Chapter 93: Altering The Formation
Hui was very careful as she followed Bao and Sunan north toward Yu Zhing. The last thing she wanted to do was alert them to her presence now. When she thought back to all the mistakes she had made through the years, she couldn’t help but shake her head.
It’s almost like the only thing I do is make mistakes, she thought. I can’t believe I let Sun Mai just walk right up to me.
Over the years, she had become very adept at using her Trance Touch, and had come to realize that it had other applications than what it had originally been designed for. Originally, it had been developed with the intention of putting certain thoughts into the heads of Bao and Sunan, thoughts which would led them down the course to sealing the Demon Emperor.
Later, Hui realized that it could also be used like a weapon. However, the thought of entering a person’s mind to cause harm, even an enemy, was repugnant to her. Throughout all the years, she had only ever done so once, in the direst of circumstances at the bottom of the sea in the Eastern Archipelagos.
Another application was much more practical. As she made more breakthroughs, and as she became more adept at manipulating the Trance Touch, she realized that by carefully focusing its power, it was possible to use it like a second set of eyes, eyes that could move about at great distances. In other words, if utilized properly, she could ‘observe’ people without ever getting close enough for them to see or even hear her.
It was this ability that helped her to keep track of the movements of the Dragon-Phoenix Sect. After confirming that they were holing up in a cave network north of Yu Zhing, she found a hiding place for herself a safe distance away where she could watch over them. As one Profound Master and top expert after another joined them in the caves, Hui’s heart began to beat with anxiety.
They’re really going to do it, aren’t they? They’re preparing to assault Yao Gong Palace.
Soon, they began to train, and for the first time, Hui was able to ‘see’ in person the formation that she had only ever observed in visions. To her surprise, the Profound Masters seemingly mastered the formation within only a few days. Although they weren’t fully powering it with Qi flows, their movements were fluid and in perfect coordination.
Yet again as she had been through the years, Hui was struck by how different things were in this era. Qi cultivation breakthroughs came quickly and more easily, and the martial artists all seemed more naturally talented. Some of that surely had to do with how fresh and new Qi was to the world. After all, Hui had also advanced much more quickly through her breakthroughs than was common where she came from. As for how everyone seemed to be innately skilled with martial arts, she couldn’t think of any explanation for it.
After a few days of training, an even more shocking development occurred with the Dragon-Phoenix Sect: they began to alter the formation.
What are they doing? she thought, spine tingling in anxiety. However, it didn’t take long for that anxiety to become admiration as she realized that they were experimenting with alternate ways to run and power the formation. Of course. There will surely be fierce fighting. What if the formation is interrupted in the middle and needs to re-form? Or what if some of the heroes fall in combat?
Yet again, Hui was struck with a sense of frustration at her own incompetence. Why hadn’t the Profound Masters of her own time thought to do the same thing?
By this point, Hui felt convinced that the Dragon-Phoenix Sect was fully capable of taking care of itself.
They don’t need me anymore. Not to give advice. Not to protect them. Definitely not to guide them. The end is coming.
With that, she began to head east. Whether she hiked through the mountains, made her way through the Southern Desert, or took the easy northern route, the journey to Yao Gong palace would take at least ten days.
From what I’ve seen of how Bao and Sunan do things, they’ll continue to train for at least another month.
**
As the days went by, the Profound Masters grew more and more comfortable with the formation, as well as the variations. Their movements were quick, fluid, and flexible. They could maintain the formation even with as many as half of the original required number of participants, and could also keep the structure intact when moving back and forth across the landscape at triple the speed they could when they had first begun training.
Eventually, it reached the point where all of the leaders were fully satisfied, and were convinced that the sect was as prepared as it could be.
“The day after tomorrow is the spring equinox,” Sunan announced, “and the day we will make our move. Sun Mai will activate the magical door, and the Dragon-Phoenix Sect will rid these lands of the Demon Emperor. For all time.
“It was decades ago in the Huang Mountains that I first experienced a vision of the events which will unfold the day after tomorrow. I have seen them play out over and over in my head, and I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that we will succeed.”
“The Dragon Sovereign is right,” Bao said. “The mnemonics of the spell formation were imparted to me by the Enlightened Goddess herself, Xian Nu Shen. It is our destiny to put an end to the injustice and horror of the Demon Emperor, and we will do it the day after tomorrow!” The bit about Xian Nu Shen was pure speculation on Bao’s part, but based on the cryptic information Sun Mai had given them, she new that the matter of her poetry was something far beyond ordinary in nature.
