The old man was a little shabby looking to be honest. His hair was tied back but loose strands stuck out here and there. Skin wrinkled and tan. His robes were clean but worn out, and the sleeves and legs were rolled up in a very casual way.

His arms were thin but age had only stripped away the fat leaving the muscles and sinews pronounced. He looked more like a blacksmith than a Taoist but the man held a sword, not a hammer.

Pengfei’s protector was still crossing swords with thin-face. He gave a gentle flick of his wrist and pushed the attacker back several paces.

“Don’t interfere, old man.” Thin-face said. An edge to his voice.

He lunged to the side and then came in for an attack, still targeting Pengfei and seemingly disregarding the old Taoist. He moved with an intensity he hadn’t shown when facing Zihao.

Pengfei saw the man leap with a ferocious look in his eye and his sword held aloft for a slash with nothing held back. Then the old man’s back blocked the view.

CLANG!

Sparks flying off metal.

--Shit!-- the boy screamed to himself as a hot fleck of steel landed on his cheek. He flinched and swatted at his face, then briefly looked looked at his trembling hand before turning his attention back to the men fighting above him.

Thin-face was thrown back by the latest clash but unharmed. The old man let his opponent fall without giving chase, he merely held his ground above Pengfei.

“You’re violating the oath!” Frustration was evident in thin-face’s voice.

He darted around so quickly that Pengfei was losing track of his movements. But every now and then the old man would take a step and there would be the screeching of steel on steel.

Pengfei could feel each attack in the wind now.

--Please, please, please!-- The boy wasn’t sure what exactly he was hoping for. Safety, at the very lease. His fearful tremors became more pronounced as the encounter dragged on. The dagger wound in his back throbbed.

Every time thin-face appeared a torrent of air pressure would accompany his strike, kicking up dust and rocks to sting the boy’s face. But every time the old Taoist was there to defend.

Whatever movement techniques he had used to catch them combined with the numerous failed attacks had left the assailant winded. Thin-face’s exhaustion showed in his panting breaths and ragged speech.

“You closed your gates. The boy … is mine to kill!”

“Didn’t you hear my words? I accepted him into Kunlun. He is one of us now. Mine to protect.”

“He didn’t set foot within your gates. You’re interfering with another sect of the Wulin!”

“If I say he is accepted to Kunlun, then he is. But tell me, what sect are you? What clan?” The conflict paused as the old Taoist questioned thin-face gave no responses.

The old master continued, “Take me to your sect leader, and we will resolve the issue. And then Kunlun will know who has been haunting our mountains.”

Thin-face remained silent searching for some argument. But his physical and verbal attacks were pointless in the face of the old master.

“Or maybe you belong to the Unorthodox side? I’d be within my rights to kill you now.”

“If you do, your sect will be razed to the ground.”

“You think you’re that important? Maybe. Leave before I decide to find out.”

Pengfei watched from his place at the old master’s feet as the man in black reluctantly turned to walk away.

The Taoist called out after the retreating figure. “Death can nullify the oath on both sides. The boy is one of ours now. If he dies, we’ll leave our seclusion to find you.”

Thin-face stopped.

“On the dagger. The locals call it Tumdgha.”

The old man abruptly looked down at Pengfei, who was confused by the turn the conversation had taken. The Taoist master grabbed Pengfei by the shirt and pulled him up to his feet.

“What are you doing?” Pengfei asked but the old man just spun him around. He winced at the movement in his waist and reflexively put his hand to where the throwing knife had bitten into him. His savior followed Pengfei’s movements to the wound and examined it closely.

“Oh. That’s not good.”

*************************************************************************************

Poison.

It was the only thing Pengfei remembered the old man saying. The next several minutes were a blur. A full body tremor, which Pengfei had originally attributed to the accumulated terror of the day, developed into painful muscle spasms.

The Taoist struck the pressure points on Pengfei’s back to stimulate the kidneys and the liver but it would not be enough to detoxify the poison. It could buy some time at best.

Pengfei didn’t know if it was from his fear or an effect of the poison but he couldn’t catch his breath. He gasped for air; his knees gave out.

The old man caught him as he fell to the ground.

