Dressed in warm robes and a heavy, wool cloak, Nian Zu knew he looked the part of a doddering old fool but he was enjoying himself too much to care. Standing firm at the ship’s prow, he watched the coastline surge by as the swaying deck and cold, buffeting winds fuelled his zeal for the oncoming conflict. Despite his outward elderly trappings, Nian Zu was filled with the fervour of youth, ready to wield his Shooting Star in defence of the Central Plains and redeem himself after barely escaping death at his adversary’s brilliant ambush.
Everyone told him he’d been brought back from the brink of death, but he hadn't felt this good in more than half a century. The Medical Saint deserved his title and more, returning Nian Zu to peak physical condition in a matter of weeks. The aches and pains of age were gone now, replaced by the vim and vigour of a younger man. His sense of sight and smell sharper than ever before, and he even felt his face held fewer wrinkles than before, not to mention no longer needing to wake each night to use the chamber pot, a blessing in and of itself. The best part was, after decades of slow decline, his sense of taste was back in full force, bringing not only a renewed appetite but also returning his refined palate, allowing him to enjoy good wine and savoury delicacies once again.
This alone made the near-death experience worth it, and were the Empire not in such dire need of his skills and expertise, he would have long since retired and pledged his loyalty to the Medical Saint. The distinguished Healer deserved no less for restoring him to the peak of health, but instead, the eccentric half-hare refused any form of payment aside from an Oath to keep silent about his heaven-defying prowess, an Oath Nian Zu made without hesitation. Afterwards, he silently pledged to offer his saviour any assistance he might need, no matter the cost.
It was a pleasant surprise to find so much strength hidden in the Saint’s Tribulation Mountains, where experts seemed as common as clouds. Were it not for the Bekhai, the North would have fallen months ago and suffered the same end as the now defunct Western Province, may the Mother have mercy on their souls. A damn shame about their leader, as Akanai’s ruthless disposition made her unpopular with most military men, which Nian Zu found amusing. Were she a human male, Akanai would have fit right in with the rest of the veteran officers but because of her gender and ancestry, they felt threatened by her existence. No able politician, the vicious Bekhai commander stepped on Jia Yang’s face at every given opportunity, which dissuaded would-be allies from reaching out. No one wanted a harridan for an ally, and Akanai's unyielding attitude and headstrong nature was detrimental to the Bekhai cause, but she could hardly be faulted for it. A bold and gallant warrior, Akanai was powerful enough to shake heaven and earth even without the full might of the Bekhai behind her.
However, were it only her, Nian Zu wouldn’t place so much importance on the Bekhai. No matter how strong they might be individually, Akanai could only call upon twenty-five thousand Khishigs in total, and only the quality of their experts allowed them to stand as a top-tier power of the North. That’s what made the Bekhai so valuable, their wealth of natural talent. Medical Saint Taduk, Herald of the Storms Akanai, the Bloody-Fanged Wolf Baatar, Demon Reaper Gerel, these names were known to every faction in the North, but few people understood how deeply the Bekhai had hidden their strength. Before appointing the man as his successor, Nian Zu counted no less than thirty-five other unknown experts in Baatar’s retinue worthy of a title of their own. Not so impressive a number until one realized Baatar’s retinue numbered thirty-seven in total. The missing two were Gerel and Baatar who already had titles of their own, which meant this unknown ‘Iron Banner Company’ could almost rival Nian Zu’s personal guard, a fifty-strong unit of the greatest unaffiliated talents in the North.
He, the great Colonel General Nian Zu, Hero of the Wall and Defender of the province, used eighty years of distinguished service to gather fifty top-tier experts to his banner and kept them close as his weapon of last resort, while the Bekhai casually sent thirty-seven similar warriors out to fulfill their contractual military obligations each year. Ridiculous.
