Xiulan adjusted the straps of her travel pack as dawn painted the eastern sky in shades of amber and rose. The cobblestones of Blackre’s main street opened wide for their small group. i Chen walked close beside her, while Feng Yu and Ren Chun bickered about optimal travel formations a few paces ahead.
"We should maintain a diamond pattern," Ren Chun insisted, sketching shapes in the air. "Maximum coverage for detecting threats."
"A linear formation provides better mobility and speed." Feng Yu pointed toward the distant mountains.
Xiulan breathed in the crisp morning air, savoring the familiar scents of fresh bread from nearby bakeries. Their departure drew curious onlookers—rchants setting up stalls paused their work to watch, while early risers whispered behind raised hands.
"Xiulan." i Chen tugged at her sleeve, pointing toward a shadowy alley. "Soone watches."
The group paused.
Ming Lihua erged from the darkness, carrying a small wooden box. "A parting gift." She pressed the container into Xiulan’s hands. "Extra talismans for ergencies."
Xiulan stowed the box in her pack. "Thank you, Ming. I hope we see you again."
Ming nodded then slipped a small golden necklace out of her robe and offered it to i Chen. "This is from Master Qingfeng. He said to tell you this one is removable… by anyone."
i Chen accepted it with a nod then slid it around her neck. There was a small wash of cool air that disappeared after a second… and that was all. "Thank you, tell Master Qingfeng I appreciate his help."
Ming nodded.
Xiulan thanked her again and then the group was on its way again. The extra weight in her pack didn’t settle her nerves. If anything the box made her more anxious. If the talismans were a gift… they would probably need them. The journey to Aeris would be another test.
"If you two are done arguing about formations," Xiulan said, "we should reach the foothill path before the rchants’ caravans clog the roads."
Feng Yu and Ren Chun fell silent, falling into step beside her as they approached the city gates. The guards snapped to attention, pulling the heavy doors wide.
Xiulan led them out of Blackre’s gates and onto the packed dirt road. The morning carts were already lurching to a start to enter the city and deliver the precious rebuilding supplies.
The morning dew dampened their boots as they walked through patches of long grass beside the path. The rchants’ carts rattled past.
Once they were out of the rush, Ren Chun walked ahead, scanning the treeline. Feng Yu kept pace behind him while maintaining a careful distance.
i Chen sniffed the air and glanced over her shoulder. "Three rchants following us. They sll of silk and tea leaves."
"Just traders headed to the mountain markets." Xiulan adjusted her pack straps. The familiar weight of Severing Light pressed against her shoulder, its presence reassuring as they left the city’s protection behind.
The sun climbed higher as they walked, burning away the morning mist. After a few hours Xiulan pulled out her water skin, taking a asured sip before passing it to i Chen.
She breathed in the fresh mountain air as their group followed the well-worn path skirting the foothills. Wildflowers dotted the grasslands in splashes of purple and gold, their petals dancing in the gentle breeze.
"These mountain lilies sll like peaches." i Chen crouched beside a patch of pink blooms.
"Those are clearly dawn roses." Feng Yu crossed her arms. "The petal structure is completely different."
"I can sll better than you." i Chen stood, pointing at the flowers. "Mountain lilies have a sweet scent like Xiulan. Dawn roses sll like morning dew." i Chen glanced at Feng Yu. "If you like her, you should at least know what she slls like!"
Xiulan blinked. What?
Feng Yu’s cheeks heated up and hurried down the path.
Did i Chen just rout Feng Yu?
They had been encouraging her to speak up but… Seeing their fiery companion run away with red cheeks wasn’t a normal outco.
Ren Chun looked just as perplexed as Xiulan felt as Feng Yu marched past him and to the front of the line.
i Chen let out a pleased sound and then ca over to claim an arm.
Xiulan raised an eyebrow. "Hello?"
i Chen smiled. "Miss! Today’s really nice."
"Did you absorb so cat qi or sothing?" Xiulan chuckled.
i Chen tilted her head. "I’m still mostly yin and water!"
"That’s not—" Xiulan shook her head. "Nevermind. Yes it’s a nice day."
They continued on. The road avoided going up into the mountains prefering to stay at the foot and wind around them. They didn’t take a break at noon to eat—none of them needed it.
