~~~
The news Huang Shing brings back drastically alter their plans. They do not stop preparing for an evacuation. If all goes wrong, fleeing might very well be the only choice left. However, it is no longer the priority.
“Hm, not bad,” Bei Hong says as he flexes his arms to test their strength.
“No, it is fairly bad,” Liu Jin says. There are still bandages wrapped around most of Bei Hong’s body. “I have numbed the pain and done my best to speed up your healing, but that doesn’t mean your body is in good condition. Do not overdo it.”
Despite his warning, Bei Hong and Bei Duyi’s bodies are not in a completely terrible state. If all they had to worry about were a couple of spars, Liu Jin wouldn’t be troubled.
The army of monsters approaching them from all sides does not intend to spar.
“Brother Qing, I think we both know that’s not going to happen,” Bei Duyi says. Like his cousin, he is still covered in many bandages. “My cousin is the sort of fool who would find a way to drown himself in a glass of water.”
“Bah, what point would there be in picking a fight with a glass of water! Besides, the way I hear it, we don’t have a choice, do we? This is not a fight we can avoid!”
“Perhaps, perhaps not.” Liu Jin shakes his head and sighs. “Go find Sister Fan. She’ll give you some Spirit Beast meat to replenish your strength.”
“Replenishing my strength does sound good.” Bei Hong grins. “Heh, a challenge like this is exactly what legends are made of!”
“Just don’t die,” Liu Jin says.
“If I die, that just means I wasn’t good enough.”
Bei Duyi buries his face in his palm.
“It’s always the same nonsense with you.”
“You merely lack vision, cousin.”
“Vision? I’ll not be told that by a blind man.”
Liu Jin finds himself smiling a little as the two continue bickering on their way down the hall. Despite their words, it seems they are willing to put their grudges aside and work together for now.
Or maybe they just beat the aggression out of each other?
Liu Jin thinks about it and nods. That sounds more likely.
“Quite a pair, aren’t they?”
Liu Jin is not surprised when Lu Mei enters the infirmary. He sensed her from the start. She had probably been waiting until he was alone to approach him.
“Are you feeling better?” He asks. Her pale skin already provides an answer, but he wants to hear it from her.
“Better. Not well.”
“I see.”
Liu Jin closes his eyes. Using the Eternal Flame and then having to fly them has taken its toll on Lu Mei. It is unlikely she will be ready for a prolonged fight anytime soon.
“So is it true then?” She asks. “We’re surrounded?”
“Huang Shing and those who came back with him believe so,” Liu Jin replies. Tired, he sits on one of the stone beds. “Trying to break through seems… unwise.”
Fighting the creatures in the middle of the plains would give the monsters too many opportunities to flank them. Considering how dangerous those things are up close, the best way to fight them would be to keep them at a distance. Staying in the temple gives them better opportunities to do just that.
However,if the temple is overrun, there will be no fleeing.
“So it seems,” Lu Mei says, sitting next to him. “A pity not everyone can fly.”
“It would make things far simpler.”
“I can,” Lu Mei says, making sure to meet his eyes.
“You can.”
“We could fly away,” she says, her shoulder brushing against his. “Maybe take a few others with us. Five. Perhaps six.”
“That would be Bei Hong, Huang Shing, the Young Master, and Fan Bingbing. It’d leave us with two spots.” Liu Jin counts them with his fingers. “I’d suggest Bei Duyi due to his strength, but he and Bei Hong would start fighting in the middle of the air.”
Lu Mei laughs softly. “They would, wouldn’t they? Fools. Perhaps it’d be better to leave them here. Bei Hong would enjoy the chance to fight to the end.”
“It would make for a good distraction,” Liu Jin admits.
“With the disciples fighting the horde, no one would notice we are missing until the end. We’d be halfway to the Eternal Flame Clan by then.”
“Can you even fly all the way there in your state?”
“With you helping me, I could.”
“We could report the Core Disciples as soon as we arrived,” Liu Jin says. “With Feng Hao with us, it’d be hard to doubt our word.”
“Elder Xue would support us, and Elder Xun could verify that none of us are lying. Lord Feng Shang’s faction would be publicly shamed, and Lord Feng Gui would be one step closer to gaining control over the Eternal Flame Clan. I’d say that’d be a fantastic result.”
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
“It does sound great.” Liu Jin looks up at the ceiling and imagines the sky beyond it. “There is still the matter of you having publicly used the Eternal Flame. The Core Disciples will remember that.”
“If we get there before them, it won’t matter what they have to say. No one will believe them,” Lu Mei points out. “Besides, Elder Xue and Elder Xun already know. Annoying though it is to admit it, keeping it a secret forever was never an option. As long as no one discovers my father’s identity, it should be fine.”
“Yes, I imagine Lady Feng would not be fond of that discovery.”
While Liu Jin does not know the woman personally, he doubts any woman would like a sign of her husband’s infidelity so close by. Even among fellow concubines, it is not uncommon for grudges to appear, or so he has heard.
“We could do it.”
“We could.”
Lu Mei sighs.
“But you won’t.”
“I won’t,” Liu Jin agrees. “The people here have all placed their trust in me. I will not forsake them.”
“Don’t make it seem like a matter of reciprocity.” Lu Mei pouts and pokes his side. “You would be trying to save them even if they hadn’t placed any trust on you.”
“True,” Liu Jin admits. “I must be fairly troublesome for you.”
“Have I ever made that a secret?”
Liu Jin laughs.
After a while, he says. “You could take Feng Hao and leave.”
