Xiabo Jun never thought that he’d hold a child in his arms again, not since Xiabo Ling. He also never thought he was a great father, but the Xiabo Ling made him want to be better…something he saw in Master Xing.
The pain that were laced in his eyes, were evident, it was like looking into a deep abyss that only knew how to consume the light.
That’s what he thought, the first time he saw Xing back in the Shaanxi, but whenever his eyes drifted to Li’er…he could see a little spark of fire within that abyss.
Now, it was a blazing fire, ready to consume the darkness.
Children had that effect on men, that effect however was different fory women, which made Xing wonder what the child’s story truly was.
The child wasn’t from Huaxia, and that was evident enough from the colour of her eyes and obsidian coloured skin.
Xing all but confirmed that she was an Axsumite, but only a fool wouldn’t know an Axsumite…despite them never setting foot on Huaxia ever since Emperor Tian declaration.
Despite all of this, the child couldn’t be blamed from where she was born, did it truly matter? Possibly…but if the child is raised with love and care, it could be nurtured, just like Li’er was, despite his hands being stained with blood.
Now, the only thing that was left for Jun to do, was wait for Master Xing to return with the kidnapped girls, and hopefully nothing had happened to Li’er…or else Kai Chen himself would be dead in an instant.
The village still smelt of blood of grime, but that was became the rain hadn’t wash away The Stone Bear Band’s deeds as yet. Hopefully though, the rain would fall and soon, because the metallic scent of blood was nothing a baby should be used to.
Jun nestled Li’er in his arms as she tugged on his beard whilst she held her toy swordsman in her hand. It made Jun smile but the daunting task of taking care of her at his age, was definitely too much, and to think he wanted grand kids as well.
“Ah…Li’er!” He said calmly. “You’re too strong, go easy on the beard hmm?”
Li’er tilted her as she understood, then smile her gums as her emerald eyes sparkled in complete bliss of her surroundings. It made jun laugh. “The innocence of a child.” He added, then finally pushed himself up from the chair, placing her on the ground, turned and made his way to fetch something for Li’er to eat.
The home of the Xiabo’s was a simple house. It had a small vegetable garden on the outside whilst another was on the inside for the medicinal herbs Li’er grew.
Xiabo Jun passed it a few times last night, and the medicinal scent aroused his nose, instantly made him think of her, which boiled into anger. “Please be safe.” He whispered, then creaked his way into the kitchen.
He tossed a log to his right, then used a flint stone to start a fire after grabbing some dry grass. He looked tilted his head to the side, watching Li’er play for a bit, then continued on with what he was doing.
The three bottles of milk that Xing had brought with him, stood on the counter top and he poured each bowl into a dish, that was directly above the bowl and walked back towards Li’er.
Jun folded his legs, and began to cultivate…or tried to anyway. Li’er was simply too robust, tossing her toy soldier around the room, squealing in complete happiness.
He opened his left eye when silence arouse from the room, noticing Li’er trying to leave the room following the sunlight.
Li’er turned, tilting her head feeling Jun’s eyes on her. Her lips curled into a gumless smile, but pretty none the less and giggled heading towards the light.
Jun appeared in front of her, making her drop back down with a thud. Then turned right, noticing the old man appeared in front of her out thin air. She looked up at him, then at where was again…confused.
The old man smiled, then scooped her up into his arm, leaving the toy soldier on the ground and made his way into the kitchen. He cracked open a jar of versen seeds squeezing them in his hand and sprinkling them gently into the milk, watching as the milk began to bubble and foam.
Li’er, uncharacteristically watched everything he did, as if seeing something new for the first time.
When Jun bent over scooping up to buckets of sand, and toss them into the fire, she tried to grab the fire itself, which startled Jun as dropped the bucket to grab her hand.
“That’s something for you to play with.” Jun said, shaking his head and as usual. Li’er just giggled whilst tilting her head.
Once Jun cleaned up and watch the embers of the fire finally fizzle out, he carried Li’er to the front once more to play, with a bottle of milk for her to gulp down at her leisure.
“LI’ER!” Someone shouted from outside, catching Jun’s attention. He jumped up, grabbing Li’er and headed for the door. Who would come asking for Li’er? Everyone knows she been kidnapped!
“Master Jun!” Hodong shouted once more, Jun recognising the voice, also making his face turn sour, instantly.
“I take it the news has reached you Chief Hodong…”
“…It’s true…isn’t it?” Hodong said, sorrow written across his face.
“ It is. Li’er’s been taken by Kai Chen, alongst with a few girls.”
“A few girls?”
“Yes…the bastard even took Jiang Li’s!”
“What?!?”
Hodong stumbled back, holding his chest as he fell on the ground. He almost fell into the garden, but surprisingly he didn’t tilt over.
Jun stepped down, sun hitting his face which made him cover Li’er’s eyes with his right hand. He would’ve helped Hodong up, but taking care of Li’er was his job. Hodong might be old, but he wasn’t decrepit.
“I can’t believe this, where’s Lim Fu?” Hodong spat. “From the sounds of it. Kai Chen took out Lim Fu…he’s running the Stone Bear Band now.”
