Author's Note: Finals left with time...but no energy. So tired. So much summer work. Bleh. Anyhow, enough personal bullshit. Here's the chapter. I tried to do a lot in this chapter. Double line breaks show change in setting. Hope you enjoy the chapter. As always, thanks for reading.
“Well?” Sun Devouring Moon senior spoke after a lengthy silence. He gestured at his bony frame. “Scared of an old man?”
Qiu’yue bit her lips uncertainly and fidgeted with her clothes. Jang-Guo looked away with clenched fists. He closed his eyes and chuckled wryly.
“I suppose such is the best course of events.” He opened his eyes to reveal them inverted — black sclera encircling a white iris concerned of a deep red pupil, as if miniature suns were trapped inside.
The immortal looked directly at Jang-Guo and stroked his beard. “If you had charged without hesitation, I would have retaliated with all my strength from the very start.”
“Does that mean we pass?” Qiu’yue asked.
Laughing, the immortal shook his head. Then he stabbed his chest with his own hand. Blood spluttered out from his mouth. A thick red mist coagulated around his frame and formed six more bony arms attached to his back. These six arms seemed more like sharp swords with exaggerated elbow blades and depressed indentions, as well as black swirls marked all over.
“Jang-Guo, was it? Is this what you wish to achieve?” The old man asked as he cracked his shoulders. Jang-Guo nodded. Sun Devouring Moon senior scoffed. “Pathetic. If that is the extent of what you want — then you disappoint me.”
Livid, Jang-Guo trembled.
“At least you have some idea of where to take your craft. Girl, I have seen little of what you want or is heading — and that is far worse.”
Sun Devouring Moon stood up. One pair of arms became set in flames; one pair of arms seized up into fists; one pair of arms lay still at the sides like mirrors; one pair of arms, that of flesh, held themselves out like the darting beaks of cranes.
The air became heavy — suffocating — heart-crushing. The children paled and cold sweat broke out. The two knew not what cultivation the senior exuded, only that it far surpassed anything they’ve felt before. Though the two did not collapse or strain to move, both felt as if snakes surrounded them, poised to strike at any moment.
“Qiu-di, support me,” Jang-Guo shouted. “You’re slow to gain momentum, so I’ll cover.”
Qiu’yue did as he said and supported the boy with her left side; she kept her right hand in front in the usual swirls particular to the River Carving Fist.
Sun Devouring Moon senior advanced forward. One sweep, fire danced. One wave, a gust of wind.
One flick, a gatling of piercing strikes. One swing, the cry of a crane.
“Of course, I will always stop before you die. Though, crippling you and such will simply be fate.” Pale gray smoke poured from his mouth and curled around him like a guarding spirit. “Show me your strength and kill me!”
“Sun Devouring Moon?” Wei Zhao asked the Old Beggar. The general’s loyal dog crouched and leaned forward to hear the Old Beggar better. Surrounded by the raucous shouting of drunk men and the clinks of gambling dice, this abandoned monastery contained all sorts of characters: beggars most commonly, but also mercenaries and bandits, gamblers and traveling artisans.
“Yes, Sun Devouring Moon. He was famous long, long ago.” The Old Beggar replied. He took another sip from the wine gourd Wei Zhao brought him. Even through the mess of facial hair, the Old Beggar’s red nose poked through like a beansprout. He hiccupped and wiped his mouth. “Few people — these young people — know him now. But he was the one who united that pain in the ass Clear Moon Sect and that irritating Listless Cloud Sect into one, the Yun Yue Sect. And for years, that Yun Yue Sect stood amongst first of many in power, influence, and courage. One of the Five Great Clans, at times!
It was all because Sun Devouring Moon was an incomparable genius. He truly understood duality in his pursuit of the Way. According to stories, he was able to fight with several different styles at the same time — combining both yin and yang arts together. A madman, but one who stood above us all.”
