Kindling, page 34
part #6 of Painting the Mists Series
“Did you find what you were looking for?” Yu Wen asked.
“More or less,” Cha Ming said. “But enough about that. We have a vacation ahead of us. There’s no sense in worrying about anything else.”
“Good!” Yu Wen said, grabbing his hand. “Let’s leave the others here. I want to take you to a special place.”
Moments later, they left the rainbow falls and flew toward the setting sun.
The last ray of daylight faded over the horizon as they arrived at a large forest filled with five-hundred-foot trees. Their giant, leaf-filled branches were large enough to completely obscure the land below from the sun and moon. Therefore, only mushrooms grew in the dark underbrush. They glowed light blue, illuminating the dark forest with a dull, eerie light.
A large deer appeared before them as they walked. It charged toward them, but as Cha Ming moved to dodge it, Yu Wen firmly gripped his hand. To his surprise, the deer passed straight through him.
“This is the Illusory Forest,” Yu Wen said. “It’s easy to get lost here while we walk. That’s why, as real as these illusions seem, you need to ignore them and follow my lead.” As she spoke, a herd of deer appeared behind the lone one and charged through them once more. This time, Cha Ming relaxed and closed his eyes. He simply followed Yu Wen as she guided him, completely trusting her directions. Hours passed in the darkness, with nothing more to lead him than Yu Wen’s warm touch. Still, that didn’t stop the many sounds he heard from tickling his imagination as they walked.
Suddenly, Cha Ming heard the rustle of many feet—human feet. He opened his eyes and saw twenty cultivators appear from the nearby woods. One of them looked familiar. He was the same cultivator who had attacked the rainbow fish. Although he thought to dismiss it as an illusion, both Yu Wen’s actions and his instincts screamed that it wasn’t.
“To what do we owe the pleasure?” Cha Ming said, stepping between the twenty cultivators and Yu Wen.
“It’s nothing personal,” Gong Yin said, drawing a peak-core treasure from his bag of holding. Several others followed suit. “You are free to go, but the girl has to stay.”
Cha Ming’s eyes narrowed. “I’m afraid that won’t be possible. And I guarantee you that if you all choose to fight here, more than one of you will die.” He summoned his Clear Sky Staff, which caused his opponents’ weapons to let out hums of submission. These hums were soon quelled by their owners, who wrestled control away from him.
“You should go,” Yu Wen said, surprising Cha Ming. “Their means are too powerful. I’ll just drag you down.”
A golden sword appeared before her. To Cha Ming’s surprise, it was a soul-bound treasure. Including her cloak, she’d revealed a total of three soul-bound treasures thus far.
Cha Ming shook his head. “That’s not how this sort of relationship works. I’m afraid I can’t grant you your request.” A thousand and eighty Dao sigils spread out around them, forming a protective shield of ice and snow. It rapidly grew and encompassed the twenty surrounding cultivators.
“Use everything you have to kill her,” Gong Yin shouted. “Ignore the boy.”
The twenty cultivators shouted in acknowledgement and began forming hand seals. An ominous aura gathered around them and funneled into three apparitions. These apparitions each wielded transcendent weapons and exuded a pressure that far exceeded the peak of core formation. The surrounding 100 feet shimmered and distorted as the natural laws were forcefully wrestled away from Jade Moon Planet.
“As I suspected, he found a way inside the shield,” Yu Wen said, sighing. “These apparitions are too powerful for us. We need to run our separate ways. I’ll distract them while you escape.”
“I told you, it doesn’t work that way,” Cha Ming said. His face paled as the three apparitions’ auras weighed down on him. He could barely hold on with the help of the Clear Sky Staff. As he converged his power and restored mobility to his limbs, the twenty cultivators surrounding them drew out long chains. They spread out around them and formed a circle, a deadly arena for them and the apparitions who’d just appeared. They rushed out with spears, sabers, and axes.
