Chapter 9 – Blue Robes, Black Hearts

Lin Yue froze mid-step. Two men blocked the alley ahead, their blue and silver robes vibrant against the dreary backdrop of the alley. Drawn swords gleamed in their hands, the polished steel reflecting the demon alley twilight.

She backpedaled into a shadowed corner between vendor stalls. More robed figures emerged, weapons drawn and ready.

Shadow stretched his serpentine form past her shoulder. “Oh. That’s bad.”

“Who are they?” Lin Yue stepped back deeper into the alley.

“Righteous pricks.” Shadow coiled tighter around her shoulders. “They don’t come here unless they’re hunting something—or someone.”

The group swelled to thirteen, their matching robes and drawn blades forming a wall of lethal intent. The usual market bustle died. Demon merchants melted into doorways. Others drew weapons or gathered qi, sparks of power crackling through the stagnant air.

“What happens now?” Lin Yue checked her escape route.

“Run.” Shadow’s usual mocking tone vanished, replaced by raw urgency.

She didn’t need to be told twice.

Lin Yue darted deeper into the alley. Behind her, wood splintered and metal screamed. The sounds of destruction dogged her steps.

Qi exploded behind her in waves of spiritual force. Fire roared down the narrow alley, turning the twilight into blazing day.

Lin Yue spotted a fallen metal sheet from a deconstructed vendor’s stall and dove behind it and she covered her head with her sleeves. The inferno rushed past, stealing every molecule of oxygen from the air.

She tried to inhale but found nothing. Her lungs screamed for air as the heat pressed against her makeshift shield. The metal glowed cherry-red at the edges.

“Move!” Shadow’s form whipped frantically around her. “This level of power will kill you!”

A rush of air relieved her lungs but as she stood back up she slumped against the scorched wall. Black spots danced across her vision. Her muscles refused to respond.

“Pathetic mortals.” Shadow coiled tighter. “Too fragile for real combat.”

The spiritual pressure increased. Lin Yue felt her bones compress under the weight of competing qi forces. Each clash of power sent shockwaves through her body, rattling her teeth and vibrating her skull. The very fabric of reality seemed to bend and warp around her.

Her consciousness flickered. Death pressed in from all sides, squeezing the life from her body one heartbeat at a time. The competing spiritual forces tore at her being, threatening to rip her apart at the molecular level.

But she didn’t die.

The crushing pressured ebbed.

Lin Yue slumped against scorched brick, lungs burning as she gasped for air. Something thumped against her chest repeatedly.

“Wake up!” Shadow’s voice faded in and out like a badly tuned radio. “Get up!”

The world spun as she forced her eyes open. Her arms trembled, muscles screaming as she pushed herself upright. Every movement sent needles of pain through her bones.

“They’ve moved on. Go! Now!” Shadow circled her head in frantic loops.

Lin Yue staggered forward, one hand trailing the wall for balance. Each step sent fresh waves of agony through her. The twilight seemed darker, shadows deeper and more menacing.

Or… all the lanterns were out. Right. Just the dull light from the sky lit things. Her brain wasn’t working right.

At the alley’s edge, she peered around the corner. The sight stopped her cold.

Dismembered demon corpses littered the ground. Blood painted the cobblestones in abstract patterns of crimson and black. Not a single blue-robed cultivator lay among the dead. The carnage spread through the market square like a gruesome festival decoration.

The smell hit next—charred flesh with an alien undertone that spoke of otherworldly origins. Skeletal remains dotted the landscape, picked clean of flesh by whatever devastating technique the cultivators had unleashed.

“How often does this happen?” Lin Yue whispered.

“Not usually this bad.” Shadow drifted closer. “This reeks of revenge.”

Lin Yue limped toward the market’s exit portal, eager to escape the slaughter. One step through the shimmering barrier brought her back to the familiar slums. The empty square was a welcome sight after the horror she’d left behind.

She took three steps before cold steel pressed against her throat. A blue and silver robed figure stepped from the shadows, sword hovering in the air between them.

“What did you find?” The question cut through from somewhere behind her.

The cultivator in front pressed his floating sword closer to her throat. “A human just snuck out of the demon alley.”

Lin Yue swallowed against the cold steel and turned her head just as the second cultivator stepped into view. “Not a demon or evil sect?”

The first cultivator studied her face. His eyes narrowed. “It’s a mortal girl.”

“But she came out of there.” The second cultivator gestured. “No way she’s normal.”

This was a deadly precipice she balanced on.

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Her shoulders slumped, and tears welled in her eyes. “They were going to eat me!” She let her voice crack with manufactured terror. “They said—but then the heroes showed up and killed them!”

She dropped to her knees, ignoring the rough cobblestones that bit into her skin. Her forehead pressed against the cold ground as she kowtowed. “Thank you! Thank you for saving this worthless one!”

The cultivators shifted uncomfortably. “Stop it.” The first one lowered his sword. “Get up and hurry out of here.”

Lin Yue scrambled to her feet and scurried away, maintaining her terrified facade until she rounded the corner.

“That’s some skilled bullshit.” Shadow materialized beside her head.

She ignored Shadow’s commentary and limped through the darkening slum streets. Blood trickled down her arm, leaving a dangerous trail. Showing weakness invited predators.

