Chapter 19 - Out of the Wok and Back Into the Fire

Everything suddenly went quiet. The Wintersweet disciples stopped their assaults, most of them sprawled out on the ground breathing hard. Even the fight behind her had stopped. Did Hen Li get defeated?

Lu Na took a chance to peek behind her.

Hen Li still stood, his breath coming out ragged. His staff stabbed the earth and stood tall despite suffering chips to its body. His dog spirit’s head turned back into a puppy as it laid on the ground before Hen Li with its belly up, begging for a pat on its tummy.

Opposite him, Wong Yoong was on her knees, glaring at Hen Li. A trickle of blood came out of her mouth.

If Lu Na had to guess, it was probably from all the pills she ate. She couldn’t see how many the Wintersweet disciple took, but it was probably enough for an entire meal’s worth.

“Is it done?” Lu Na asked. “Are we safe?”

No one answered. Not even her sassy spirit that usually had a word for everything. Everyone was exhausted, except for Lu Na.

“Amituofo,” Hen Li said with his hands clasped together. He bowed toward Wong Yoong. “Could we call this attack off? I’m sure you’re tired and if you ingest any more of those pills, you will die.”

“She must die,” Wong Yoong said. She didn’t have enough energy to point at Lu Na. Only her head swiveled toward her.

Yet that glare from the Wintersweet disciple made Lu Na shiver. It was almost as if she created a blood feud with Wong Yoong or something.

“Just leave me alone, please,” Lu Na said.

Wong Yoong spat blood onto the ground.

“You are so damned lucky. Were you born under an auspicious star? Every time I get close to capturing you, there is always something or someone in my way. Fine, I’m going to leave, but I’m telling my sect leader. He’ll come find you personally.”

Wong Yoong waved her hand and a pair of her fellow disciples in light blue robes picked her up by the arms. They half carried, half dragged her away. The rest of the disciples started moving their fellow peers away as well.

There were so many of the Wintersweet disciples it took some time for them to retreat from Hen Li. When they left, the ravages of the fight remained. There were buildings with hard gouges in them and some of them were a collapsed pile of wood. Luckily, there were no deaths among the wreckage.

When the Wintersweet disciples were out of sight, Hen Li breathed out deeply and collapsed onto the ground. The only thing that was still standing was his staff that dug deep between the stones on the street. He clasped his hands together and started meditating through chanting the heart sutra.

Lu Na didn’t know what to do. She wrapped up the null metal and placed it back into her chest pocket. It became cool again as soon as the Wintersweet disciples recalled their spirits. The ward she held against the null metal turned into dust the moment she separated them.

That was something she would have to work on as well. If there was a way to make these wards more durable to last longer and possibly, in combination with the null metal, she wouldn’t have to hold on to it the next time.

Lu Na sighed. She really hoped there was no next time where her life depended upon one of her inventions. This time she was lucky that her spirit helped her shape her ward.

“Amituofo,” Hen Li said after a few more recitations of the heart sutra. “I really need to practice more. My back is sore and my arms are about to break.”

“Are you okay?” Lu Na asked.

“Amituofo. Thank you for asking.” Hen Li got up and dusted himself. “I should be fine in a few more days and possibly after an enormous meal. Let’s head back to my temple and we can get you situated.”

Before they took a step, horse hooves pounded the ground. It didn’t take long before Lu Na saw they were the magistrate’s horses. His constables were leading the charge toward them.

“Oh no, not them.” Lu Na wanted to run, but saw the damage to the street. They might blame Hen Li and execute him for it.

The constable rode his horse to a stop right in front of Hen Li. The constable wore a black tunic with a small bird on the front. His collars and cuffs were dyed in light purple, signifying Magistrate Hu’s colors. He had a sword at his belt that he placed his left hand on as he walked forward.

“Did you do this?” the constable asked.

“Amituofo, do what?” Hen Li said.

“All this damage. Did you break these buildings?”

“No, sir. It was my opponent that broke these buildings. I tried very hard to prevent the destruction, but she was stronger than I expected.”

“Where is your opponent now?”

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“I believe they went back to the Wintersweet Sect.”

“Wintersweet sect?” The constable got off his horse, his left hand tensing on the hilt of his sword. “You were fighting the Wintersweet sect? Why?”

“It was because—”

“We don’t know,” Lu Na said. “We were walking down the street and they suddenly attacked us. If it weren’t for this monk’s protection, I would have been killed on the spot. They’re such a lawless sect.”

The constable tore his gaze away from Hen Li to stare at Lu Na.

Lu Na bowed her head low.

“We’re so glad that the magistrate’s constables has come to save us. We are so grateful.” When Lu Na saw the constable didn’t look away, she kneeled to the ground. “We can only hope that you would protect us. They have been harassing everyone on our street and we have done nothing to them. Only today did they attack our homes as well. Is there justice in Jianye?”

The constable walked up to Lu Na. She could see his black boots embroidered with light purple stitching. Lu Na didn’t dare to look up.

“Get up,” the constable said.