Seeing their approach, Cha Ming intensified his ice and snow formations, slowing their speed by half. He poured his creation and metal qi into the Clear Sky Staff and traced a white arc in the air. A horizontal line appeared and pushed back the three apparitions. White chains materialized from the white line and shackled them. Seeing an opportunity, Cha Ming grabbed Yu Wen by the hand and pulled her toward them. They ducked and weaved through the three apparitions, who shattered the white chains and threw out their weapons. They dodged, only to discover five cultivators’ weapons flying toward them.
Five transcendent weapons? Cha Ming thought. How? Their original group might have obtained five transcendent weapons, but as far as he knew, this level of weapon was extremely scarce amongst those who’d finally arrived at Jade Moon Planet. Most sects weren’t willing to send these precious treasures away from their mortal plane, preferring to use them to keep their home worlds safe.
Cha Ming deflected a saber and a sword with his Clear Sky Staff. Meanwhile, Yu Wen’s golden sword cut a short arc, smashing through an axe before deflecting a second one. The fifth weapon, a thick staff, stopped just short of Yu Wen. A net of silver strings appeared, distorting and bending before finally breaking. Cha Ming quickly pulled Yu Wen out of the line of fire. He then threw out a Flow Talisman, causing the surrounding air to thicken and congeal around their enemies.
They kicked off together and rushed toward Gong Yin, who was linked to the twenty other cultivators with black chains. Cha Ming poured five-element qi into his staff and condensed it on a central point. He stabbed toward Gong Yin, who threw up a black talisman. A black runic shield appeared. As powerful as it was, however, it shattered under Cha Ming’s Origin Strike. A point of gray stabbed through it and into Gong Yin’s chest. A bloody hole appeared but was quickly regenerated as vital energy flew in from the black chains.
“Why do you defend her?” Gong Yin said spat. “If it wasn’t for her, the devil sovereign wouldn’t even be here. We could have gone through Jade Moon Planet’s trial as we always have. Instead, a hundred times more people have died. The mortal realms have lost countless elite cultivators, all because of this one girl.”
Doubts began to creep inside Cha Ming’s mind. He thought about the intense chase with the devilish cultivators. Then he thought about her three soul-bound treasures. Then, seeing the rapidly approaching apparitions, he threw a Matter Talisman on his chest. It banished his doubts, enabling him to recognize the telltale signs of a curse.
It doesn’t matter why the devils are here, Cha Ming decided. If I save Yu Wen now, I can worry about the rest later. As hope filled him, he pulled Yu Wen behind him and blocked three transcendent treasures with his Clear Sky Staff. His arms trembled but held strong as they pushed toward the circle of chains.
Cha Ming, I’ll make an opening for you to escape, but I’ll be greatly weakened, Yu Wen sent. They’re right. It’s all my fault. If I die, everything will return to normal. You won’t have to run or fight for your life, and everyone on Jade Moon Planet will survive.
He looked toward her in shock. Her eyes were filled with tears as she shone with a gray light that poured into her golden sword. The sword disappeared before nine replicas reappeared in front of her. They focused on Gong Yin, who was still recovering from his wounds.
The surroundings seemed to freeze as all nine swords stabbed into the air around him. Runic lines spread like cracks in reality itself. They spread outward and toward the center, breaking apart Gong Yin and his weapon piece by piece. Yet only Cha Ming and Yu Wen could see this. While time wasn’t frozen around them, the cultivators and the three devilish apparitions were moving impossibly slow. A few breaths passed before finally, a black hole appeared at the boundary of the circle.
Run, Yu Wen sent before collapsing. As she did, time began to accelerate around him while the hole began to close.
Silly girl, Cha Ming thought. He grabbed Yu Wen by the waist and ducked through the opening. It closed behind him, and he found himself five hundred feet away.
The moment he appeared, a giant green fist struck down on the circle like a hand of judgment. It crushed the cultivators and the three apparitions. Cha Ming didn’t stay to observe their fate, and he rushed through the illusory woods. The scenery changed rapidly. One moment he was in a frozen tundra, and another he was charging into the maw of a dragon. He ignored everything despite the trembling in his soul. It struggled to hold on as his Clear Sky Brush constantly fed it with a stream of white healing light.
