Ku Shen was their sponsor, not a contestant, as such he was not allowed to leave the carriage. Instead he watched with curious amusement as his team unloaded all of the supplies he procured. He had intended to spoil them for choice with an intentional surplus of goods, but never meant for them to use all of it. Even curiouser was his team's placement of the goods behind a rocky outcropping. They seemed to be making deliberate use of the blind spot the rocks created, hiding their activity from him and the coachman.
While he was intrigued Ku Shen held his tongue, refraining from asking questions his team obviously had no intention of answering. Even more bewildering was the fact that after a few moments his team reemerged from behind the rocks without so much as a sack. With a curt nod in his direction as their only farewell they turned to leave. As the young prince watched the trio disappear among the trees he couldn't help but imagine a large pile of supplies just on the other side of outcropping. He sighed as he thought to himself, -They're a quirky bunch, but it hardly matters as long as they get results. And of course if they don't...- Ku Shen's mind began to wander as a sinister grin plastered itself across his face.
Once they were a safe distance from the coach Lin Liqin pulled out his Encyclopedia page and began writing. With Tomo's assistance they had passed the large quantity of supplies to his library. Lin Liqin verified that a few items that may come in handy were left in the cosmo chest, but the food that made up the bulk of what had been transferred were used to replenish the library's stores that had been exhausted during their stay there.
While Lin Liqin was conversing with Tomo Ming Jia Ying entered into a meditative state. Tsubame could feel the pulses traveling through the ground increasing in both intensity and frequency. It was clear Ming Jia Ying was pushing her Breath of the Earth technique to it's limits. While this would give them a general overview of the situation Tsubame decided to scout their immediate surroundings.
Tsubame jumped to grab the branch of a nearby tree. She circulated her Chi as she bent it well past its breaking point, yet it remained firmly attached to the trunk. Releasing her Chi caused the branch to snap back to its original position, carrying her along with it and sending her further up into the tree. As she rose she began circulating her Chi once again causing the branches above her to be effortlessly turned from her path. Since leaving the carriage Tsubame had abandoned her immature persona, but even this more serious version of herself couldn't help but smile childishly at the beautiful view laid before her.
The mountain range had a crescent shape with a narrow valley running between its outstretched arms. The valley ran north of the mountains with a slight easterly bend to it. A light dusting of snow covered everything giving it an ethereal shimmer in the afternoon sun. Despite the early hour it wouldn't be long until the sun dipped behind the mountains once again.
From her vantage point Tsubame could make out a plume of smoke rising from the base of the mountain where the valley got its start, likely the outpost they were headed to. As she was preparing to rejoin the others she saw something moving through the branches of a nearby tree. It was sticking to the shadows making it difficult to discern what it was, but it was clear it was making its way towards Lin Liqin and Ming Jia Ying. Mobilizing her Chi once again, Tsubame began to slowly lower herself down using the now highly pliable branches to intercept the creature.
Ming Jia Ying had finished her meditation. With a stomp of her foot her Chi flattened and cleared a small area of ground after which an additional wave of her hand etched in details, creating a basic map of their surroundings. Lin Liqin knelt down to inspect the map, unaware of the beast in the branches above preparing to pounce. As it leapt it finally entered the limited range of his passive Druid sensing technique, but by that point it was too late to protect the young girl that was its target.
Fortunately, Tsubame made it in time. With her knees hooked around a branch she was able to reach down and scruff the beast by the nape of its neck and its haunches. Despite the direct sunlight the creature was still difficult to see clearly, but from her close proximity Tsubame was able to tell it was a large cat. It was oddly light for its size and she quickly reasoned that a lack of food in the winter had led it to attack them. The beast began flailing its legs in an effort to break free. Tsubame struggled to hold it as she hissed at Lin Liqin through clenched teeth, “Meat... hurry...”
