The moon shone brightly in the starless sky. Its radiance was not to the degree of the Sun, yet people, specifically the lower classes, still thanked its presence for providing guidance through the thick forests in the night. Despite the availability of a main dirt road that crosses through the aforementioned forests of the Yee Province, toll taxes were at an all-time high in the perspective of the average commoner that made pocket money out of the wood they sold or the leftover vegetables they had gathered after harvest. The merchants and nobles turned a blind eye to any increase in rates as it was all the same for every citizen of the kingdom. Despite that, the commoners did not mind the situation as they would be biting off more than they could chew with opposition to the toll increase. Besides, the moonlight gave a sense of tranquility as it settled over the rocks and bamboo shoots. Horse carriages travelled mostly in the mornings where highwaymen targeting the rich were rendered useless due to the obvious sunlight and the plethora of well-off travelers along the road. Therefore, the night was like any other, silent. Unlike currently…
A barrage of arrows rain from above, each tied to several caskets filled with gunpowder. They were headed to a horse-drawn carriage that was already up in flames. The attack had occurred several hours back and out of the 4 horses assigned to pull the carriage, only one remained. This wave of arrows was the 8th barrage and it was homing in closer and closer. The driver ordered the horse to take a sharp left but the arrows covered a wide area and a second later, a series of explosions were heard. Bits of wood and dirt flung in all directions and smoke rapidly began to rise out of the crash site.
The sound of the hooves of horses became more and more apparent as a squadron of horse-drawn carriages arrived at the scene. Compared to the carriage that was destroyed, these did not have a roof cover and were compact. These were war carriages. The crackling of thunder sounded and rain began to pour. The flames that were raging with chaos started to lessen its danger as it was doused by the increasingly heavy downpour. The soldiers upon the carriages heard the constant collisions of the water droplets with their armor as they waited for the commander to give a signal with attentive eyes.
A foot step was heard. An intentionally loud one coming from the wrecks of the carriage. The commander raised his hand, seated upon his personal war horse. The soldiers brandished their fire sticks, a long pole that has a tube attached to the end with axe heads surrounding the surface of the length of the tube like a mace. A cartridge of gunpowder was inserted into the tube, along with a small ball projectile afterwards. A secondary soldier positioned a flaming torch above a flammable surface connected to the tube. Despite the rain, this torch was still going strong. These series of actions took place over several seconds after the raise signal and every war carriage had aimed their fire sticks at the wreck. One second…two seconds…three, several trees shuddered. 6 kunai made of ice pierced straight into the tough tree branches. Each kunai was attached to a continuous column of water, formed by intense adhesion, connected to a person’s two hands. The column was a formerly impromptu object that behaved like a string but worked better than any string could. The person could even never run out of string as long as he had a water source.
As he pulled on it, the person moved with great agility as he soared into the dense tree branches right before the fire sticks were fired. What remained was the burned-up body of the driver, several planks of wood and torn curtain fabric as well as a horse that was blown to pieces by several of the projectiles unintentionally.
Disgusted by their reaction time, the commander immediately shouted out to the soldiers to chase in that general direction where the person had escaped. He devised a small squad to follow right behind while the others would speed up and reach the end of the forest, setting up a blockade.
----
Sparks flew as the war carriages repeatedly shot long range explosive arrows at the upcoming trees that the escapee was supposedly headed to. The small squad of soldiers, jumping from tree to tree, momentarily stopped in their tracks, positioned their bows and fired their arrows at the escapee that was in sight from all of them. A pincer formation was formed. Yet, the escapee dodged the arrows with ease, readily landed on trees and rocks that were not hit by the explosions and avoided the spreading fires and rising smoke. Accompanied by the ongoing torrential downpour, the blend of smog, flame and water would hinder anyone’s ability to continue what the escapee did. He continuously made kunai from the rainwater, attached them to tree branches and swung from tree to tree, away from his pursuers.
As the ordeal continued, he sensed that the trees were more dispersed than before and a heavy gale struck his body. The escapee realized that he reached the end of the forest and what awaited him was a grand canyon that reached several hundred meters deep and wider than any large-scale paddy field that he knew of. Explosions were let off behind him and a barrage of arrows headed his way. The strong gale subsided and he realized his opportunity. As he strengthened his kick from the last tree he could land on, he jumped high into the sky. The blockage was seen further to his left as they blocked the entrance to the long bridge that leads the passage across the Grand Canyon of Lou. Understandably for the commander, that bridge was the only way for people to cross the canyon so his judgment to block the entrance was one of logic yet the escapee goes beyond the sense of logic. Leaping straight into the gap of the canyon, the escapee felt the gaze of the pursuers, guards and the commander as they questioned the thought process of this man, jumping into certain death. Yet, he was completely sane. On the other side of the canyon were another patch of thick forests and several tall mountains in the distance. The main trail was visible on the far left and tall cement structures could be observantly sighted when looked hard enough.
