Chapter 70: Night of Fire I

~~~

It has been one week since Xiao Fang left, and the city has seamlessly settled into a new routine.

Night has fallen, and most have already gone to sleep.

Over at the Xiao Sect, Su An is about to retire to her chambers. Her body is sore from the day’s training, but she walks with a satisfied smile on her face. Further up north, Xiao Zheng looks at a map of the Empire in his office, his mind busy at work. South of the main gates, Xiao Nan is sneaking back into the Xiao Sect’s compound, carrying a large bag full of all types of sweets.

In the Yun Sect’s compound, Yun Peng is wide awake, brooding and plotting, his mighty temper kept in check only by sheer will. His son, Yun Han, is locked in a cell beneath the main house and has been there for months, a punishment for his failure.

Further away, in the outer districts, Liu Jin and his father are engaged in a spirited discussion over the uses of Lonefire Blossoms and their unusual reaction when powdered and mixed with Thundering Leaf extract. Had anyone else been in the room listening, they would have surely been bored to sleep, but the two have long since lost track of time in their excitement.

There are, of course, many other people in the city. There is Hou Tao, who is doing closed-doors training over at Xiao Sect. He envies people like Su An and Big Nose Li and does not wish to be left behind. There is Wan Rong, who is pretending to be asleep while actually doing his best to hear the elders of his clan talk. It seems the Wan Clan is reconsidering its relationship with the Yun Sect. Then there is Gao Si, who has been home all day, preparing his house for the arrival of his children. That day is still far away, yet he and his wife cannot contain their joy.

Eastern Port City is made of people like them and many others. Once the sun rises, the city will be bustling with activity as usual. The merchants will sell their wares. The Sects will compete and scheme. The children will play.

That is what should happen.

It takes a single attack to put an end to that future.

That night, the skies of Eastern Port City are set ablaze.

~~~

The tea in Liu Jin’s cup suddenly spills over. That is the first sign something is wrong.

The second is nowhere near as subtle.

An earthquake. At least, that is what Liu Jin thinks at first. The table starts trembling. The tea kettle falls to the floor, its contents spilling all over. The entire house shakes and creaks and vibrates, the wood groaning in protest, almost as if threatening to surrender. Dust is knocked from the ceiling. Even though the medicine cabinet is tightly secured, it cannot stop shaking. Glass breaks, and as it does, Liu Jin suddenly rises to his feet.

If asked why he is moving, Liu Jin would not be able to answer. All he knows is that fear like none he has ever felt before suddenly seizes his heart. It takes less than a hundredth of a second for him to reach his father’s side. Perhaps not even a thousandth of a second. His Qi rises around him as Liu Jin pushes his father to the floor, covering his body with his.

The explosion comes next.

A fireball falls from the sky and crashes into their house. It breaks through the ceiling, turning everything it touches to ashes. Had it not fallen so close to the side and struck the center of the clinic instead, Liu Jin and his father may very well have died.

Instead, Liu Jin hauls his father to his feet and rushes for the door, tearing it of its hinges on their way out.

What awaits them outside is chaos and carnage.

The sky is alight with flames as dozens and dozens of fireballs rain down on the city as if the stars were falling from heavens. The outer districts, the inner districts, the commercial area, the docks, and even the area outside the walls. None are spared. The lucky ones turn to ashes. The unlucky ones burn and burn, spreading the fire to the surrounding areas. The night, which mere seconds ago was full of peace and quiet, is now full of cries and screams of fear and agony.

What is this?

Is this really the street in which he has lived for most of his life? Is this the house in which he has grown up? Liu Jin looks at his neighbors fleeing their homes and staring at the sky in terror. He looks at the raging fire, at the ash and the smoke—a burning house near the end of the street crumbles.

Xiao Zheng’s Qi rises in the distance, forcing all in the city to look towards the Xiao Sect. It surges with so much rage, even the fire suddenly doesn’t seem all that scary, and that force is soon unleashed on the skies of Easter Port City.

The clouds part. The fire is blown away as if snuffed out by a massive wind. It suffocates and sputters out, dying without even a whimper. It is as if the fire which raged in the skies barely a second ago was nothing but a bad dream.

Alas, it was no dream. The city still burns.

“Son!” His father shouts, grabbing him by the shoulder, looking more serious than Liu Jin has ever seen him before. “Focus! We need to act!”

Liu Jin can only stare at his father, not comprehending what he is saying.

“Act?”

“Go into the house. There is a red wooden box inside the medicine cabinet. The supplies inside are unlikely to be broken. Hurry! These people need help!”

Help?

His father’s words snap Liu Jin out of his shock, his eyes regaining their clarity. Of course! What had he been thinking? At a time like this, how could he stand by and do nothing?

Liu Jin’s body vanishes, accelerated by Ground Contraction. In a single step, Liu Jin is in front of the medicine cabinet. He breaks it open and takes out the red box his father asked for.

“Where should we start, Father?” Liu Jin asks as he reappears at his father’s side. His eyes are already going over those who have made it to the streets and cataloging their visible injuries.

“You’ll go to the Xiao Sect right now.”

It is as if cold water has suddenly been poured down on Liu Jin.

“What?” Liu Jin cries out as his father takes the red box out of his hands. “Father, I can help here!”

“Think, my son. Where can you help the most? If you stay here, you will be able to help the people around us. If you go to the Xiao Sect, you’ll be able to help the entire city. Go! Do not waste time!”

Go?

And leave his father here?

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Even in his panicked state, Liu Jin understands his father’s words are not wrong. He can do more for the people of Eastern Port City by going to the Xiao Sect and helping organize the disciples. Since he is Xiao Zheng’s son-in-law, his words carry a lot of weight. Even bringing just ten Inner Disciples to the outer districts would drastically improve things. Yes, there is no doubt about it. Going to the Xiao Sect is the best thing he can do.

However, doing so means leaving his father alone.

The fire in the sky did not come from nowhere. That had been an attack, but from whom? Yun Peng? No, that wouldn’t make sense. The Yun Sect does not specialize in fire techniques. Besides, doing something so brazen in Xiao Zheng’s presence would be the height of insanity. The Yun Sect might as well slit their throats and save everyone else the trouble.

No, this was not the Yun Sect. However, that makes it worse. Someone just attacked the city, and they have no idea who it was.

If he leaves his father while that question still hangs over the city…

“NOW!”

His father yells at him for the first time that Liu Jin can remember. Faced with his father’s anger, Liu Jin cannot think. He can only react.

He dashes towards the Xiao Sect.

~~~

Left.

Ground Contraction – Hundred-Yard-Step.

Forward.

Ground Contraction – Twenty-Yard-Step.

Right.

Ground Contraction – Eighty-Yard-Step.

Liu Jin’s house is located in the outer districts of Eastern Port City. The Xiao Sect is located in one of the inner districts. The distance separating the two is best measured in miles and quite a few of them at that.

However, that distance is not much for the current Liu Jin. If he took to the rooftops and used his fastest Ground Contraction, he’d probably just need five steps to make it there. Without a doubt, that’d be the fastest way to get to the Xiao Sect.

If he does that, he could die.

There is no telling if or when another attack will hit the city. If Liu Jin happens to be traveling over the city and using Ground Contraction when that happens, the odds of Liu Jin being unable to dodge in time are high. Much too high for his tastes. It is safer to travel using short steps while remaining close to the ground. It will take Liu Jin longer to reach the Xiao Sect like that, but at least he’ll get there alive.