“Then this Sun Devouring Moon senior ascended?” Wei Zhao inquired.
The Old Beggar nodded. “Aye, that bastard, from what I’ve heard, united the two sects to become an immortal. Maybe he cared for the sect he founded. Maybe not. Regardless, once one becomes an immortal, there are certain rules — and the prohibition extensive involvement with mortals and cultivators is one of the Sacred Laws.”
“Did he leave the Yun Yue Sect? Or is he acting as the sect’s Divine Guardian?”
“No. There exists a legacy of his — and one does not create a legacy only to leave it unattended. And since no one knows of Sun Devouring Moon these days, I can say with certainty that he has not left yet. Though, whether he will leave once the legacy is passed down, I cannot say.”
Wei Zhao bowed to the Old Beggar and left. Old Beggar hiccupped and downed the rest of his wine gourd and threw it. The gourd tumbled through the air and elegantly, but forcefully, struck the head of a bulky man clad in tiger skin know simply as Fu. Old Beggar stood up with wobbling steps. Fu stomped his way over to the beggar. Blessed with an aura of splendid heroism, Fu towered over Old Beggar by several heads.
“Oi! Old man, old man,” he clamored and pointed at the small bump on his head. “You, you see this? This is your fault. I don’t care if you are old, or a beggar — or one of the Three Pure Ones! Kowtow to me! Kowtow to me!”
The Old Beggar yawned and smacked his lips. Twitching, veins popped on Fu’s forehead.
“Oi, Fu’s going to kill someone again,” someone shouted over the noisy gambling. An excited wave of noise spread throughout the monastery. A crowd gathered. Though the size quickly dwindled to half once they saw the victim to be a drunken old beggar.
“Place your bets! Place your bets,” a feeble attempt at excitement sounded. No one in their right mind would bet on the Old Beggar. Of course, in an abandoned monastery, there was no lack of the odd. A few bets — some very big — were placed on the Old Beggar. Curiously, those few bets were all from beggars, estranged artisans, and poor scholars. Graced on each of them was a sly smile and held on their waist were small brown pouches.
“Old man, I’m talking to you,” Fu yelled once more. He reached to grab the old man but missed. At the very last moment, the Old Beggar stumbled back and Fu’s haughty claws swiped empty air.
Furrowed his brows slightly, Fu swiped with his claws again in quick succession. Surprisingly, the Old Beggar survived all that — whether by dipping at the right angle, stumbling at the right time, or simply doing odd things in a fight befit of a drunkard. Old Beggar curved his fingers into almost a hook, as if mimicking a small wine cup. Staggering with great force, the man smashed his fist against Fu’s head. The tiger-skin clad man swiftly dodged, but the blow grazed his cheek. A thin cut appeared. Fu wiped the blood from his cheek.
Murmurs of the “Drunken Fist” rippled through the crowd. More people returned to observe the fight.
“Drunken fist, peh!” Fu spat at the old man. Old Beggar did not dodge and simply allowed for the spit to hit his hair. Then Old Beggar yawned.
“Are you done? I showed you face. I gave you exactly 18 hits. I responded in kind with one good strike,” Old Beggar said to Fu. Then he burped.
“Why you!” Fu shouted and rushed at Old Beggar.
The Old Beggar tumbled out of the way and tripped the charging brute. As Fu got up with rage, he was suddenly seized by hesitation. Old Beggar no longer seemed drunk, rather the old man stepped forward in the time of a single blink and struck forward with his arms like a dragon rushing through the paddy fields. An explosive power reverberated throughout Fu’s body as the twin fists struck his chest.
Fu collapsed onto his knees as his chest caved in and he vomited blood.
“F-Fu is dead.” A lone voice remarked the obvious. Those words spread throughout the crowd of people.
The few who decided to bet on the Old Beggar collected their hefty winnings and furtively bowed to Old Beggar as he stumbled his way out the monastery. Old Beggar too had the same brown pouches, eight in total. As he stepped out of the monastery, he tripped and rolled down the stone stairs. Getting up, he patted the dust off and went over to a nearby tree to throw up.
