Chapter 62: Blowing It Wide Open

Chapter 62: Blowing It Wide Open

Bai Fenfengs branch had none of the sheen of the main familys campus. Tiles hung haphazardly from roofs. Weeds sprung up in the corners of yards and gardens. Paint cracked and peeled, none of the care of the main familys campus given to appearance. The stark contrast left her branch looking derelict, though it would be more correct to call it in need of small repairs.

Hui looked around. Unlike the main campus, the streets stood empty. No one practiced in the fields. No cultivators swept along the paths. In the distance, bamboo chimes sounded on the wind, hauntingly hollow.

Now Im certain: theres something going on, Bai Xue declared.

A blur caught the corner of Huis eyes and darted down one of the side paths. He started for it, but Bai Xue strode dead ahead. Hui hesitated. Er, Xue, I

She lifted a hand. Hui fell silent.

The center of town spread before them. An empty square surrounded by simple buildings, it, too, was empty. Nothing stirred but the wind in the grass. The breeze clattered through a nearby bamboo stand.

Li Xiang drew her sword. Xue tossed a fan idly in one hand, tense. Hui clutched a talisman. This isnt right.

Where is everyone? Hui muttered.

Bai Xue swept her fans at the floor. Frost spread out from her, stretching over the entire complex. Hoarfrost bristled from the buildings. Icicles formed under the eaves. Ice encased each blade of grass and stalk of bamboo.

Hui hugged his arms, shivering in the sudden cold. His breath clouded on the air before him. Elder sister Xue, are you trying to freeze us to death?

She clicked her tongue. I can sense body heat with my frost. The village is empty, aside from us.

Huis brows furrowed. Wait. If theres no one left in the village, where did that blur of a person go?

He glanced down, then jumped back. Backing up to a nearby building, he grabbed onto a pillar and scooted up to the roof.

What is it? Bai Xue asked, frowning at him.

Look down! Hui said.

Under their feet, the ice melted more rapidly than anywhere else in the village. Already, the white frost gave way to clear, delicate melting ice. Everywhere else, frost laid thick, still whitening the ground.

What is that? Li Xiang asked, curious.

Theres got to be a heat source under the town square, Hui deduced. A heat source and maybe the source of our troubles?

Bai Xues eyes widened. How do we get down there?

Li Xiang leaped into the air. Let me try!

Bai Xue bolted out of her way.

She sliced at the ground. A rift opened up where she slashed, a good six inches into the path, but only revealed dirt. Li Xiang frowned and leaped, slicing again.

Hui drew a talisman out of his robes, flinching all the while. Argh, my precious money! Oh well, its for a good cause. Boulder-Splitting Wind!

Another gash opened up in the ground. It intersected with one of Li Xiangs slashes and cut another few inches deep. Where they intersected, the soil cracked, crumbling into darkness, and revealed a gap about a forearm in length into shadow.

Bai Xue darted in, curious.

Movement from the building below Hui. A dark shape dashed at Bai Xue. He jumped down and shoved Bai Xue out of the way, narrowly ducking it himself. Bai Xue, watch out!

A figure shambled toward them from the building Hui had stood on. Limbs heavy with frost, skin gray, the ghoul reached out for them. Another stepped out of another building, and then another. Li Xiang landed beside them, sword at the ready. The three of them backed toward one another until their shoulders touched.

Ghouls? Bai Xue snapped, raising her fans.

Looks like it, Hui replied.

Bai Xue frowned, leaning in toward the ghoul. Wait, I recognize these. These I brought them back to the clan when they were alive. They were infected with lotus pills!

Eh? Who made them ghouls? Hui asked.

Bai Xue threw up her hands. I thought they were being put in isolation! This is the last time I trust anything to a side family.

Erlan sliced at the ground. Black energy rushed from his hand and blasted the street open. The ghouls fell aside, destroyed in the blast.

A wave of energy blew past Hui. He huddled behind the pillar, squeezed up against it. Wind rushed by, mixed with bits of brick and earth. When it settled, Hui peered out at the street.

Where the central square had been, now only a gash remained. The first few feet cut through stone and earth. Below that, a cave opened, gaping wide beneath the earth. Leaving the protection of the pillar, Hui crept closer to get a better look.

Black petals, slowly unfurling. A bud stretching up toward the sky, half-bloomed. Hui gasped. Is that

Ah, now its much more interesting! Good, good. This will make a much more beautiful image, Erlan said, nodding. He held his hand out toward the three of them. This bud will bloom in six hours, at midnight. I dont need to tell you what will happen when it fully blooms.

Why? Bai Xue snarled, glaring at him.

Why? I thought it would be boring if it all went according tooh, you mean, why. Why the lotus pills. Why do any of this. Mmm, I cant rightfully say. I understand a member of our sect cast a curse onon you, Erlan realized. His eyes widened, and he giggled, covering his mouth with a hand.

This is about my curse? Bai Xue asked, baffled.

Oh, no, no. Thats why were here. Not me, butanyways, thats not what you asked. Why is your Bai Fenfeng attacking her own clan, thats what you wanted to know, yes? Youll have to ask her yourself. I personally have no interest in such trite intrigues. They arent very beautiful.

Hui nodded to himself. Yep, as I thought. This fine expert is insane.

Li Xiang bolted for the gash, sword drawn.

Oh, tch, tch, tch, not yet, Erlan said. He waved his hand. Li Xiang went flying back in a mess of skirts and sword and landed in a crumpled pile on the far side of the hole in the ground.

Li Xiang! Hui shouted. He ran for her, sprinting around the edge of the gash.

Now, we cant make it too easy for you. Gu Tian, he requested, turning to the boy in his grasp.

Gu Tian raised his flute to his lips.

No! From ahead of Hui, Bai Xue burst out from behind a boulder and slashed with her fans. Ice rocketed at Gu Tian.

He flinched, lowering the flute.

Erlan clicked his tongue again and flicked his hand, effortlessly deflecting the ice.

She raced for Hui, her hand out. Energy! Now!

He reached out for her. Their hands met. Black crawled over Bai Xue.

Eh? Oh! Oh, how beautiful! What lovely desperation! No, no, no, but its not time for that yet. No worries, pretties. Gu Tian isnt going to bloom the bud. No, its something much more interesting.

The high, reedy sound of a flute sounded over the clans complex. Dark clouds condensed around them. Sprouting up between Hui and Xue, the clouds forcibly separated them. Spun around, bounced and shifted by the cloud, Hui stumbled. Xue!

Distantly, he heard a reply, now deep and gruff. Hui?

Dark mist settled around them, completely obscuring the complex. He turned blindly, searching. Li Xiang!

Hui, Im here! she shouted, equally distant to his other side.

Gu Tians flute is an ancient ghost-gathering artifact built by an honored demonic ancestor. That ancestor built this trial array into the flute to test new entrants to his sect. Dont judge it by Gu Tians cultivation level: the array powers itself and has its own cultivation.

If you navigate this array in six hours, the bud is yours to take, as far as Im concerned. I will remove myself from the equation entirely. If you cant Erlan chuckled. Well, if the array doesnt take you, then I will.

Phrasing, Hui muttered.

Oh? Did I speak wrongly? Erlan asked.

Hui shivered. Elder, please! You dont understand what your words imply!

Er, I hope you dont understand what your words imply

Erlan giggled. Please show me your beautiful faces of despair!