The escapee’s body was horizontal towards the ground. He did a twirl of his body, smoothly unsheathing his double-edged Jian. The Jian made a turn around his body and a clear white halo emerged in the wake of the blade’s path. In the face of the dark blanket of the storm clouds and the backdrop of the void night sky, the halo shone brightly, reflections of the colors of the rainbow and translucent white dust surrounding him. Still airborne, he resembled one of the divine beings that came from the afterlife, the Heavenly Kingdom. The instant the escapee completed the halo arc, he was sent forward with incredible force. Flying straight to the other side of the canyon, he crashed landed with a somersault, promptly getting up with no wasted movement as the clouds of dust from the impact danced around him. As the dust settled, the escapee turned to the bridge as he saw the war carriages striding over to the side of the canyon he was in. The small squad on the other side were left speechless and confused. To make things worse, another war carriage battalion was arriving to the aid of the commander. The escapee sensed their presence yet made no haste, ensuring the bamboo bag he was carrying was secured firm to his back. Just as he did so, the soldiers had surrounded him.
There were multiple columns of spearmen holding halberds. War carriages were stationed behind with the archers, aiming their respective weapons at the escapee. Most importantly were the 4 specialized Flying Guillotine wielders that took positions of the East, West, South and North of the escapee. The escapee recalled that he landed quite near the edge of the canyon, a few tens of meters away. The thick forests were another several tens of meters further back. He was trapped in an open area.
On the commander’s side, he was positioned near the opening to the rest of the main forest trail. Personally, he had never seen such a feat. Surely, based on his beliefs, the ‘supernatural’ the escapee displayed were that displayed in pottery and expressed in poems and songs but the man itself was nothing to write home about. The escapee was drenched from the rainwater, like the rest of the soldiers, but he seemed to be still standing strong and not succumbing to fever any moment. The commander felt a heat in his body, a defense mechanism. But he couldn’t retreat any further.
The man looked to be in his early 20s and had a slim but toned body, easily identified by the wet fabrics. He wore a shiny black sleeved Hanfu tunic, tightened by a black sash, and bagged black pants. This was accompanied by a black sleeveless robe, scaled leather shoulder guards, metal gauntlets, metal shin guards and leather boots. All under a black color scheme. He wore a black blindfold and his long silky black hair was tightened into a bun, fastened by a clip that can double as a throwing dart. His weapon seemed to only be his double-edged long Jian. It has a red guard, trimmed with gold patterns and a brown leather wrap on the handle.
‘He is the true definition of an assassin. Supposedly, when one of his class gets surrounded, it's game over. But…but how is he still standing so confidently? Is he going to use his supernatural powers to break out of this formation? Let’s first start with negotiations. We can complete the objective without any bloodshed,’ though the commander.
As the escapee readied his sword, the commander shouted out his terms.
“Sir, we are part of the Emperor’s Army. I am instructed to return that thing in the bamboo bag of yours. I recognise your abilities to be one blessed by the Heavens so I would be grateful if you so willingly surrender that thing to me on behalf of the Emperor. We don’t have to end this with blood. I will provide you with a letter of recommendation to the Intelligence Director in exchange!”
No reply came. His sword is still raised.
The general grunted in frustration.
“Spider Pincer! Attack!”
The Flying Guillotines were released. Flying towards the escapee at incredible speeds, the razor blades spin rapidly around the base of the compact disks as the chain attached to the center of the disk was let out by the wielders.
These things were the Emperor’s newest invention. With the width of 3 adult hands, these razor-blade disks came homing onto the victim’s head by the skill of the user. Once on it, the disk expanded to form a basket covering the entire head. Spirals of protruding blades surrounded the length of the basket and the original razors with a much larger length were based around the neck. The wielder will then pull on the chain to retract the razor blades inwards to pierce the victim’s face and chop their head off, detaching it from the neck. The basket will contain the head within. It’s one deadly weapon.
But these things are non-lethal to people like the escapee. Upon the commander’s instructions, the escapee ran towards the soldiers nearest to the forests. He swatted the Flying Guillotine out of the way while the other three missed their mark. By then, he was closing into those soldiers and struck multiple of them. The archers on that side were soon struck by his blade while the others fired their bows. The escapee grabbed one of the soldiers as a meat shield and survived no arrow shots. A second larger, he went straight into the columns of soldiers, breaking formation. The other archers had no choice but to aim carefully to avoid hitting their fellow soldiers. The delay in their sporadic shots allowed the escapee to mow down lines of men more freely by slicing the metal parts of the halberds and having the next sword slice struck all their necks. Picking up a non-damaged halberd, he swung the weapon in huge but effective arcs, making space and cutting down men as he reached closer towards the forest.