When done, the Old Beggar pulled out a wooden whistle from one of his pouches. He blew on it. Shortly after, a pack of dogs, mangy mutts, came to the Old Beggar. He pulled out some paper and ink and brush from another pouch, drew some pictures, pulled a wooden thin small barrel from another pouch, stuffed the paper into it and fitted it onto one of the dog’s neck with string.
“Bring this to the Clan Leader, old friend.”
The dogs left. Old Beggar tilted his head to the cloud-covered skies. “A storm is brewing.”
“A storm?”
Old Beggar turned and found a poor scholar. The old man nodded. “Yes, a storm.”
“A good storm? A bad storm?” The scholar mused. “One which brings blessed rain? One which brings floods?”
The Old Beggar spat onto the ground and yawned. “What do you think?”
The scholar toyed with his brown pouch. “You heard that the Empress has been blessed with child.
That should be an auspicious sign — but the Emperor’s coma…”
“Do you believe the rumors?”
“Which one?” The scholar laughed bitterly. “The green hat, or the deceiving fox?”
Old Beggar shrugged and broke off a branch from a nearby tree. He used it as a walking stick and left. The scholar titled his head up to the heavens and sighed.
After Wei Zhao left the monastery, he rode his steed back to his cottage by a lake. He took off his mask and made himself tea. A look of doubt hung on his surprisingly handsome face, though one marred with one great scar diagonally across his face. As he drank his tea, he recollected the morning’s conversation with General Bo Ling.
The two had met at the general’s favorite brothel, the Northern Peony Banked by Moonlight. General Bo Ling always treated his loyal men well. When the two met, General Bo Ling spared no expenses. He ordered an entire feast. There were singers, dancers, and musicians — all the most beautiful flowers the brothel had to offer.
Then he sent them all away once the food was finished eating. When there was business to discuss, he took care.
“Do you have news of the girl?” He asked.
“Yes. It seems she has fallen in with the orphans that the sect takes care of. According to one of the merchants, it seems that they are going on an expedition to a tomb of some sort.”
“Scorched Ice?” General Bo Ling asked as he stared into his wine cup.
Wei Zhao nodded. With a hint of surprise, he confirmed his general’s thoughts.
“General Bo Ling, what is our next move?”
Commanding silence, the general opened the window and a hawk flew in. He took the message and read it. Then the hawk was sent away.
“More wine?” He asked with a smile. Wei Zhao nodded out of politeness. The two drank to their plans. “Wei Zhao, the puppeteer is close to succeeding. You know how to compensate the puppeteer afterwards, no?”
Wei Zhao nodded. “General Bo Ling, and the girl?”
“Well, even if she stays at the Sect, I doubt she will become a threat. Even if she meets Sun Devouring Moon, I doubt she will become an obstacle.” General Bo Ling responded. He poured himself another cup of wine. “I rather we prepare for the upcoming Black Pearl Sect Spring Festival. Consort Mu’s son will be attending the event as an esteemed guest in three months. What a farce! Sending a broken boy to such an event — though, we do not want anything to happen to him, now do we? And it would be great if we get our hands on the prizes.”
Wei Zhao nodded. Then the two talked about things unrelated to the general’s aspirations. They invited the flowers back and spent some time with them.
Yet Wei Zhao cared too much for General Bo Ling. And so he sought out Old Beggar to inquire more information.
Wei Zhao took another sip from his tea. Despite General Bo Ling’s confidence, Wei Zhao felt Sun Devouring Moon to be a factor to be considered. The man shook his head free of worry. He must prepare for the grand plans in but a few months — poison, disguises, currency, and more.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Sun Devouring Moon senior slammed his two fists against Qiu’yue’s ribs again. The girl barely blocked it, though the impact left her with a huge opening. Sensing an opportunity, the other six hands struck. The flaming hands slashed flame like dancing whips at the girl. The darting beaks flitted to and fro with cutting motion. And the still arms at the sides flung out like the rolling waves.
