Chapter 7 - Running Away

Lu Na spoke fast, “I did nothing. I swear. They attacked us in our home. They broke my walls. You can send someone there to check. I did nothing to them. I don’t know why they want to kill me.”

“Okay, okay, calm down. I believe you.”

“But does that mean you’re going to turn me in?”

Uncle Chen turned the jade ring on his thumb.

Lu Na didn’t like her chances with Uncle Chen. She only knew him from her mother and the only thing she was sure of was that this was a businessman.

“It’s okay, Uncle Chen. I understand,” Lu Na said. “You love money more, right?”

Uncle Chen walked up and patted Lu Na’s head.

“That’s a silly thing to say. I would never turn in my little Na Na. Even if your mother didn’t tell me to help you, I wouldn’t have done it.”

“But what about the guards? Won’t they turn me in?” Lu Na whispered.

“Those guys? Hey, are you guys going to turn in Lu Na to the Wintersweet Sect?”

The three guards stood up and eyed Lu Na.

“Only if you want us to boss.”

“See, these guys are loyal to me. I trust them with my life,” Uncle Chen said. “But that means we’re going to have to hide you somewhere else for now. I don’t want the Wintersweet Sect coming to mess up my store. Where do you guys think we can bring her and her friend?”

“We could bring her to the storage by the docks,” the guard said. “When night falls, we can bring her out of the city on the river to the south. We have a few contacts there.

“All we need to do now is hide you somehow. How about we use the cart that we used to hold the fish? That should fit them both if they both lie down on it.”

“That can work,” Uncle Chen said.

One guard brought a cart over that held a bunch of fish on it. The smell instantly hit Lu Na’s nose.

“That stinks,” Lu Na said, pinching her nose.

“That’s why it will work even better. It will not only carry you and your friend, but it will also mask your smell from any spirits or dogs they might have,” Uncle Chen said. “Besides, you’re running for your life. Not going on a vacation. I’m sure you can suffer a little if it means the Wintersweet Sect won’t kill you.”

Lu Na nodded.

“Now help the guard put Young Miss Sun into the cart first.”

Lu Na walked over to Sun Ren and tried to lift her.

“No, wrap your arms around her chest and I’ll grab her legs,” the guard said.

Lu Na lifted Sun Ren into a sitting position and put her arms under Sun Ren.

“What’s going on?” Sun Ren asked.

“Oh good, she’s awake. Maybe she can get in herself,” the guard said.

“The Wintersweet Sect just made a proclamation to hunt me. We have to go,” Lu Na said.

Sun Ren felt her chest and noticed the ward there.

“Don’t take that off. It’s eating away at the bad spirit energy still left.”

“No wonder it feels so much better. I can almost breathe freely now. So why are we getting into a smelly cart?”

Uncle Chen stepped in and offered Sun Ren a cup of tea.

“Greetings Young Miss Sun. My name is Chen Heng and I am a friend of Lu Na. We are trying to move you ladies before the Wintersweet Sect find you. I promised Na Na I would protect her. And since you’re awake, you don’t have to go with her. They’re only looking for her.”

Sun Ren gulped the tea down. She reached down and plucked her fallen sword from the ground before replacing it in her belt.

“No, if they find me, they’re going to kill me, anyway. I was the one that attacked and probably killed their disciples last night. I doubt a powerful Wintersweet Sect would let that go, even if I am the Marquis’ daughter.”

“Then get into the cart, we’ll wheel you down to the docks, and then ship you out at night. Maybe you can find your father for help. Agreed?” Uncle Chen was turning the jade ring on his thumb again. It was such a nervous habit that Lu Na doubted he noticed it.

“Fine.”

With a little help from Lu Na, Sun Ren got into the smelly cart.

Lu Na climbed in after her.

“Ugh, the smell.”

“It’s so bad, even I smell it,” her spirit said.

“Okay, hide them with whatever else we have and some more fish,” Uncle Chen said. “I hope you get out of the city safely, Lu Na. And men, please protect her with your life if necessary.”

“Yes, boss.”

The guards started piling on different assortment of items as if they were loading something for the storage place. Not only did they get more fish as if they feared the fish smell would wear off, they also loaded the cart with more of the yellow paper that Lu Na was using earlier, along with a couple of spirit wands.

“While you’re there, please keep working on the wards,” Uncle Chen said. “Maybe it might help you in the future and I can sell them in my store.”

“Will I have to pay you back for them?” Lu Na asked.

“No. Think of it as an investment in your future business.”

“Thank you again Uncle Chen.”

“Bye.”