Unfortunately, the commander acted fast and moved his soldiers stationed at the road entrance to reinforce the side closest to the forests, while the other spearmen rushed to narrow the gap between them and the escapee so that he had no chance to dodge thrusts from all directions. The fire stick users remained on standby in case any halo emerged on the escapee. Their firepower would hopefully halt any abilities the escapee may wield.
Rain continued to fall. Numerous bodies laid on the soft ground and the mud was a blend of dark red and brown. As the soldiers on the side near the forests were left to only 2 dying individuals, the reinforcements arrived in the nick of time to save their fellow comrades. Brandishing their halberds in a thrusting formation, the forces opposite them got to formation as well. Spiky halberds surrounded the escapee. There was no way to avoid all of them even if one had excellent swordsmanship. The soldiers charged forward. The circle of the trap grew smaller and smaller. But…
Moments before the first few halberds were able to pierce the escapee, the escapee raised his sword along with his empty hand.
‘The very persistent bunch, aren’t they?’ he thought.
As he did so, streaks of translucent white light bend to form a double helix. Where they end, a halo, the same one from before, emerged above his head in the wake of the trail made by a quick swirl of his Jian. The white light shone brightly. Stunned by the phenomena, the charge slowed, causing some to instinctively fall back a few steps. The fire sticks were immediately ignited, sending a rush of ball projectiles at the escapee. The commander encouraged their soldiers to continue the attack nonetheless. But before anyone could take another step, the sound of cracking ice could be heard and right after that, the earth shook.
---
What makes a rose the flower of love? Would it be the lovely red color or the smell that accompanies such flowers? Maybe even, the trend set by current famous novelists, poets and artists? No…that’s not what the escapee thought. Or to be more precise, he knows no answer to that yet he craves for another question, how can a rose kill someone? Even if the stories told of the lead’s romance starting out with the gift of a rose, some, in the end, died in their lover’s arms. Intentionally be the lover themselves that did the dead or if they were also a victim, expressing their sorrow? How about breakups? One so serious that exaggeration is commonplace to say that people unalive themselves after such events for a multitude of reasons.
‘How ridiculous!’ the escapee thought.
Despite this, it can be assumed that true romance sprouted from roses and anything beforehand was just a sense of longing or attraction. And if romance can lead to such death in reality, why not use roses to kill instead of steel. How about a steel rose with thorns that can bleed skin? How about adding a layer of coldness to such constructs to ensure the connotation of death and emotionlessness after a period of having all the warmth of love in the world? What great potency is this train of thought? And, if the escapee is bonded with the Sword of Nothing? A feeling that is colder than permafrost itself brought to life, materialized and expressed by others at the will of the owner of the Sword of Nothing. That’s the reasoning and power behind one of the moves created and mastered by the escapee, a disciple of one of the most obscure but powerful clans of the Martial World. He calls it…
‘The Rose given by The Frozen-Hearted’
With blood as his catalyst, the earthbound souls and roaming ghouls filled by such emotion gather near the halo like moth to the flame. Yet, only he can see the accumulation as the bond with the Sword grants an emotional connection to the spiritual realm of the Earth plane. Thousands upon thousands rush to the halo in milliseconds as the wish of that cold feeling soon became reality in exchange for the soul’s essence, their redemption. Once filled, they may go to the Heavenly Kingdom. Otherwise, the souls and ghouls have to stay in the Earth plane for who knows how long to gather enough essence as punishment for their sins. The souls gathered in the halo are the type in abundance, the revengeful. They are attracted by blood, the purer the better like one of babies, the purest of the pure. Though a baby sacrifice itself is the taboo of the Heavens, for revengeful souls; it is the highest form of attraction. A delicacy. The core root of his Martial Principle is exchange, one’s karma. Here, the escapee is using the blood of soldiers and some of the soldiers’ souls. What irony to kill an enemy with the resource of an enemy.
The coldness took the form of ice and the emotions brought were shown through aura. The ground erupted as a giant rose made of ice as hard as the toughest alloy of metal, reinforced by the aura of lost and hopelessness, began to form. Aura hits the spirit. Ice hits the physical. A deadly widespread move executed by the escapee. Tall structures of shiny white crystal grew at the center of the rose, piercing the dark clouds above and each formed a giant halo at the top with the brightness of a small star. The petals moved with efficiency, entrapping large groups of soldiers and slicing them up. The stems filled with thorns emerged right after which behave like whips and tentacles. They toss columns of men into the air; thorns extend like spikes to piece the tough armour of the soldiers. The ball projectiles left no mark and the stems tore through the war carriages with ease. It was like a monstrous entity making a slaughter.
