Susu’s eyes flitted at the assailants that charged toward her. Good…I needed them to attack me first, to verify where they stood.
She tightened hand around her whip and rolled her shoulder, the whip coiled around her like a snake. Then, she unleashed a flurry of crackling strikes, sending three foes flying into the water.
Xing descended from the sky like a thunderbolt, shattering the deck with a deafening crash, two swordsmen charged at him and he incapacitated them with two simple strikes. “SU’ER, WHATS GOING ON WHY ARE AXSUMITES HERE?!”
“REFUGEES!”
“HERE…IN HUAXIA THIS DOESN’T MAKE SENSE!”
“LIFE DOESN’T MAKE SENSE BROTHER XING, BUT WE KNOW FOR SURE THAT THE HUAXIANS HERE HAVE BEEN DEFENDING THEM”
“AGREED!”
Susu’s whip coiled into a biting arc, the barbed tip opening a gruesome welt across an assailant’s cheek. He clutched the bloody gash, then she pivoted smoothly and spun into him striking him in temple with the handle. He dropped like a stringless marionette.
“TAN YUNG!” An attacker growled to her right. She turned, to see a wild-eyed brute swinging twin rusted machetes in a frenzy.
The curved blades sliced the air with a menacing hiss, but Susu dodged each slice like a petal dancing in the wind. She backpedaled, avoiding two violent thrust and planted her feet on the deck.
He raised his blade above his head and a grim smile flashed across Susu’s lips. She flicked her wrist and her whip coiled out like a snake hitting the man in his hand.
An explosive twist of her hips pulled the machete from his grasp. It clattered hollowly on the deck as he howled in rage and pain, but that was put to an end when Susu flicked the rusted machete from off the ground, and into his chest, killing him effectively.
“IS THIS ALL YOU VILLIANS HAVE?” Xing sneered, as his Iron Shredded Claws scythed through the air in a blur. One jagged swipe left parallel lacerations across an attacker’s burly chest.
The man clutched the wound, only for Xing’s left hand to pulverise his nose bridge, force him to sink to the ground. He then pivoted low as a falchion whistled past his ear.
The ring of steel on steel sang out as he counter-attacked, his Iron Shredded Claws parrying and deflecting the longsword’s vicious swipes.
Xing jumped back, then waved his finger in a defiant manner. The swordsman who’d attacked him, was grizzled veteran, with a greying beard. “Come, maybe you can at least entertain me,” He spat.
A guttural battle cried roared across the night sky, catching everyone’s attention. The Axsumite in white robes with the crescent moon blood was kneeling over with four assailants standing around.
Four men thrusted their spears and swords into the Axsumite, piercing him in the back, leg, chest and arm, but the warrior didn’t falter.
The Axsumites garbs turned red from his own blood, making him seem more exotic, which wasn’t helped by multiple gold chains that hung from his neck.
The warrior began chanting something in a hushed tone, a language Susu had never heard before, as short as it was…it sounded like a curse to her.
The crimson turned blade began glow menacingly against the moon’s light, then a strange white light began emanating from warrior’s eyes.
She wasn’t sure if to be scared or impressed, but the anguish and rage that filled the Axsumite’s face made her feel his pain and sorrow.
“IN THE NAME OF OUR EMPEROR AXSUMITE…YOU DIE TONIGHT!” An Spearman screamed in front of him.
The Axsumite pushed himself up, showing his defiance. Then he stomped the already splintered deck.
Red aura gushed from out his mouth like mist, then slithered around his body like a snake, forming into some misted cloak.
The ecstasy of excitement that was once painted across the assailants faces now dissipated like mist in the wind as fear began to appear on their faces.
An assailant tried to yank his spear free from the Axsumite’s leg, but only succeeded in dangling the chain around his waist. The Axsumite spun violently, severing his arm from his body.
The demonic aura that swirled around him then crept toward the other three assailants. They quickly released their weapons and jumped back. The red aura lurched toward them like a wave of water, severing their arms and legs.
The moment they hit the ground their bodies shrivled up, as if drained of its water. Susu wanted to hurl, but all she could do was stare at the Axsumite.
The Axsumite warrior’s chest began heave in and out violent, as if some monster was trying to break free of his chest. He dropped to one knee, still holding his crescent moon blade.
A tingling sensation made the hair on Susu’s neck stand. She jumped back, feeling the aura of three swords aimed for head, chest and waist.
Three men appeared from nowhere, picking up the swords and charged towards her. She spun, blocking each attack gracefully.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
The attackers then stalled their attacks, and pivoted in opposite directions. Susu’s eyes felt the Qi around their swords and saw their intended target.
Susu snatched their blades out of the midair she rolled her wrist and redirected the blades towards her attackers, then kicked the hilt of each sword, firing them back at the assailants.
The swords shot through the air like arrows. Two of the assailants stood their shocked by Susu’s maneuver, “DODGE THE BLADES YOU FOOLS!” Someone roared.
The three blades pierced the assailants. The first, piercing one’s chest, whilst the other sliced the midsection of one, sending him to keel over. The third sword hit the deck with a ding. As the last man retreated into the smoke, but not from Susu’s eyes.
She tapped the ground, kicking herself up to the second deck. She kicked the blade she throw back at the assailant and another shot towards her.
Susu spun, waving her whip around her body, barely blocking the blade aimed at her left shoulder. “IF THAT’S THE ONLY TRICK YOU KNOW! THEN PREPARE TO DIE!” Susu growled, as she landed on the deck with grace.
She re-orientated herself from the momentum, then dashed along the balcony jumping towards the sail and striking the base of it with her whip.
