* * *

The anger choking Xing at this moment was so strong that it could smash rocks. Xing didn't even try to curb his power, letting it spill out, no longer restrained by any self-control. And the power responded, submitting to the raging emotions.

Second time! This was the second time it had happened, and both times, it was the fault of the same person! Though... Xing didn't blame Sharif for anything - he was doing what his villainous ways dictated, and there was nothing wrong with snatching victory from fate and circumstance. It was Xing who was either weak or unprepared, or both.

Who could imagine Liu Mingfei, the Ice Crow, losing to Huang Ji, nicknamed the Blazing Demon? Or Bao Xiao, who would be constantly defeated not even by Dariush al-Tsap but by Gao Yong, one of Dariush's main sidekicks? That's right, no one! Because a hero can lose once, but never twice!

Sharif, whose full name Xing didn't even bother to remember, had not only defeated Xing, not only separated him from the women he loved twice - twice! - he had separated him from the women he loved, and he had done it both times with the same technique!

Yes, both times, Xing had found himself busy, the first time using up almost all of his qi to save Almirakh, and the second time focusing on disarming a dangerous artifact. If Xing was still planning to become a hero after all these failures and miscalculations, he should have focused on overcoming obstacles instead of making pitiful excuses.

Xing shattered Sharif's spell at once, moments later breaking the weaves with his qi. But even those moments were enough to throw him into a place of Nowhere, located in the Land of Nowhere. One could only take comfort in the fact that whatever Sharif's goals were, he had not achieved them. But Xing was not interested in consolation.

He imagined the rascal teacher in his place and could hardly contain his laughter. Nothing like this would ever happen to him! He wouldn't even have to defeat Sharif because there's no victory in beating an opponent with a bamboo stick, hitting him on his back, ass, and heels while lecturing him in a nasty, boring voice!

After calming down a bit, Xing looked around. It was pitch black all around. His qi vision showed a large number of earth spirits, while his hands only felt smooth stone walls.

Xing concentrated. Somewhere far above, he sensed some voids in the stone, but below, as far as his senses could encompass, were layers and layers of stone or other hard rock.

He extended his hand and transformed the qi. A fire flared up in his hand, illuminating the surrounding space. Xing knew that fire was dangerous in deep mines, closed rooms, and other enclosed, unventilated spaces because it would suck the life force out of the air, filling it with dead emptiness, and then it would die. But this was not the case with the Fire element, as it used Xing's energy for its existence.

The soft, steady glow of the flames highlighted the large spherical void that Xing had inadvertently created by letting his qi free. It seemed this time the transference spell had not thrown him to the heights but rather underground, where he had freed up some space with a burst of rage.

Xing had heard that some people feared closed or confined spaces, but that only applied to others - to him, Earth, Metal, Water, Fire, and Wood were native elements. So Xing reshaped the void, growing a massive chair out of stone, and sat down to think.

As much as he wanted to return to Akhribad to make sure nothing bad happened to Shadia, there were more pressing matters at hand. Sharif, thinking he was pulling a famous thief to his side, a member of a profession known for its unscrupulousness and venality, had revealed part of his plans. One did not have to be the head of the capital's academy to realize the talk of the Empire's largest port was about Mogao. Xing loved his women - both his breakups with Shadia and Almirakh had helped him sort out his feelings - but like every citizen of the Empire, he had a duty to his homeland and the Emperor.

The only thing that remained to be determined was where Mogao was, how one could get there, and most importantly, from where. Xing didn't have the slightest idea about the place he was in.

"Nothing!" he said through gritted teeth. "It's just a temporary hardships!"

Xing stood up from his chair and stepped into the wall, swam through the stone to the top, where he sensed several large voids. As expected, these voids turned out to be caves. Xing had either been thrown deep underground or sealed inside the mountain and in both cases, he should have done the same thing. The first thing to do was to get to the surface, clarify his location, and choose the right direction - if not to the final destination, then at least roughly towards the Empire. They had to look for people, but the qi's eyesight showed no sign of any large enough creatures.

Xing didn't count the time he had been wandering through these caves. Now, the difference between day and night had been erased by the absence of suns and moons. He had to rely on the sensations of his body. So Xing walked forward whenever he felt like it - sleeping, drinking, eating, retrieving food and drink from his bracelet. Along the way, he found quite a few interesting things - glowing crystals, ores of rare and even unknown metals, mushrooms, and herbs full of dark, cold underground qi. If anything made him smile and remain satisfied with himself, it was the fact that he could now walk light but without dropping anything of value. So he collected crystals, used the Metal element to extract metals from ores, and cut plants.

One of these plants, a glowing dead-blue bush with pale, large flowers he recognized. It was the deadly poisonous Moon Jasmine. Alas, the old scroll indicated several areas where it grew, and these areas were located in different parts of the world, so it was impossible to determine his position by the flower. In addition, there was a possibility that this accidental transfer had thrown it to a place that the scroll's author didn't even know existed. Xing painstakingly cut all the shrubs as the scroll prescribed, put them in his bracelet, and moved on to the place where the qi showed a spacious new cave.

Unlike an ordinary person who didn't possess internal energy, Xing was much easier. He didn't need to follow all the curves of the caves. He could feel the structure of the caves, so he could always take a shortcut by walking through the stone. But still, the journey through this mountain took many days, even if Xing could only count those days very roughly.

No matter how deep and empty it was, even at this depth was life. Various lizards, slugs, and huge multi-legged insects with venom that ate through even stone. The yin energy and earth qi were especially strong here at the depths, so at another time, he would have stayed for a couple of months to cultivate. Unfortunately, it was precisely the time that was lacking right now. Therefore, Xing stubbornly walked forward, collecting herbs, bushes, thorns, glowing moss, huge insects, snakes, lizards, giant rock-eating worms, and other vegetation and critters that could be used to create elixirs someday.

At first, he mistook it for another huge cave, the boundaries of which even his sense of qi could not encompass. But as soon as the thick clouds parted, creating a gap where the moonlight flickered, Xing realized he was out!

Even though he not only had a lot of food in his bracelet but even freshly cooked and steaming food, Xing decided to go hunting. He didn't want meat. He wanted to look at the beasts so he could tell from their appearance where he was. The mountains here broke off, ending in a vast steppe. But this steppe could be either in the west of the Empire, the north, or far to the east. Unfortunately, Xing's knowledge of the world, although in some cases it could be astonishing in its depth, was generally sketchy and incomplete. In his previous life as Han Nao, he had not been diligent in his boring studies, and in his current life, both Feng and Xing Duo had no real education. Therefore, the best way to orient himself was to find someone from the locals and ask around.

Sensing a large enough source of life ahead, Xing jumped, stepped into the air, and made another jump and another, landing on the other side of the deep gorge. He frowned perplexedly. His sense of life and qi perception told him there was a large enough living creature nearby, but his normal vision only saw a boulder-strewn mountainside. He couldn't stop his curiosity, so he walked closer.

A large boulder, no different from the rest of them, moved and flew into the air, growing thick, short legs, a spiked tail, and a head with a mouth full of sharp teeth.

Xing leisurely stretched out his hand, caught the creature by the throat, and turned it from one side to the other, examining it closely.

The creature's disguise was long gone, and in the bright light of the two moons, it now seemed a dark void in space. Sparse red sparks flickered across its smooth sides, thickly covered with short, dark blue bristles. The creature lashed out with its tail and paws, snapping its jaw. The long, curved claws of its front paws slashed at his forearms, and its hind claws struck him in the stomach.

"Why do they call you a panther?" Xing asked, tilting his head. "You don't look like a cat at all!"

The creature only growled and increased its attacks.

"I love cats!" Xing continued. "They are very cute. And panthers are cute. But you're not!"

He squeezed his fingers a little, and the creature whimpered.

"You look more like a lizard. Or a wolf," Xing continued. "Or a descendant of the wolf who read Eighteen Plum Petals scroll to the lizard."

Foam began to flow from the mouth of the rampaging creature. Xing thought he had seen everything he wanted to see, so he squeezed his fingers. There was a loud crunch of vertebrae, and the creature softened.

"It's funny," Xing concluded. "A black stone panther, it turns out, is not black, not a panther, and not even a stone one either!"