A somber boof resonated into the air from Hodong punching the ground. “Is that bastard trying to ruin us?”
“Ruin?” Jun laughed, “doubtful…it seems that young pup wants to break us. Take our wheat, take our women…it really makes no sense.”
“But why?” Hodong asked. “It’s been so peaceful!”
“You know Kai Chen, he always had a temper. He was probably tired of listening to Lim Fu. You know how these youngin’s are…brash, but no brain.”
“But he has Ling’er and Li’er and many others! That means…the girls from my village!”
Xiabo Jun painted a knowing smile on his face as he knelt down right next to a tomato, palming it gently. “You don’t have to worry about Kai Chen…or the Stone Bear Band anymore, Master Zhao has set off to deal with them…accordingly!”
“One man against sixty can’t do anything!”
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“Numbers are just numbers. If he takes out Kai Chen and a few of his close underlings, I’m sure they’ll all coil over soon enough.”
“You really think he’ll help?”
“Of course!” Hodong said with a smile. “He has reasons to do so!”
“I see…” Hodong said, pulling his beard.
“Forgive me brother Jun, I have to return home…I have to find something that’ll keep Kai Chen and his men away from my girls!”
“Do as you wish” Jun said shaking his head. “But be safe.”
Hodong cupped his hands, and gave a reverend bow, showing the tang crown on his head, reflecting light as if gemstone was curved perfectly from the jewelry.
The chief sauntered off and Elder Jun retreated back inside, only for Li’er to start flailing in his arms, wanting to stay outside.
“You’re a hard one to please Li’er! You’ve been sleeping out in the wilderness for months, now you wanna stay outside? Well the answer is no, come lets go back inside and wait for your father. Plus I don’t need to feel his wrath, especially when it comes to you.”
Li’er didn’t care and began wiggling and trying to force herself from Jun’s hand, but the old man wouldn’t have it, so he sauntered back inside and closed the door behind him, hoping that would stop the little girl from roaming around.
◆◆◆
The screaming shrieks of the purple mist villagers were like wolves in a distance. That’s if Xiabo Jun was in the forest, but he wasn’t.
The cries were like those from the night before, when the women and children cried as they held their fathers and mothers in their arms…whilst some men cried for the lost of their women.
Jun snatched up Li’er, leaving her toy soldier behind, then turned picking it up and handing it to her as he hopped into his garden and used his Qinggong to leap to his roof.
The purples mist of the dawn began to enshroud around the village, leaving a dainty feeling, which couldn’t be helped thanks to stained blood that still sprayed across the ground.
The few men that were left ran towards the east side of the village, where the entrance was. They had pitch forks, scythes, hoes anything with a form of a blade.
The women snatched up the children who roamed the street, not caring if they weren’t there’s or their neighbors, they had to be protected, but from whom?
Jun descended from the roof and began walking towards the entrance of the village, Li’er in his hands. “What’s going on?” He shouted, asking a woman, who just slammed her door shut.
He skipped ahead, grabbing one of the young farmers by the arm, flipping him around. “What is going on lad?” He asked.
“Lim Fu’s men are here again!”
“Again? Why? Didn’t they send a message already?” Jun asked softly.
“I don’t know they killed my brother, now I’ll kill them!”
“…with what, that?” Jun said pointing at the fork in the lad’s hand with his mouth. “I advise against it, go back home and let Jiang Yu know what’s going on!”
“But elder Jun…” The boy snared, gnashing his teeth.
“I said go boy! Do you want to join your brother? That thing can’t do them anything. NOW GO!”
The boy hissed a somber growl, and bitterly chewed his jaw as he turned around heading in the direction of the Jiang Clan residence.
The peaceful life that Xiabo Jun made for him these past twenty years, ran through his mind as he feet seeped into the soil with each step he made towards the entrance of the village.
The day he’d made a deal with Jiang Yu, to deal with Lim Fu was literally not too far gone. Xiabo simply wanted a good life for Ling’er, she deserved it after her own father tried to have her killed in the crib.
Xiabo Jun knew what he’d done, saving Ling’er instead of killing her. It always bothered why a father would go to such lengths to kill a child. Why not simply kidnap her? Or give her to one of her maids to raise? It was simple.
…but as they say, no one truly knows whats goes through the minds of people, and that was clear!
Jun’s master tracked him down, destroying his Core Dantian, leaving him in the shadow of his former self. Jun was fine with that as long as the Ling’er would be left in his care.
Xiabo Jun’s master agreed, which filled him with relief, but when his master said that another child was replaced in Ling’er’s place, he felt as though he’d killed that very child himself.
It seems I may have to stay my hands with blood once more Jun thought bitterly.
In the twenty years that Jun had lived in the Purple Mist Village, not once had head raised his fist to fight, but it seemed that would end today.
“Twenty years,” Jun said softly. “It’s a good run. Never thought I’d live to see this age. I hope your father will take over as protector of these villages Li’er.” Jun said softly.
Jun puffed his cheeks out in annoyance, feeling as though the warning he’d giving to Lim Fu a few years back had gone to waste. You old fool…why didn’t you let them know of my presence here? Now these lads are going to haggle me to train them after I kill your stupid men!