Later that afternoon, they ca upon a rchant’s wagon, its wheel trapped in a deep rut. The scene triggered a mory for Xiulan—mud sucking at her boots as she helped free a similar cart from Blackre’s notorious swamp roads. Ren Chun had watched from the sidelines then.
Now he sprinted toward the stuck wagon without hesitation. "We need to lift while turning the wheel!" He positioned himself exactly as Xiulan had done, utilizing the most basic Horse stance taught by Master Qingfeng.
The wagon rolled free, its rchant bowing repeatedly in thanks.
Maybe Ren Chun was capable of learning after all?
They reached a roadside tea house as the sun reached the horizon. The wooden structure offered welco shelter, and the scent of stead buns wafted through its open windows. Inside, worn tables hosted travelers sharing tales over steaming cups of jasmine tea.
"The soup slls wonderful." i Chen inhaled deeply as they settled at a corner table.
"Everything slls wonderful to you lately." Feng Yu smiled, picking up the nu.
i Chen humd in response.
After ordering, a server placed steaming bowls of fragrant noodles before them.
"Did you hear about the Fang family’s cattle?" A rchant at the next table spoke between slurps of soup. "Found nothing but bones, picked clean."
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Xiulan paused with her chopsticks halfway to her mouth.
"That’s nothing," another rchant added. "Three hunters vanished near White Pine Valley. Their camp looked like sothing massive tore through it."
"The trees too." The first rchant leaned forward. "Whole trunks split open, like sothing clawed right through them."
Xiulan pulled the bounty scroll from her pack, spreading it carefully on the table between their bowls.
"Missing people." Xiulan tapped the scroll. "Destroyed property."
"Just like Master Qingfeng’s mission paraters." Feng Yu spoke quietly.
i Chen nodded nervously.
The next two days brought an eerie silence to the mountain paths. Xiulan watched travelers hurry past with downcast eyes, their steps quick and nervous. No one stopped to trade news or share als. Each day felt like they were growing closer to the source of the rumors… and their target.
Each crackle of branches in the forest made Ren Chun’s hand drift to his sword. Feng Yu maintained a constant fla ready in her palm, while i Chen sniffed the air so frequently she reminded Xiulan of a nervous rabbit.
The third day’s sunset painted the sky blood-red. Xiulan adjusted Severing Light across her back as they rounded another bend in the road.
i Chen stopped abruptly. "Sothing pulses beneath the earth." She pointed into the darkening forest. "The qi feels wrong—twisted and angry."
Xiulan studied the dense undergrowth. Master Qingfeng knew i Chen would sense it. That’s why he gave us this mission. We’d have run into it anyway.
"Perhaps you should stay here." Feng Yu stepped closer to i Chen. "Your spiritual form might be vulnerable to it."
"No." i Chen squared her shoulders. "Master Qingfeng wanted to see this. To understand what happens when wrathful spirits lose control." She touched the safety seal at her neck. "I need to witness it."
"We’ll protect you." Ren Chun moved to flank i Chen’s other side. "All of us."
Xiulan drew Severing Light and took point. Behind her, Feng Yu summoned a brilliant orb of fla that cast dancing shadows through the trees. They left the road behind, venturing into the darkening forest where ancient pines creaked in the late evening wind.
The twisted qi signature pulsed stronger as they pushed deeper into the forest. Xiulan stepped over fallen logs covered in phosphorescent fungi that cast an eerie blue glow across the forest floor. Broken branches and deep gouges in tree trunks marked their quarry’s path of destruction.
"The scent grows stronger." i Chen pointed northeast. "Like rotting at mixed with lightning."
Xiulan ducked under a low-hanging branch. "At least it’s not trying to hide."
The trail led them to a rocky outcropping where the mountain’s granite bones thrust through the soil. Deep claw marks scored the stone, leading upward toward—
"Of course it’s a cave." Xiulan sighed heavily. "Because apparently every monster thinks caves make the perfect evil lair."
Feng Yu’s fla orb illuminated the jagged entrance. "Perhaps they enjoy the dramatic atmosphere."
"Or the excellent acoustics for terrifying screams." Xiulan pulled out a talisman. "i Chen, can you sense how deep it goes?"
"Two chambers connected by long narrow paths." i Chen closed her eyes. "The qi concentrates in the furthest one."
Ren Chun unsheathed his sword. "We should establish a formation before entering."
Xiulan lowered Severing Light, studying the cave entrance. "I’ve only been the center position in formations before."