The body in his hand didn't respond. Xing threw the carcass to the ground and sighed heavily. Encountering this monster hadn't helped one bit. Yes, he knew exactly what it was called and had gotten the chance to see it live and even touch it. But only the compiler of the "Book of Fierce Creatures and Dangerous Beasts" showed astonishing carelessness instead of the exact location of the black stone panthers indicated only "in the mountains." And though this information was accurate, at the same time, it was useless.

"Absolutely!" Xing stated, smiling at the well-forgotten word.

He lowered his gaze and examined his clothes. The silk robe and shirt were now gaping holes. The sleeves were hanging in shreds, and there were many gaps across his chest and stomach. Xing concentrated. He didn't like such laborious activities, but he had never avoided them, as they were great for practicing qi control. Threads and fibers pulled at each other, and the torn edges began to come together and then close, leaving behind a whole cloth. Scraps of silk torn out by the panther, caught in its claws or collapsed to the ground, flew up, fell into place, and reunited with the fabric as well. Xing looked at the work he had done and decided he should have changed his clothes back in the caves, for no matter how strong the silk was, it could not withstand the monster's claws, which were filled with deadly energy.

The pelt of the stone panther was unexpectedly pleasant to the touch. The short hairs on the rough side of the panther's skin prevented it from slipping. It wasn't the most convenient property for armor, but Xing decided he would find a use for it sometime later. It took a little longer to remove than it should have. The hide was as tough as salamander skin, so he had to use his qi. After stuffing the carcass and hide into the spatial bracelet and sending them to a distant vault, Xing changed into a leather hiking suit and moved on.

In the distance in the steppe, visible even from here, glimpses of fire flickered, and many specks of human qi could also be felt at the limit of sensitivity.

There seemed to be a town there and, judging by the number of inhabitants, not a small one.

* * *

The first impulse was to spin the flail and fly straight to the city, to find a man, to find out what language he spoke, to find out where the Empire was, and if he was lucky, to find out where Mogao was. Xing had already taken the first swing when a slight feeling of discontent inside made him stop and listen to himself.

He realized that he didn't want to leave like this now. There was no time to waste, but it would not do him any good to be too hasty. If he went away after obtaining only one black stone panther with such a valuable pelt, the entire Duojia would laugh at him, the adults would shake their heads disapprovingly, and the kids would roll on the ground and point their fingers.

The place he had gotten to was very rich in qi of the Earth. Although not comparable to Lakhib Shadid. However, he was able to cultivate very well while traveling through the mountains. During his wanderings, Xing had learned one thing well: strong natural qi meant strong beasts, rare minerals, and special plants. Sharif had certainly planned to attack Mogao, but after fighting Shadia, he would need some time to lick his wounds. In the last resort, if Sharif succeeded, Xing would force his way into the aalam mastur by force, but it would be better not to let it get to that point.

Xing spent the rest of the night surveying the area. He found a strange forest on the mountain slopes, full of strange trees that looked more like stone sculptures. He collected some unknown plants that exuded strong qi. He extracted interesting crystals, minerals, and metal ores from the ground, adding them to his already extensive stockpile. He found a herd of mountain goats, one of which he slaughtered for a fresh meat dinner, even if it was not necessary - he had enough meat. He found two more stone panthers, which he killed for their pelts.

When Xing examined the strange trees, he found that their wood was very good, though not quite as strong as the Purple Oak, and it did not have such a useful and healing resin, but it retained qi without deteriorating. So Xing made sure to stock up on it in case he had the time and desire to make his flying ship like a real hero. Alas, he didn't find many of the trees he needed. There would not be enough trees to build a palace with dozens of masts and sails that could carry an entire sect, but a flat-bottomed coast guard ship at most.o Xing planted more of the hard, diamond-shaped fruits and helped them sprout, weaving together the elements of Earth and Wood in case he ever came back here. For the same purpose, he applied healing qi, overgrowing the cuts on the stumps and causing them to sprout new shoots.

As soon as the sun peeked out from behind the mountains, illuminating the steppe with its first dim rays, Xing grasped his flail, rotated it over his head, and flew forward toward the strange city.

As time went on, flying on the chain had a slight disadvantage. If you flew quickly in the right direction, the flickering disk of chi in front of your nose made it very difficult to see. It did not interfere with normal vision but limited spiritual perception. So when, instead of a city, a huge cluster of tents, horses, carts, people, and livestock appeared ahead, Xing was a little surprised.

Three riders on small, skittish horses spotted Xing in the sky and started pointing their fingers at him. Xing landed and, smiling broadly, ran toward them. Now, he was well aware of the nomadic customs of feeding, watering, and sheltering guests, so he stopped only when he heard a guttural shout of warning in an unknown language.

"My name is Xing Duo!" He shouted, raising his hand in greeting. "I am from the Empire. I am looking for a way home!"

The riders, within whom he could sense the adept-level qi, exchanged a glance. One of them pointed a spear at Xing while two of them raised their short bows.

"Ta nartai baisanda uguy, bid hunhunudin gert orge irle, imperiin uher!"

[You'll regret coming to the house of the Hunghuns, you imperial pig!]

From the entire sentence, Xing only understood two words: "Empire" and something that sounded like "Hunghun." If it wasn't a coincidence, then Xing was already at home in the Empire!

"So you are the Hunhuns?" He asked cheerfully.

The riders' faces contorted with anger. Two arrows flew at Xing, one at his head and one at his heart. He could have rebounded, beaten them off with his chain, or simply stopped them with his qi, but he stayed where he was, letting them reach their target out of courtesy. One arrow struck his forehead, and the second arrow struck his chest. The salamander's skins proved themselves above reproach, not receiving a scratch. It would take something much more serious than a simple arrow to wound his skin.

The horsemen seeing the attack had failed, threw their bows into their saddle covers, drew their crooked sabers, and galloped forward.

"Dulaar!" they shouted, waving their sabers.

[Charge!]

Xing's eyebrow twitched. He was sure they were Hunghuns now, their appearance matching his father's description. The fact that they had rebelled against the Empire by attacking a citizen of the Empire was not surprising, for after the fall of the House of Nao, there had been no one to call them to order. Or maybe too many cycles had passed, so many that their father's victories had been forgotten. If they thought there were no more Nao's left, they had made a big mistake!

Xing rushed toward the riders and sprang at the spearman, dragged him from his saddle, grasped one of the blades with his bare palm, wrenched it from its owner's hand, and used the hilt to wrestle away the saber of the other. After pulling the riders to the ground, Xing raised his spear and, carefully controlling the force so as not to kill or maim anyone, brought the shaft down on their asses and heels.

"You are citizens of the Empire!" he said. "Behave yourselves as subjects of the Emperor!"

Finally, he turned his back on the trio and headed toward the camp. He didn't regret having to use force, but the imperial guards were the ones who should be monitoring the behavior of the people of the Empire! Xing had paid a lot of taxes while working at the restaurant, so he was now seething with resentment.

The sound of hoofbeats was heard, but there was no attack. The Hunhuns, seizing their weapons and saddling their horses, rushed toward the camp. Xing stopped and folded his arms across his chest, hoping that someone would come along who was cooperative enough, preferably able to speak Imperial, to resolve the misunderstanding.

This time, a group of three dozen riders went to meet Xing. They gave the same cry and rushed to the attack.

Xing was very much disappointed at the behavior of the Hunhuns, so strikingly different from the sincere, cordial hospitality of the Badawi. He, therefore, expressed his annoyance a little more strongly than he should have. It was not long before the party galloped back, many of the riders clinging to their sides and most of them riding in the stirrups standing up to save their battered asses.

He stepped forward again, now fully aware of what awaited him next. And the Hunhuns did not fail. The drums rumbled, the horns blared, and loud shouts went over the camp. When Xing had leisurely traveled a third of the distance, a whole army was on its way. Xing could feel the bustle of the camp, the sheer number of qi men and horses. They were gathering into separate squads and lining up, preparing to attack. Han Nao had heard many times from his father how fierce, skillful, and numerous the enemy was, and now he could see for himself.

Many of the Hunghuns possessed qi, not well, but they did, and so they were stronger and faster than the average man. Somewhere behind the cavalry were strong lights of qi, apparently the same shamans his father had told him about.

Xing, as a cook, wondered for a moment: what did this crowd, as large as the population of a large city like Mogao, eat? There were very few female qi among the crowd. There were almost no children, but there were almost a hundred thousand strong adult men. This was a huge, staggering number.

