Beware Of Chicken

Book 5: Chapter 71: To Keep Climbing the Mountain

Liao Yushang had spent the past couple of days wondering when the dream would end. She was the most relaxed she had been since she had left home—and she had found a place that she was unsure could exist outside her village.

She didn’t need to watch her back. She didn’t need to watch her words. Everywhere she looked, she could only see people who meant her no harm and would help her without question.

It was a truly beautiful place, and Yushang reciprocated their hospitality the best she could—but instead of feeling stressed that she somehow had to repay the gifts that she was receiving... it just felt natural.

She could wax poetic about Fa Ram, about all the people there who had welcomed her with open arms, but Bi De, Ri Zu, and Yun Ren already had during their adventures. It had been strange to feel like she knew somebody before she had ever met them, but she had... and unlike so many tales, the real thing wasn’t disappointing at all!

“Come on! I know you have more than this!” Rou Tigu demanded of Yushang as they clashed, straining against each other. The slightly shorter woman’s muscles were bulging as she took the weight of Yushang’s blade on her bracers, a fierce smile on her lips.

Yushang was at the limits of her speed and strength—but Tigu was right, she did have more to give. Ascending Mountaineer became a blur through the air, hammering into Tigu’s Qi claws again and again. It was a brutal, fast-paced sparring, a match of physicality from both of them. Yushang’s heavy sword, strikes, and shoulder checks were matched by Tigu’s own predatory muscles.

Her breath came in gasps, her muscles burned, and yet she could only match the smile on the other woman’s face.

Yushang liked Tigu. The two of them had just... clicked the moment they had met.

With a burst of strength and a flick of her Qi, Ascending Mountaineer slammed through the Qi claws of her foe and launched Tigu backwards. The slightly tanned woman recovered quickly and, like Bi De and Ri Zu, she simply grinned and bowed, her muscles relaxing and signaling an end to their spar.

There were no hard feelings. There was no sense of tension. Tigu simply looked pleased that Yushang had done well.

“A fine blow, Pretty Sister!” Tigu decreed, and Yushang scratched the back of her head with a bit of embarrassment. She called herself that mostly as a joke. She was no great beauty—but Tigu seemed completely and utterly earnest when she uttered Yushang’s new nickname.

“You have great power and finely sculpted muscles!” Tigu had said enthusiastically when they first met. “Ri Zu was right, Yushang is very beautiful!”

“Thank you, thank you! You know, I can see a lot of the way Ri Zu dodges in your movements, so I know a bit about how you move!” Yushang returned.

Tigu sighed dramatically and shook her head while shooting a smirk at where Ri Zu was sitting on the sidelines. “I taught that girl to fight, you know!” Her smirk broadened, her tone making clear she was bringing Yushang in on an old joke. “She was such a limp, noodly bookworm, and it took her Senior Sister here so much effort to get her to train!”

Ri Zu made a rude gesture and stuck out her tongue, which just set Tigu to laughing outright. The tanned woman slung an arm around Yushang’s shoulders, and the two of them set off to the sidelines with Bi De, Ri Zu, Yin, the Torrent Rider, Shao Heng, Gou Ren, and Xianghua.

She was met with smiles, a mug of water, and well-intentioned critique of the spar. It was exactly like how her friends had done it in the Sect... and now Yushang knew where they had gotten it from.

“Us next!” Yin shouted and dragged Bi De over. Her friend had a small smile on his face.

“It's been a while since we’ve sparred, hasn’t it?” Bi De said with a warm smile.

“Hell yeah it has! I can’t wait!” Yin shouted. Bright golden armor formed around her—while armor made of silver formed around Bi De. Yin paused, and then her eyes narrowed.

“You stole my move!” she accused, but she did have a smile on her face.

Bi De smiled back. “Your techniques, and your insight into the nature of the sun, have saved my life more times than I can count.”

Yin’s smile brightened. “That's great! Now come on, I’m going to go all out!”

Yushang watched as silver and gold clashed, cheering along with the Torrent Rider and Tigu.

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She was given a checkup by Big Sis Mei, as Lady Meiling insisted she be called. Ri Zu’s master fed Yushang sweets while she cheerfully told stories about Ri Zu’s training, much to her friend’s embarrassment.

She had lunch made by Xiulan—who was a very good cook. She ate it with Wa Shi, the dragon very happy to show her all the flavour combinations he knew... and also grill her on everything Yushang remembered about the food her village had made.

She explored the forest with Chun Ke and Pi Pa— who were very happy to show her the logs used for growing mushrooms and the iced-over streams.

She spoke of the blade with Bei Be, the ox full of profound insight.

She played Ha Qi with Master Jin. She ended up accidentally ‘fouling’ the man, and he had picked her up in a headlock and ruffled her hair until she begged for mercy... then resumed chasing her around when she did it again.

She sat with everybody as Yun Ren showed the people of Fa Ram images of their time in the Shrouded Mountain Sect and of their travels.