That wasn’t all. Akanai herself was a force to contend with and he assumed her retinue contained an equal if not greater number of unnamed experts. Then there was the abundance of young talent, most visibly the Undying Savage Falling Rain and the Ravenous Wolf, Huushal. Knowing there were others, Nian Zu dug a little deeper and found two more young talents, Akanai’s own daughter Sumila, an exceptional duellist and preternatural divine blacksmith whose skills would shock the Empire, and the now-famous adopted grand-daughter and disciple of the Sanguine Tempest, Du Min Yan, a close contender for number one talent in the Central Province.
Though few in number, the Bekhai did not lack for resources either, as seen by the plethora of Spiritual Weapons bestowed upon the younger generation. Akanai and her husband, a Divine Blacksmith and powerful warrior in his own right, only had one Spiritual Weapon each, while Baatar and the others of his generation had one or two. In the younger generation, Sumila, Du Min Yan, and now Huushal had two each, and if Nian Zu’s spies were correct, the titular number one talent Falling Rain would soon receive a third. Such waste, better to outfit three Martial Warriors than to arm one youth so lavishly, especially one so prone to offending others. Though he played the part of meek, obedient child well, Nian Zu knew the boy harboured tremendous arrogance and disdain for others. Openly provoking a Brigadier in front of civilians, tormenting and extorting his opponents in the Contest, threatening to rape and impregnate a Magistrate while duelling her son, Falling Rain was like a newborn calf who did not fear the tiger.
Ah, if only the boy had agreed to join the army, Nian Zu would have loved to set the boy straight. A talent seen once every ten-thousand years, he feared the boy’s foul tongue and fiery temperament would see him to an early grave.
Then again, even with all his foresight, Nian Zu never would have guessed the boy would play such a pivotal role in Sanshu’s defence. From uncovering a band of Defiled and forcing the Enemy’s hand early to wiping out a superior force of Defiled meant to delay reinforcements and distracting Yo Ling for the killing blow, Falling Rain proved himself worthy of his arrogance and more. Alas, genius and talent were secondary. Perhaps the boy or one of the other youths might surprise him, but the Empire’s fate would not hinge on these heroes of tomorrow. With the Defiled rampaging through the Western Province and encroaching on Central, it was down to the warriors of today to hold the line and possibly even wipe out the Defiled threat once and for all.
Assuming blasted Imperial oversight didn’t muck everything up.
Nian Zu’s many years of experience left him less than optimistic, but regardless of the circumstances, he was a soldier and a soldier’s duty is to fight while politicking was best left to others. If the old bastard DuYi were present, Nian Zu would rest easier but his old friend had gone kicking and screaming to the Mother. If only the Medical Saint could have worked his magic and made DuYi fit and healthy once more, then perhaps the paranoid codger would have thought twice before doing what he did, making an example of his own clansmen to keep little Yuzhen safe.
Arrogant old fool. Why couldn’t he swallow his pride and ask for help? You could never take his words at face value and always had to watch for falsified reports, but the old bastard meant the world to Nian Zu. With a single word, he would have called the winds and summoned the rains, overturning Heaven and Earth to keep DuYi and Yuzhen safe, but the old bastard would have never forgiven him for swooping in to save the day. A conniving, calculating trickster, DuYi’s every action was meant to tip the scales towards him and owing someone, even Nian Zu, a favour would have been like a bone lodged in his throat.
Holding back his sorrow and melancholy, Nian Zu stared up at the Heavens and said a small prayer. “Hold him close for me, Mother. The rice is cooked, but I have some choice words for that thick-skulled bastard. He didn’t even bother to say goodbye...”
Taking a deep breath, Nian Zu cleared his throat and blinked away his tears. What’s done is done. Yuzhen is Marshal of the North now, and though still lacking in comparison to her old man, she was a worthy successor to his office. Nian Zu still remembered taking the little fox-ear brat aside and teaching her a few forms, their time together lasting only three days before he gave up in a fit of rage. Following her old man’s cue, the teen-aged Yuzhen showed him minimal respect during their time together, even muttering about how a ‘mace-wielding muscle-head’ wasn’t suited to teach her the ‘intricacies of swordsmanship’.