The entrance to the village was crowded as expected. The men spread across loves ready to pound on their pry, whilst Jun looked on, nestling Li’er in his arms.
Despite being outnumbered by the villagers, the eighteen odd men stood there, uncaring, because unlike their ‘oppressors’ they wielded real steel, swords, axes and staff, ready to do battle.
Three men ushered two men to the front, hands roped behind their back and bruises and lacerations splotched across their faces.
“TAO…SHEN!” Someone shouted. The Stone Bear Band kicked them both to the ground with a thud.
The villagers raised their pitch forks, hoes and scythes ready to charge, but one of the men knelt right next to Jiang Tao, resting his sword right next to his neck. “Take another step and he’s dead.” The man said, sliding the blade down.
A bead of blood slid down the sword’s blade and the Tao hissed from the pain. The villagers went silent and consternation rose from them, spreading like a wild fire, emanating in the form of slumped shoulders.
Xiabo Jun was furious in truth. He was furious these bastards had the audacity to show their faces here when they took his Ling’er. Their seeking DEATH He thought bitterly.
He made one step forward, feeling as feet seeped into the ground, heart beating five times in that one step.
Jun closed his eyes, trying to calm himself as best as he could, trying to force the killing intent from within, because when he strikes, not one of them would be left alive.
Li’er giggled and unremittingly tugged on his white beard as if it were a piece of straw. She opened her mouth and was ready to gnaw his hair.
Jun pulled the white strands from her grip with little effort, then laughed and shake his head, smiling at her contaminating smile. “Thank you Li’er. I needed that.”
The second step Jun made, was controlled, firm, but still seeped into the soil. He flashed his best smile and approached the Bear Stone Band, Li’er in hand.
“Junior, there’s no need to for this action.” Elder Jun said calmly. “The Stone Bear Band has made its point a few hours…must you insult Patriarch Yu further? You just took his daughter now you want to kill his son in front of him?”
“Hoooo…you’re Old Man Yu’s son?” The man said, licking his lips, “Maybe I should’ve killed you from the start!”
“DON’T!” Patriarch Yu shouted from the back. The old man pushed his way through the crowd, standing to Elder Jun’s right. His face was pale, showing the blood that flowed within forming around his stomach.
“TAO’ER….SHEN’ER are you alright?” Patriarch Yu said horror in his voice.
The young men nodded, not saying a word, but making the bastard with the bastard lips curl into a smile. He then eyed one man to his right, and another to his left, nodding to them.
The two men nodded back, and the thirty men began spreading around, as if they now were ready to take action.
Elder Jun puffed his cheeks and closed his eyes, feeling as though twenty years without bloodshed was good run, but deep down in his mind he would’ve preferred to keep him hands clean as he held Ling’er’s hands once more. “It seems, that my days of having peace come to an end.” He whispered softly, whipping a tear from his cheek, then placed nurtured Li’er into Patriarch Yu’s arms, pulling his beard free from Li’er’s grasped and walked towards the Stone Bear Band’s men.
The killing intent that rose from these men felt like winter’s breath rustling through the village, snapping everything in it’s sight into ice.
Everything but Jun’s fury.
Jun felt the heat from his yang energy boil from his Soul Dantian, and surged right up to his shattered Core Dantian. It took three seconds for it to fill, then the rest of his Qi flowed into his mind dantian.
The thirty pillars of Qi flickered as he did so, just like the last time he was able to attain the Qi Perception Realm right before his master shattered his Core Dantian, fundamentally turning him into a cripple.
Elder Jun turned to Patriarch Yu, handing him Li’er without a word and stepped forward, feeling his skin sizzle from the Qi that surge throughout him.
“What are you doing Elder Jun?” A young villager to his right asked, shaking his pitch fork in front of him, scared witless. “What I should’ve done a long time ago.” Jun whispered.
“Hooo…look here, THE OLD MAN SEEMS TO WANT A FIGHT!” The leader shouted, whilst the remaining the remaining lackeys howled crazed chuckles and snared laughs, as if they themselves were animals ready to attack it’s pray.
Elder Jun stood right in the middle of the parley, Qi swarming like a storm with each passing second as he thought of Ling’er in these monster’s hands.
In truth, Jun wanted to head up the mountain and slaughter the lot of them, but he knew deep down Ling’er would be fine. He even mentally agreed with Master Yun, someone had to stay and take care of Li’er and the village whilst he headed off to the Iron Stone village, just in case Kai Chen would’ve attacked them.
…and he was right.
Patience was what he knew as an assassin, but at times like this, he really should’ve headed up the mountain, but Master Yun was right to advise him to stay here…just in case this happen.
The killing intent roiling from Xiabo Jun was like a blazing fire, crawling across the village like a spider, leaving dread and and horror in it’s wake.
The crazed expressions of the Stone Bear Bandits changed in an instant, to one of surprise and shock, but mostly fear.
Jun turned his head right and left, eyeing his prey in the order that he would kill them, then shifted his leg to the right forming into to his stance, then rolled his neck, cracking the tense muscles that had been there for twenty years, then finally spoke once more. “…before I get started, does anyone has any last words?”