Parting with the Letters

Black Emperor had a pondering expression. He paced around in circles, periodically letting out sighs.

"Wuxian, before you go, I need you to do me a favour." 

Wuxian gave a bow. "Anything for master."

Black Emperor sighed again before procuring a set of letters from under his sleeve.

"I need you to help me deliver these to some people."

Wuxian took the letters, counting how many there were. 

'One for master's lover, one for master's master, one for master's grandmaster…'

"Master, who's this fourth letter for?" He asked.

Black Emperor's eyelid twitched. "It's for your master's friend."

Looking at Wuxian's surprised expression, he felt that burying a grave for himself on the spot and hopping in wouldn't be a bad idea.

"Okay shoo, your face is annoying me, let me die in peace."

Wuxian remained in place, refusing to move. His head was lowered.

Black Emperor was touched, patting him on the shoulder.

"You'll be fine, my disciple. Just make sure you leave this place as quickly as possible, lest you get caught up in conflict. I taught you the Effortless Flow technique didn't I? I did, right? Eh, I didn't? Oh dear."

Wuxian coughed to clear his throat awkwardly.

"Master, you're supposed to give me the formations. Also, the way out is still blocked."

Black Emperor looked on blankly. He then waved his arm, causing a muddy light to shoot out of his sleeve and off into the distance.

Then he turned away to face the wall, looking up at the clock.

"I will send the formations after you once you exit the chamber. You'd better go now, else it'll be too late."

Wuxian knelt down and kowtowed thrice. Then he grabbed a hold of the Northern Dark Edge, slinging it over his shoulder. With one last glance around the chamber, partly to engrave its appearance into his memory and partly to make sure he'd stored away everything useful, he saluted his master's back and jogged back in the direction he originally came.

As he stepped out of the chamber and into the corridor lined with totems and stalactites, he realised he could see light in the distance.

The Effortless Flow technique, which his master had mentioned, was a generic spell that used qi to propel oneself forwards.

Wuxian had learnt it with the help of Big North, but was reluctant to use it unless necessary. As a Qi Refiner, using it would expend his cultivation base. If he wasted all of his qi on moving towards the battlefield quickly, he'd have no qi left to fight or escape, no doubt at the mercy of those outside.

But fortunately, the nourishment of qi hadn't been for nought. His body was slightly stronger and fitter. Wearing his armour, which he previously had trouble running full speed in, he pelted down the corridor in a blur.

On the way in, he had spent what felt like hours to reach the inheritance chamber, but leaving only took a few moments.

Stopping just before the exit, Wuxian took a breath.

The wall from before had a large hole, large enough for him to squeeze through comfortably. The light that filtered in indicated that it was around dusk. 

He then glanced down at the body of the Han assassin that was beginning to smell.

Though the man was responsible for the current turn of events, Wuxian did not particularly blame him.

As a warrior and as a soldier, hating the enemy was pointless. Hate only clouded one's judgement. It would lead to one's eventual downfall.

"Thinking about it now, my fallen friend, I have much to thank you for. I would like give you a proper burial, but I do not have the ability to do so without putting myself at risk."

Wuxian wore a forced smile.

"Aih, why am I talking to a corpse?"

After a moment of thought, Wuxian bent down and picked up the Han soldier's metal mask, tucking it behind his chestplate.

"Sorry about taking your sword and mask. You're already parted, but I still want to live. Rest well." He apologised awkwardly, before turning and leaving the cavern.

In truth, Wuxian knew very well why he had apologised to the body. The Han soldier was the first person he'd ever killed. The only reason why he did not feel particularly shaken by the act was because it had happened in a blur- he had not seen the light leave the other party's eyes- and then he'd been whisked away to the inheritance chamber.

The whole way, he'd been preoccupied with something or another, and when he did have that brief moment of respite, he was thinking of Mian Ji and Xiao Chong rather than the faceless Han soldier.

But still, he felt a sense of guilt at having taken a person's life. More than that, seeing the corpse tossed to the side felt wrong. But his own life was more important than putting a body to rest.

Not only was Wuxian responsible now for his own life, he was responsible for inheriting Black Emperor Mountain Hermit's legacy, delivering his letters and saving Mian Ji and Xiao Chong.

As Wuxian was about to leave the chamber, Big North's spirit form appeared, stopping him.

"Wait. Don't leave just yet, Little Black hasn't finished activating his preparations yet." He cautioned.

"How will I know when master's ready?"

"I will tell you. Sit still."

Time passed slowly. So close to the exit yet unable to leave through it, Wuxian felt slightly frustrated.

Of course, the parting of his master was a tragic affair, but callously put, his master was destined to die here. Mourning could come later, but Mian and Xiao might not be able to survive much longer.

And between his master and his two brothers… one side had grown up with him for his entire life, while the other had only been present for a fraction of that.

Wuxian's priority was the living.

At this time, the sky had turned dark. The light that shone through the gap had become weak rays of moonlight instead.

Suddenly, he could feel a change in the atmosphere. The air became visibly distorted, like a desert mirage, a suffocating feeling permeated the area.

"Go now!" Big North shouted.