Consciousness came and went, came and went, like a pendulum swinging back and forth. Pengfei never really regained his senses, he just experienced the world in a blur of images.

Carried on someone’s back.

His face buried in the flank of a horse.

Shouting. Falling. Lanterns.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Then blackness.

*************************************************************************************

There was no sense of time but at some point the pure black gave way to fever dreams. Reality mixed with absurdity.

There were images of the man with the thin face, Ma Feng, Zihao, and Pema. Strangers stood over him, speaking. His mother and father. A grandmother, long since dead.

He was choking on something poured down his throat.

“Easy there.” A strange voice spoke before Pengfei slipped back into the dark.

More time passed. Sunbeams beat against the back of his eyelids and Pengfei heard a voice. The boy tried to open his eyes against the light but reflex rebelled against reason and won. He tried to tell the nearby voice about his traveling companions injured out in the wilderness somewhere but his mouth wouldn’t form the words.

When Pengfei finally regained awareness in earnest it was mid-conversation. He didn’t remember waking up or anyone entering the room but suddenly there was another old Taoist sitting next to him, feeling his pulse.

“And are you feeling any nausea?” The old man asked what seemed to be one of a long line of questions.

“Um…no.”

As the boy answered questions, others went unanswered in his own mind. ‘Who is this? Where am I?’

The elder continued. “Muscle spasms? Agitation?”

“Agitation, maybe a little. Is this … Kunlun?”

“Yes, the Medicine Hall of Kunlun. I am Chen Lei.”

Suddenly remembering, Pengfei looked around nervously. They were in a large room with space and beds for several patients but there was no one else to be seen.

“Elder Chen, I came with friends. They were hurt!”

Contrary to the old Taoist who had protected Pengfei, Chen Lei presented a very respectable image. His robes were clean and neat even though they were not of very high quality. His grey hair was tied back without a strand out of place.

The discomfort was clear on his dignified features. He pursed his lips and looked at Pengfei.

“The girl was fine. We watched over her for a night, but while our gates are closed that is all that we could allow. She left a few days ago to rejoin her family. Two of our elders are escorting her, from a distance.”

‘What? How long was I unconscious?’

Pengfei was disoriented after learning he had been unconscious longer than he thought. But more troubling was the unmentioned fate of Zihao and Feng. Pengfei looked to the elder and saw the weight of the news on the man’s face. He shook his head, trying to keep his friends alive for a few more moments. In his mind at least.

--No, no, no…Don’t say it. Please don’t say it.--

“The boy from Qingcheng had already passed by the time he was found. We already performed his funeral rites. The other one… well, some of the sect members saw the strangers take his body along when they left the southern basin.”

*************************************************************************************

Another day was lost in mourning. Pengfei had known Zihao and Ma Feng for less than a year but for that time they had spent every hour of every day together. Feng had resented traveling so far away from the Central Plains but his surly attitude had eventually given way to a warmer demeanor. They had grown comfortable with each other at least.

As fellow members of the Qingcheng sect, Zihao and Feng had naturally been closer. In the evenings they would practice the martial arts of their sect together, Zihao correcting the form of his junior. But he had also been a bit of a mentor to Pengfei. Zihao had even taught him some basic martial arts here and there.

And now they were gone.

--I’ll miss you both.--

Only Elder Chen Lei came to see him that first day, and they were not very social encounters.

Medical questions. Meals of gruel.

It was just as well. Pengfei was glad no one else was there to see him in his lowest moments.

Sleep came unexpectedly. He should have been up all-night crying or plotting revenge but his eyes shut on their own.

Pengfei was still morose upon waking but could hold himself together somewhat. His mind was already turning to more mundane things.

--Do I need to tell someone I’m awake? Should I just wait here?--

His questions were made moot when three old Taoists entered the room. One was the physician, Chen Lei. There was another old man dressed similarly to the doctor but his neat clothes covered a slightly sturdier frame. Combined with his hair, which still had streaks of black, he seemed to have more vitality than the doctor.

--Still looks pretty old.--

“This is Sect Leader Chen Hongzhang.” The doctor introduced the man to Pengfei, who immediately tried to get out of bed and greet the patriarch.