Xing knew from his father's stories that. from time to time, the Hunhuns gathered for an invasion, leaving their wives and children behind in their camps. Only warriors and shamans participate in the campaigns, and the shamans can also ride horses to keep up with the army. Every Hun Hunghun warrior has excellent mastery of the saber, spear, and bow and sits in the saddle as if he were born there. There are not many masters among them, but mastery of qi is not uncommon.

Even though it was not the entire army, but only a little more than a dozen units, Xing knew that the others were ready to jump into the saddle and attack at any moment.

This time, he was not going to be polite and let the Hunghuns' arrows find their target. So, listening to the fierce shouts of the rushing enemy, he simply stood still and lazily struck the projectiles flying at him with commendable accuracy and force.

This time, the shamans also took part in the attack. Several unarmed riders grabbed tambourines and, deftly controlling their horses with only their feet, began to make rhythmic sounds, supplementing them with muffled chanting. Xing watched with interest as the spirits of the earth came together, flying to his feet and shooting out sharp spikes from the ground to pierce his body. The small circle of steppe he was standing on remained untouched, the spirits under his feet dispersed by Xing's slight surge of internal energy. He even squatted down to get a better look at the rest of the thorns.

"Interesting technique!" He smiled broadly. "Just a little slow."

He remembered from his father's stories how powerful the Hunghun shamans were and how much damage they could do to an army, but it seemed that the happy and peaceful years in the Empire had taken their toll on the Hunghuns. Under the merciless passage of time, both the strength and skill of the shamans and the fighting qualities of the warriors had fallen into the abyss, for Xing couldn't have defeated them so easily otherwise. Now he understood why the Hunghuns had decided to rebel, for only through constant battles could they regain the strength and valor they had lost in the many cycles since the death of Han Nao. Rich cycles as part of the Empire had allowed them to breed enough to amass such a huge army. Except they didn't watch the crystals - the old, real ones, not the modern stuff - and didn't realize that one true hero could defeat any horde of villain's underlings, even if they were an army of them.

Quickly, so as not to waste time, Xing dispersed the fountain that struck him from the ground, tore up the steppe grasses that swirled braided his legs, sprang toward the riders, made a wide swing with his flail, and froze.

No matter how rude and impolite these barbarians were, no matter how much they rebelled against the Emperor, they were still subjects of the Empire, whose entire fault was their desire to regain their former strength. Xing could understand the Hunghuns' motivations, but still, they should have been punished for flouting the Emperor's will. Fortunately, the Hunghuns hadn't had time to do anything serious, and the punishment should be commensurate. Not even punishment - he was only going to educate them a little, still holding out hope the Hunghuns would be strong enough to fight the Baatars his father had told him about. Xing couldn't wait to fight them. Xing's flail twitched with qi, hidden in his bracelet, and a bamboo stick appeared in his hand, the same sturdy bamboo Xing had last used in Akhribad to pummel Shadia's soft spots. The thought of Shadia made Xing's heart sink, and his heart prickled with anxiety again.

"Chi uheh bolno, muu ezent gүrny doroytol! Uhehad beld!" The leader of one of the troops shouted, raising his saber.

[You will die, you despicable imperial degenerate! Prepare to die!]

"Eela!" The rest of the Hunghuns picked up on it.

[Go!]

Xing could cast Qi on them, knock them off their horses with Wind, create an abyss under their feet with the Earth element, drown them with Water, or simply burn them with Fire. Even using Metal to bring down the riders with their blades. But that would be as dishonorable as Master Yi seriously getting into a children's fight, striking with his big fists instead of giving them a mildly cautionary slap and sending them home.

The bamboo stick danced in the air, and the Hunghuns began to fall off their horses like rice stalks under the sickle of a skillful farmer. Xing tried to restrain, but if someone fell off his horse and broke his neck, he wouldn't worry!

If Xing had used qi, it would have taken a couple of moments. But the process of education, as he had learned in Duojia while chasing unhelpful disciples, always took a long time. So Xing fiddled for a long time, almost two dozen hundred breaths. During this time, the rest of the Hunghun forces had time to mount their saddles and rush to the attack. The shamans hammered their tambourines and new streams of spirits rained down on Xing, trying to pierce him with thorns, smother him with herbs, and burn him with fire. A cloud of arrows flew into the air to turn Xing into an outlandish beast called a porcupine, a ferocious monster with long needles, stabbing not only small animals but even small people to devour.

This time, Xing was truly angry. He could not be harmed by such pitiful attacks, but there were other Hunghuns and their horses around him. The cries of wounded men and the neighing of horses could be heard.

Xing had always been a loner by nature, like all the many heroes he dreamed of becoming. But every hero had or had had a clan or family, loyal friends, and beloved women. Therefore, Xing valued friendship and mutual assistance, the very feeling of comradeship and elbow glorified in songs and tales. Some heroes survived only because they were saved by their loyal friends, shielding them from the enemy's swords and techniques with their bodies, and this was what drove them forward to become stronger and take revenge.

Xing couldn't tolerate such a violation of the brightest and dearest things. In addition, what the Hunghuns were doing was killing the Emperor's subjects, and it was his duty to stop it.

Xing stopped holding his qi, released it in all directions, spread it over the army, and let his feelings flow out. Instant silence fell on the steppe. The cries of the men and the horses fell silent. Only the groans of the wounded, the howling of the wind, and the rustling of the grass remained.

Still seething with anger, Xing walked among the Hunghuns. Not all the warriors and horses were alive - some had been pierced to death by arrows, some had died from stone spikes, some had been burned, and some had fallen unluckily from a horse tangled in grasses and roots. For those who still had a spark of life, Xing helped by channeling qi from his heart dantian and healing wounds, fractures, and burns. Finished with the humans, he took care of the horses. Finally, leaving those who were too late to help, Xing turned around and glided lightly over the surface of the steppe in the air to the group of warriors who had the strongest qi and even remained standing despite the spiritual pressure.

There were not many warriors, only three dozen. At the head of them stood a tall Hunghun, wearing a cap trimmed with luxuriant fur, a long armor of riveted leather plates, a small round shield in one hand, and a spear in the other. The warrior leaned heavily on the spear and did not fall to the ground, unlike the others, even as Xing came closer. The look of squinted eyes on his bearded face said that he would rather die than drop his honor. And, if need be, that "die" Xing could readily arrange.

They stood opposite each other and silently exchanged glances. Xing didn't want to go to war with the other people of the Empire, but he didn't have the right to just leave.

The Hunghun leader dropped his shield to the ground, knelt slowly, maintaining his dignity, and held out his spear on his outstretched arms while continuing to look Xing in the eye.

"Batulgan gar darhan tolgoz hauchin khan irz zhol!"

[Batulgan of Darkhan kneels before his Khan and salutes him!]

Xing couldn't understand what he was being told, but he didn't really care. He only wanted to find someone who understood the language of the Empire and could give him directions home. But even without that, he had, thanks to Almirakh, another way to communicate. So he simply sighed, curbed his chi, and removed the spiritual pressure. The horses rumbled once again. The creaking of leather armor and the clinking of weapons could be heard. Xing clenched the bamboo stick tighter, preparing to teach a new lesson. But the warriors did not attack. They all kneeled together, holding their sabers, bows, and spears in their outstretched hands.

* * *

"Bairyn een Sengan-khany erdene khurel!" Batulgan shouted, throwing a drinking horn into the air.

[To the health and strength of our great Senggeng Khan!]

"Bayarlala!" There was a loud, friendly shout, and all the Hunhuns raised their bowls, horns, and cups.

Xing fixed the fur hat Batulgan had given him for something, picked up the horn as well, and tipped the contents into his mouth.

The taste was horrible, but very familiar. Han Nao had drunk something similar at his last feast in his past life.

"Hunhun gather-la grass, go to gora-gar, hunghun hiyh wine from grass and grain! Good wine! Strong!" quacked Tumen Naranbat, one of the troop commanders who could speak a little imperial.

Xing could argue with the word strong. Compared to his past life, even the Hunghuns' drinking had fallen into disrepair. In the past, it used to knock you off your feet and burn your throat like molten metal. Now, it was as easy to drink as water, and if it weren't for the herbs, which made the taste a little less disgusting, it would have been impossible to drink.

"Grain?" Xing was surprised. "I didn't know you sowed the fields."

"Sow-la grain? Hunhun?" Naranbat laughed. "Naranbat understand! Sengen-khan to joke! Hunghun to fight! Grain to take away, u! To change for koumiss or airag, ar! Make wine-ar!"

