Chapter 313

Chapter 313

At thirty years old, Yuanyin's first brush with true power left him both dazed and terrified.

Constrained by the Legates foolhardy Decree, Master was forced to resort to underhanded trickery to reveal Falling Rain for what he truly was. How could the world be so blind as to think the Mother would choose a faithless savage as Her hallowed representative? The short-sighted fools already forgot that this same savage was at the centre of the largest Defiled rebellion in decades. Butcher Bay, the Golden Highlands Coalition, and the traitor Mao Jianghong all revealed their true selves as the Enemys agents and experience told Yuanyin that for every heretic uncovered, there were four more hidden in plain sight.

One of which was this supposed young hero of the Bekhai, an invaluable discovery which Yuanyins junior sister gave her life for. Gentle, charming, beautiful BoLao, may you rest well in the arms of the Mother. Your Master and senior brothers will not let your death be in vain.

I will stop at nothing to avenge you. Nothing.

Masters scheme to remove the Behkai blight from the Empire was simple in theory, though far too cautious and reserved for Yuanyins tastes. The sea held many dangers and schools of bloodthirsty sharks were a common menace which made them perfect for Masters purposes. Often called the wolves of the sea, these voracious, indefatigable creatures of teeth and fury roamed the Azure Sea in great numbers and devoured everything in their path. Making no distinction between human and fish, these creatures were the ruin of sailors and merchants alike, aggressive enough to attack ships and powerful enough to bring them down without difficulty. While sharks usually kept to deeper waters where non-human prey was more abundant, their presence could easily be explained by the increased ship activity and the Bekhais massive furred weasels frolicking about in Nan Ping Bay. Mother knows sharks had attacked for less and this wouldnt be the first time a school of them took residence in the bay.

Though it would most certainly be the last, at least for this school in particular.

Their only issue was how to lure the sharks into the bay. Sheep carcasses thrown into the water might have worked, but sharks were drawn to blood and movement, which meant the best bait had to still be alive. Tossing a bleeding goat overboard would be far too conspicuous with so many ships around and even a peak expert would have trouble escaping a sharks notice while underwater and covered in blood. Thus, left with no other options, Master asked his true believers to sacrifice themselves for the greater good, and even though all men fear death, Yuanyin was proud to say there were no shortage of volunteers. Hugging his shepherds crook, he muttered a prayer and Watched as dozens of his brave brothers and sisters Concealed themselves in the water and valiantly gave their lives to lure multiple schools of sharks towards the Defiled traitor Falling Rain. Keeping Masters warning in mind, Yuanyin withdrew his Watch from the Ancestral Beast and his surroundings so he wouldnt be exposed, which meant he observed what happened with his naked eyes from three kilometres away.

And what he saw shook the very core of his beliefs.

The sharks moved faster than Yuanyin thought possible but somehow Guan Suo was faster still. After pulling Falling Rain back into the skiff, the Smiling Slaughterer jumped into the water to defend the giant turtle. The wolves of the sea were mere puppies before the martial might of an Ancestral Beast, but Master knew this and went through with this plan anyways. Powerful as he was, Guan Suo lacked the fine control to instantly kill all the sharks without harming the turtle, especially while fighting underwater. It would take precious minutes to secure the turtles safety, minutes in which the defenceless Falling Rain would fall victim to the frenzied sharks as he sat defenceless in his tiny skiff.

Except Falling Rains protectors were far more formidable than anticipated.

This wasnt how things were supposed to happen. The plan should have worked. A Medical Saint and a peak expert, that was the information they had, but even then their prowess caught everyone by surprise. The Medical Saints incredible Lightening skills were unbelievable and if he hadnt seen it with his own eyes, Yuanyin would have said impossible. Escaping at the last second with Falling Rain under his arm, the Medical Saint soared into the air but was not content to flee. Tempting fate once more, he descended to a piece of driftwood and leaped once more, soaring ever higher into the air and out of reach of lunging sharks. Yuanyin had seen Master do something similar but even on solid ground Master couldnt leap so high from a standing position, much less while burdened with another person. This was true mastery of Lightening, not merely running through the skies but near defiance of gravity. With this consummate skill, the Medical Saint effortlessly kept himself and Falling Rain well out of harm's way.