Ki quickly formed a protective layer of aura around Lin Liqin's hand as it dove into his breast pocket to produce a roasted chicken. He tossed the meat into a clearing as he pulled Ming Jia Ying with him to hide behind a tree in the opposite direction. Tsubame released the large cat that quickly began sniffing the fragrant meat. Peaking out past Lin Liqin's protective arm Ming Jia Ying yelped in surprise, “A shadow lynx! I didn't know there were any this close to the capital.”
Tsubame slowly lowered herself from the tree, hoping not to draw unwanted attention from the lynx. Unfortunately her hopes were misplaced as the lynx locked eyes with her as soon as she touched the ground. However, it made no move to pounce or attack, instead it slowly approached giving her a few quick sniffs before brushing against her thigh with a short purr. The lynx quickly returned to the chicken, picking it up in its mouth and carrying it up into the nearest tree.
The tension left Tsubame's body all at once. Seeing her leaning weakly against the tree trunk Lin Liqin snickered, “Look at you! We've only been here a couple days and you're making new friends already.”
Once they'd all calmed down and recovered from their excitement they returned to Ming Jia Ying's map of the area. Using a stick she began to point out some of the important details. “The teams were dropped off along a semicircle matching the crescent mountain range not the ring shaped distribution Prince Shen suggested. This means the other teams are much closer than we originally thought,” Lin Liqin observed.
“That's true,” Ming Jia ying agreed. “We are here on the western arm of the range. The two closest teams have been making steady progress towards the outpost. If we were to match their pace we would likely run into them some time tomorrow.”
“If we matched their pace? I'm assuming you're suggesting we avoid that. So, should we slow down and wait for them to fight one another or rush ahead?” Tsubame asked Ming Jia Ying.
However, Lin Liqin was the one to answer, “We should rush ahead. The little prince said points for these rounds were awarded based on performance. We may have three days to get there, but we'd likely get more points for arriving early.”
“I agree, but for a different reason.” Pointing to a drawing of a fang on the eastern ridge Ming Jia Ying added, “Several of the other teams on the eastern ridge have been attacked by wolves and we were attacked by a shadow lynx. These are hard enough to deal with during the day time, at night they will become even more dangerous.” Shifting her attention to the western ridge, she pointed out several drawings of large paws before continuing, “There are several bears hibernating on our side of the ridge, the two largest of which are likely dire bears. My concern is that the kind of loud fighting that cultivators like to indulge in may wake up one of these beasts. So I suggest we are long gone from here before that happens. Preferably, tucked safely behind the outpost's walls by sundown.”
“You want us to travel fifteen kilometers in a few hours?” Tsubame sounded surprised. “It's not impossible, but it won't be easy given the current situation.”
“I think we're more than equal to the task,” Ming Jia Ying reassured. “I'll create some mist. I doubt I can cover the entire ridge, but it should be enough to slow down the nearby teams. I'll also clear our path of any rough terrain, removing rocks and snow. I'll leave any bushes or trees that get in our way to you Tsu.”
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“At most I can bend a few branches out of the way, but I can't uproot them or anything so extreme,” Tsubame reminded.
“That will be enough. As for you Liqin, I missed the lynx earlier so you get to be our eyes,” Ming Jia Ying said as she handed him a blindfold.
It was Lin Liqin's turn to be shocked, but he didn't protest, though he did feel rather silly as Tsubame helped him fasten the blindfold over his hawk mask. She whispered in his ear, “Just take my hand. I'll guide you down the mountain while you focus on monitoring our surroundings.”
As the three prepared to leave they heard a soft purr over head. Tsubame nudged Lin Liqin who sighed in response as he produced a baked ham this time and handed it to her. She lightly tossed it into the canopy where the purring grew slightly louder before being replaced with the sound of chewing. Tsubame smiled while Lin Liqin grumbled that he'd need to ask Tomo to replace their rations sooner than expected.