Wuxian obliged, dashing through the gap in the wall and out into the open.

He emerged on the other side of the gorge. It seemed that the chamber had been underneath the gorge, with part of it carved inside one section.

Though he wished to immediately go looking for his brothers, Wuxian knew better.

'Though there is no visual signal, that suffocating feeling must have spread quite far. Immortals well versed in geomancy will be able to detect the changes very quickly. '

He gave the matter great consideration. It was a matter of life and death, after all.

'I have two options. Master recommended that I immediately go and find an earth vein and setup a cave abode there… but master's formations haven't arrived. If I do so and the formations still haven't come, I will be a sitting duck. Any adept geomancer will be able to divine my location.'

'My other option is to hide where the danger is greatest: at the nearest human settlement. Assuming nothing drastic has happened in the time since I entered the inheritance chamber, the trading post should still be there. It was also there that Mian and Xiao were sent- I can hide from the danger and search at the same time.

Sometimes, it is safest where the danger is greatest. However, if I go towards the settlement and meet paths with an immortal moving towards the chamber, I will be in big trouble. Hence, the best path would be a meandering detour, moving westward of my current position, then north-east until I reach the trading post.'

Wuxian hesitated. Between the two options, the first would be best, but the formations hadn't been delivered to him.

"Senior North, are you there?"

His weapon trembled, signalling affirmatively.

"Has something happened? Why haven't the formations come out yet?" He asked with worry.

Big North's head popped out from the reclining moon blade's shaft, protruding outwards.

"The arrangement went well mostly. There was a mishap at the end- Little Black misjudged how much attention Heaven's will was paying to him and did not manage to send the formations out. Speaking of which, Heaven's punishment has not arrived yet. Little Black is most likely buying us time. Make the most of his sacrifice."

Once he finished speaking, Big North's head vanished again.

It took him a lot of effort to sustain his spirit form. In the last two days, he had spent a lot of time outside of his vessel, cultivating. 

And a floating artifact spirit was highly conspicuous. Big North would likely draw the avarice of any sharp-eyed cultivators nearby.

'Since master cannot send the formations, I have no choice but to go with plan number two.'

He summoned the south-pointing compass, noting the direction the magnetic spoon was pointing.

'200 degrees.' He then traced the concentric discs on the heaven plate with his finger. 'Southwest sector- Kun. Polarity- yin. Element- Earth.'

Wuxian mobilised his qi, executing the Effortless Flow technique. Within two breath's time, his form seemed to possess an ephemeral sort of quality.

As he took a step forward, qi shot out of the soles of his feet. Each step expended about 1/40 of his total wood qi reserves, but allowed him to travel two metres. With two steps, he could travel four metres at the cost of 1/20 of his wood qi. 

However, natural qi and refined qi had different effects on movement distance. Currently, he was using his refined qi, but once that began to run out and he started taking in natural wood qi, he would be moving one metre per step instead of two.

At the same time, his expenditure would be reduced. On top of that, he would be able to constantly absorb more qi, allowing for a much greater amount of time spent with Effortless Flow active.

A more skilful cultivator might be able to circulate their cultivation technique at the same time to refine their qi as they ran, but such an operation was too taxing for Wuxian who also had to be on his guard, ready to defend at any moment.

The surrounding area was heavily forested. Using the cover of branches and leaves, Wuxian travelled a distance of three li in under ten minutes. 

Glancing at the compass again, he changed directions, adjusting his position according to its markings.

Eventually, he arrived at the edge of the forest. From within the shadows, he glanced out of the dense shrubbery at the road beside the forest.

Strangely, the road looked well-maintained and wider than it should have been. The trading post was known as Zhen trading post, and according to Wuxian's memories, was not very big. A road of this size and quality did not match up to the post he remembered.

Though it had a Qin army garrison, that was more because of its proximity to Liang's borders rather than its size or importance.

'I can't go out like this, though.' He thought to himself.

First of all, he was wearing a full set of armour. Though it was not a standard-issue Liang lieutenant piece, it had the touches of a Liang artisan's craftsmanship. Then was the actual uniform he wore beneath that.

And worse than all those combined was the Northern Dark Edge slung over his shoulder. It was the most eye catching and would bring the unwanted attention of mortals and immortals alike.

Wuxian stripped down heavily, storing his uniform and armour away. He was left wearing a thin layer of under clothes- not even a robe to spare. He was also certain he smelled since he had not washed in weeks, but his nose had long since turned numb to the odor.

The Northern Dark Edge was more problematic. Artifacts that contained spirits could not be stored within interspatial rings, since the warped space within could not sustain the basic operations required for any form of life.

'This will have to do.' 

Wuxian summoned a grey tablecloth, wrapping the treasure spear up.

For a moment, he had considered wearing the Han mask to conceal his identity, but sometimes, taking action to hide one's appearance was counterproductive and could in fact draw more attention to himself instead.

Taking in a deep breath, Wuxian stepped out into the open for the first time in a while.

Looking around briefly to re-orient himself, he began strolling confidently towards Zhen trading post, normally and without the enhancement of Effortless Flow.

In the distance, clouds had begun to gather.