Then there was the woman, the veiled expert skimming across the water on two boards, a feat Yuanyin couldnt even begin to comprehend. Lightening to stay afloat, sure, but how was she moving so quickly? And did she kill a shark by diving through it? He saw the sharks jaws clamp down on the woman yet she emerged from the other side in an eruption of blood and gore, her clothes intact and veil in place. This was making a mockery of common sense, the woman wasnt even carrying a Spiritual Weapon! Was she wearing Runic silks? Preposterous, the Bekhai had no Runic Craftsmen; the North only had seven total and none who knew how to inscribe silk.

More importantly, why were both the veiled expert and Medical Saint staying behind instead of fleeing for safety? Impressive as his aerial feats were, the Medical Saints Chi expenditure must be enormous and even if Yuanyin didnt understand the mechanics behind her locomotion, he knew the veiled expert danced along the razors edge by circling around the school of sharks when she could instead easily escape them.

Then all became clear as a towering pillar of water, blood, and smoke rose into the heavens, carrying with it the massive corpses of at least a dozen gargantuan sharks. It was so surreal Yuanyin forgot himself and fell onto his behind, sitting there open-mouthed while wondering if the Mother herself had descended to ruin Masters plans. Not satisfied with escaping in safety, the Medical Saint and veiled expert remained in place as bait to corral the sharks so the Smiling Slaughterer could deal with them all in one, earthshaking strike.

So this was the strength of an Ancestral Beast. Mother above, how were mere mortals supposed to compete with these peak existences?

All this took some time to describe but it happened in a matter of heartbeats, not even a minute from start for finish. Trembling from head to toe, Yuanyin snapped out of his fugue once the cheering began, the brainless fools of the Empire celebrating their doom as they applauded for the three warriors and chanted Falling Rains name. Soldiers, sailors, and citizens alike had borne witness to the incredible feat and rejoiced as the battered heroes headed back to shore and safety with their unharmed turtle.

Junior brother, collect yourself, Eldest senior brother Wen Zhong warned through Sending. Remember Masters plan: Proceed as normal. You are a shepherd so tend to your flock. This attack must not be traced back to us, there is work yet to be done.

Gathering his wits, Yuanyin stood back up and glanced around, but everyone was too busy gawking at the shark corpses and venerating the Bekhai experts to take notice of a terrified shepherd. With a heavy heart, he set about helping eldest senior brother collect their scattered flock while lamenting the Empires misfortune. The Enemy would be on their guard now, but even if they had another opportunity to strike, how were they to defeat those peerless experts and kill Falling Rain?

The Empire was doomed and their cause lost. How was the army to hold back the Defiled hordes with such powerful traitors in their midst?

Why do they cheer for him? Yuanyin Sent, sharing his woes with eldest senior brother as they collected their errant sheep and listened to the chanting of the crowd. Falling Rain didnt even do anything.

Probably because they dont know the names of his protectors, came senior brothers mocking reply.

A cynical and acerbic man, Wen Zhongs greatest flaw was his complete and utter lack of manners. If not for his superlative martial skill and Masters far-reaching influence, Yuanyin suspected his eldest senior brother would not have survived past twenty years old, much less his current fifty-five years. Incensed by the reply, Yuanyin Sent, How can you still make jokes after what we just witnessed? Our foe is too strong this time. How are we to kill an Ancestral Beast and two experts as strong as Master himself?

As usual junior brother, youve made an erroneous assumption. We dont need to kill Guan Suo or the Experts. We dont even need to kill Falling Rain. In fact, it would be preferable to keep him alive so we can reveal his true self. Once that is accomplished, not even a dozen Ancestral Beasts could keep the Bekhai safe from the Emperors wrath and the Mothers justice.