The commander was devastated. This monster had no weakness. There was nothing he could do but accept his death. Yet, it did not come. Once all the soldiers were killed, the rose disintegrated to white dust and in the centre, the escapee stood still in the direction of the commander. The rain was still unforgiving as ever, continuing to hit the both of them as thunder cracked in the background.
“D……D…Devil! You’re the Dev…!”
The escapee blitzed the commander, beheading him as the commander screamed his fears, charging towards the escapee with his glaive in hand on his horse. The escapee landed softly on the wet ground. What remained was the commander’s personal horse. He walked towards and forcibly got on it before heading onto the main trail to reach the next city nearby. There was little time to walk on foot, especially in this weather.
---
The city was one of relative size, filled with many stores, street vendors and pubs. Many kinds of social classes live here, protected by six 40 meter walls built around the city. Such cities were called Castle Cities. Most nobles live in high-rise castles with jagged points on their roofs, decorated with dragon, phoenix or lion statues. The top merchants had large multi-story restaurants or pubs with hostels located at the top floors. Others that make enough for day-to-day expenses by selling goods or providing services like writing letters or healthcare lived right above their shop in two story houses, usually lined together in a row and extended for many rows throughout the city. The poor mostly lived right next to the walls or outside of it. The farmers were a varied bunch. Those that had a business selling a surplus could have lived in the city center but had fields outside the walls while others only lived out in the wild along with the hunters and herbalists, only sometimes coming to the city to sell leftovers.
Despite the divide, all men in these classes could agree that the only place that had a commoner past by a noble so often was the red-light district. This zone was particularly neglected by the police guard so hidden deals and crimes grew rampant here. Despite this, people still flocked in every now and then and due to this, the escapist wouldn’t be found by the police who should be informed by the Emperor’s messenger group through a bird scroll. To blend more in the crowd, he planned to book a room in the most popular brothel of the zone. Numerous swordsmen came here so smelling like wrought iron was not uncommon here.
---
The Yuan Brothel was the star attraction of the red-light district. While most of the profits came from its incredible hostess and entertainment services, there was a relatively large profit income coming from human trafficking and the drug trade. Crime syndicates would sell off daughters of families in debt to Yuan Brothel where they worked for no payment and the service fee went to the brothel and crime syndicates only. There are numerous nobles that are interested in various sizes and ages of women at the right price. On the other hand, boys were made as slaves in manual labor or human henchmen. Otherwise, they could be sold to nobles who are into those ‘activities’.
Lian is one such victim to this business but fortunately, she was deemed not valuable to any customers so had very little worth as a hostess and worked as a cleaner and waiter most of the time. She looked at the main hall from the corner of a pillar, holding her broom. At the center were a large number of tables and chairs placed relatively close together. A lot of men and women intermingle with each other doing a variety of activities from chatting and drinking to acts of pleasure so openly. Outside were numerous buildings several stories tall that sandwiched the main courtyard with a center fountain that leads to the front entrance to the Yuan Brothel. The balconies of the 2nd to 5th floor were filled with groups of pleasure women raising their scented handkerchiefs out to the never-ending stream of customers entering the premises. They waved it as passionately as a soldier does their flag banner while voicing out numerous cries and words of seduction. Men drew close to all these taunts or praise and went upstairs. The main building was no different but had more luxurious rooms and stages for theater. But one thing was certain. They were all dirty in the young girl’s eyes who just turned 15 a few days ago. They all were animals that acted out of carnal desires. They all were hopeless.
Turning her eyes away from the view to continue sweeping, a tall lady approached her.
“Lian, come here,”
She turned to face Madame Lee, one of the managers of the Brothel that had Lian under her supervision. Dressed in a red Hanfu dress with a light robe, a golden ornamental hair clip and a fur scarf that dropped down to her waist, she looked beautiful compared to your average pleasure woman.
“Yes Madame, what can I be of service for?”
“There is a new client that booked one of the luxury suites but remained silent for the entire time. He went into the suite and paid the money immediately apparently. Unfortunately, all the hostesses are busy and though we already sent several girls, all didn’t come to get a reaction out of him. So, I offered to send you to be his companion for the night. They all seem to agree after I pointed out that he is new here and that he is obviously here for a one-night stand. Trust a hostess’ instinct, you hear!”
“However, Madame, why me? I am sure that there are other girls my age that are prettier than I am. I am here just satisfied with doing the chores. I…
“Hold your tongue, young lady! If you think it was out of my goodwill to give you another chance at fastening the clearance of the debt your grandfather owed, don’t be too naïve! Especially since the interest rates are still active on the remaining debt, it’s practically impossible to work hard enough to cancel out the debt by just doing housework. Just thank the God of Fortune that all the skilled hostesses are currently busy and the ones that are in reserve didn’t appeal to the client. It’s your turn now.”
“…Und…Understood Madame. Thank you for this opportunity.”