It was slow and difficult to talk through the interpreter. But, alas, the attempt to speak with Batulgan, using the method Almirakh had once taught him, was not a complete failure, but it was not a success either. Batulgan was the strongest warrior among the Hunhuns, who, as it turned out, had gathered for a "kurultai", where they were to choose a "khan" - the strongest and most valiant warrior. And Batulgan would have been chosen as the khan if Xing had not appeared. So now Batulgan was called "Zhirgam", and the hat - the symbol of the strongest warrior - went to Xing. He managed to find out the most important thing - the direction towards the Empire, and then Batulgan's eyes turned red and his nose bled. Xing healed him, of course, but he had to communicate further in a more traditional way. At last, overcoming the pain, Batulgan managed to ask what the great Sengen Khan would like to taste at the feast. Xing's question surprised him immensely, but he answered anyway that he did not need anything special, chicken breast was enough: a sacred Hunghun dish, without which no important endeavor is without. Batulgan then wiped the blood from under his nose and shouted something to his subordinates in Hunghun. And they seemed to have overdone it, busy exterminating the chickens running between the tents or sitting in wooden cages.

"Drink-er wine, gobble-er chicken breast, oo!" Naranbat said. "Sengen Khan is a great baatar, ar!"

Xing took a long dagger, stabbed a piece of chicken breast on it and set up a horn into which Naranbat poured a drink from a large leather flask. Xing, sensing the solemnity of the moment, rose from the horse saddle on which he was sitting, looked around at the Hunghuns and said:

"Our first meeting didn't turn out so well. We had to fight, and I'm very sorry for the loss of life. I thought the spilled blood would come between us and you would consider me an enemy. So I absolutely did not expect such a reception, hospitality, and such a sumptuous feast!"

"Sengan khan iltgegege hamgiin sein baina, ta bidniig ashigtay idad," Naranbat's translation shouted loudly, "bolon tiymes yamar che agulgar oylgozh chadaguy "absolutli!"

[The Great Sengen Khan says he is not angry with us, that he is pleased with the treat, and something else, but I did not understand the word "absolutely"]

The Hunhuns murmured and whispered to each other. Xing's enhanced hearing picked out the word "Absolutely" repeatedly. He smiled contentedly - it was just as the bastard teacher and his father had told him. The Hunghuns really loved chicken breast and really did praise the gods with this strange word.

"Know-tell, great Sengen Khan, what does "absolutely" mean?" Naranbat whispered as Xing drank, ate the breast, and sat down again.

"Of course!" Xing replied, still smiling contentedly. "I know that for you, chicken breast is a sacred dish, the food of the gods. And that every time you eat it, you say the word "Absolutely" in the highest degree of superiority!"

Naranbat raised his eyebrows in surprise, apparently surprised at Xing's knowledge.

"Yuu khalev ikh nartai khan?" Batulgan asked impatiently.

[What did the Great Khan say?]

Naranbat bent down and whispered something in his ear. Batulgan listened to his thousandaire, thought about something for a while, and finally, having made a decision, nodded his head firmly. He stood up, raised a richly decorated cow horn, and, amplifying his voice with the help of qi, exclaimed:

"Ich Sengan khan hotol, ki bid onodriin bayarda maha zogso, bolog tany burkhand erhemlane!"

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

[The Great Sengen Khan wants us to eat chicken breast at feasts and glorify his gods by doing so!]

The Hunghuns fell silent, holding their breath.

"Bid urgelj "absolutli" bolon "wot tak wot" gezh yariltsazh baikh yum!"

[We should always say "absolutely" and "wot tak wot"!]

A buzz went up among the Hunghuns. They shouted, and raised their cups, shouting " Absolutely!" and "Wot tar wot!". Xing smiled. He initially thought he and Mei were being deceived by the sneaky teacher. If it weren't for his father confirming his words later Xing would still think that. However, telling the truth once didn't make the teacher any less of a scoundrel!

"Hararai! Sengan-khan hartz baina!" Batulgan shouted, and the Hunghuns broke into loud shouts.

[Look! Sengen Khan is pleased!]

Xing nodded his head in satisfaction and continued the meal. He drank fermented mare's milk, ate horse meat, mutton, and cheese, proclaimed toasts that no one understood, but everyone cheered loudly, and, on the contrary, listened to the toasts of the Hunghuns, which Naranbat diligently translated. Xing felt that time was running out, another day wasted, but to leave everything as it was and go to the Empire would not be right.

"You are a strong warrior, Sengen Khan!" Naranbat translated Batulgan's words. "Hunhun do not know the Empire is a strong warrior! Hunhun think weak as a mare's cheese, ar!"

Xing sighed as he received the praise. Yes, he had defeated the Hunghuns, but he had not done it honestly, not in a heroic manner. There was no valor to influence the Hunghuns, weakened for cycles and centuries, with his qi. Compared to the real heroes and the bastard teacher, Xing was still a weakling. Compared to his father, who not only possessed qi, but also had the ability to control a huge army, he was still a baby: no longer an egg or a tadpole, but not yet a carp.

"Do you remember General Guang Nao?" he asked. "Of course you do! He was really strong! And someday, when I get real strength, I will be like him!"

Naranbat whispered quickly in Batulgan's ear. He whispered something back.

"Is Guanga Nao strong?" Naranbat finally asked. "Stronger than Sengen Khan, u?"

"Stronger! Stronger than... As strong as an adult is stronger than a child!" Xing replied, immersed in his memories. "And his warriors aren't weak either!"

"Baby son, huh? Aah! Understand! Thy father, Sengen Khan, is a strong baatar, ar!" nodded Naranbat.

Xing tried to correct Naranbat, but the latter had already turned to Batulgan and was quickly recounting the conversation. So Xing simply waved his hand. He had neither the time nor the inclination to teach the barbarians history lessons.

The Hunghuns were going to continue the feast for a long time: nine suns and nine moons, but time was running out. He examined the army and horses again, spreading out the qi, made sure that, except for the alcohol in the blood, all were healthy, and got ready to leave.

"We always wait for Sengen Khan, u!" Naranbat declared.

"I'm glad to have met you too!" Xing replied with a great deal of wryness. The meeting was stupid. Even though it was fruitful, it was too time-consuming.

He took off his fur hat, twirled it in his hands and gave it back to the surprised Batulgan, putting it on his head.

"I'm off," Xing finally said, taking a last look at the sea of tents, horses, and feasting Hunghuns. "Don't rebel again and always remain loyal subjects of the Emperor!"

He twirled a piece of leather with a crude map, checked the direction, and pulled the trusted flail from his bracelet.

"Ikh khan hene sonsozh gezh baina u?" Batulgan asked.

[What did the Great Khan say?]

"Sengan khan manai imperi ghej bide magtad baina!" answered Naranbat in a trembling voice.

[Sengen Khan said we have to submit to the Empire!]

"Tiim bolchilo, bid zoriltozh, tuniy ug khul!" Batulgan bowed his head sadly.

[Well, we have been defeated, his word is law!]

Xing wondered why they were so sad, since they had known him for less than a day. Even though he tried not to kill anyone, his appearance among the barbarians still resulted in deaths. But then he realized that when Xing healed Hunghuns, he did not distinguish between fresh and old wounds, healing fractures, deep scars, lost fingers and limbs, and even knocked out teeth. Yes, in the future the healed Hunghuns would have to eat a lot of meat and cheese, but this was only a temporary hardship. Good healers were valued everywhere, and Xing, even though he was no match for heroes or his master in battle, he learned how to heal just fine!

"Goodbye!" Xing shouted as he rotated his flail and flew into the air to the rapturous shriek of thousands of throats.

* * *

Even though it was very easy to fly on the flail, it was still quite uncomfortable. Unlike a cultivator soaring through the skies on a flying sword, Xing's hand was constantly busy, the rotating plane was still partially interfering with his qi perception, and it didn't look very heroic from the outside. So, after flying to the seashore, Xing landed on the shore, sat down on the sand, and thought hard, staring at the map.

He had two choices: to fly along the sea edge, following the curves of the coastline, or to go directly, cutting off a huge chunk of the path. Flying along the shoreline was a simple and reliable choice, ensuring that sooner or later, Xing would first reach the Empire's borders and then continue flying near the water to find Mogao.