“Rest well this afternoon,” Mao Yun said. “The Phoenix Sovereign and I will go into Yu Zhing to procure food an alcohol. Tonight we feast. Tomorrow we meditate. And then… we will put an end to the Demon Emperor forever!”
After a bit of cheering, the Profound Masters dispersed to rest. As for Bao and Mao Yun, they disguised themselves as grain merchants and headed into Yu Zhing with Li Runfa and Ma Ge.
**
Sun Mai and Sunan climbed to the top of the hill above the cave entrance and sat down on a boulder to watch Bao and the others heading toward Yu Zhing.
After the carts disappeared around a curve in the path, Sunan lay back onto the boulder and closed his eyes. The warmth of the sun caressed him from above while heat radiated up from the stone beneath his back. It was a very pleasant sensation.
As for Sun Mai, he sat there cross-legged, his back straight, the wind slipping gently over his clean-shaven scalp.
For a long moment the two of them sat there in silence.
Finally, Sunan opened his eyes and looked at the clouds above. “My children memorized your other scriptures, did I tell you that already?”
Sun Mai’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, and a smile spread out across his face. “You didn’t.”
“Jinlong’s favorite is the fourth volume, while Chunfeng prefers the fifth. They once got in a heated debate over the merits of each.”
Sun Mai chuckled. “I wish I could have been present for that.”
“After all of this is over, you can meet them. Maybe you can even deliver the final volumes of your scripture to them personally.”
“Yes, I will. There’s another thing we need to do afterward. Something very important.”
Sunan rose back up into a sitting position. “What’s that?”
Sun Mai turned to look at him. “Celebrate at the Heavenly Meat Palace! We’ll eat mountains of spicy prawns and drink rivers of sorghum wine!”
Sunan immediately burst out laughing.
**
After entering Yu Zhing, Li Runfa and Ma Ge went to procure food, leaving Bao and Mao Yun to get the alcohol.
Ironically, despite having been been drinking partners for years, neither Mao Yun nor Bao had ever had a single drink together in Yu Zhing.
For Bao, it was a very strange thing to be back in the place where she had grown up. Generally speaking, everything looked the same. Some of the shops here and there were different, but most everything was as she remembered it.
When they passed by the Shanggaun Clan compound, strange emotions tugged at her heart. Mao Yun saw her glance over at the main gate, and softly said, “Want to go take a look?”
She shook her head. “My heart never belonged to that place.”
Suddenly feeling melancholy, she looked away from her ancestral home.
They found an alcohol shop in the city where they purchased jugs of sorghum wine, yellow wine, pear blossom wine, and virtually everything else the shop had available. After filling up the cart, they turned and headed back toward the city gate.
“Last time we left this place,” Mao Yun said, “it was definitely not through the city gate.”
Bao chuckled. “Who would ever have thought that our next visit would be under these circumstances? Buying alcohol before storming the Demon Emperor’s castle.”
Mao Yun laughed, but after that, said nothing. They lapsed into silence for a bit longer.
“I wonder where Jinglong and Chunfeng are,” Bao said.
“In Naqan by now, surely,” Mao Yun replied.
“I miss them.”
“Me too, Bao.” Mao Yun sighed. “After this is all over, and we’re all reunited, where will you settle down? Have you and Sunan talked about it?”
“We’ve talked about it but haven’t made any decisions. He doesn’t want to go back to the Bay of Yu, and certainly don’t want to live in Yu Zhing. Nangu is too far away, and the palace on Zun Shan… well, it doesn’t seem like a good place for a family. It’s too cold.”
“Perhaps a place like Chrysanthemum Lake….” Mao Yun murmured.
“Yes, we talked about that, actually. Maybe we can build a manor there for all of us to live in, right there on the edge of the water. You would be welcome to join us, we could build a whole wing just for you….”
Mao Yun smiled. “Perhaps. There’s another person who I would have to ask before agreeing to something like that.”
Bao looked over in surprise. “Mao Yun!?”
He blushed and cleared his throat, but didn’t elaborate.
Smiling, Bao chose not to pursue the matter, but couldn’t help but wonder what young woman had managed to work her way into Mao Yun’s heart.
Eventually they passed out of the city gate and headed north toward the caves. Some distance away Bao looked over her shoulder and wondered if she would ever see Yu Zhing again.