The guards moved across the city with no issues. Wintersweet Disciples stopped them once or twice, but they never looked in. The overwhelming smell of the fish made them stay far away. Lu Na wasn’t sure if it was luck or not but she had gotten used to the smell. But then it made Lu Na wonder: who used preserved fish to offer to their spirits?

When they arrived at the storage unit, Lu Na was glad to come out. It was dark until one guard lit the lanterns. Unlike the decorations in the city, the storage unit was drab and colorless. All around, there were a few pallets of items that would go to Uncle Chen’s store, but it was mostly empty.

The guards began unloading the cart.

Lu Na shook her clothes as much as she could hoping it would get the smell out, or at least the broken pieces of the preserved fish off herself. The last thing she needed were stray animals following her, waiting for their next meal to fall off her dress.

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Sun Ren slowly got out and stretched.

“That wasn’t so bad.”

“Not so bad? I don’t think I’ll ever look at fish the same way again,” Lu Na said.

“I’ve been in worse places.”

Lu Na wanted to ask her what could have been worse than this, but didn’t want to pry. She hadn’t seen her childhood friend since before her mother left, but she was not the same child as back then. Sun Ren was much more dangerous.

“Ladies, we’re going to leave you here until nightfall,” the guard said. “One of us will bring you food later. There is water in those barrels over there. Don’t leave this place unless you absolutely have to. Any questions?”

Lu Na shook her head.

“Yes, where can I find a change of clothes and some weapons? I’d rather not face Wintersweet with nothing.” Sun Ren looked around the space. “Also, would you be so kind as to drop off a quick message to my brother at the Blossom Scent Parlor? I’d like for him to know about my situation.”

The guard raised an eyebrow.

“Blossom Scent Parlor?”

“I’m sure if you tell my brother that you’re protecting me, he can probably make some future arrangements for you there.”

“That’s very generous of you. I will make sure he gets the message.”

Sun Ren clasped her hands and bowed to the guard.

“The Sun family will repay your kindness in the future.”

The guard returned the bow before leaving.

Lu Na felt as if she just witnessed a scene from those hero stories where heroes bowed to each other and promised loyalty. Only, she never read one where the hero was a woman. That’s how Sun Ren looked to her.

Sun Ren turned to her and smiled.

“How about we make some preserved fish for breakfast?”

Lu Na wanted to throw up, but held it in.

“Are you serious?”

“Of course I’m not serious. I would like nothing more than to throw myself into the river to wash away the stench.”

It wasn’t long before the guards came rushing back into the storage unit.

“That was fast.” Lu Na asked.

“No, the Wintersweet Sect is headed this way and they’ve brought a lot of disciples,” the guard said. “They also have a senior disciple at the front, leading them. We have to leave now.”

“Where can we go? We can’t go back to Uncle Chen’s store,” Lu Na said.

“I guess it can’t be helped.” Sun Ren unsheathed her sword from her waist again. The thin, flat metal shone in the gleam of the lanterns. “This time, I’m going to kill and maim a few of them.”

Another of Uncle Chen’s guard came in.

“They’re almost here. I think they don’t know we’re in this specific storage unit. They’re going through everyone, but they will get here soon.”

The first guard clenched his left hand and summoned his spider, while the other summoned his rat.

“I can’t summon my spirit. She’s too tired still from yesterday,” Sun Ren said. “But I’m good with my sword. The only person who can’t fight is Lu Na. So she should take cover.”

“No, the both of you should prepare to run,” the guard said. “We’ll hold them off for as long as we can.”

“But where will we run to?” Lu Na asked.

“To the magistrate’s office,” Sun Ren said. “There should still be the law of the land here. If they think you killed someone, let the Imperial Office be the judge of you, not this summoner sect. And the magistrate’s lower in rank than my father so he might listen to my request for protection. Not even the summoner sects would dare go against the Imperial forces.”

“Okay. Do you want me to use any of my wards?” Lu Na started fingering some of her earth wall wards. She still had quite a few.

“Use the walls behind us when we leave,” Sun Ren said.

“Okay, Young Misses, my spirit senses that they’re close. When we fight them, run,” the guard said.

The Wintersweet Sect were loud in their search, going through everything outside. They knocked on everything. Why were they going to such lengths to capture Lu Na? She was just some Young Miss from some family that no one cared about. Was it because she can create those wards?

“Hey, pay attention,” Sun Ren said. “When I run, you run.”

“Got it.” Lu Na nodded.

When the Wintersweet reached their storage unit and entered, the spider spirit attacked them first. Its fangs barred, it made quick work of the first few Wintersweet disciples. But after the disciples shrieked and went down, many more disciples started swarming the storage unit.