But there was a riskier option: to fly straight across the sea. His map was rough and approximate, showing only steppe landmarks, so he could not get lost only because it didn't show the right path at all. Yes, he didn't know the exact direction, and he could fly to the wrong place. But at the same time, flying straight ahead could shorten the way by two or even three times, and time was running out.

Xing decided to take the risk despite having a reliable option. He could always come back after losing time, but if he had any luck, he would be ahead of Sharif!

But the prospect of flying over the water for days did not inspire him at all. He could just run along the waves, but because of the constantly changing surface of the sea, there was every chance of getting lost and running in circles. Something else was required.

Xing, of course, could have made a new sword for flight by re-creating that monstrous device that offended his sense of beauty, but fortunately, he had a better option.

Xing took out the prepared stone trees from the spatial bracelet and set to work. Obeying the qi that had been transformed into the Wood element, the trunks moved. The branches began to shorten and disappear, the bark melting like a piece of butter in a frying pan, merging with the wood. Finally, a mountain of perfectly round wooden cylinders appeared before Xing's eyes.

Xing saw ships in the harbor, lived in Lunzi, and often visited Mogao, but only from the outside. Mogao's shipyards occasionally built new ships and repaired old ones, so Xing had a general idea of their structure. So soon a few timbers moved and began to form a framework, transforming into thick timbers. Another three logs were used to create transverse rib-like pieces he had no idea what they were called. Other pieces of wood followed, splitting into relatively thin planks to fit the future sides. When the boards curved and stiffened, their edges came together, and the gaps disappeared, overgrowing without a trace. Xing walked around the ship, concentrating on making sure everything fell into place: the superstructure at the "stern," the spacious room called the "cabin," the floor above, which sailors called the "deck." Xing laughed out loud - his knowledge of nautical lingo could amaze anyone

He used the last pieces of wood to make the three masts, from which the crossbeams now protruded rigidly, making the masts look like nibbled fish fins. On the flat bow, he grew a relief demonic face to ward off bad weather and evil spirits. Just like a real ship, only better. Lastly, he added two additional "fins" to the sides of the hull. This made the ship really look like a fish with a vicious, grinning mouth.

After finishing the preparations, Xing examined the finished ship. It was relatively small, but it looked good. It had wide semicircular sides, a high fence around the deck, a stumpy prow with a far-reaching parapet, a "stern" with a room where a good bed could be placed, and even a "hold" with a steep ladder, even if the bracelet meant that nothing would be stored there. Xing did not make oars or rudder, for the ship was not intended for sailing, and therefore, the "fins" on the sides were responsible for maneuvering. So, on the parapet overhanging the cut-off bow, he placed a thick stick to serve as a kind of steering oar. After some thought, he bifurcated it to resemble the hilt of that awful sword to make it easier to grasp with two hands.

After examining his creation and being satisfied with what he saw, Xing fumbled in his bracelet for the bundles of cloth he had stolen from the sorcerers' towers and pulled them out. After sizing them up, he took out robes, dresses, cloaks, and capes, all the silk garments he had not yet had time to sort through.

Then he had to work hard, combining disparate pieces of fabric into large cloths, joining thread to thread, fiber to fiber. Eventually, he had three large pieces of silk and two smaller pieces. The fabric flew up and sideways, unfurled on the masts and fins, growing intentionally to the crossbeams, making the "bones" finally look like real masts with sails. He didn't use ropes to fasten the masts and rails together - firstly, he didn't have any suitable ropes, and secondly, even if the strongest mast, which was one piece with the hull, strengthened with qi, broke, he could always restore everything to its original form with the help of qi.

The appearance of the sails was horrible: colored patches of different fabrics made them look like beggars' clothes full of patches, so Xing spent a lot more effort scrubbing them clean of paint and making them perfectly white.

Now, it was time for the talismans. Xing took out some Azrak ingots, used the Metal element to split them into plates, and, using both sorcerers' magic and the skills learned in Mogao from Cai Shaolong, began to cover them with inscriptions.

Finished, Xing sent each talisman to a different part of the ship, where he plunged them straight into the wood. Taking out another Azrak ingot, he turned it into fine dust and then sent it to the sails, where it settled in large "movement" hieroglyphs of a beautiful blue color.

Xing took the last action with the utmost care, running away from the ship and hiding behind the hill. He took out the huge crystal he had stolen from the main tower of Akhribad and immediately covered it with his qi. The fiery energy splashed in all directions swept across his body, and melted the ground, turning the plants into ash and the ground beneath him into black, cracked glass. His salamander skin clothes withstand the heat perfectly, so Xing smiled, absorbed the remaining qi from the crystal, and slowly released it through his dantian.

He examined the crystal, satisfied with its purity and strength, and then removed the lattice of Azrak in which it had been encased, reassembling it into an ingot. The size of the crystal was too large, so Xing separated a small part of it, made an orb the size of a human head, and then sent the rest back into the bracelet.

Once back on the ship, he created an openwork frame from the Azrak and placed the orb in it, attaching it in the hold directly to the main mast.

The creation had to be tested. Xing glanced up at the sun, noting with displeasure how long it had taken him, how much time he had wasted.

He climbed onto the deck, went to the bow of the ship, grasped the handles of the control levers, and directed Qi into the ship. The energy flowed through the wood, gathering in the talismans and sails. In the depths of the ship, the glass orb - the heart of the ship - flamed brightly, perfectly visible from here in the spiritual vision.

Xing felt a slight jolt in his legs. The ship lifted off the ground and hovered a few feet above it. He pulled the control levers, and the ship flew into the sea, gaining speed and altitude.

Xing sighed. He hadn't thought the design was perfect, but he hadn't expected to find so many flaws on the first flight. He turned the ship abruptly toward the shore, then threw the levers, leaving it hanging in place. Then, descending into the hold, he went to the very bow and put his hand to the planking. The wood split apart, revealing the ship's ribs and center beam. Thinking, Xing removed a large section of the beam, creating a hole in the hull that was no longer covered by anything. He extracted the remnants of the crystal and, transforming the qi into an Earth element, turned part of it into a flat sheet resembling glass. This sheet covered the hole, turning it into a huge window that allowed him to look not only forward or upward but even down.

Eliminating the main disadvantage, the captain's inability to the ground he's flying over, turned out to be quite easy. So Xing removed the control levers from the deck and moved them into the hold. After some thought, he created a bulkhead and a door, separating the ship's control room from the other rooms.

Then he created a pedestal next to the control knobs, in which he placed two more levers, one for height control and the other for speed. He changed the main lever as well, transforming it into a wheel, like a cart, but with handy handles sticking out of it. It took a bit of work to change the control talismans, but the effort was worth it: the tests showed that everything worked properly.

No matter how big the porthole was, it still limited his vision. But that didn't bother Xing much. He could already sense the qi surrounding the ship. There was no need for him to look through the porthole with his normal eyesight, and he had created the captain's porthole based on his heart's sense of beauty.

In fact, the ship came out to be the exact opposite of the flail: if flying on the flail limited spiritual vision, the ship limited ordinary vision. If the flail did it from the front, the ship did it from all other sides. Still, it was worth it.

Now, he could both stand proudly at the bow of the ship, putting his face to the rushing wind, and be here in the control room to see the way better. Of course, the ship was left without a demonic face, but all the evil spirits Xing could ward off himself, and the bad weather was something that had to be taken care of separately. He took out another ingot of Azrak, created a new talisman plate, and attached it to the main mast, right in front of the glowing blue heart.

The controls on the upper deck Xing still did, repeating the control wheel with levers here as well. He corrected the qi flows again and made a test flight again. It worked well, but again not perfect. The invisible sphere created by the talisman enveloped the ship from all sides, not only keeping the winds and storms from blowing it off course but also protecting it from rain and water droplets. But the protection was too dense, so now, no matter how fast Xing flew, his hair did not flutter in the wind, as it happened to the heroes in the crystals. Xing hastily solved the problem by installing another talisman that would give a slight breeze depending on his speed, checked the work, and, with a heavy heart, decided to be satisfied with such an unsophisticated solution, to say the least.

There was no time to study the contents of the looted libraries of Akhribad, or he would have created a puppet that could stand at the steering wheel and steer the right course. Sorcerers, of course, used death and human torment to create them, but Xing knew that simpler puppets could be created, as Shadia had once done. Memories of Shadia not only pricked his heart with worry for the girl but also reminded him of his helplessness. He should have finished his business in the Empire as soon as possible so he could return to Akhribad to see if she was alright. Xing longed for Mei and wanted to see Shadia again, but there was no way he could forget about the Almirakh. All three girls were dear to Xing, and a true hero would never abandon someone he cared about!