Lu Na didn’t move. She heard the metallic drag from the constable unsheathing his sword.

“Get up, slowly, or I’ll plunge this sword into your back right now.”

Lu Na got up onto her knees first. So much for not getting dirt on her only set of clothes. She stood up and faced the constable.

“You’re Lu Na, aren’t you?” The constable had his sword pointed at her. When Lu Na didn’t respond, he said, “I recognize you. Your brother brought you around to the magistrate’s office once or twice. I don’t know what happened, but you are branded as a terrorist by the magistrate and we have to bring you in.”

“I’m not a terrorist. This was not me.”

The constable looked around.

“This looks like a lot more than nothing.”

“That was the Wintersweet Sect. Why is Magistrate Hu helping them? What does he get out of this?”

The constable shrugged.

“I don’t know what he gets, but I follow his orders. If he says you’re a terrorist, then I bring you in. Now either you come in quietly, or I beat you into submission.”

Lu Na looked over at Hen Li who was still sitting on the ground. His eyes were closed and he was reciting the heart sutra again. He would not be any help here.

“Oh, you don’t need to look down at the monk,” the constable said. “He’s too exhausted fighting the Wintersweet sect to do anything more than sit there. If he so much as moves in a wrong way, I’ll cut his head off first without hesitation.”

“Fine. I’ll go with you.”

“Good.” The constable sheathed his sword. “Bring the monk with you.”

“What? I said I’ll go with you. You don’t need him.

The constable shook his head.

“Someone’s got to answer for all this damage. Summoners may not fight within the city walls.”

“But that was the Wintersweet Sect!” Lu Na said.

“Amituofo. It’s alright. I knew it would come to this. I will go with you. But first, could you please make sure no one was hurt in our fight?”

The constable shook his head.

“Come on, it’s the least you could do. We both promised you we would come,” Lu Na said.

“Fine, I’ll do it after my colleague comes.”

After a few minutes, another constable came on his horse, looking like the first one. He had a cage on wheels behind his horse. That was where they put Hen Li and Lu Na and slowly trotted toward Magistrate Hu’s yamen.

“Amituofo. This has been an interesting day,” Hen Li said. “I don’t think I’ve ever had the displeasure of sitting in one of these cages before.”

“I’m sorry for getting you into this,” Lu Na said.

Hen Li smiled, showing off two dimples on his face.

It looked either endearing or frightening as his white hair framed his face. At once he looked like a youth not much older than Lu Na, while also looking like an elder that has seen too much in life. She wasn’t sure which it was.

“It was my choice to help you,” Hen Li said. “Besides, the Wintersweet Sect and I have some history that I couldn’t put down. It’s one reason my sifu hadn’t allowed me to truly follow the path of Buddha yet. And after this, I think I’ll be even further away from obtaining the peace I want.”

“I’m afraid to ask what happened, but since we have some time before we get back to the yamen, I would listen if you want to tell me.”

“Amituofo. Please let the sins pass.” Hen Li clasped his hands together and bowed his head a little. “I don’t mind telling you the broad details but it’s one thing that my sifu told me to stop thinking about. He says it’s one of the major roadblocks on the path to being a Buddha.”

“Your sifu sounds very strict.”

“He is. It’s why I chose him to be my sifu. But my story is quite short. I used to be a part of the Wintersweet Sect and they recognized my talents as a summoner. They gave me every sect resources they had as my father was also an elder. There seemed like there was no limit to the heights I’d achieve. Until one day, they forced me to do something so heinous that I can’t repeat here.”

Lu Na peaked at the constable on the horse. He didn’t seem like he was paying attention, but she guessed it was better to not admit to more crimes in front of them. So she understood Hen Li’s hesitation.

“But after that incident, I died,” Hen Li continued.

“Like really dead? Stopped breathing and all?”

“No Na Na, like playing pretend. Be quiet and let the brawny monk tell his story,” her spirit said.

“Spirit! You’re back. I thought you died after that last attack,” Lu Na said.

“You would like to be rid of me, wouldn’t you? No, I won’t die so easily.”

“Amituofo. Welcome back, honorable naga. Thank you for your help in keeping your summoner alive,” Hen Li said.

“So you can hear her,” Lu Na said.

Hen Li nodded.

“I’m glad someone else can finally hear her. She can be so annoying sometimes and I keep thinking it was just in my head.”

“Yes, yes, now let him finish his story.”

Hen Li bowed his head.

“After I died, my spirit sacrificed itself to revive me. By doing so, he sealed himself within my spirit realm and brought me back to life. Unlike you, I can no longer hear his words of wisdom anymore.”

“I am so sorry you had to go through that and at such a young age.”

“Amitoufo. It was difficult at first until I found my sifu. He taught me a sense of peace and to find my path toward Buddhism. This was all because of the Wintersweet Sect. They were the ones that gave me the chances, but they’re also the first to abandon me once they realized I wouldn’t follow their orders blindly.”

Lu Na nodded. She wondered what it would be like to be abandoned so easily by her family. Despite how much she complained, she would be devastated if her father did that.