his attention upward. The light shone on the body of his younger brother Feng, his body hanging on the wall by nails through his hands. HIs innards had spilled out onto the ground from claw-like lacerations across his stomach.


    Qilin backed away.


    Not human. Had a bear gotten in? But then¡­who hammered the nails?


    Where was his sister?


    He threw open the sliding door and ran out into the rain. He burst into his sister¡¯s segment of the house and screamed. ¡°Mei jie! MEI JIE!¡±


    He didn¡¯t wait for a response and threw open the doors that led to her private rooms. Nothing.


    ¡°MEI JIE!¡±


    A flash of lightning revealed bloodstains on the bamboo mats.


    The blood trailed out of the house. He followed it into the storm again, where blood was starting to mix with mud and rain. He followed it as best he could off their property.


    Then the smoke reached him.


    Qilin looked out across the town of Taoyuan as it burned through the rain and darkness, the inferno creating a bright orange hue.


    Was it bandits? Pirates?


    Qilin¡¯s mind whirled with possible answers to the violence he¡¯d witnessed as he almost slipped in the mud running towards the town.


    What if Yahui was in danger?


    NO! They have guards to protect them!


    Then why was the town on fire?


    Maybe it was lightning.


    He practically slid down the hill that brought him straight to the outskirts of the town. He stumbled and staggered his way to the gate.


    The wooden bastion had been utterly destroyed, splintered and ruined. As if someone had thrown a boulder through.


    And it was after he passed through those destroyed gates when he saw the source of his family¡¯s death.


    ¡°Hel-!¡±


    Squelching invaded Qilin¡¯s ears as a giant man with a bull¡¯s face tore a man in half with its bare hands.


    Others ran from a woman with the tail of a serpent as she cut them down with a jian.


    Men with skin of dark blue or bright red, with fangs and horns, terrorized the village and set fire to more buildings.


    Yahui. He needed to find Yahui.


    With all the willpower he had, he shoved his shock and terror to the back of his mind in order to continue forward.


    He rushed past people he¡¯d known his whole life being murdered and torn to shreds. Girls he¡¯d grown up with cried out for help as they were either violated or carried off by the demons.


    But if he...if he let himself think about it, he couldn¡¯t get to her.


    Qilin turned a corner and spotted the governor¡¯s house. The walls were surrounded by guardsmen as they attempted to fend off creatures of legendary horror with spears and bows. To little effect.


    He had a sword. Qilin drew the dao and prepared himself to assist the guards.


    He stood on the balls of his feet and drew a deep breath, trying not to think about it.


    Before a fire billowed into existence from nothing, bright blue and searing.


    Qilin was thrown to the ground by the azure explosion. Heat seared his skin, but he scrambled to his feet just in time to put his sword between himself and some abomination of a fox crossed with a woman.


    Qilin threw the demon off of him, his breath rapid and threatening to steal away his consciousness.


    He held the sword up with quivering hands as the creature bared her fangs.


    An orb of azure flames bloomed to life in her palm before she launched the projectile at him.


    The only reason Qilin wasn¡¯t consumed in the cyclone of scorching heat was the hand that grabbed the back of his collar and pulled him away.


    A flash of light and a burst of wind blew past him as a blade carved through the demon¡¯s neck.


    A man in white robes, his face obscured by a black douli, whipped the blood off his halberd as the fox demon collapsed.


    ¡°Leave while you still can,¡± the man said. ¡°Don¡¯t look back.¡±


    The stranger moved like lightning as he leapt towards a demon twice his size and felled it in one strike. He took down another with merely the wind resulting from a kick.


    He fought with unparalleled grace and precision. His body moved like a machine, carving through demon flesh with incredible speed.


    ¡°Let go of me, you colossal oaf!¡±


    Qilin¡¯s attention was drawn away from the stranger and towards a large hairy creature that was trying to flee the scene, a woman over its shoulder. With Yahui over his shoulder.


    The creature belched out some vile noise that signaled the other demons to follow the beast in retreat. The others began fleeing, with captives in tow. Though some stayed behind, occupying the stranger with the polearm.


    Qilin steeled his resolve and tightened the grip on his sword as he pursued the demon without a second thought.


    His legs pounded against the mud with all the strength he could muster, the impacts rattling his bones as he sprinted.


    Qilin swung his blade as an undead woman with a ghastly, rotting face and naked as the day she was born, tried to get in his path. He ran the edge into her skull.


    But even without the stumbles and slipping in the mud, Qilin wasn¡¯t fast enough to outrun the demons who had started running after the retreat call. His legs couldn¡¯t carry him the distance.


    Come on, come on! Faster! You have to go faster! COME ON!


    Qilin pushed every fiber of his being into picking up speed, but the demons continued to slowly vanish into the moonlit fog. But he never stopped running.


    Qilin slipped in mud and fell off the path. His face slapped against the cold filth before falling off the path. He tumbled into the forest, hitting himself on tree after tree as he rolled down the raised hill.


    Somewhere along the line, his dao wrangled itself from his hands and he fell off a cliff. Qilin¡¯s impact was softened by more mud, but it still sent pins and needles rippling through his body.


    He laid there.


    Staring up at the moon and stars, his mind seemed to have trouble catching up with reality. It had trouble thinking at all.


    His father. His brother. His sister. And now his fiance.


    It had all happened so fast.


    As Qilin laid in the mud, the pouring rain beating his skin into numbness, he couldn¡¯t muster the strength to shed tears.


    Everything was gone. His home was drenched in blood. Taoyuan was in flames. His family was dead. His fiance...a fate likely worse than death awaited her. And he, despite doing all he could, simply wasn¡¯t strong enough to protect them.


    His legs were too slow. His bones were too fragile. His muscles were too inexperienced. His body was weak.


    He could barely move his fingers and found it a chore to keep his eyes open.


    The undead woman he¡¯d killed hovered up to him, floating over his body. The wound he¡¯d caused her healed up right in front of him.


    He could do nothing as the demon looked upon him with hunger.


    Ice cold digits wrapped around his supple throat, squeezing his throat. The creature¡¯s jaw unhinged, poised to take a bite out of his shoulder.


    ¡°Splitting Fist, First Form: Woodcutter¡¯s Axe.¡±


    Gore sprayed across his face. But it wasn¡¯t his.


    That man in the douli stood over him, his halberd halfway through bisecting the creature.


    ¡°So long as you¡¯re weak, you will forever be at the mercy of others.¡± the man said. ¡°If you wish to escape that fate, go to Jinshan Temple in Henan. Tell them Song Guowei sent you.¡±


    Qilin had no strength left to stop him as the man walked away, leaving him in the wilderness, alone.