He gripped the control wheel tighter, lifted the ship into the air, and steered it toward Mogao. Or rather, to where Xing hoped Mogao was.

* * *

Xing smiled broadly as he recalled his first voyage on a turtle shell. Back then, he had been rocked by the waves, had to eat only fish and other sea creatures, and had to make do with only those things that didn't break or get ruined when the shell fell off the cliff. Now, things were different: not only did he have a huge supply of food, but he also had a considerable amount of various materials and furniture. Xing set a course of flight and then walked around the ship, finishing the interior of the ship, making holes in the sides, installing large portholes in the rooms, setting up a small alchemical laboratory, a separate kitchen, which the sailors called by the strange word "galley," a small blacksmith's shop, and a latrine called "head." He had to reduce the size of the hold to the utmost, but since there was no need for it at all, Xing wasn't too worried.

Now, after years spent in Akhribad, a city in the middle of the desert, Xing realized that he missed fish. There, of course, streams and small rivers were running down the slopes, but there were far more people who wanted to eat fish than there were fish, so no one had seen fish dishes for cycles and centuries. Therefore, Xing decided to take advantage of the one above the sea. When he saw a small deserted rocky island, he lowered the ship, leaving it hovering above the rocks. The Qi of the ocean in this place was quite strong, so he expected to eat something exotic.

His expectations were fully realized. As soon as he dived under the water, he was pounced upon by two huge lizards that resembled the salamanders of Lakhib Shadid except for the color of their skin, which was sky blue and, as it turned out during the skinning of the carcasses, beautifully shimmering in the sun. Catching fish with the Water element was always the easiest task, so Xing quickly replenished his supplies and flew on.

Xing set up a comfortable chair near the steering wheel and began to study the scrolls in search of a way to create puppets, planning to find out from the sailors what the compass was and to make it. So he would not have to steer the ship, which he had originally intended to name the Ferocious Phoenix. Alas, such a formidable name was more suited to the ship of a true hero, so Xing hesitated and decided to call it the Sun Lark in honor of the brave and fierce birds of the Lakhib Shadid, with meat so tender and full of fiery qi.

The ocean still dissolved and dispersed qi, but over the years spent cultivating in Lahib Shadid, Xing had become a bit stronger, so he could detect sea creatures even at depth. So he flew forward, carefully searching not only the horizon but also the sea floor, not so much in anticipation of any dangers but in the expectation of finding something tasty.

And this calculation was completely justified! Xing not only found many kinds of fish and octopus, he even found a deep crevice where he dived to the bottom and saw a whole bunch of huge mussels. After grabbing a couple and returning to the ship, Xing eagerly opened the flaps of one of them. He was so shocked by what he saw that he left the mussels on the table and went back into the water, collecting all the mussels he could find.

It was a color he wouldn't mistake for anything else in the world! It was from these mussels that his favorite red ink was created, with which he wrote his brilliant quotes in his past life. It took a lot of work, of course, but in the end, he became the owner of a huge glass bottle with a liquid of dark red, almost black color.

Xing stepped onto the deck and lifted the bottle. A thin stream of liquid escaped from the narrow neck, split into three parts, and flew toward the sails. Xing concentrated to the utmost, running the qi-filled dye through the silk cloth, soaking it, causing it to dye to its full depth. It took almost half the bottle for the main sails. The side fins took only a little bit, so Xing shrunk the neck and tucked the remainder into his bracelet. Unfortunately, only one bright red pearl was found in the five dozen shells. As it turned out, this pearl was full of strong qi and could be used both to create artifacts and as a component of an elixir. But alas, there was no time to search for a new pearl. Therefore, Xing Xing took one last look at the bright red sails that made the ship look like a Shu-Ni sun lark and flew onward.

He rushed forward, carefully exploring the ocean, feeling the ocean floor and the islands he encountered. He wasn't going to waste any time, but he wasn't going to miss the "fortunate encounter" or "once-in-a-generation opportunity" sung in crystals and scrolls.

This opportunity came at dawn the next day when the fiery disk of the sun was already rising from the edge of the sea, and the moons were hiding their glow in the brightening sky. Xing didn't immediately realize what had happened - somewhere out there beyond the horizon, many, many miles off course, he felt the faint, faint glow of familiar qi.

Without hesitation, he steered the steering wheel steeply sideways and headed toward that source, squeezing all the speed out of the Lark that the red ink-enhanced, re-enchanted sails could provide.

Several times, he thought he was mistaken and was imagining things, that the treacherous ocean had once again played a bad trick, dissolving and distorting its mighty energy. But as he drew nearer, Xing's confidence grew stronger, so he left the ship hovering above the surface of the ocean and dived resolutely under the water.

The seawater flowing into his lungs tingled his nostrils, but Xing didn't mind. His breathing quickened, whether because he was in a hurry or because the water splashing in his body was leaving his nose in small bubbles. A thin layer of internal energy was pushing the water away from his eyes, allowing him to see clearly at depth instead of the way he had once seen in Duojia. Xing accelerated to the limit and headed into the deep crevice. The element of Water gently embraced his body and pushed forward with the speed of a flying arrow, so soon Xing reached the bottom, and then, winding through narrow curves between coral, ledges, plants, toothy fish, and some fearsome monsters with sabers and tridents, he approached a lone floating figure, swooped down, and wrapped his arms around it.

A large gray fish with rough skin, a red-red crest on its head, and a powerful scaly tail managed to turn around. Its bulging eyes and round mouth full of sharp teeth gave its noseless face a look of genuine surprise.

After twitching a few times in his grip, the fish collapsed. It tilted its head and touched Xing's forehead with its broad forehead.

"Xing!" A familiar voice sounded in his head. "It's really you!"

"Well, hello, Almirakh!" Xing smiled, releasing a chain of bubbles. "I've missed you. I missed you so much!"

* * *

The bright rays of sunlight shone through the water, the white sand, the rocky ledges covered with coral, underwater plants and flowers, and the brightly colored fish scurrying here and there. All gave the surroundings a fairytale-like, almost unrealistic appearance. But Xing didn't look around. He wasn't even interested in the dozens and dozens of armed creatures with strong qi surrounding him.

"Like me?" Almirakh asked, tumbling playfully in the water.

"I like you!" Xing replied without a bit of wryness.

Here, at a depth of only a dozen human heights - almost at the very surface - Xing could see her in all her splendor. And Almirakh was beautiful, albeit inhumanly beautiful. Beautiful like a dolphin or an orca, with its matted, tough hide, its shiny scales, the webbing between the fingers of its four-toed, inhuman hands, and the predatory, flexible grace of a moray eel. There was nothing about her body that resembled a woman - her flat gray ribcage had no bulges, and her feminine hips were replaced by a scaly tail. The monsters that Almirakh had ordered to stay back looked like her, but not quite - there was something unpleasant and disharmonious about their proportions.

"What do you think of our babies?" Almirakh smiled predatorily.

"What?" Xing marveled. "Ours?"

Here, underwater, they had to communicate using qi, so he even thought for a moment that he had misunderstood something.

"Maybe not exactly ours, but you certainly participated in their birth!"

She laughed silently again, her teeth showing in a toothy grin. A strange numbness came over Xing. He knew that somewhere among the Badawi, he might have a child and more than one, but he had never expected to have a shoal of fish as children!

Almirah, seeing his confusion, laughed even harder, her qi carrying slyness and genuine joy. Finally, she decided to stop torturing him.

"I don't like these spawn of Sharif's seed myself. But they are strong and useful. There are many of them, and they obey me without question. Even now, all these years later, I can't believe I'm a mother now. Mother of newts!"

Xing swam closer to her and enclosed her in an embrace. Her body was cool, slightly warmer than the surrounding water.

"What happened to you after we separated?" Xing asked, putting worry and concern into his qi.

Almirakh went soft in his arms and replied:

"I was in great pain and fear, but you came and took away my pain. And then... During your battle, I remained weak and helpless, unable to do anything. But you came again and protected me. A wave came, and that sphere withstood the blow, bursting later, already in the sea. Most of Sharif's spawn washed away, but some stayed with me, with the one who spawned it. I still don't know how, but I felt somehow I could give them orders."

