Chapter 30- Holding to Hope Too Long

A little daoist stood in the yard behind an ordinary inn, in the ordinary town of Three Streams. It was called Three Streams because three streams met above the town before forming into a short river that fed into the Green River. Lots of soft rock in the area meant the Green River flowed through a deep valley, and twisting limestone caves pierced the land. The caves were so long and twisty, the locals called them Dragon Caves, and dreamed about what ancient wonders, or horrors, might have made them.

They would have new horrors to dream about after today.

A little daoist stood on the green grass, one hand bladed in front of his nose, rosary looped around his thumb. Each uttered symbol carried a truth beyond mortal understanding. A statement about the most minute piece of the world, enforced with vital energy of startling purity. Around him horrors shook and thrashed, reaching for him but falling apart before they could.

A little daoist stood on a battlefield, brave Sisters of the convent storming down to protect their juniors. Women with only one arm or leg, women missing a piece of their jaw, or covered in burns, infected with biting insects, burdened by demons physical and mental, returned to their homey Hell and gave the bandits a rich welcome. They had endured war, endured peace, endured dwindling life, but no force in creation would force them to endure this.

A little daoist stood all alone, calling to the world, calling to the vast unknowable, indefinable, unspeakable existence. Each sound was a name and a piece of that impossible immensity. The dao that can be spoken is not the true dao, but so what? Do you have to know everything to know anything? The world around him was full of cruelty and illusions, so he closed his eyes and spoke those truths he did know. He was not afraid. One of the truths he knew was that he was not alone.

What cause for fear was there, when his good sister stood before him?

Hong Liren was not a little daoist, nor did she ever refer to herself as such. Tian had asked about it- he had always understood that it was a nice little bit of humility, and therefore a useful bit of the performative politeness that was so important when mingling with humans.

“Nobody ever was kind to me when I begged. Nobody stuck their neck out for me when I was weak either, except my family and my sisters. And you. You be the humble, polite one. Fake it so hard the world believes it. The world can take me as I am, and if they find my speech too proud, they can speak to my spear. Nothing more humble and honest than a pointy stick. I’m Hong Liren, from sunrise to sunset, my name won’t change, nor will my nature.”

Rigid, unbending, unwilling to accommodate. Yang. Too yang. But fire brought both rage and joy, and the human compassion of a lamp in the dark.

Liren struck out with her spear- the monstrous heretic met her thrusts with thorn pierced arms and mocking laughter. Each thrust was met with lashing limbs, high, low; blows that should have broken bones were softened by suddenly flexible spines. Spines that turned rigid and sharp again when a reaching hand stabbed towards Liren’s heart.

Hard feet slammed into soft earth, tearing up the grass, scattering stones. High, low, high, low, furious focus and mad laughter, the two experts dueled, to the sound of shouting, screaming, and the insistent chanting of a little daoist.

Until something broke, and the illusions began vanishing.

“I see why someone put so much money on your heads. I thought it was just to hurt the boy’s father, but really, both of you are well worth my killing.” The disgusting woman smiled her eerie smile. The writhing things coming up from the ground vanished. That was the good news. The bad news was the whistling cluster of shapes falling from high up. Tian didn’t know what they were. He just didn’t want to be here when they arrived.

“Oh, well, if it’s just money you are after, we can make a deal.” Hong sounded very reasonable. The mad woman seemed to freeze up for a moment hearing that.

“I beg your pardon?”

“Sure. My brother holds all our money. Hey Brother Tian!” The thorn covered woman glanced over at Tian. It was just a momentary glance. It was enough. Hong stabbed her in the head. The spear punched through the skull, and Hong kept pushing, shoving the evil cultivator’s body over and pinning her head to the dirt. Then spinning the spear head and raising it up and down like she was driving an auger.

“Evil witch! Die for me!”

“I… I don’t think she can get any more dead, Sister Liren. Sister, we have to go. Now.” Tian staggered over and patted her arm.

“Right. Yes. Damn them!”

“Sisters, can I ask you to look after the boy and the man under the boat? Some Martial Uncles or Aunts should be coming to pick them up soon. But the bandits are after us, and whatever that is,” Tian pointed at the howling cluster of things leaving white trails high up in the sky, “Doesn’t look like a problem your covenant should handle. Unless you have a protective array or something?”

There was a lot of head shaking.

“Then we are going to run. Sorry. And thank you.” Tian bowed. The crane flew in, landing next to Tian in a hurry. Tian gently caressed her head. “Sister Liren, sorry. But this is by far the best way.”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“I’m not that weak. Let’s go.” She shook the brains from her spear, and when the crane transformed into her giant size, Liren was the first to hop on her back.

A good rule was to assume anything flying towards you with hostile intent was at the heavenly person level. It wasn’t always true. Lots and lots of demonic birds at the earthly realm in the Wasteland. But this was the Broadsky Kingdom. Tian could feel a certain weight of attention on him. This wasn’t going to end well if a Heavenly Person made a move. Their best play was to fly as far and as fast as they could towards the nearest big city, and hope one of the mobilized seniors was there to intercept.

Brother Fu’s letter said there should be a sky barge with a couple of Heavenly People on their way towards him, moving down the Green River. So all he had to do was move up the river, and he would run into them. Simple. Hopefully.

“Censor, Little Treasure, tell anyone who asks that you are going to Mountain Gate City and are under the personal protection of Direct Disciple Fu. Okay? And if anyone has any questions about that, they are to ask him or report the question to Elder Rui, head of the Outer Court. Nobody else. Not one other person.” Tian spoke quickly from the back of the crane. “We will draw them away. We will see you soon, I promise.”

The Crane stretched out her broad white wings, and pressed down on the air as she leapt into the sky. Tian could never quite believe it when it happened. A bird’s wing pressed the air down and pushed its body up on nothing at all. Wasn’t that the maddest thing?

“Ah hell.” Liren muttered, yanking Tian’s attention back from the wonders of flying. “We left the boat behind. I hope they pack it. I got really fond of it.”

Tian blinked then chuckled, bending forward until he was resting his head on the bird next to where Liren was sitting. “Yeah. Me too.” Then he closed his eyes, and tried to breathe through the pain. He had done his best to go easy on his body. His best wasn’t good enough. All he could do now was get what rest he could.