Chapter 3: Beneath the Crescent Moon

Bi De knew fury. One of the red ones had vexed his Great Master. It had nearly slain one of the Great Master’s flocks, somehow managing to sneak past him. He barely sound the alarm in time, his voice berating the foul interloper.

But this red one, this vile beast, was skilled. It danced around his blows, and even, horror of horrors, evaded the Great Master’s mighty spur, the one that he used to tame the earth. In all other cases, his iron spur had been a command of death. With a single contemptuous blow, he smote all others.

But not for this one.

At first, he was stunned nearly to the point of spitting blood. Why did his Great Master not pursue? He could have easily slain the interloper, this demon, if he directed his full and terrible wrath against it.

He did not understand, but he knew his Great Master had wisdom that far eclipsed his.

Thrice, the foulspawn did attempt to take what was rightfully the Great Master’s. Thrice, did the Great Master’s mighty blow miss.

He even gave it a name from the very pits of hell: Basi Bu Shi. Bi De shuddered whenever he heard it. His Great Master’s words of power contained both virtuous and fell wisdom.

But now, he understood. He had figured out the conundrum his Great Master had set before him. His Great Master had once more bought out his mobile coop. He remembered vaguely, before he was enlightened, travelling to these blessed lands upon the mighty fortress from the…. other place that was more hazy.

Some of his master’s supplies had run low. He wished to return to the other place, so that the people there may give tribute to his glory.

But to travel outwards, he would have to leave his home. With only Bi De as it’s guardian.

And he was not strong enough. His weakness was preventing the master from living how he wished. It was unacceptable.

He had been issued a challenge, in Basi Bu Shi’s continued existence. A mighty task to prove his worth against the wicked.

And so he redoubled his efforts. His kicks took on new energy. His dance, new grace. He would slay this mighty enemy, and earn his Great Master’s trust.

The Great Pillars of The Fa Ram called.

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Well, just a bit more till I head back to Verdant Hill. I’d have to take the chickens along with me, so they didn’t all get eaten. I should probably finally deal with Basil Brush. I was being kind of lazy about it, just chasing him off and hoping he would get the message, but he was becoming persistent.

I squinted at Big D as I finished dressing the fox pelt.

Was…. Was my fucking chicken doing a training montage?

I watched his incredibly crisp kicks for a little longer.

I shook my head. Nah, I had spent too long alone. Humanising him a bit too much. Or its just cultivator world bullshit.

Alright, tomorrow I’ll hunt Basil down.

Heheheh. Boom Boom.

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Tonight, he would slay wicked Basi Bu Shi.

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Tonight, it would be either glory–or his death. Either were acceptable. If he fell in this battle, it merely proved that he was unworthy of his Great Master’s continued sufferance.

He went into the night, hopping from tree to tree in silence. And there, he found his quarry.

The beast was arrogant. It stalked, but did not realise others could stalk it.

In silence, Bi De descended, and he struck. His legs lashed with great strength, and his enemy snarled in pain.

He struck again to press his advantage, but Basi Bu Shi was worthy of his master’s ire, the lithe creature shooting away, but with a deep scar in it’s flesh that leaked blood.

Bi De saw it, in his mortal enemy’s eyes. The spark of awareness. The spark of fury.

This one… this one knew too.

His foe did not run. It knew he had not called his Great Master. It knew it could lay him low here.

Their silent dance began.

His legs and spurs cut through the night air, as he flipped and dashed around his enemy’s razor teeth and tearing claws.

It tried to strike him with it’s limbs, to foul his footing and drive him to the earth, but he had grown wise to these beast’s tricks, dodging them when he could, and accepting the blow to gain distance when he couldn’t.

The two whirls of red chased each other through the trees, bouncing off trees, and leaving scratches in the forest floor.