Tsubame gently held Lin Liqin's hand, pulling him behind her as she followed Ming Jia Ying down the mountain. The young girl leading the trio began to circulate her Chi. Mist gathered around the peak of the mountain at their backs before it began to spread across along the forest floor as a thick fog. Despite their view becoming increasingly murky Ming Jia Ying continued on unobstructed. Tsubame and Lin Liqin soon noticed that the path forward was a smooth and steady incline down to the valley below.
Through his hand Lin Liqin could feel Tsubame mobilize her Chi to allow them to pass the occasional branch and he could hear it whip back into place after he'd cleared its position. However, those were just momentary distractions from the flood of information he was taking in through the Druid sensing technique. Using his shoulders as intermediary receivers for the world's vibrations seemed to be striking an even balance. It lacked the intense clarity that sensing with his dantian had provided, but the trade off was a clear sense of direction and distance.
Lin Liqin's new found sight was already proving its worth, they had avoided another brush with a lynx dozing off in a tree along their path and had over taken the nearest rival team without their notice. As they were rushing ahead Lin Liqin suddenly shuddered before tugging on Tsubame's arm. She quickly grabbed the collar of the girl ahead of her as Lin Liqin pulled all three of them into a bush. The two girls looked at him questioning, but said nothing as he motioned for them to remain quiet before pointing up.
At first Tsubame and Ming Jia Ying didn't see what he was pointing at, but then a gust of wind cleared the fog. After shielding their eyes from the dirt that had been kicked up they could see a large eagle perched on a nearby boulder. The predator was the size of the carriage they'd arrived in and its piercing eyes, easily the size of one of their heads, was carefully scanning the mountain for any movement. Its head snapped to the side and with another gust of wind it crashed through several trees. A sharp bleating noise rang out, but was cut short. Soon after a final gust of wind accompanied the eagle's ascent with a deer clutched in its talons.
A shiver ran up all three of their spines as the shadow of the great beast faded with the encroaching return of the fog. This competition was shaping up to be far more deadly than any of them had imagined. Tsubame was the first to laugh, but the other two quickly joined her. These were not the nervous laughs of those that had narrowly survived, but those of genuine joy when faced with mounting peril. All three noticed this fact but reacted differently. Ming Jia Ying approached it logically, questioning if the recent stress had warped her sense of reason. Lin Liqin simply basked in the bliss of discovering he's an adrenaline junkie. Meanwhile, Tsubame dismissed the thought entirely as she was no stranger to danger and had always volunteered for the riskier missions when she'd been employed as a spy, after all those missions were more fun, the safer ones were too boring.
Exiting the thick brush they'd taken cover in, Ming Jia Ying picked absentmindedly at a few twigs that had stuck in her hair as she commented, “Seeing a Gaian Imperial Eagle is considered good luck in Gaia, but given we're planning to undermine the empire perhaps we should consider it an ill omen instead.”
Tsubame scoffed, “I've never put much stock in superstitions and you shouldn't either little missy. I've seen too many young ladies paralyzed by their misplaced beliefs. You should be fearless. Reach out and shape your future with your own hands or you'll leave it up to others to give it form. And I doubt you'll like the future they cast in your name.”
“She's not wrong,” Lin Liqin agreed, “but we could use all the luck we can get. The eagle showed itself to us and not the Gaians. Plus, it didn't eat us. So I'm taking it as a good sign. Fortune awaits us, let's proceed boldly!” Tsubame just shook her head, but didn't comment further. Taking Lin Liqin's hand once again, the three continued down the mountain.
The outpost was east and a little north of their current position. The eagle's delay meant that the team they'd passed was beginning to catch up, though slowly as they moved carefully through the fog. Just as the trio was starting to pull away from them once more Lin Liqin motioned for them to stop. “I can sense a pack of wolves up ahead, but there is also a single person a bit to the north of us,” he said. To their knowledge there were only two single person teams and even at this distance the person felt volatile. Lin Liqin wanted nothing more than to avoid this person, but getting past them and the wolves undetected while avoiding the team behind them would involve a large detour. “I think it's Xiaobo. We shouldn't get involved with him.”