“Qiu-di,” Jang-Guo yelled despite being bruised and battered all over. The girl spun her body. Jang-Guo stepped forward with his one good foot and punched. The punch smashed through the flames, broke through the array of flitting crane strikes, and shattered the lunging palms. Yet, the smoke which surrounded Sun Devouring Moon senior acted. Jang-Guo’s powerful strike simply soaked
gently into the smoke.
Then the smoke seized up like ice trapping the boy. Sun Devouring Moon senior then once more unleashed the barrage of strikes.
Qiu’yue spun herself to guard the trapped older boy. Despite her best efforts, she was not quick enough in her counters to deflect everything. She blocked the fists successfully, but it left her with a major lag time, and she was not able to properly guard the other strikes. The fire burnt her hand black. The darting beaks sliced her cheeks and arms. And those rushing palm strikes were more fluid than her own.
As Qiu’yue attempted to weave her palms through the rushing palm strikes, Sun Devouring Moon senior countered each one and landed palm strikes on her abdomen. Bang! The two children flew back. Jang-Guo clutched his throbbing arm. Qiu’yue stumbled back and regained her stance.
“Tang-ge!” She shouted with concern.
“I’m fine,” he coughed up blood. “I’m fine. Ha, brat, you should worry about yourself.”
Qiu’yue dribbled blood from her lips. She shook her head. “Little Qiu’yue is a cultivator!”
Senior Sun Devouring Moon smiled, but also coughed up blood. One of his hands patted his chest, and one other patted his back. He muttered, “Hmph, what a weak corporeal body.”
The immortal mocked the children. “Are you two not fit to even receive my blows? How can those who bear my legacy be so weak!”
Bam! The air around them became several more times heavier. Rather than arms, tens of dozens of tentacles shot forth from the immortal’s back formed of red mist.
“It has been a double incense worth of time — if you have a special technique, then I suggest you two use it now.” Lightning flashed from the immortal’s mouth and shot forward at the two young cultivators. Qiu’yue took Jang-Guo by the arms and leapt away. Boom! Boom! Boom! The ground shattered and sharp shards sprayed forth like fireworks.
“Now!” Jang-Guo shouted and threw Qiu’yue at the immortal. He himself rushed forward immediately afterwards with a grimace. Fresh blood flowed down his thigh as his wound reopened.
The bald-headed boy threw himself at the immortal and intercepted Sun Devouring Moon’s attention on Qiu’yue.
As Jang-Guo and Sun Devouring Moon senior exchanged heavy blows, Qiu’yue spun through the air and landed behind the immortal. Her revolving palms formed the illusion of the union of Yin-and-Yang now that both her hands were free. She thrusted her palms straight through the twisting tentacles. Forcing 30% of her qi, the girl sliced through the red mist as she countered all the defensive strikes.
The children had noticed that the smoke which guarded Sun Devouring Moon only focused on one side. As spreading the smoke throughout would spread the effect too thin to be effective.
“Good! Good!” The old immortal laughed brightly. However, even after overcoming the peculiar gray smoke, Qiu’yue encountered a new problem: the elbow spikes.
As Jang-Guo distracted Sun Devouring Moon senior with his heavy strikes, he became more pale with each subsequent exchange. Sweat glistened on his face. No matter how Sun Devouring Moon senior moved, the blades extending from his elbow would always jab back at Qiu’yue. The girl used that to generate momentum for herself.
Twack! With one quick flurry of palm strikes, the girl broke off all the elbow blades.
Yet, the fight continued. Senior Sun Devouring Moon simply spun his body so that one side faced Jang-Guo and the other faced Qiu’yue.
“Are you fucking joking with me?” Jang-Guo weakly laughed. “Ambidexterity!”