An unknown amount of time passed before they finally arrived at a small pond in a clearing. Seeing that no dangers were present, Cha Ming placed Yu Wen on the ground. Barely any color remained on her face. While her soul was strong, her heart was beating weakly. Seeing this, Cha Ming swiftly set up a wood-based vitality formation. Vines appeared around him and fed the formation, supplementing it.
“Thank you, Senior Elemental,” he said before sitting cross-legged and focusing on the Myriad Truths Diagram.
Yu Wen’s health continuously diminished. Three days passed until only a small spark of life remained within her frail body. At this moment, Cha Ming gained some insights and integrating water elements into the vitality formation. One hundred and twenty green sigils turned blue, and her condition stabilized. This was good enough for Cha Ming, who redoubled his efforts on studying the Myriad Truths Diagram.
Although I know nothing about life and death, I can use what I know to strengthen this vitality formation, Cha Ming thought. Just now, I incorporated my knowledge of flow. Life isn’t stagnant but flowing. I should be able to fuse this with the other elements.
One week passed before 120 of the remaining green sigils turned gold. Further, the runic array rearranged itself in a particular shape. The flowing vitality inside Yu Wen reorganized itself into an optimal formation, increasing slightly.
While life has a flow, it also has shape and structure, Cha Ming thought. Further, flow also has shape. Together, they create a framework that supports health.
Yet another week passed before Cha Ming opened his eyes once more. One hundred and twenty sigils had turned brown, and her vitality stiffened. It gained substance and weight, a material resilience that was difficult to break. It was followed by yet another change from green to red. Energy spread throughout the formation and stimulated key points on Yu Wen’s body. A healthy glow returned to her cheeks.
Her vitality began to climb, but just as quickly as it started, it stalled. Cha Ming probed her body and discovered nothing wrong. He directed his resplendent force to her spiritual sea, which immediately rejected him.
“Do you really want to die that badly?” he whispered. “Then forgive me for being selfish.” Memories flashed through his mind. He thought of Yu Wen’s gentle support and understanding. He thought of all the help she’d lent him, and the guidance she’d given him as he struggled to save the Monkey King. Every step of the way, he’d felt unconditional love and support. As they’d journeyed together, his feelings had evolved from a single emotional spark to a healthy fire.
As these thoughts swirled around in his mind, he poured them into his talismans. Shape, Material, Flow, and Kindling Talismans activated around Yu Wen’s body and poured into her soul.
“You told me that doubt was the greatest enemy of good,” Cha Ming said. “Please don’t give up now. Even if things seem bleak, there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel.”
The energy in the talismans poured into Yu Wen’s soul, and as they did, he felt her spiritual sea mollify. Then, little by little, her body’s energy recovered. The glow returned, and her heart started beating again. The small spark of vitality began spreading throughout her limbs like a wildfire until finally, she opened her eyes. Seeing Cha Ming’s exhausted figure, she smiled and pulled him by the robes and pressed his lips against hers.
As their intimacy continued, a green figure withdrew his vines and left the nearby woods to grant them privacy.
Chapter 33: The Promise
“You’re still in the mood for sightseeing after everything we’ve been through?” Cha Ming said as they made their way through the woods.
The illusory phantoms no longer hounded them but were now stranded behind an invisible boundary. The woods grew sparser, and they soon heard the sounds of trickling water up ahead. The scent of sulfur tickled his nose as they approached small pool in an open clearing. The sky above was free of clouds, the woods parting conveniently to reveal a symphony of stars.
“The first time I came to Jade Moon Garden, it was my birthday,” Yu Wen said as she led him to the edge. “My father asked me what I wanted for a present, and I told him I wanted the warmth of the earth and the stars in the sky. After thinking about it for a few moments, he brought me here to this secluded hot spring. He cleared the surrounding trees and set down an illusory formation to protect it from intruders. From then on, no one could find it without my permission.”
Yu Wen walked into the water and pulled Cha Ming down with her. The water was shallow, coming only halfway up Cha Ming’s chest.
“He was right to choose this place,” Cha Ming said, looking up. “The stars are beautiful, and the hot spring serene.”