The familiar signs of Inn Street brought marginal relief. Her muscles screamed as she dragged herself to the establishment’s entrance. The bouncer’s meaty face twisted into a scowl at her approach.

“Stop right there.” The innkeeper intercepted her before she reached the stairs. “What in the eighteen hells happened to you?”

Lin Yue glanced down at her new clothes. Tears and scorch marks marred the fabric. Dried blood stained the edges. The silver she’d spent on them burned worse than her injuries.

Her mind blanked. The usual stream of creative lies dried up, replaced by the lingering effects of spiritual pressure and oxygen deprivation.

“Cultivators showed up near Rat Square.” Lin Yue steadied herself against the wall. “Started beating people half to death. No idea why.” The partial truth rolled off her tongue.

The innkeeper crossed her arms. “A girl like you has no business near Rat Square. That place breeds nothing but trouble and corpses.”

Lin Yue sagged against the wall. “Had to handle some business.” The words scratched past her dry throat. “It’s over with. Just need to wash up and rest.”

“Fine.” The innkeeper stepped aside. “But next time your ‘business’ brings cultivator trouble, find another inn.”

A blur of motion burst through the kitchen door. “Yue, you’re hurt!” Xue’s apron fluttered as she rushed forward.

“Back to work, rascal.” Lin Yue straightened, despite her protesting muscles. “I’m fine.”

Xue’s bottom lip jutted out. “I’ll bring dinner up when my shift ends.”

The thought of food turned Lin Yue’s stomach. Still, she fished a silver piece from her pouch and tossed it to the innkeeper. The coin glinted as it arced through the air.

She trudged up the stairs. The familiar sight of their room’s door promised blessed relief from the nightmare of a day.

Lin Yue collapsed onto the bed. The room spun like a drunken merchant’s tale, walls and ceiling trading places with nauseating frequency.

Shadow coughed—a sound somewhere between amusement and concern. “You look like shit, but this isn’t nap time.”

“Fuck off.” Lin Yue pressed her face into the thin pillow. “I’m exhausted.”

“Yeah, well, that spiritual pressure did more than bruise your outsides.” Shadow drifted into her field of vision. “You’ve got internal damage. Sleep now and you won’t wake up.”

Lin Yue snapped upright. The sudden movement sent fresh waves of pain through her torso. “Internal damage?”

“What did you expect when violence-spun qi crashed through your mortal body?” Shadow circled her head. “It felt like getting crushed by mountains, right?”

“You useless piece of—” Lin Yue clutched her side. “Why didn’t you mention this sooner?”

“Would it have mattered while we ran?”

“How do I fix it?” Lin Yue gritted her teeth.

Shadow stretched his ethereal form across the room. He had gotten bigger. “Remember those spirit stones we picked up? Time to see if you can reach immortality.”

Lin Yue pulled her bag from beneath the bed and dumped the contents across the mattress. “Weren’t you the one bitching about that term being misused earlier?”

The items scattered across the blanket—tools that could reshape her destiny. Each one represented a step away from the gutter. Away from being a street rat waiting to die.

“Normally, you should read the manual at least once.” Shadow coiled through the air. “But I’ll help guide you through this.”

Lin Yue set aside the talisman box and the cultivation manual. The sparkling pebbles clinked as she arranged them in a neat pile under the manual. Twelve dull spirit stones lined up on the blanket, their surfaces clouded and lifeless.

“These need souls.” Lin Yue studied the stones. “Did that bastard leave enough?”

“He planned for this.” Shadow twisted through the air. “We’ll only have a few left after charging these. You’re fucking starving me...”

Liar. She didn’t believe him anymore. At least not about starving. He was chubbier than she remembered. Why did the thought feel so clear compared to everything else?

Shadow’s form dispersed into tendrils of darkness. The smoky wisps wrapped around each spirit stone, depositing glowing energy. The stones sparked to life, shimmering starlight underneath their surfaces.

Lin Yue released a breath she hadn’t realized she held. Moving anywhere right now would have been impossible.

“This will hurt.” Shadow coiled through the air above the glowing spirit stones.

“What else is new?” Lin Yue shifted.

“Take one stone and press it against your core—right below your belly button.” Shadow’s serpentine form twisted closer. “You’ll need to force the energy through your skin. It’ll find your dantian eventually and burn through the blockage.”

“That’s it?” Lin Yue picked up the nearest stone. The crystal hummed with contained power against her palm.

“No. This type of forced opening—you’ll die within minutes after.”

“Then what’s the point?” Lin Yue dropped the stone back onto the blanket.

“You’ll need another stone immediately. Use that energy to find a major meridian and burn it open. Connect it to your dantian.” Shadow’s form rippled. “That’ll buy you more time. Then we locate all five major meridians and the main pathways. Sear those open too.”

“I don’t know how to do any of this.” Lin Yue stared at the scattered stones.

“True.” Shadow drifted lower. “I can guide the energy—if you trust me.”

“I’d rather die.” Lin Yue spat the words.

“Well, boss, it’s your choice.” Shadow’s tail flicked through the air.

Lin Yue snatched up the first spirit stone. The crystal pulsed against her palm, warm and alive with stolen souls. “Fine, you opportunistic snake. Let’s get this over with.”

She squeezed the stone tighter. “What’s the worst that can happen—I die faster?”

Shadow exhaled a puff of ethereal smoke through his nostrils. The gesture did nothing to boost her confidence.