"Sharif didn't count on you to survive," Xing explained, recalling the details of the many sorcerers' books he had stolen and read. "He wanted an army that was obedient, strong, and efficient. With it, he wants to take over part of my homeland - the entire Dulunhai Peninsula and the main port of Mogao. So..."

"Mogao?" Almirah wondered. "But there are so many ships and sailors there!"

"...so he cast a spell to make the warriors obey. That's why he needed to use his semen to create an unbreakable bond between child and parent. But he didn't expect you to survive - their mother, whose bond with the children that came out of her womb, flesh from her flesh, and therefore the power of the magic of obedience, is much stronger."

"That was horrible!" Almirakh said, her qi carrying an echo of lingering pain, fear, and sadness. If mermaids could cry underwater, she would have sobbed. "I didn't realize what was happening. I was in pain. Pain wrenched my body as it was altered by magic. I had never had legs until then, but somehow, I knew how to walk with those legs! Humans had always seemed like strange pink soft creatures, only slightly denser than a jellyfish, but I began to see them as if they were my tribe! Even Sharif, Sharif! He would have seemed attractive to me then if it weren't for the horrible things he was doing! My head ached. I thought it was about to split and shatter into a thousand pieces, but I began to understand his language! The human language, those incomprehensible vibrations of the air! Then I became truly human, not only in my body but also in my mind!"

Xing pressed her even tighter against him, stroking her hairless, woolly head and touching her crest inadvertently.

"But the worst was afterward," the girl continued. "The stone slab, written in symbols, on which I lay chained by my arms and legs. And then him! His hands, greedily probing my body, all the growths I had never had before, but which now felt as natural as a tail or a comb or webbing on my fingers! And the pain! Not severe, much weaker than the one I had endured a little earlier, but so humiliating! And his disgusting, satisfied laugh! My childhood and youth were spent in my father's court. I was a spoiled princess, accustomed to nothing but good things. The world fell apart for me then. So when Sharif locked me on that island, I despaired. I made attempts to leave, to get off the island. But the guards stopped me every time. And if I could get away from the guards and dive into the sea, where would I go? There was no way out of this little world."

Xing was silent. Even though Almirah now looked like a fish, looks didn't matter. No matter what she looked like, this was his Almirakh, his beautiful mermaid, the girl who, like Mei and Shadia, had taken a firm place in his heart. And as he listened to this story, his heart ached.

"For more than a year, I was a prisoner on this island. My world was limited to the small lake and the surrounding forest, and my food to the fruit and fish I could catch. And then you came along - so kind and deft and skillful. You destroyed the invulnerable guards, and even though I remained trapped on the island, I felt that the boundaries of my cage had collapsed and that with just a little more, I would be free. That's when I fell in love with you. And you... You made me strong, many times stronger than I had ever been, and shared a piece of your power with me. Then, despite the captivity, despite staying on the island, I was happy. And then... then he appeared again and took everything from me again!"

A powerful wave of qi carrying anger, rage, and fury surged out of Almirakh, hitting her in all directions, vaporizing the water, shattering rocks and coral, and sweeping up sand. The torrent of water tore the nearby "children" from their seats and tossed them away, swirling them like leaves in the wind. Xing held her lightly in his arms, leaned over, and kissed her softly on her cool cheek.

"What were you doing when I was swept away?" He asked, partly out of genuine interest and partly to distract her from her gloomy thoughts.

At first, I found myself in the ocean in my human body. But then, when I regained some of my strength, I managed to subdue the transformation spell, regained my normal appearance, gathered up the remaining fry, and swam home. I caught fish and fed them. With the power I got from you, it was easy. I really wanted to find you, but I didn't know how. So I went home. And there... The family reunion didn't happen the way I imagined it would.

"You weren't accepted?" Xing guessed.

"Not quite. They did, but..." Almirah's qi flickered with bitterness. "Not every mermaid is born with a gift, but I had one. Since childhood, I had the gift of understanding. I understood other living creatures, both fish and other sea creatures, for example, turtles, and could talk to them. I thought the sea gods had laughed at me, giving me such a useless and unnecessary skill. It was only when I met you when I could communicate with you I realized how much of a blessing my gift was. Well, thanks to you, I'm stronger now. And my gift became stronger, too. I understood. And I realized... I realized they thought it was my fault. They didn't despise me, but they thought I was a stupid girl who'd made a mistake, even though none of it was my fault. They were so kind, so lenient to this fool, letting her back home, letting her live where she had lived all her life! Both my father and mother were determined not to let me make that mistake again. To find me a newt from a good family, to calm the maelstrom in my head, get married and settle down. But each of the suitors seemed to me so pathetic, so stupid, so weak. I simply could not stand it any longer!

"Almirah, I have seen many, both human and other living things," Xing said. "You are strong, stronger than almost anyone I have ever met. I don't know what happened at the sea court, and I have no idea of the strength of the other sea creatures, but I'm sure that if you wanted to, you could defeat them all, if not by yourself, then with the help of this fry of yours."

Almirakh placed her hands on his chest, pulled back slightly, threw back her head, and laughed a soundless laugh. The qi, flowing with laughter and mirth, swept over Xing in warm, gentle waves.

"Someday, I'll stop marveling at how strong your intuition is," she said with a laugh. "You're right. I wasn't going to take it anymore after the ordeal. The fry had grown up by then. They were strong to begin with, and then they got even stronger. Dumb as the last tuna, almost unintelligent, but fearless and very dutiful. There was simply no need for them. Sikhir, or as you call it, qi, in me became so strong that I easily defeated not only my father, not only the grooms but the entire father's guard. I usurped power and became the ruler of the sea."

"So you're the Empress of the Sea now?" Xing exclaimed in amazement, releasing a string of bubbles from his mouth.

"I was!" laughed Almirah. "I lasted a few months. I don't know what my father finds in that, but I gave him his throne back and even apologized. I couldn't find a more boring, useless, and thankless occupation, even if I decided someday to count every grain of sand on the bottom or to snip one by one every petal of the ocean anemones. I gave the throne back to my father. But they took the hint and never tried to marry me again. And then I just got bored, packed up the "kids," and went traveling. There were so many places I hadn't been, so many things I hadn't seen! Besides, I was looking for you. And as you can see, I found you."

"I'm the one who found you!" Xing laughed. "You don't know it yet, but I made a ship, and it flies! Do you want to see it?"

"Of course!" Almirah replied quickly. "Somehow, I'm not surprised that you got wings!"

"You were talking about Mogao's sailors and ships," Xing reminded him. "How do you know about that?"

"How does a mermaid who lives in the sea know where the most human ships come from and where they go?" Almirakh asked. "Of course, I know! Our girls like to tease your sailors, so they often swim near them. And you wouldn't believe it, but your sailors seem to mistake them for human women! Well, judging by the gestures they make and the way they whistle."

Xing remembered the numerous conversations about mermaids in the Shell and laughed again. It seemed that they had not come from nothing.

"The voyages are long and lonely, by the end, even an octopus will seem attractive. Can you show me the way to Mogao?"

I'm the daughter of the King of the Sea! Of course, I am! But you swam a long way. Why would you go there? You said something happened in the Empire when they tried to force you to marry.

"Sharif," Xing replied. "He is planning an attack on Mogao."

Almirakh grinned and again struck in all directions with a wave of qi.

"I'm coming with you," she said finally when the water had calmed and the sand had settled.

Xing hesitated for a moment. No matter how he looked at it, it was a great idea. If Almirakh could keep pointing in the right direction, he would get to Mogao in no time. She may look like a fish, but it wasn't her appearance that mattered to Xing. He missed her and wanted to stay with her for as long as possible. In addition, Almirah could control newts, which meant he could take away a large part of Sharif's army. There were disadvantages, too. In this form, Almirakh can't live without water. But what kind of hero is Xing if he can't build a big enough bathroom on the upper deck? Yes, he'd have to reinforce the Lark's structure, but nothing that would take more than a thousand dozen heartbeats.

"Let's go!" Xing smiled. "But wait! What about your newts?"

"The children will follow. They'll find me anywhere. But let's take one of them, the smartest one, with us."

Xing was surprised but nodded. The bathroom would have to be bigger, of course, but that was all the trouble. Besides, he had enough food to feed her entire army for a while.