As Lian finished her thanks, the Owner arrived.
“Oi! Rat girl! Wash that body of yours and get going! Time’s money!
“Apologies, Owner” Lian said hastily as she headed to the outside well.
The Madame just watched the young girl rush into the dark corridor.
---
Several minutes later, Lian headed her way to the client’s room. As she walked past the other rooms, she could see how different they were to the common rooms. The windows had more intricate patterns; the scent of flowers was always in the air; and food and wine were served to nearly every room, accompanied by a music ensemble. The gap in services was enormous. At the end of the corridor was a pair of doors, each having a golden-plated door handle. Lian gritted her teeth as she prepared herself. She was a virgin after all. The door opened inwards and what she saw was a young man in his early 20s, naked from the top to bottom, wearing only underwear. He appeared to be attending to his wounds and it seemed to be pretty minor cuts. What shocked her the most were the horrendous scars throughout his body. Despite that, she still blushed at the awkward timing of her entry.
The man, the escapee, turned to face the young girl. After an intense glare standoff for a few seconds, he continued with attending to his wounds. On the other hand, Lian promptly closed the doors and quietly sighed as she headed to the main table he was using.
‘Alright Lian, calm down. Remember how Madame taught you…But, looking at him now, the blindfold. Isn’t he blind? This makes it even harder. No wonder the reserve wasn’t successful.’ Lian thought to herself.
The main table screamed fancy for herself. Engraved with jade patterns and studded gems, the marble top was filled with things that didn’t fit the theme. A simple jug of tea and a couple of teacups were placed at the side. What took up most of the place however, were the strips of damaged armor and laid out fabric of clothing. At the side was a bucket dyed a deep dark red and placed on two chairs were a bamboo bag and a large Jian respectively. He sat on another so only one chair remained. She ‘gracefully’ moved the chair next to him and sat down, holding the jug in the pose of a loyal servant.
“Want me to pour you a cup, Sir?”
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No response was given.
‘Tolerate him, Lian. Tolerate him! Money doesn’t grow on trees.’
“Sir, it seems you’re pretty new to these places, are you a traveler? Mind sharing your tales of greatness?”
A silence emerged
‘I will try again. Madame said that the hostesses left of their own accord and not out of the client’s inconvenience. Let’s press forward!’
“I saw your sword on that chair over there. It looks so cool. Why don’t you go and show this young girl the skills of a warrior!”
She was left unanswered.
‘Again…Again’
---
“So that’s what happened when I saw a fox in the outdoor kitchen. Quite the hair-raising tale, aren’t it?”
For the past ten minutes, Lian had been talking to herself, technically, non-stop. All for the escapee to leave her hanging. Lian’s face was getting red and redder by the minute. Though she was taught to be patient, this was too much. She had morals and was a human herself. Lian let out her frustrations in an outburst.
“Hey! I am currently trying my best here to tolerate that ignorant behavior of yours. But…I apologize that I can take no more. I know that you paid for such prices for services that you are expected to get. Yet, you do not seem to accept my or even the previous girls’ efforts. I do not know about the other girls but I have a dignity of my own and even if I was forced to take this job, it is something that defines who I am and does not give you the right to look done on me to the point I am treated like a ghost. At last a dog gets a pat on the head after barking and whimpering. Is my status as a prostitute so low that you see me lesser than a dog? Actually, you are not even looking in the first place and I am spouting out all this nonsense to no one but myself to comfort myself more.”
Her voice began to muffle as tears ran down her face.
“Why…Why…Why did you even come here in the first place!?”
Lian stood up and immediately headed for the entrance.
“Wait.”
She stood in her tracks as she reached out for the door handle. His first words to her.
‘He actually did listen.’
The escapee stood up and started to wear his clothes and armor. He continued speaking whilst doing so.
“My name’s Jia MianJu. I am an assassin employed by the Royal Family until a few hours back. I am sorry about my lack of good character before this. A series of past events clouded my judgment and buried me in a state of confusion. So, if you happen to meet those girls, could you tell them my apologies on my behalf?”
“Wait, hol…”
“If my presence offends you, I don’t mind leaving the premises at this moment. Just give me a few minutes to pack my things.”
“SHUT IT!”
“…”
“Why does it have to end like this…I forgive you. But…As punishment, at least let me finish what I was paid for. You booked this place for the entire night so let me keep you company until morning.”
“…Al…Alright. As you wish, Young Lady.”
“Oi, don’t be so respectful. You are the client after all.”
“…”
“Call me Lian instead, Elder brother MianJu.”
---
As the clock struck midnight, the streets of the red-light district were still bustling as ever. Among the numerous gatherings, all led to a lustful session between one another. Yet, there was one such pairing that was forming a different kind of bond.