“That won’t last much longer,” Yu Wen said wistfully. “It never does.”
Cha Ming hesitated for a moment before asking the question that gnawed at him most. “The cultivators, why were they chasing after you? And why were the fiendish demons and devils near the volcano pursuing you as well?”
“You must also want to know why I have three soul-bound treasures,” Yu Wen said. “It’s a bit of a long story.”
“I have time,” Cha Ming said. “I want to help you, but I can’t do that unless I know what we’re up against.”
Yu Wen sighed before pushing herself backward. She floated through the water until she was stopped by a small outcropping in the shape of a chair. Cha Ming joined her in a similar rock formation just a few feet away.
“It’s been this way as long as I can remember,” Yu Wen said. “I’ve always been affected by something my father called a blessing. I call it a curse. You see, all the good people around me are lucky. They’ll find random money, they’ll make surprise breakthroughs, and they’ll obtain lucky chances.”
“That’s hardly what I’d call a curse,” Cha Ming said.
“That’s only one side of the coin,” Yu Wen replied. “The other half is that, while others around me are lucky, I’m supremely unlucky. My presence attracts devils, and even decent people will think up reasons to fall into depravity and pursue me. I bring out the worst in normal people—they’ll look at me with greedy eyes and try to do everything they can to obtain me. Devils, on the other hand, are much simpler. They just want to kill me, and they’ll stop at nothing to do it.”
Cha Ming frowned. “Why would they want to kill a pretty young lady like you?”
Yu Wen chuckled. “I’m over a million years old, Cha Ming,” she said. “Does it matter what the reason is? It’s been this way ever since I was a child. I’ve spent every day, every passing moment hiding from despicable men and loathsome devils.”
“A million years old.” Cha Ming whistled. “You’re seriously robbing the cradle right now.”
“Care to say that again?” Yu Wen said sweetly. A powerful constriction enveloped him, making it difficult to breathe.
“My mistake,” Cha Ming croaked. “You’re a sweet young woman with many aeons ahead of her.” The constriction lessened, allowing Cha Ming to breathe once more.
“I thought so,” Yu Wen said. “But like I was saying, it’s been this way for a million years. It was even difficult under my father’s protection. His loyal retainers would suddenly become turncoats, or our home’s protective formations would randomly stop functioning and allow for devil incursions. I left home because I didn’t want everything I loved to become corrupted. My mother gave me her sword and my father his cloak, but even then, I was still forced to wander the world without staying in a single place.” She sighed. “My life is filled with fear, but fortunately, it’s also been filled with adventure. It’s no wonder that my soul-bound treasure is a camera—with the amount of traveling I do, it’s the most fitting companion.”
“Do you know why they want you? Why they chase you?” Cha Ming asked.
“My father knows, but he won’t tell me why,” Yu Wen said. “His closest retainers know, but they’ve sworn an oath to never tell me. Even Xiao Bai knows, but her lips are sealed. Perhaps she thinks it will drive me to despair.”
“I’m sorry,” Cha Ming said. “I suppose it will be difficult to settle down, then. It’ll be like a traveling relationship, sometimes long distance, but always on the road.”
“Oh, Cha Ming,” Yu Wen said. “Still a nice guy till the end.” She looked up at the starry sky, and her gaze became distant and filled with sadness. “My space-time camera is special. With its help, I’m a bit prophetic. I can see glimpses of the future and likely outcomes from my decisions. I’m probably not going to survive Jade Moon Planet, Cha Ming.”
Cha Ming frowned. “After everything we’ve been through, how can you give up? Wasn’t it you who told me the root of all evil is doubt?”
“This isn’t doubt, it’s reality,” Yu Wen said. “These past few years have been the best years of my life. I want you to be happy, but giving you false hope isn’t going to do that.” She sighed deeply. “That’s why, if I survive Jade Moon Planet, we’ll be going our separate ways. If we don’t, you will die. I want you to have a bright future, Cha Ming, and you can’t find that with me. I want you to promise me that once we leave, you’ll forget about me and move on. You’ll find someone else who can make you happy.” Her voice quavered as she spoke, and tears streamed down her face.