“Now.” Sun Ren ran out the side door with her sword out first.

Lu Na placed two of her earth wall wards behind her and followed Sun Ren. The sunlight was too bright. Her eyes took a second to adjust. She saw Sun Ren up ahead, running toward the side of the dock away from the storage units.

Two Wintersweet disciples turned toward them the moment Sun Ren made it out of the shadow of the storage unit. It was eerie to Lu Na because they weren’t paying attention to her at first. They just suddenly turned the moment the sunlight hit Sun Ren. As Lu Na was trying to catch up, she noticed that the spirit energy from Sun Ren’s wound was leaking from her in the sunlight, moving toward the Wintersweet disciples.

Were they somehow using that energy to track Sun Ren?

“You, stop!” the disciples yelled. “They’re over here!”

It didn’t take long for them to stop and started pointing at Lu Na.

“Forget the other one, get Lu Na,” one disciple yelled.

“It seems you’re not as invisible as you always thought. You better run faster,” her spirit said.

“You’re not… helping,” Lu Na tried to run faster, but Sun Ren was getting farther and farther away.

“Fine, I’ll help a little then.”

Lu Na felt a sudden surge of energy within her, allowing her to run faster. Yet she was not catching up.

Sun Ren was like a black blur running before her, making twists and turns through the buildings. It wasn’t long before Lu Na had to stop to catch her breath.

“This is why you need to get out more, run more, do some exercise once in a while.”

“Oh yes spirit… I need to practice… for running from people… who want to kill me…” Lu Na was hunched over, breathing hard through her mouth.

“Hey, I’ve bonded with many hosts and they’ve all had to run from killers at one point or another.”

“Wait, what? I thought spirits only bonded once and then they go back to the spirit realm.”

“That’s what you were taught. But don’t worry about that. You better start running again.”

Lu Na looked back and saw four or five Wintersweet disciples headed toward her. She looked around and noticed that she ran into a dead end.

“There’s nowhere to run and I don’t see Sun Ren. What do I do?”

“You could give up. But that means they might kill you on the spot. Or you could try to use some of your wards.”

Sun Ren grabbed two earth wall wards and tossed them in front of her. Next she grabbed the other ward that blocked off spirit energy. She had little time to perfect it, but she activated it and tossed it behind the earth walls. She looked at the wall at the end of the alley. Maybe she could climb it?

Rooting through the trash, she found a few boxes to stack on top of each other. But before she could move them, a loud explosion hit the earth walls behind her. Lu Na turned to see those earth walls melt away from intense heat. The fireball kept going and slammed into the spirit ward.

Lu Na closed her eyes and covered her face with her arms, expecting the fireball to continue its path and strike her. But nothing happened.

“What is that?” a man asked.

Two Wintersweet disciples in light blue uniforms walked up to the energy ward and reached out to touch it with their hands. It went right through the invisible wall. What was amazing though was that there was a fireball right beside where they put their hands through, stopped in midair and unmoving.

Now that was amazing. Lu Na never expected the ward to not only stop spirit energy from going past it, but it held it in place. If it weren’t for the disciples walking past the ward and coming toward her, she might have taken the time to study it.

“Come with us,” the disciple said. “We won’t hurt you if you do.”

“But nothing guarantees they won’t kill you when you go with them, either.”

“No,” Lu Na said.

A large fireball crashed into the two disciples in front of Lu Na, causing both of them to yell and collapse onto the floor. When Lu Na looked up, she saw that her ward had failed and the fireball continued on its way. The two disciples were caught in its path.

“She’s a summoner. Kill her before she escapes,” the other disciples said.

The remaining three disciples took out knives and stalked toward Lu Na.

“I’m not a summoner. I didn’t do that,” Lu Na said. “Please, I just want to go home. Why are you doing this?”

The disciples said nothing.

“I normally wouldn’t say this, but I think now is the time to use your phoenix hairpin. But if you use it now, you can never see your mother again.”

“What? What do you mean spirit?”

“It will protect you. Take it off and break off the tail.”

Lu Na reached up to her hairpin. She wasn’t sure what her spirit meant, but that she might one day see her mother again as long as she didn’t use it made her pause.

“They’re going to kill you. Use it now.”

Lu Na touched her hairpin. Before she pulled it off, two of the disciples yelled.

They turned around and Lu Na saw two daggers sticking out from their backs. They collapsed and, following right behind them was Sun Ren with another dagger. She pushed the last disciple down to the ground and knocked him out by bashing his head on the ground.

“Sun Ren! I thought I was going to die.”

Sun Ren looked up, her clothes now more torn than yesterday with blood all over her body.

“You still might. Now run.”