“Really? Is that how eunuchs lost their crown jewels? What a terrifying experience. Even a girl like myself could imagine the pain of my lower half yanked out by a bull.”
“Lian, despite your young age, you are really into this, aren’t you?”
“Hey! Don’t say it as if I am some pervert? I’m still a virgin.”
“Being a virgin doesn’t justify you not…”
“Anyways! I am just interested in the life of the Royal Gardens as a whole. The transformation from man to eunuch is another curious palace lifestyle. Though, I am disgusted that the Emperor had over a hundred concubines and one main wife. And, each wife has a certain rank in the family. Being a wife is more like a job if I were to marry the Emperor.”
“Whatever your opinion is, they all get a monthly allowance by the Emperor and do not have to starve or work manual labor, unlike you.”
“…”
“In my opinion, all they’re married to is money. In exchange for their dignity as a lady, they live a physical life better than you would ever be.”
As MianJu expressed his thoughts, his mind drifted off to an image of a woman, shrouded in darkness. A black figure that wore heavy garments and an intricate ornamental headpiece.
“Therefore, don’t place conclusions from just your own base of reasoning.”
Silence remained.
“Ha-ha, I am sorry. But Elder Brother MianJu, I still want to thank you for sharing your experience in the Royal Gardens. A commoner like me would never even have the chance of visiting that place in my lifetime or even my future generations if I had one. I am just a slave girl dependent on the brothel. I have an ever-increasing debt that will make sure I stay here forever. My family has only my 5 brothers and sisters and grandfather. Our small farm is spoiled rotten with lack of constant care and I am the eldest here. And, you, my first customer is only a visitor to this city. I will soon go back to household chores.”
MianJu watched as the girl drank a cup of tea to clear her already sore throat.
“My life’s just miserable, ain’t it”
He saw the face Lian made. One of melancholy and hopelessness. Dull eyes and a weakened breath. She tried her best to put up a smile but the situation still pulled her down. He can’t blame her. She was only 15. Yet, he refused to sugar-coat any truth. One must face this horrid society even when they just started to walk. For her, this was her path to adulthood. One he wanted her to partake. Though this chat seemed insignificant, he hoped she could get something out of it. He himself could not find any worth his words carry, how about her, an entirely different person? He felt very pitiful at that moment.
“Anyways, I digress. The information you shared would only be a secret between you and me. A client and employee. I swear upon the Heavenly King.”
‘She’s still thinking about her responsibilities of her job. What a tough kid. Let’s lighten up the mood’
“Aren’t you gonna ask about what’s in that bag?”
“Ehh! No…no…I am not curious…It’s just…”
“I saw your eyes drift regularly towards the box while I was talking about the Opera room of the Royal Gardens.”
“No, there is no need. It must be some classified object that could get me executed if I peek in right. At least, that’s how the stories say.”
“I give you permission and it’s not a big deal anyway.”
“…Alright.”
As Lian started to open the latches on the bag, she could hear subtle breathing coming from the inside. Wondering if it’s some ancient dragon, mystical Nue or golden dog, she excitedly opened the bag. It was a baby.
---
Stunned by the fact that a baby was kept in this bag, she instantly lifted it out of the bag and hugged it tightly. After a few moments, she held it high in the air, admiring the cuteness of it. It had plump checks and large eyes, wrapped tightly in thick red cloth. Lian, who had not seen his little brothers and sisters after she was sold at age 12, found this sight to be the greatest moment of her life. It seemed her eyes sparkled with great radiance.
Despite wearing the blindfold, MianJu felt the intense warmth of the atmosphere of the room.
‘What if warmth is implemented in a Martial Art? Would a heart of determination emit flames that burn as hard as the wielder wants something achieved? If only Martial artists are that pure of heart in a dog eat dog world.’
“—Ju, MianJu! Hello?”
“Yh, what’s up?”
“Thanks again for this surprise!”
A smile that was genuine. He felt that as well.
‘It was my fault to think of happiness as a weapon to kill. Sorry, Lian. Please keep that smile forever.’
“Lian!”
She turned to face him.
“After morning comes, I will depart from this city. But I will come again one day. By that time, I expect you to be on the top of this Brothel. Provide me an experience better than this one. I promise to you and you promise to me.”
Lian was bewildered by his statement. But after a pause, she laughed cheerfully while holding the baby in her arms, cradling it as she went. Standing right next to the window, the scene of her and the baby resembled that of a mother putting her child to bed.
She spoke, “What’s the name of this child?”
“ReZhui,” he replied.
“ReZhui…What a unique name for a boy.”
“I know…The mother is a special individual after all.”
“What happened…”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“…”
“…”
“Understood. Everyone has their own secrets. I didn’t share some of mine with you.”