He grasped Almirah's webbed hand and pulled her upward to where the crystalline heart of the ship burned brightly in the qi's perception. The largest newt swam after them, trident in hand. When they reached the surface of the sea, Xing picked up Almirakh in his arms, flew into the air, and lowered himself onto the deck of the Lark floating above the sea. Then, obeying his will, the sea swelled and encased the newt in a ball of water that rose to the deck, threw his captive, and splashed overboard.

Triton, to Xing's surprise, did not thrash about like a fish had been thrown onto the shore. His body was enveloped in an invisible qi glow, and his tail split into webbed paws. The Triton rose to its feet and stared at Xing with glittering glass eyes.

"Surprised? " Almirakh asked, her qi carrying a touch of amusement.

"To be honest, yes," Xing replied thoughtfully. "But if you think about it... Sharif was planning a land invasion, so he made sure that his army was also land-based when... When he... When he had you..."

"When he plunged his vile seed into me!" Almirah corrected him harshly. "I think that's why he turned me into a human woman, so the fry would inherit more than just the sea form. But you know what, Xing?"

"What?"

"Remember when I said I had the gift of understanding other living things? And that when I found myself back in the ocean, I was able to subdue the spell of transformation?"

"Of course," Xing replied.

"The main thing here is that I only "had" this one gift and that the transformation was not broken but "subdued." And now I have two gifts!"

Her body was enveloped in a glow of qi, and Xing felt the scales and rough shark skin change into something silky and soft. The light breeze constantly lingered on the deck and ruffled the lush, long, reddish-red hair that had sprung up in place of the head crest. Almirakh watched his amazement contentedly with bottomless blue eyes and smiled with full scarlet lips, showing off her beautiful white teeth. Then she twisted in his arms, wrapped her long, slender legs around him, and nestled into him in a long, passionate kiss.

* * *

Xing soon realized why the cunning Almirakh had asked to take one of her children. As it turned out, like a diligent disciple of the Indomitable Dragon, she had planned everything. She, of course, had no idea how to operate the Sun Lark and thought that the word 'ship' meant raising and lowering the sails and turning the rudder. She figured that if Xing was doing it alone, then a newt could also fill in for him. Almirah didn't want any of the precious moments they could have spent together to be spent on the ship instead of on her.

She was right, in fact, even if she was wrong in assumption. Xing had only vaguely wished for the levers and wheel to be "like a real hero" because it was easy to control the Lark from anywhere with qi. He had once planned to create and put a puppet on the steering wheel. Now, with the appearance of Almirakh, there was something much better.

Now, the mermaid didn't need water to live, but she still liked water, so Xing set up a large glass pool on the deck and a smaller one in the control room for their scaly helmsman. Xing had heard somewhere that the builders of large houses, towers, and ships had to be specially trained to do some calculations and take into account the stresses. But he didn't really need it - he had qi, and that, as years of experience had shown, was always enough.

Xing didn't know how it did it, but the fish-man really knew where to go, and he was confidently pointing in the same direction with his webbed paw. And he was really quite clever: it was enough to show him how to use the wheel and levers and to supervise him, and a lot of time was freed up. Now that Almirakh was with him again, Xing knew exactly how to spend. They chatted a lot, telling each other about the time they had spent since parting, and practiced their pair cultivation intensely, using every corner of the Lark, including the tops of the masts that had to be held on with qi.

Xing had used all the available silk to make the sails, but there were enough other fabrics and clothes in the depths of the bracelet to create several outfits for Almirakh. Even though they were not used most of the time, the girl was very grateful. Xing also made another bracelet for her, using the same scarlet pearl.

Like Shadia's bracelet, it was not only a spatial storage device but also helped to store additional qi. Like Shadia's bracelet, Xing had to put it on, resizing it to fit the girl's wrist so it would fit snugly around her wrist. Like Shadia, Almirakh blushed adorably and then pounced on him in a hot burst of passion.

Xing didn't know whether the gift of a bracelet to a woman by a man had symbolic meaning or whether the process of putting it on by hand was more important, but even the last fool could guess the symbolic meaning of such a gift. Xing did not consider himself a fool and was ready to accept all the required obligations. But first, he had to return to the Empire, deal with Sharif, find Mei, and fight the rogue master.

The journey on the tortoise shell took more than a month. The flight on the flying ship lasted only half a dozen days. The Lark had withstood the ordeal with honor - when there was a fierce storm outside, a heavy downpour, and lightning that looked like Heaven's Retribution, there was still a light breeze inside, and raindrops flowed around the invisible sphere. Xing and Almirah went to the foredeck several times to admire the weather. Almirakh liked to stand with her arms out to the sides, exposing her face to the artificial wind, while Xing stood behind her, hugging or just holding her by the waist.

Somewhere in the distance, a strip of coastline could be seen, and the number of water spirits there had greatly decreased, replaced by earth spirits and tree spirits. They had practically arrived at the Empire, so Xing rushed around the deck, burning with impatience.

"Something's not right here!" Almirakh said with a frown. "We should be over Mogao by now."

"Maybe we took a wrong turn somewhere. Or did the fish warrior misunderstand your wishes?"

Almirakh was so serious this time she even ignored the fish comparison she usually pouted at.

"Say, Xing," she said, "could you get lost in your Duojia?"

"Of course not!" he replied. "I see where you're going with this. The ocean is your home. And no one wanders in his own home. And the fact that you can't find Mogao means only one thing."

"Yes," Almirakh nodded. "We're too late!"

Xing clenched his teeth. He had spent too much time wandering in the caves, wasted almost a whole day with the Hunghuns, building a ship, and flying in the wrong direction, which, if he hadn't met Almirakh, might have ended up on the other side of the world. Xing realized that he was being unfair to himself, that without knowing exactly where he should go, he would not have been able to do it faster. But what mattered to a hero was the result, not excuses for why the result could not be achieved.

"Nothing is lost yet!" Noticing his gloomy mood, Almirakh said and kissed him on the cheek. "You'll make it. My warriors are far behind, and they won't be here for a couple of days. We can wait. They'll search the bottom and the shore, find this city, whatever it takes."

Xing shook his head. Indeed! No matter how much Sharif was in a hurry, he couldn't be much faster than Xing. And even if he managed to capture Mogao, so what? Dariush had also managed to capture Mei Ling, but Bao Xiao didn't indulge in foolish torment. He simply snatched up his Impetuous Blade and cut a path to her rescue!

"Thank you!" He grinned and kissed Almirakh. "But we won't wait for anyone. If the Sharif has taken over Mogao, it is a temporary hardships!"

Xing grabbed Almirakh by the waist and looked into her eyes. She nodded. The fish helmsman climbed out of the hold and, giving them a glassy stare, climbed over the railing and jumped down, not the least bit worried about the long distance to the water. Xing, holding Almirakh, jumped down next. He did not immediately dive into the water but created an air support under his feet and extended his free arm towards the Sun Lark. The ship was enveloped in an invisible glow of qi and disappeared into the bracelet. Almirakh followed suit, placed her clothes into the bracelet, then took on her mermaid form.

Xing concentrated and closed his eyes, groping his surroundings. Now, after Akhribad, he knew what to expect and what to look for, so he quickly found the place where the qi he had released went off to the side, following the lines of invisible distortion. Xing still didn't know how it was done - perhaps the answer was still among the books and scrolls in his bracelet. But in order to break something, you don't have to know the exact inner workings of it. You just need to have a big enough sledgehammer. And such a sledgehammer Xing had. Clutching Almirakh to him, he collapsed into the ocean. The water swirled around their bodies, enveloping them in a dense cocoon of internal energy.

The cocoon shifted and approached the invisible boundary, leaving the lone newt far behind. An invisible force tried to deflect it out of the way, but Xing was ready for it, so, as he had once done in the Black Desert, he didn't let it happen. Space cracked and distorted, trying to crumple, tear, and destroy the cocoon. But now, after so many years of cultivation in Lakhib Shadid, this once terrifying attack seemed like an infant trying to kill an armored adult warrior using a bamboo sword. Therefore, Xingg easily broke the barrier and found himself in the calm sea.

A multitude of lights flashed before his spiritual vision, both of people, some of whom appeared familiar, and the equally familiar blobs of qi characteristic of Sharif's fish-like spawn.

"Real heroes are not late, and don't come too early!" Xing smiled widely and kissed Almirakh's firm fish lips. "Real heroes always show up on time!"

* * *

Chapter 24, in which the hero proves that the number three is as good as the sacred dozen