Ambidexterity, a skill peerless and envied by all martial artists. An incomparably difficult technique to train and master. If learned, one can use two different styles of martial arts independent of one another. And since Sun Devouring Moon was already learned in using so many styles at the same time, with ambidexterity it was as if Sun Devouring Moon was ten people instead of just one or two!
As Jang-Guo came at the old man with his hard and fierce fists, Sun Devouring Moon senior received and neutralized those strikes with his palms. The fire on his left arm completely vanished to be replaced by the pale gray smoke. The pale gray smoke formed itself into three long flexible claws, like the sleeves of dance robes. First the smoke wrapped itself with the incoming strikes.
Then the palm redirected the force with a simple stroke. After, the fist and the beak unleashed fury upon the vulnerable boy.
With Qiu’yue the opposite occurred. The immortal’s palm shifted into a spade. Those darting beaks formed into savage tiger claws. And the flames only grew stronger. Besieged by a hurricane of blows, Qiu’yue found no opportunity to strike.
“Qiu-di! One chance!” Jang-Guo shouted. “Hoisting Dragon Surging Sky to Make Rain!”
Jang-Guo suddenly kicked at Sun Devouring Moon. It was a clumsy kick to the immortal’s legs. However, the old man did not expect it — rather, Jang-Guo’s martial arts relied on steady legs to deliver fierce punches. To suddenly deliver a kick was not only unexpected but practically suicidal, and with the bad leg holding him up too! The kick struck the ice and it clouded Sun Devouring Moon for a partial second. Immediately after, Jang-Guo threw a punch toward the man who caught the fist with a slight grin.
Jang-Guo smiled back. In that split moment of distraction, Qiu’yue had slipped behind Jang-Guo and struck his back with all her force. Blood bursted from her as her skin ripped into tiny streams. Jang-Guo swallowed his blood with a grunt. He forced the qi back to Qiu’yue who received it with her palms. The expulsion of qi also gushed through Jang-Guo’s fist, exploding out at the end and striking Sun Devouring Moon senior in the face. The immortal stumbled back.
Quickly, Qiu’yue pivoted around Jang-Guo and stroked her palms through the air like two mighty oars and pounded them against the senior’s chest. Three successive shockwaves ruptured from the point of impact.
Sun Devouring Moon senior flew back, his feet dragged against the ice. He stood. But he did not move.
The two children collapsed onto each other. Both had exhausted their qi with that final suicide move. Jang-Guo was beyond pale. Qiu’yue used what remained of her energy to assist in maintaining her Tang-ge’s consciousness.
“Hm, very interesting maneuver. Even though I was already weakened, such an attack proved to be both unexpected and deadly,” Sun Devouring Moon senior’s voice remarked. The two children snapped opened their eyes and looked through their haze. All they saw was the rapidly decaying body of Sun Devouring Moon senior. “Children, no worry. That is simply one of my disposable corporeal bodies. And, congratulations, you two have by both fate and fortune become the first and only to receive my legacy!”
Hearing the great news, our heroes promptly passed out. Chuckling, the disembodied voice of Sun Devouring Moon took the form of a glowing white orb. It looked over the two sleeping children who wore tired smiles.
When the two children woke up, they celebrated with hearty pats on one another’s backs. The orb similarly oscillated with content.
Sun Devouring Moon transported the two children out of the cavern. The two children gasped with absolute astonishment and excitement at what they saw.
In a cavern shining with polished ice there hovered a brilliant sword at the center. A beautiful and powerful sword. Measuring one meter, the sword featured an elegant silver fuller and stunning gold edges on both sides. The guard of the sword was shaped like a crescent or the thorns of a rose garden. And the pommel was this great bulb fashioned into the face of a demon. Underneath the sword was a simple jade tablet the size of a rice cake.