“…”
“Elder Brother MianJu, if you happen to come across my grandfather, he really looks like me after all. Please spare some change for the old man. I haven’t seen him in the past 3 years. No…I am not allowed to.”
“No problem”
“Thank you. Really…thank you. I hope…Ahhhhhhhhh!!!”
An arrow suddenly pierced through the side of her head. Another hit her carotid artery. Blood splatter in large volumes. Painting the room red. Numerous ignitions were heard through the room’s walls. The sound of Lian’s wailing cries of pain paled in comparison as the baby woke up, startled and began to cry as well.
Without hesitation, MianJu dashed towards the two of them as spear projectiles pierced through the walls like paper and into his body, covering both the already dead Lian and the frightened baby. The baby’s eyes glared wide open as he saw the scene of MianJu spreading out his hands and widening his legs, stabbed with countless shrapnel bits, spearheads and arrows. Blood dripped from his wounds to the baby, who’s cloth was soaked in Lian’s blood. He had not known this feeling by words yet, but the instinct told him that he was not safe and was extremely scared. This trauma was one that will haunt him for the rest of his life that he shrieked in fear of the danger that is to come.
Vomiting out more blood, MianJu could barely maintain consciousness. Yet, his guilt to protect them kept his brain going. He was drawn in too much into the moment to notice the movement of other assassins heading in to ambush the place.
‘So that’s what Master said when assassins are lone owls. Emotions like these dull our senses and events like this can occur once we’re careless. I…was careless. I’m sorry, the two of you.’
Using aura to augment his body, he ignored the strain on his bleeding muscles and scooped the baby out of Lian’s hands and grabbed his Jian. Leading out of the room and dashing straight into the corridor, the rooms behind him exploded a second later. He guessed that they would bring in heavier anti-platoon firesticks to neutralize him. It was spot on.
At the end of the corridor, he stopped at the opening leading to the main hall. It was chaos. Men and women, naked and clothed, scrambled out of their rooms and downstairs like a mischief of mice. As he turned a corner, a heavy mass collided with him. Looking down, he saw a short, ugly old lady with pimples as large as grapes and wore such sparkly jewelry that did not match her face. She was the Owner. One of the main culprits for the enslavement of Lian. A sudden rage gathered in MianJu’s fist as he unsheathed his sword.
“You bastard! Do you know who you bumped into? Hey! Wait! Wait! Waaaiiit!”
As she spouted such words, MianJu slashed his sword at the limbs of the Owner. She screamed in agony. A foul shriek that sent shudders to him for how disgusting her voice sounds. He proceeded with accurately placed cuts to more places like the liver, eyes and lungs. Just enough to keep her alive despite the grievous wounds.
“S…S…Pls…Stop!” begged the Owner before fainting. Although throbbing pain filled his muscles, it did not matter. At least, he can repay Lian a parting gift by making the Owner’s life a place worse than hell.
As he finished, the police guard and several assassins from the Royal Guard showed up and quickly surrounded MianJu.
‘Luckily they arrived just after I finished dealing with the Owner. Lian, the Heavenly King must have given divine intervention to delay them. I pray you get to meet him.’
As he said his prayers, the men charged with their daggers and swords. With his bloodied right hand still holding his Jian securely, he formed a halo around his body through thought. The halo expanded as the blades came closer.
Outside, a crowd formed around the largest of the brothels of the Zone. On one side of the main building, several large fires were rapidly spreading to the rest of the structure. All their faces were ones of shock and fear. But, no one would have expected a number of large crystalline structures of ice to erupt out of the building, turning bricks to dust and stone and wood into splinters. If that’s not enough, a fierce gale of the cold tundra started to circulate the premises of Yuan Brothel. Time seemed to slow and everyone within the gale appeared to move at a slower pace, filled with eyes of hopelessness and narrowed pupils. No one knew what happened inside was an even greater phenomenon.
---
After the release of the cold, mundane tundra, MianJu made quick haste with decapitating all the assassins and police guard. The tundra slowed the enemies to a large degree and his open wounds were covered by the formed ice on his skin. Yet, for this great power, he forced himself to forget his feelings for the mourning of Lian. Ice is the absence of heat so to bring out the form of ice, the wielder of the Sword of Nothing had to feel nothing, like water without heat. Ice. He regretted the choice but the baby had to survive. That was his final duty.
The two of them escaped the brothel and headed through a route of alleyways. Water began to drip on his blood-soaked clothes.
‘It’s raining…Again’
Thunder clapped.
As he reached the end of the final alleyway and into the open field, leading to the fort wall, an explosion erupted below where he stepped. MianJu was sent rolling to a pile of discarded boxes while the baby got caught in the arms of the Head of the Emperor’s Messenger Group. Behind him were several skilled henchmen in close combat. They were all dressed in black padded armor and had metal armor placements similar to that of MianJu since he was part of the group at one time.