They invited her to the village of Hong Yaowu so she could take part in that little celebration, and she got to meet even more people who were good and kind.

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She even ended up moving her bed into Ri Zu’s room. She didn’t mind staying with Han, Uncle, Fenxian, and Yingwen, but Big Sis Mei had muttered something about propriety—and Ri Zu was the first to offer her room, as they had been roommates before.

“Oh, these are so cute!” Yushang exclaimed, staring at the little items that were arranged on Ri Zu’s desk. There were brushes, chopsticks, bowls, and clothes, all carefully arranged and all perfectly sized for Ri Zu’s other form. There was even an absolutely tiny medical scroll!

“Yes, Ri Zu’s family were very kind and attentive to her needs,” Ri Zu said warmly. “But... it almost feels like a waste now.”

“Hey, when you have kids, they can play dolls with them,” Yushang replied. Ri Zu’s face tinted pink, but her eyes were considering.

“That is a very good idea,” Ri Zu mused.

It weighed heavily on her.

She was so happy here on this farm. She felt like she could stay here forever. Her life would be great. She would be content for the rest of her days.

But a small, worming thought was stuck in Yushang’s head.

It was idyllic. It was practically perfect. And her home... the Howling Fang Mountains... wasn’t.

The Shrouded Mountain Sect had been the protectors of her home. The protectors of thousands of villages. And now, those same villages might have been left utterly alone and at the mercy of Spirit Beasts and the often-vicious climate of the Howling Fang Mountains.

Maybe that was the part that made it seem like something was missing. This place was safe... but it wasn’t her home in the way it was for Bi De, Ri Zu, and Yun Ren’s.

Her home wasn’t safe. Not anymore, especially after their actions.

The conflicting thoughts battled. Her happiness and safety, versus the thousands of tiny villages, left in the cold.

“Yushang,” Bi De’s voice broke her out of her thoughts. She jerked up, looking to where he and Ri Zu were approaching her. Both of them had serious looks on their faces.

“Shao Heng told us what happened,” Ri Zu said, sitting down beside Yushang. “Or rather, he asked Ri Zu what her opinion was and asked what she desired him to do.”

“That does sound like Uncle,” Yushang said with a little chuckle. “What did you say?”

“Ri Zu said if he wished to repay his debt to her... then he should go and save others for forty years, because that is the amount of time Ri Zu saved for him.” Yushang knew it was the closest thing Ri Zu could get to absolving Uncle of the debt he felt he owed her. “But he must come back and check in when he can, so Ri Zu can see his progress.”

Yushang chuckled. “Yup, sounds like Uncle. He’s always had that conviction about him. But me...”

“You’ve never lacked for conviction, Yushang,” Bi De said. “Never doubt that. The choice placed before you now is a difficult one, and one that requires due consideration.”

“...what do you think I should do?”

“I do not think that that is a question we should answer,” Bi De replied. “Instead, I shall tell you what I do believe. I believe that whatever choice you make, it will be the right one—and that you will always be welcome here. Either as another disciple... or as our good friend.”

“Follow your heart, Yushang. It has not led you wrong yet,” Ri Zu added.

Yushang smiled at the words.

A life of peace and happiness, or a life full of difficulty with the chance to make a difference?

Well... Liao Yushang wasn’t the kind of woman to just coast by life, living on another person’s handouts.

She looked up, her eyes set on the horizon.

“Thank you,” she told them, the two beautiful people who had always had her back.

Calm, kind, and patient.

Yushang loved them both.

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“Here you are, dear,” Shou said, prompt as always as he handed Yukong another piece of Shadow Oak. She smiled slightly. She did always love his attentiveness. With deft movements she carved her formation into the piece of wood, adding the tiny crystals that would focus its power.

She had been working for three days. The formation truly was sublime. She could study it for hours—and this wasn’t even a main node! She would never be able to replicate the formation with just this... but she would be able to track it—which was all they needed.

Elder Yukong of the Cloudy Sword Sect paused in her work as she felt something shudder. The formation twitched.

She frowned when the minute pulse hit, so small it was nearly undetectable.

Its effects, however, were far more obvious.

Somehow, some way, the enemy had discovered that the base had been compromised, and now they were activating contingencies to take out the formation.

It slipped through her attempts to stop it and analyze it, burning with stellar power, and following lines from the true formation’s center—a backdoor into the heart of the formation. She watched dispassionately as purple light consumed the scrawling characters, eating through the formation and instead turning it into an explosive. She saw the power swell and melt down the remaining parts.

The detonation destroyed the base.

And failed to accomplish anything of note.

The Disciples of the Cloudy Sword had never been in that base to begin with.

“Too late,” Elder Yukong observed from a safe distance, whisps of cloud fading from her form. The carved pieces of crystal and wood in her hands flickered to life and shuddered, like hounds catching the scent. The others stood around her, their faces grim.

“Disciple Lu Ri. Report to our Brother Shen Yu,” Ge said. “We are ready to begin the hunt.”