“With just the two of us, we would not have nearly enough convincing power. People would suspect me of having done something to him. My identity would almost certainly come out, making the Eternal Flame Clan a far too dangerous place for me.”
“True. How about fleeing elsewhere then?”
“Oh?” Lu Mei leans her head against his shoulder. “And where would I flee?”
“Anywhere you want.”
“Anywhere I want.” Lu Mei smiles. “That sounds so free.”
Liu Jin sighs. “You are not going to.”
“I am not,” Lu Mei affirms. “I am not so callow a woman as to abandon people that actually matter to me. Besides, I have placed some faith in you.”
“That makes one of us.”
“None of that,” she chides him. “If you devalue yourself, you devalue my judgment. I will not have it.”
“My deepest apologies.” Liu Jin tries to smile. “However, if things are going badly… I’d really appreciate it if you could take Feng Hao away with you. He never should have been here.”
“If things are going badly, I’ll drag your unconscious body out of this dreadful place myself.”
~~~
All the people in the temple have been brought out before the main gate. Most of them are people who support Lord Feng Gui, but there are a few Lord Feng Shang supporters as well, those who chose to stay in the temple as prisoners to recover from their travels. Huang Shing and Bei Hong have managed to assert some control over them, but the tension simmering in the air is unmistakable.
Perhaps it would have been better to address both groups separately, but that would have taken more time, and time is not a luxury they have.
“Greetings,” Liu Jin says. He stands in front of everyone. Qi easily carries his voice across the field. “My name is Qing Jin. Some of you know of me. Some of you don’t.”
Judging from the murmurs that rise from Lord Feng Shang’s supporters, his name has spread quite a bit further than he’d imagined.
“I stand before you today not to speak of myself but to warn you of impending danger. We are surrounded. Hordes of hostile Spirit Beasts approach us from all directions.”
Shock. Confusion. Denial. The emotions can be felt clearly rippling across the crowd.
“These creatures are like nothing any of you have faced before. Though their flesh is weak, they are deadly if you let them touch you. If we meet them in the plains, we are likely to die,” Liu Jin continues. “That is why we must use this temple to stand our ground!”
The walls surrounding the temple may not be tall, but their foundations are unspeakably deep. The creatures will not be able to burrow their way inside. By controlling the walls, they will be able to attack them from a safe distance.
All things considered, it is probably the best they can do on such a short notice.
“However,” Liu Jin continues. “I will not force anyone to stay and fight against their will. All of you had a choice when you arrived at this temple. To stay or to leave. That has not changed. If, despite knowing you are likely to run into these creatures, you wish to leave, I will not stop you. You will be given supplies and sent on your way.”
It pains him to say it. If Liu Jin had his way, he’d lock everyone behind a door and do his best to keep them safe. Alas, that is simply not possible. Forcing disciples to stay against their wishes might start a fight. That’s the last thing anyone needs right now.
“Whether you support Lord Feng Gui or Lord Feng Shang, it does not matter. I will not think less of you for wanting to leave. Perhaps, running might be the smartest thing,” Liu Jin admits. “You might just survive by running.”
It is not what he should be saying. He should be scaring them with tales of horror to get them to stay and bolster his forces.
However, he does not.
Because Liu Jin is not sure if staying to fight is truly the right choice.
“However, there are things you need to know before making a choice. These creatures are dangerous. A single touch from them can do tremendous damage. Should you find them, make sure to engage them from a distance. If that is not possible, increase the density of your Qi to create a barrier between you and them. They can move through the ground and will attack when you least expect it. Never let your guard down. Once you leave this temple, do not stop running until you are back in the Crimson Cloud Empire.”
Several members of the audience gulp at the finality in his words.
“My next warning is for those of you who support Lord Feng Shang. You know there are Core Disciples who support Lord Feng Shang in the Eye, and you have most likely stayed here because you believe they will come for you.”
The unease from Lord Feng Shang’s forces. The realization from his own allies. Liu Jin does not need to sense Qi to see the emotions playing out across the crowd.
“However, I regret to inform you that you will find no support from those Core Disciples. They have abandoned the contest and no longer care for Lord Feng Shang’s cause.”
“Lies!”
“You are free to doubt,” Liu Jin says, quickly cutting the argument before it can begin. “I offer you no proof and no evidence beyond my word. I’d like to believe I have given you no cause to doubt me, but I am also aware asking you to discard your loyalties on my word alone is too much. That’s fine. Do not believe me. Just listen. Senior Brother Yong, Senior Sister Shi, Senior Brother Ye, Senior Brother Xi, and possibly others are not your allies. Do not trust them. Do not run to them for shelter. You’ll have no one to blame but yourselves for failing to heed this warning.”
Liu Jin supposes he could have Feng Hao talk before everyone. The word of a member of the Feng Clan, even a young one, is bound to carry some weight, but he does not want to expose Feng Hao more than necessary. He already told Bei Hong and Huang Shing to talk to the followers of Feng Shang after this is over.
That’ll have to be enough.
“That is all I have to say. Those who wish to walk away, report to Sister Fan and Brother Ni to receive your supplies.”
Liu Jin leaves the disciples to talk among themselves. As much as he wants to force them all to stay, this is not a choice he can make for them.
Some time later. Liu Jin watches as some of them take off with heavy backpacks slung over their shoulders, dashing across the plains as fast as their legs can carry them. No matter what he said, there were always going to be people who ran.
However, most of the disciples choose to stay.
Liu Jin hopes they made the right choice.
~~~