“Sect Leader, sorry for greeting you so informally!”

Elder Chen Lei put his hand out to gently push Pengfei back down into bed.

“Lie back. There will be plenty of formalities later. For now, let’s just have a relaxed conversation. “

The Sect Leader nodded his agreement and the old men pulled up chairs to sit around Pengfei’s bedside. The third man, previously blocked from view, stepped around the sect leader and Pengfei quickly recognized him as his savior.

“You seem to remember Elder Chen Weidao.” The sect leader noted.

“You saved my life. Thank you Elder.”

The scruffy looking Taoist said nothing, just nodded at Pengfei’s gratitude. The sect leader continued.

“Now that you have recovered, we would like to clear some things up. Obviously, you came here under strange circumstances. We would like you to explain as much as you can.”

“Of course.”

Pengfei collected his thoughts for a moment.

--Where do I begin? Home? No, I don’t want to tell them everything. Qingcheng?--

Zihao had cautioned Pengfei against revealing too much about his personal background. Not even the Qingcheng elders had known about his family.

The sect leader raised his eyebrows at Pengfei’s delay.

“Oh, sorry sir.”

--Maybe just give them the general idea…--

“I left home against my father’s wishes. He has influence in the Central Plains and ensured no sects would take me. But I met Disciple Zihao through my sister. He was one of the Qingcheng swordsmen escorting me”

“He said I should try Kunlun because it would be outside anyone’s influence. He told me the Qingcheng sect would escort me here.”

The head of the medicine hall interjected, “But there were supposed to be 150 children. Why is it just you?”

“What do you mean?”

“When we were ordered to shut our gates, our allies pledged to send two groups of children here so that the sect could continue. Orphans who had no other prospects. The first group arrived five years ago and you should have been accompanied by the second.”

“I’m sorry, they didn’t tell me anything about that.”

The old men considered Pengfei’s answer for a moment before the sect leader nodded for him to continue his account.

“Zeng Zihao and Ma Feng were chosen to escort me. Then, we hired Pema in Nagqu. She was on her way to rejoin her family somewhere near here and we needed a guide to cross the plateau.”

“Why did you come through Tibet at all? The Desert Road through Xinjiang would have been easier.”

“I was told that it was so we wouldn’t be noticed. It worked, for a time...” Pengfei began silently reliving the violence at the end of his journey, the loss of his friends.

The sect leader turned his attention to recent events and pulled Pengfei out of his reverie.

“Who attacked first, you or the strangers?”

“They did. They came from the south slope of the mountain.”

Pengfei squinted against the tears he felt welling up in his eyes.

“When we refused to turn back, they attacked. I saw them stab Feng… those Demonic bastards!”

Pengfei spit the last bit out with rage but the old Taoists looked at each other, confused.

“Did they say they were from the Cult of the Heavenly Demon?”

“No, but Zihao and Feng think … thought since we were near their territory - ”

“It was not the Demonic Cult”. Chen Weidao spoke for the first time since entering the room. He spoke directly to Pengfei.

“Why are you so sure?”

“No sect of the Wulin has more history with the Cult than Kunlun. The men in black have been loitering near our sect for the last few years. Common bandits emboldened by the fact our gates are closed.” Sect Leader Hongzhang proclaimed.

--Common bandits? That doesn’t make any sense.--

While Pengfei was lost in doubt the sect leader turned to Chen Weidao and in an aside said,

“Still, they have never acted this directly before.”

“Perhaps it has something to do with the message.” Chen Weidao said flatly.

The sect leader and Chen Lei nodded along at his statement before the tattered monk continued.

“When I reached you, the man in black was saying he would kill you to stop you from delivering a message.”

“Are you carrying such a message?” Chen Hongzhang inquired.

Pengfei thought back to his time at the Qingcheng sect, more than half a year ago. Another group of Taoist elders had stood around him then. Words committed to memory, not to be shared with anyone, not even Zeng Zihao and Ma Feng.

--Shaolin, Kongtong, Zhongnan, Nangong, Emei--

Words only to be shared with those inside the walls of Kunlun.

“Yes, I have a message.”