Ming Jia Ying thought for a moment, “We should head south and I'll clear some of the fog between the team behind us and Xiaobo. He didn't seem well liked, so chances are they'll attack either because they recognize him or because he's alone. Hopefully the commotion will draw the wolves attention and we can slip past while they are distracted.”
“I thought you were worried about the bears?” Tsubame reminded.
“The nearest one is over a kilometer away so it should be fine,” Ming Jia Ying shrugged. “Anyway, it's one of the smaller ones.”
“And we won't be who it comes looking for when it's cranky from being woken up,” Lin Liqin added with a mischievous grin.
The three retreated to a small cluster of trees. Once there Ming jia Ying circulated her Chi to create a gentle breeze that began to thin out the fog between the two nearby rival teams. The air current was even more effective than she'd intended, carrying their competition's scent toward the pack of wolves who started approaching through the fog.
Soon the enemy trio started hooting and hollering when they spotted the lone figure. They could hear one exclaim, “Well, if it isn't that Ku Wang scum. Come on boys! This is the easiest bonus we'll collect all tournament.” The men's exuberance was equal parts greed and schadenfreude, but their laughter quickly died down as growls and howls echoed between multiple pairs of shining eyes that pierced through the misty tree line.
Ming Jia Ying lead the way as they circled around the commotion. Using his Druid sensing technique Lin Liqin continued to watch the other teams. The three men went back to back and he heard the leader offer, “Xiaobo help us deal with these wolves. We can settle our differences after we handle them.”
The Ku family's pariah sneered, “You will address me as Ku Wang Xiaobo, scum!”
Ku Wang Xiaobo circulated his Chi and suddenly Lin Liqin's extrasensory vision was blinded. He was struck with a pounding headache and all three of them held their ears. Thunder tore through the air as a tree of lightning sprouted, grew, matured into the king of the forest, only to decay and die back, all in a single moment.
For a moment there was silence, however it was soon broken by a distant roar. A second quickly followed, but they were drowned out the third. Though their ears were still ringing from the thunder, the deep base of that third roar vibrated their sternums. Ming Jia Ying's response was rather deadpan, “He woke one of the big ones. We should go.”
Lin Liqin removed his blindfold, the persistent headache was making it impossible to rely on the Druid technique. The sun was already dipping behind the mountains, but they were close enough to the outpost that they could make out the light from its fires through the trees and fog. The trio began to run, forsaking stealth as they rushed the last few kilometers. They could hear the cracking of trees and felt the earth quake as they fell, all as the dire bear chased down its quarry, but they dared not look back. The beast's roar shook the whole valley once again only to be cut short by a second lightning tree that split the sky.
Ku Shen's Lesson Three approached the outpost's gate panting and shaking. The guard wore a slight smirk, but didn't comment on their state. “Welcome to Fort Grendel.” He glanced at their badges and began writing on a clipboard before continuing, “Your team will receive full marks for arriving on the first day, you'll also receive a bonus for being the first team to arrive. If you have any opposing teams badges or animal pelts you'd like to exchange for additional points we can do that now.” Seeing the three shake their heads, the guard's smirk grew larger as he offered, “Your arrival time has already been logged, so if you'd like to return to the forest to collect some you...”
All three simultaneously said, “No,” interrupting the guard. Lin Liqin was the first to regain his composure as he added, “That won't be necessary. We simply wish to enter and rest until the next round of the tournament.”
“Very well. Please speak to Captain Fan, he'll explain the rules for the next round to you. You'll have free reign of the fort while you wait for the second round to begin. Good luck.” The guard gave a slight bow as he opened the gate, allowing them to pass. They gave a collective sigh of relief as they bathed in the sense of security the outpost's high walls provided.