“That sword is called Duality,” the white orb shimmered as it began to explain the sword. “If one mastered it, one can storm up a sea of fire with one slash — or cast a thousand strikes without anyone realizing like the shadow of the moon. Its weight is profoundly mystical. If one strike with force, it weighs as heavy as the sun; if one moves gently, it flows like paper with the wind. However, I cannot give you two it.”
“What? Why?” Jang-Guo shouted.
“Because there is only one sword. But there are two of you.” Sun Devouring Moon responded. The orb floated over to the sword. “However, this sword is but two blades joined together.”
With a blast of white light, there now hovered two swords. One was a saber with a broad serrated blade. Powerful grass calligraphy was etched into the black blade in gold. The other sword was a long blade which seemed to refract all light. It was an elegant blade.
Senior Sun Devouring Moon called the two children forward. “Hop onto the swords.”
The children did so and found that they could actually control the blade to fly! With slight shifting of their weight, the children moved the blade in any direction. After they got off, the blades shot back to hover over the jade tablet.
“Jang-Guo are you content with the saber, Ten Suns? Qiu’yue are you content with Quiet Thoughts?”
“Sun Devouring Moon senior,” Qiu’yue said with a worried expression. “I think my sword is too big for me to use.”
The orb twinkled as if laughing. “No matter. The sword is magical; it can shrink to fit your size. Now, cut your finger on the blades and blood bond with them.”
The children did as they were told. It was a strange experience. With a small cut made, blood poured from it to form a red mist around the blades. The metal drank in the blood mist greedily.
Spinning around, the two blades suddenly shot forward. Quiet Thoughts shrunk as it shot forward and fitted itself in Qiu’yue’s hair like an ornament. Ten Suns shrunk so that a child could use it but stuck itself into the ice in front of Jang-Guo instead. It was too proud to be sheathed or changed into a mere ornament.
“And the second part of my legacy is the jade tablet.” The orb got quiet. “Though, Qiu’yue cannot learn it.”
The girl tilted her head. Jang-Guo got angry and complained about the injustice toward his Qiu-di.
“It simply is not fit for Qiu’yue. It details my Twelve Beastial Strikes — something an external practitioner like yourself will find great use in, but not something the internal practitioner would really desire.”
“Mm,” Qiu’yue nodded with a smile. “Tang-ge it’s fine. I have another martial art I want to learn anyways — the Four Shifting Forms.”
“The Four Shifting Forms!” The orb shot forward, causing Qiu’yue to hop back. The girl nodded. “I see. If you do intend on pursuing the internal school, the Four Shifting Forms is certainly on par with my Twelve Beastial Strikes.”
“Four Shifting Forms?” Jang-Guo asked.
“It was an art I admired greatly when I had not ascended. I had tried to learn it, but it required an absolute devotion to the countering arts to learn. Though I have seen its brilliance in combat and experienced it myself, I cannot say what secrets it truly holds. But I now have something to compliment that art, little Qiu’yue.”
The orb touched Qiu’yue’s forehead. Qi flowed steady from the orb into Qiu’yue, and with it, a stream of information. Yet the girl found herself unable to comprehend any of it except for the murky outline of the barest basics.
“What I just transferred was my Rippling Water Acupuncture. I devised it before I realized I would not be able to use the Four Shifting Forms. It should make your countering a dozen degree more devastating if mastered, and your basic strikes with a certain force not to be underestimated.”
Jang-Guo similarly felt the entirety of the Twelve Beastial Forms stream into his soul once he touched the jade tablet. Sun Devouring Moon then transported the two to a paradise. There was a refreshing healing spring. A forest with fragrant fruit and wonderful herbs.
“You who possess my legacy, I offer this final boon. In this spatial paradise, your comprehension of the arts and cultivation will surely rise dramatically.”
With that, the orb vanished after a final burst of light. Qiu’yue and Jang-Guo smiled at each other. Without saying another word, the two hopped into the refreshing waters and laughter filled the air.