A loud groan of wood groaned out, and the sail began to tilt to the side, tilting the burning flames overboard, and dimming the surroundings.
A spearman jumped towards Susu only to be met with a kick to the chest, which split his spear into two. The moment he bounced off the deck Susu channelled all her Qi into her whip and slapped into his chest, further shattering the deck. The spearman wailed as he fell between the crater of a deck.
Another two new assailants darted towards her from the right, she danced back, cracking her whip into their sides in one smooth motion.
The men growled and sauntered to the ground, then she saw Xing appear within sight, then he disappeared into the smoke.
Susu’s heart sank within her stomach as she bit her tongue. “STOP!” She screamed but knew his cries fell on deaf ears, especially when it came to Xing and his machinations.
Xing wasn’t crazy, he simply had good ears. Ears that allowed him to hear things most people couldn’t fathom.
He darted through the corridor, fire blazing within his eyes like embers dancing around candle. He shot down the inflamed corridor, ears pulsing hoping to hearing…cries of a baby.
He stopped mid-step and closed his eyes. He calmed his mind and entered a meditative state and allowed the Qi from his Soul and Mind Dantian to flow through into meridians, enhancing his perception.
Once he felt his skin tingle, eyes throb, ears screech. He charged through the fire again, feeling the echelon of fires singe his waist, chest and back.
Xing searched various cabins, as a wolf hunting prey, cries of the baby. The deeper he got into the burning ship, the more his heart thumped with unease.
He snapped to his right then charged down a short staircase and leapt over a batch of burning barrels scattered across the floor.
He made a hard right, then his heart thumped incessantly when he heard an insistent cry behind him. He jumped back, splitting the wall in half, only to find burning maps and barrels scattered across the ground burning.
No! He mused sourly
He cursed under his breath doubled back. He sprinted towards the short stair case and leapt up with a single stomp of his feet.
The moment he landed on the ground, he realised the cries he was hearing grew quieter, making him turn back around. “IS ANYONE HERE!” He shouted, but only the snap, crackle and pop from the flames answered him.
“ANYONEEEEE!!!” He screamed again. Xing slowed his heartbeat, trying to calm himself. He felt his heart thump, and felt the Qi within his meridians slowly imitate his heartbeat. He then flared his Qi and took a deep breath.
Two seconds passed, which felt like an eternity in the raging fire. Then, he heard heavy breaths amongst the flames. A wallowing whisper followed in an strange language, but that was all he needed to spurn into action. Their on the upper floor.
Xing spun around, and kicked off the burning floor using his Qigong. He shoot down the corridor like an arrow. He landed with a thud, but his feet sank into the burning boards. He grabbed the wall with his left hand but it splintered away as he tried to keep himself up.
A surging pain rippled through his right leg, forcing him growl out in annoyance. “Daamn it, I’m too anxious!” He spat.
The flames smothered his legs, sending a a jolt of from his ankle up to his thigh. He waved his left down, extinguishing the flames down to an an ember.
Xing pushed himself up from the shattered deck, leaving bits and pieces of splintered wood behind him. Then tapped the air with his Qinggong, zipping through the fiery corridor like a bee.
He rounded another corner, but was met with another flame engulfed corridor. The snaps and crackles of the burning boards were enough to deter him from charging down the corridor, but the sound melodic chanting came from down the corridor, even worst a woman’s voice.
Ignoring the burning sensation around his left ankle. He twirled through the fire, surging his Qi to protect his body. It didn’t help much, but it was enough to keep his mind clear.
Xing landed on the ground gently as possible, ensuring the boards beneath him didn’t shatter.
He tapped the ground, then ran across the wall, letting his right hand trail behind him, checking to see whether heat was on the other side of the wall.
The port side of the ship was in tatters compred to the starboard. As the fire was raging on that side of the ship. However, he not did notice the cries and murmurs of the baby and woman were from the starboard side, but worst of all they were slowly weakening. Where are you!? Xing thought.
A sharp squeal broke the roaring flames of the night. Xing ears tweaked left, forcing him to follow the sound. He charged toward the sound. A brown door appeared in front of him and Xing rocked his hand back. He surged the Qi from his Core Dantian into his right hand.
The door exploded in front of Xing, slamming him to the wall behind him. He exasperated, feeling the air left his lungs instantly, forcing him to grit his teeth in agony and hissed out in pain.
He tried catching his breath, but the hallway was filled with smoke. His vision began to blur, and the Qi that was within his body slowly made it ways to his back, trying to alleviate the pain that ravaged his back.
A melodic chant touched the air and despite how ravaged Xing felt, he leapted up and shot through the recently exploding door.
His is traced the room, hunting for the chant and the cries of the baby. Once his head turned left, his eyes met a woman in a yellow robe with a baby nestled into her arms.
The woman had multiple golden chains snaking across her chest, neck, waist, and legs..
The robes were charred at the ends around her feet, showing burnt, warped skin. However, as Qin looked into her light-brown steely eyes. He could see the determination in them, along with pain and fright.
Xing smiled at her gently, but the pain and fright that was held within her eyes, turned to anger instantly. She spat at him and hugged her baby tighter. “WE HAVE TO LEAVE!” Xing snapped.
A roving gust of wind surged into the room, quelling the fire for a mili-second, but then the flames engulfed the room completely. “CURSES!” He bellowed
Xing appeared in front of her, hit the acupoint in her neck and arm, immobilising her. He gave her a wry smile and took the child from her.
Despite not hearing a word, he could hear her scream at her with her eyes, but as a man of honor he could only do what most men do. “I am not here to hurt you or your daughter.”