That’d been the last straw, but after so many years, Nian Zu regretted not taking her as his disciple. At the time, he had yet to realize how much DuYi loved the little half-fox girl, treating her as a daughter in everything but name. Nian Zu’s refusal drove a wedge between them which took years to mend. Now, instead of being a second father to the girl, Nian Zu was nothing more than a distant friend of her old man, and she was too wary to accept his help without reservations.
Bah. If DuYi knew his thoughts, he’d laugh and call him a senile buffoon, lamenting over lost time and past mistakes. Focusing on the horizon, he turned his thoughts to what lay ahead. After twenty four days by carriage and nine and a half by ship, they would soon reach their destination where Nian Zu would once again enjoy sleeping in a bed. Lacking the colourful elegance of Yantai or the controlled order of the Society, Nan Ping was a city which could only exist in the peaceful Central Province. Built atop an inlet leading out to a cove on the Azure Sea, Nan Ping was forever in a state of expansion, which led to a sprawling mishmash of chaos and disorder as stately manors stood side by side with ramshackle huts.
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Unfortunately, Nian Zu’s ship was stopped long before he sighted the city and for good reason. Sails and banners dotted the horizon as a fleet of ships sat in Nan Ping’s bay, unloading tens of thousands of troops onto its docks. A vessel flying Nan Ping’s flag sat anchored at the sea wall’s entrance while a tiny rowboat made it’s way over to Nian Zu’s ship. After a brief exchange with a miserable scholar in which Nian Zu threatened the man’s life no less than three times, he directed his ship’s captain to land on the bay’s northern shore as instructed. Typical Centrist arrogance, reserving the city proper for other Central Nobles while sending the ‘foreign delegates’ and other ‘common rabble’ to camp on the plains. Nian Zu had seen his other ships landing on the beaches, but to deny the highest ranking officer in the Northern Province a place inside the city was a grave insult indeed.
Good, good. Good. His rivals must think him weak and feeble after hearing of his injuries. Nian Zu would relish the looks on their faces once he disabused them of the notion.
As his ship ran aground with a gut-wrenching shudder, Nian Zu remained in place on the prow. Before the trembling came to a stop, he ordered the latches lifted and rode the prow as it dropped down to the beach. Leaping off at the last moment, he landed neatly as the ship’s prow thudded into the sand and created a massive wooden ramp to disembark from. His actions were befitting of a younger man, but at close to a hundred years of age, Nian Zu would be lying if he said he had nothing to prove.
Hmph. Haughty aristocrats and blind politicians still playing games while the Empire’s existence hung in the balance. Were it up to him, he’d send every single one of them to the front lines to make use of their over-paid and under-worked guards. Another reason he’d always left the politics to DuYi; were Nian Zu allowed to do as he pleased, he would soon find himself with a rebellion on his hands or a dagger in his back.
His arrival was met by one of Yuzhen’s aides and after puzzling through her messages and plans, he deferred to her wisdom and stepped aside. Aside from being well-versed in politics, the girl also had a marvellous head for administration and governance, having outlined a plan for soldier distribution, waste management, food and water transportation, and more. While he could have done the same given time, he had to admit her management skills superseded his own. She’d even accounted for the northern forces yet to arrive, leaving a few prime locations for the most important factions, to keep them from throwing a fit.
Most armchair generals overlooked the importance of proper camp composition, focusing only on organizing defences, but waste management was an integral part of war. With millions of people shitting each day, it could quickly form an entire mountain of shit if not properly handled, tainting the water supply and festering plagues or diseases. While Martial Soldiers were hardy enough to overlook a little dirty water, outside of battle, an army lived and died on the backs of their civilian followers, people far less capable of enduring unsanitary living conditions.
DuYi raised his daughter well...
With little to do except oversee his people, Nian Zu changed into his distinct, gold-trimmed armour and black cloak, even though it was a little too warm for the balmy Central climate. Striding about camp, he let himself be seen by the soldiers of the North and showed them their hero still had life in him yet. A trick he learned from Baatar in fact, after seeing how quickly his half-wolf successor won over the soldiers. Say what you will about his taciturn nature, the Bekhai warrior oozed charisma and commanded respect, never afraid to tighten a harness or help hold a tent pole for even the lowest servant under his command. Small gestures which spoke volumes showed Baatar didn’t hold himself above others, and the people loved him for it.