“What a frustrated face, MianJu,” commented the Head
“Chief Wang, don’t tell me you also participated in the death of the Emperor,” snarled MianJu.
“Telling you won’t do anything, won’t it? Well, you’re gonna die here anyways. Alright, let this be my parting gift for you. EVERYONE took part in the plan. Of course, except for your beloved…”
“Don’t talk shit about her, you bastard!”
MianJu interrupted his former chief. It was the greatest form of disrespect anyone could do to a senior but he didn’t want to be reminded of what happened to her. He felt guilty even saying her name.
“She really did a number on you. It's tough, I know. Dealing with her means selling your sanity away. So…This must be her child. What’s its name? Boy or girl?”
Slowly crawling up, MianJu replied curtly, “Let the baby go. It did nothing wrong!”
Acting as though he was reconsidering, Chief Wang apologized, “Sorry boy, its orders from the top. You know what it means if we disobey. All their families will be executed as well as mine. But…I myself enjoy killing so I don’t mind following their orders.”
As the Chief brought out a knife and reached in to stab the baby, MianJu screeched at the top of his lungs, laying out a high pitch scream on all fours.
“Stop!!!”
Time stopped.
All that MianJu saw was void black with white outlines of the Chief, the henchmen and his surroundings. Soon, it started to glitch and in front of him, was a crack in space. Its outlines were continually glitching and within the crack, were rows of 1s and 0s that were constantly switching between either number.
“What’s this?”
“I just saved you and the baby. Mind bowing to show some gratitude.”
“Wait, Ahhh!”
A chain came out of the ground and wrapped itself around MianJu’s neck, pulling him into the ground. His head hit the black ‘ground’ with a loud thud.
“That’s better. I will only say this once so listen carefully. USE MY POWER! Don’t you see your predicament now? Just remove the seal and I will deal with them. I will also repair your exploded leg. TRUST. IN. ME.”
“You think I’m dumb, if I remove it, who’s gonna seal you back up?
“Don’t worry about that. I promise on my pride that I will return your body to you after I annihilate all of them. In exchange…”
Several chains were summoned in all directions, preventing MianJu from moving a single bit.
“I will depart a part of my consciousness in your soul via these chains. I hope you do know what I would say in response to another refusal. The situation is too severe for only you to do anything. GIVE IN!!!”
A grunted approval sounded in the void.
“Just as I thought so. You disciples truly cherish your principle of exchange or…Karma? Alright then! Wait for my return, partner.”
---
A hand stopped the knife several centimeters from the baby’s heart.
“Damn, MianJu, you’re so persistent, aren’t yh?”
The chief swatted his hand away from MianJu’s grip but it was to no avail. His grip was locked on.
“What…What’s with this strength?”
“Listen here monkeys! I feel disgusted for your presence to be this near to this enlightened one. Mind dying for me?!”
Speechless, the Chief fell to his knees as MianJu removed the blindfold. The force. The aura of his body was of a different kind. One that made the Chief leaked his bladders and watered his mouth with uncontrollable saliva. What happened next was one of instant disintegration. They no longer exist. There were no traces, even within everyone’s memories of them. They are truly dead. All they saw before their erasure was a void.
---
MianJu woke up to see no sight of the Chief or the henchmen. The downpour rained heavily and there were faint screams of the public in the distance. Getting up, he saw that all his wounds were healed and the baby was on the cold ground, sleeping exhaustively.
‘Sorry ReZhui, this will be our last length of the journey. Please bear with me alright?’
---
After the incident, MianJu stole a horse and a cloak to cover ReZhui. He rode to the mountains neighboring the town closest to the city where the Yuan Brothel was located. There, he headed to the village where the Bai River began its course and knocked on the door of the village head.
“Yes?” asked the husband who opened the door. His wife came a second later, looking worried.
MianJu observed the couple. Both wore simple tunics and pants. They wore straw sandals and both were in their late 30s with the husband having a birthmark under his right eye. Their descriptions matched exactly what he was told.
“Who the hell are you, Sir?” asked the husband.
“Please raise the baby well. It’s all written in this letter. Sorry it was bloodied up,” MianJu replied, placing the baby on the ground. He left the scene soon after.
“Wait...Damn it! Kids these days. Well, want to bring it in, Mei?”
“Certainly, look at its wrappings, the baby could get a fever any moment now in this cold rain!”
After the wife’s remark, the husband hurriedly closed the door and took in ReZhui. Further away in the trees, MianJu watched as they set up a fire. Their silhouettes’ appearing in the windows like shadow theater. With a smile, he turned on his heel and left for the night.
‘ReZhui, have a good night’s rest. Your life may be rough in the future. I can guarantee that but I will be here keeping an eye on you as well. It’s what she requested and what I wanted too. Be a good boy.’