"I haven’t participated in any." i Chen fidgeted with her safety seal.
Feng Yu traced a glowing pattern in the air. "Standard formation arrays channel and amplify qi through elental resonance. Each position feeds energy to strengthen the whole."
"The elents flow in a specific order." Ren Chun drew a circle in the dirt. "Wood feeds fire. Fire creates earth. Earth produces tal. tal enriches water. Water nourishes wood."
"Like the cycle of seasons." Feng Yu pointed to each position. "My fire techniques would strengthen Ren Chun’s earth abilities."
Xiulan watched i Chen study the diagram intently. The ghostly cultivator tilted her head, processing the information.
"But what about opposing elents?" i Chen crouched beside the dirt drawing. "Water extinguishes fire."
"Exactly." Ren Chun nodded. "Incorrect positioning creates destructive interference. The formation collapses."
"With our abilities..." Feng Yu traced new connections. "I command fire. Ren Chun wields earth and water. i Chen focuses on water. Xiulan can channel all five."
"And the multiplier effect?" i Chen sniffed at the glowing patterns.
"A properly aligned four-person array amplifies the anchor’s power sixfold." Feng Yu sketched additional symbols. "With our elental spread, we could achieve significant resonance."
Xiulan studied the formation etched in the dirt. The interconnected lines of qi flow reminded her of a circuit diagram. "I’ll take wood position. It’s the only configuration that maintains balance." She pointed to the center. "Ren Chun will need to anchor."
i Chen bounced on her toes, pointing at each person in turn. "Water for ." Her finger moved to Xiulan. "Wood." To Feng Yu. "Fire." Finally to Ren Chun. "Earth."
"Exactly." Feng Yu traced the connections in glowing qi. "A full circle would provide more power, but we lack a fifth mber."
Ren Chun nodded. "The terminated formation limits us to earth-based techniques. A circle would allow us to pass control between mbers."
"True." Feng Yu drew additional symbols. "That level of coordination requires extensive training together, though. Most teams spend years perfecting the transitions."
Xiulan shifted her grip on Severing Light. "If they counter Ren Chun’s earth with wood techniques, we’ll need to break formation."
"Then we pivot to support my fire." Feng Yu nodded decisively. "Ren Chun and i Chen can combine water to boost your wood output. That feeds my flas—"
"And burns through their defenses." Ren Chun stood, brushing dirt from his knees. "Good plan."
Xiulan shifted her weight, gripping Severing Light tighter. "I should ntion—I haven’t practiced much with elental qi. My wood elent will be particularly weak."
Feng Yu shook her head. "Your contribution matters less than maintaining the flow."
Xiulan nodded, but doubt gnawed. Despite her balance, she’d focused primarily on working with yin and yang and just… pure output through her ridians.
"Can you show how it works?" i Chen asked.
Feng Yu and Ren Chun nodded.
"We’ll make a two person array," Feng Yu said. Golden threads of qi stretched out of her palm toward Ren Chun who caught it in his own hand. "Channel your energy like this."
i Chen copied the movents perfectly. A cool stream of water-aspected qi flowed from her right toward—
Xiulan caught it with a sharp intake of breath. The qi ford a connection and she threaded it into her qi flow like an iv needle. "Hey, be careful! I wasn’t expecting that.
i Chen grinned sheepishly. "Then you’d have gotten wet."
Oh, heaven’s above, she’d encouraged this! Not that i Chen’s shifting behavior was bad… Xiulan glanced at Feng Yu and Ren Chun and narrowed her eyes. Both of them blinked at her in confusion.
She didn’t need them to encouarge certain heroic traits while i Chen was finding her new footing.
Xiulan turned her focus to the energy, pulling together trembling strands of wood qi and combining them with the water essence before passing the flow towards Feng Yu. The transfer felt clumsy, like trying to pour water through a sieve.
Feng Yu accepted the energy smoothly, transforming it into brilliant ribbons of fire qi that stread effortlessly to Ren Chun. The formation pulsed and the thrum of earth qi in the air intensified dramatically.
The cave let out an angry rush of cool air.
Ah, yes, the wrathful spirit sensed they were right outside…
Four little lambs to the slaughter.
"Let’s deal with this thing and then get out of here," Xiulan said.
The others nodded and they ford a tight circle, weapons ready.
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