For this reason alone, Nian Zu believed the Bekhai’s star could only rise. Baatar was a born leader unlike himself, a man who held his post because no one else wanted it.
Hours passed and as the afternoon came to an end, a messenger arrived summoning him and every independent commander of the north to pay their respects to the Imperial Legate. The messenger stressed that each commander was allowed only two guards, a stipulation which annoyed Nian Zu to no end. What, was the Imperial Legate worried he’d be assaulted by one of these ‘savage northerners’? Preposterous. That’s what you get for putting some inbred Emperor’s kinsmen in charge of this ‘First Imperial Grand Conference’. He had half a mind to wash his hands of this farce and order his men back onto their ships, but sadly, he had no choice but to accept the insult. Choosing Han BoHai and Baatar to accompany him, Nian Zu prepared to give the Imperial Legate a piece of his mind with his greatest warriors at his side.
Waiting for the other commanders to join him, Nian Zu seethed with fury at the delay. As he was among the first to arrive, the only other commanders present were Akanai and a handful of Warrant Officers, but after twenty minutes of waiting, they still weren’t ready. Glancing around, he ran each face through a checklist. Akanai was here, with her second, the Healer Tokta, and her slave-turned-daughter Li Song. Akanai treated the girl well, even gifting her Zian’s surrendered Runic Armour, but it was a shame about her status. Li Song's efforts would never be recognized, but from what Nian Zu’s spies reported, the half-cat slave’s prowess was second only to Mila and Zian, a most formidable achievement for a slave.
Marshal Yuzhen also waited nearby, sharing a horse with her current boy-toy Demon Reaper Gerel, while her chief of guard, one of DuYi's men, waited beside them. Han BoShui, the so-called ‘Paper Tiger’ of the Han Clan stood ready and waiting with two elite bodyguards, as did Tong Da Fung, the self-proclaimed Unstoppable Tempest. While the boy’s skills were somewhat impressive, his choice of attendants were the real surprise, one fully armed-and-armoured guardian and a half-weasel servant.
By the Mother these nobles love their games of misdirection. Anyone who knew anything ‘knew’ the young magistrate Fung’s true protector was the vicious servant and torturer Fu Zhu Li, but only Nian Zu and other peak experts would realize that the armoured guardian playing the part of decoy was not a decoy at all, but in fact a true peak expert wearing enough Runic Armour to beggar a king. Where Tong Da Hai found this unknown expert was a mystery, but Nian Zu knew one thing for certain: the unknown expert was not one of the Bekhai, as so many others might assume. The Bekhai had no runemaster, with their only runic items hard won from the Society.
Circles within circles and games within games, so aggravating to navigate.
Next was the Ravenous Wolf Huushal, a hulking youth of noble poise and savage demeanour. With him was one of Baatar’s bannermen, the axe-wielding half-bear warrior Ghurda, who was also Huushal’s adoptive mother. In a bizarre twist, Huushal’s other attendant lay sound asleep in a harness strapped to the young wolf’s back. As Nian Zu opened his mouth to berate the young man for bringing a sleeping grandfather to meet the Imperial Legate, the elderly attendant’s eyes snapped opened and silenced him with a glare. Yellow and wolfish, his eyes had the look of a man not to be crossed lightly. Even with all his strength and experience, Nian Zu wouldn't want to face this grizzled veteran in single combat.
Breaking eye contact, he once again marvelled at the Bekhai’s hidden depths.
Having accounted for everyone else, he realized Falling Rain had yet to show his face. Were it anyone else, Nian Zu would set out and leave him behind, but the boy was too dangerous to be given free rein in the city. Stakes were too high and tempers too hot, with every fop and popinjay in the Empire looking to make a name for themselves. Left to his own devices, Falling Rain might start a riot or murder a dozen noble scions, so Nian Zu sat and waited for the truant problem child.
