46 Chapter 44 - The Saint Emperor

Far away from the camp of the Medical Saintess, a game of chess unfolded in a well-tended private garden. The gentle sounds of a splashing waterfall mingled with the dulcet tones of a zither played by an alluring woman in pristine white and silver robes. Dark hair spilled in waves over the woman's generous curves framing a face that had been painted to enhance her bow-shaped lips and bewitching phoenix eyes. As nimble fingers danced across the strings of the zither, careful observers would notice that her dark painted nails each bore a distinctive silver glyph gathering mystic energy around her fingers and the red strings of the dark ironwood zither. An observer who noticed such minute details would surely also notice that the dark purple and crimson eyeshadow she wore helped to mask the flat almost dead look of her dark eyes and enlarged pupils. More than simply an enchanting beauty in a beautiful garden, anyone with sufficient powers of observation would call her an enchanting doll, no more a visitor to this garden than the carp that swam in the pond beneath the waterfall.

Like the woman, the garden itself held many surprises that revealed themselves only to knowledgeable visitors capable of recognizing the many subtle things that wouldn't be found in the gardens of most refined gentry. The lotus flowers floating on the pond were darker than most common varieties and a faint red blush spread across their petals like the skin of a maiden flush with anticipation. Several decaying logs dotted the garden, covered with mushrooms that glowed faintly in dim corners of the garden providing an odd contrast to the more common flowers cultivated in such shady places. Only the most erudite of visitors would recognize that the Luminous Gilled Fungus and the Deep Blushing Lotus plants as well as several other species found in few places outside this garden were potent ingredients for Alchemists, rarely found in the outside world and possessing powerful properties to feed off decaying life.

Seated under a small gazebo a dark eyed man in luxurious black and gold robes tugged at his long beard before reaching out with long black laquered nails to place a white stone on the chess board, returning his gaze to the person across the board from him. The man in black hesitated to refer to the figure in grey robes opposite him as a man and even calling the creature a person was complimentary given the state of its twisted visage. The creatures skin had long turned an ashen grey that couldn't be mistaken for human flesh and it's eyes had become sunken pits of darkness without distinguishable whites, pupils or irises giving it an unnerving gaze that seemed to encompass everything at once without focusing on anything in specific.

"I'm not pleased with the results of your master's scheme," the man in black and gold finally said, looking away from the chess board to meet the haunting gaze of the creature across from him. "I agreed to sacrifice one of the cities of our Mao kingdom but Salt Flats City is much larger and more important to our kingdom than what I was prepared to sacrifice! More than a hundred thousand of our citizens died along with thousands of cultivators."

"You knew that a sacrifice would be required to remove suspicion of your kingdom's involvement," the creature in grey robes said in a voice that echoed from the depths of it's overly broad chest. "Besides, while your kingdom lost a city, the Shen and Pang kingdoms each lost two cities and a number of smaller towns while the Ji kingdom lost a valuable port. You have losses but your enemies suffered greater ones," the creature said, using a skeletal hand with elongated fingers to place a black stone on the chess board.

"This sacrifice I could stomach," the man in black and gold said with a frown of irritation. "But only if it had proven worth the price. I warned your master that such a grand move would lure out the dragon herself and not simply the disciples you wished to target. Now see that it has come to pass as I said it would," he scolded. "You failed to make any of her disciples more vulnerable but you've angered a good many with powerful interests in the process. My brother has pledged to send an additional hundred thousand soldiers to war against your Dark Yin Empire in retribution for what happened to Salt Flats City. Now another hundred thousand young men and women will fall to your armies to satisfy the outrage of a kingdom that doesn't know they're fighting an unwinnable war," he said, traces of fury lacing his voice as his powerful aura flared sending his long hair and elegant robes fluttering on a breeze unfelt by the surrounding plants.

Reigning in his temper he returned his attention to the chess board and the increasingly unfavorable position he found himself in, both outnumbered and pressed on multiple sides. Despite the loss of its human appearance the creature across him possessed a shrewd and calculating intellect that left the man in black and gold feeling trapped both on the board and in their schemes. His dark eyes cast about for opportunities before placing a white stone on the board farther from the center of the current contended region, beginning a strategy of accepting losses on one front while preparing forces on another.

"You understand," the creature in grey said, thin bloodless lips pulling back in a smile over sharpened shark like teeth. "We have not lured the horses from their stables unguarded as we wished," the creature acknowledged. "Our intention had been that the dragon would send her many disciples to each city individually to act more quickly but it seems we underestimated her caution. Still, while we haven't lured the horses from the stable, we have lured the dragon off the mountain. Surely you see that there are opportunities to be found from this development as well." The creature reached out casually, capturing many of the white stones on the board.