Another ten minutes passed before he snapped, directing his ire to Baatar. “What’s taking your brat so long? Did he stop to pick up another damned pet?”
In the face of his anger, Baatar still had the gall to smile. “Apologies, commander. The boy was forced to take a detour, but he will arrive momentarily. You can even track his progress yourself.”
Glancing back, Nian Zu’s snarl fell from his face and after a moment’s pause, he closed his eyes and sighed. While the boy couldn’t be seen, it was hard to miss the Guardian Turtle of Ping Yao rushing towards their position as it circled around the sea of soldiers and tents. At least the creature had yet to crush any bystanders, but it still left chaos in its wake as it left soldiers, citizens, and beasts alike terrorized by its frenzied passing.
In light of this, Nian Zu was willing to forgive Falling Rain's tardiness.
Riding up with a sheepish, hang-dog look, Falling Rain made his presence known with a flustered apology. “Sorry Colonel General Situ Nian Zu... err.. commander... sir...?”
Sighing once more, he ignored the muted snickers from the surrounding onlookers, while staring at the flock of strange birds circling overhead. Were they also a part of Rain’s menagerie or was their presence mere coincidence? At least the boy didn’t bring his cats, bears, and rabbits. “Address me as Colonel General, or Colonel General Nian Zu. Only warriors who fall under my command call me commander.” An arrangement he wasn’t entirely unhappy with. This boy could be more trouble than he was worth. Although most northerners revered the Divine Turtle, nobles from the other provinces would only see a living, breathing, Spiritual Heart. “Leave the turtle behind, we’re going to pay our respects, not amuse the Imperial Legate.”
Shrinking back, Falling Rain offered a helpless shrug. “With all due respect Colonel General, if I knew how to leave her behind, she’d still be in Ping Yao. You’re welcome to try convincing her otherwise, but I should warn you: she spits when threatened.”
Not for the first time, Nian Zu regretted giving the boy his own command. No wonder Akanai and Baatar had been so hesitant when he suggested it. Carefully weighing his options, Nian Zu realized he couldn’t risk being spit on by a turtle in front of his soldiers, divine or otherwise. Sighing, he glanced over the boy's chosen attendants and almost fell off his horse. One was a Bekhai warrior of little consequence, a veiled woman covered head to toe in black, while the other was someone Nian Zu recognized and feared. Hurriedly dismounting from his horse, Nian Zu clasped his hands and bowed while the soldiers under his command followed his cue and dropped to their knees.
What Nian Zu found most vexing was how Rain lacked the common courtesy to dismount and kneel, or at least move out of the way so Nian Zu wasn’t forced to salute a child eighty years younger and seven ranks junior. Tossing his irritation aside, he greeted the shabbily dressed Divinity riding at Rain’s side. “Venerable Guan Suo, this one apologizes for not greeting you earlier.”
Without giving permission to Nian Zu to raise his head, the Divinity asked, “Have we met before?”
“We have not Venerable One, but this one has seen drawings of your likeness.” And read the after-action reports regarding the destruction you wrought. Nian Zu didn’t expect Falling Rain to bring an Ancestral Beast to Nan Ping, especially not one as temperamental as Guan Suo. When did he join the Bekhai? Why didn’t Akanai warn him? The Treaty be damned, bringing an Ancestral Beast to meet an imperial Clan member without warning could be construed as intent to rebel or treason, so Nian Zu quickly Sent messengers to explain his dilemma.
Refuse a Divinity? Forget spitting, he’d sooner let the turtle shit in his mouth.
“Then why apologize? It’s fine, it’s fine. I’m part of the kid’s retinue but you can pretend I’m not here. Come, lets get this over with.” Indifferent to the problems his presence brought up, the Divinity prodded Rain to move out. Worried the boy might obey and carelessly take the lead, Nian Zu hurried back onto his horse and set out, moving slowly as he dared to give the Legate as much time as possible.
Mother in Heaven, have mercy on your poor servant. What’s a man to do?
Chapter Meme