"The dragon has left my brother's kingdom," the man said carefully, his dark eyes calculating his next words with care. "Before she left, one of my former students passed along an interesting rumor." His black laquered nails twitched as he placed another white stone on the board in a position that seemed almost random to an unskilled player but revealed a willingness to gamble on a faint possibility to more experienced players of the game. "The dragon has found an interesting initiate in Salt Flats City. It seems that there will soon be a Tenth Holy Healer capable of purging Yin Fiend Transformation. This would seem to be the opposite result of your master's intentions."

Anger flared on the skeletal visage of the creature in grey robes, it's aura flaring and cruising the black stone in its bony fingers to fragments and powder. "This is unacceptable!" the creature snarled. "Nine Holy Healers is already more than my master can bare the existence of. This upstart must be destroyed!"

"Indeed," the man in black and gold purred. "It just so happens that there are a few promising Initiates currently under my care," he said thoughtfully. "A few of them could be spirited to one of the cities the dragon has yet to visit. Perhaps we could place a blade within their midst, one that could strike not only at the new Holy Healer but one of the disciples the dragon has brought with her as well. I would only need your assistance in transporting one of my hand picked students to the place they can be most effective."

"Any student you send is unlikely to survive such a mission," the creature said, recovering its poise and placing another black stone on the board. "You have never been willing to spend the lives of your students so directly before, why change now?"

"As you said," the man responded, following his offer with flattery. "Even if one plan fails, it can create other opportunities. My student's life can't be bought for nothing," he said, placing a second white stone near the last one he had placed.

"We already have an accord," the creature said narrowing it's eyes. "What you're offering isn't of enough value to change the terms."

"I don't wish to change the terms," the man said with a sharp smile. "I only wish to reserve a portion of the spoils from success for myself. The Ninth Holy Healer," he said, dark energy surging as he lost momentary control of the powers granted to him by the creatures master. "When my brother and the other kings fall, I want her as the Empress of my Song Empire."

"Unacceptable," the creature said, placing a black stone in a ruthless move and capturing several more white stones. "The Holy Healers are not a threat because of the number of people they heal but because they ignite hope that our Dark Yin Empire can be resisted and defeated. We cannot allow a captured Holy Healer to continue to live, even as the Empress of a vassal empire."

"You need not worry," he replied in placating tones. "Look at Princess Song Miao," he said, gesturing to the doll-like woman playing zither in the corner of the garden. "Your master's corruption arts have been well applied to eroding her free will and changing her desires. As my powers grow, I'll have no difficulty controlling a fallen Holy Healer."

"Produce results," the creature said, standing to leave. "We can discuss rewards after your student succeeds in eliminating the new potential Holy Healer."

"Of course," the man in black and gold said as he stood up from the chessboard. "I serve at your master's pleasure," he said politely with cupped hands and the slightest inclination of his head.

"Good that you remember," the creature replied. "Send your doll with the student you select for this mission and I will ensure that they are placed in the dragon's path. If your plan succeeds, you will not lack for rewards," it said, it's voice echoing faintly as it left the garden.

Once the creature had left, the man's leg lashed out in a vicious kick, smashing the chess board and scattering the white and black stones across that garden. Dark energy swirled around his body as he lost control of the corrupting energies, killing the grass at his feet and causign the nearby flowers to drop their petals. Slowly, with great effort, he clawed back his control and smoothed out his inky black hair and beard.

Too many of his people had already been sacrificed to the Dark Yin Empire and now he would be sacrificing a prized student as well. The price, however, would be worth it in the end. Once his brother and the other kings were toppled from their thrones, the petty wars between kingdoms would come to an end under his unifying rule. No longer would the people of these scattered kingdoms be spent to resist the unstoppable Dark Yin Empire. The people would come to realize that they had spent endless lives to wage a futile struggle and appease the vanity of rulers who thought themselves to be men of 'justice' and 'honor.' What justice? What honor? The mothers of dead soldiers didn't care for these vaunted ideals. They wanted food on their tables and to watch their sons sire grandchildren and great grandchildren. They wanted peace in their lands and to walk free from fear.

His Song Empire would give the common people what they desired as vassals of the Dark Yin Empire. No more petty wars, no lives squandered in pointless struggle. In time, his citizens would come to see him as the wise emperor who had saved more lives than some distant dragon that called herself a Saintess. He would save more lives in his empire than her paltry potions and remedies ever would! Perhaps, in time, his citizens would also call him a Saint.

Saint Emperor Song Yufeng, he thought. The name sounded very pleasant to his ears.