Glancing around for my sweet wifey, I find her crying in her daddys embrace. I dont mind, me being in danger is par for the course but its not often her daddy finds himself in mortal danger. Im still blown away by Taduks air-jumping skills. Seriously, why am I only finding out about this now? He says it wasnt a big secret, but Im almost certain thats a lie. He didnt want me to know about his skills and I have no idea why.

It doesnt matter though. Hes still my sweet, goofy albeit also bad-ass Teacher/future Father-in-law. Whatever his reasons, he can tell me when hes ready.

Giving Guan Suo a nod, I do my best not to make eye contact or upset him while checking Ping Ping for injuries. This grumpiest of red pandas has me feeling a little afraid for my safety. I dont know how he exploded the water and Im too afraid to ask, but I do know hes not my biggest fan and I have a pretty solid grasp on what would happen if he used that attack on me.

Theres a pun in here with my name and raining blood and gore, but Im too scared to think.

After some minor first aid, I have a new appreciation for how tough the old gal really is. Ping Pings legs and neck are covered in ineffective bite marks with no less than three dozen shark teeth embedded in her leathery skin after failing to pierce through. Her black, spiky shell shows no sign of damage nor does she appear frightened or anxious in any way, merely beaming her little turtle grin while I give her plenty of praise and attention. Shes not the cutest of pets, but by god is she one of the sweetest.

I wont trick you again. Im sorry big girl. Welcome to the family.

Giving her big beak a hug, I plop down beside her to rest and recuperate, idly watching as Alsantset takes charge to claim our rightful reward from the arduous battle: a whole school of dead, exploded sharks. Supposedly, their skin makes great armour and as our horde of quins drag the massive, battered corpses onto the sand, Charok sets to cooking up a pot of shark-fin soup, a delicacy I am eager to try. Theres something especially satisfying about eating something that tried to eat you, the penultimate insult to a defeated foe.

The ultimate insult? Pooping their remains out the morning after.

...I wonder if this is why Defiled are cannibals? Now theres a disconcerting thought...

Rainy? Returning from his expedition to see the sharks, Tate presses his chubby cheek against my arm, hugs me tight, and opens his eyes wide as he can as he asks, What was the battle like?

Well, its official: my weaknesses are big eyes and chubby cheeks. No wonder I love Lin so much.

Plopping my manipulative nephew into my lap, I hold him close and tell the story. So there I was floating in the water and minding my own business when... Once I get to the part where I first see the sharks, I falter as something occurs to me for the first time. I saw... I saw clouds of blood... The sharks were already eating, already in a feeding frenzy before they saw us.

After reviewing my memory a few more times, Im almost positive theres something fishy about the whole situation. There wasnt a lot of it, but I swear I saw blood in their path. The sharks were eating something and following a trail of bloody bread crumbs which led them right to us.

Leaving an upset Tate with his papa, I rush over to the biggest intact shark I can find with sweet Ping Ping following on my heels. Drawing Peace, I cut deep into the sharks belly and slit it open from chin to tail, almost ten meters in total. A putrid stench invades my nostrils and sets me to gagging, but after dry heaving for a bit, I persevere and return to my search. Digging through the sharks innards, Im covered in guts and blood by the time I find its stomach. Ripping the lining apart, I sift through the acidic, gooey mess and soon find more than I bargained for: a mangled, and almost unrecognizable human foot.

God dammit, I was expecting like a goat or cow or something. Someone chummed the waters with human flesh and lured these sharks into the bay, which means someone made a deliberate attempt on our lives and wanted it to look like an accident.

But who would do this?

Its not the Defiled. They wouldnt bother with all this scheming nonsense. Maybe its the Canston Trading Group taking revenge for the ruined merchant house, or one of the families of the twenty-eight people Baledagh and I beat up. It could also be the Society, the rest of them arrived a few days ago and the Ouyang Clan and Baiji Sect have yet to take revenge for their dead young masters. Oh, and lets not forget all the miscellaneous clansmen too. Who knows what relations they had?

Man... I have a lot of enemies. I should ask the Legate for help...

Glancing at Ping Ping chilling in the surf, an errant thought crosses my mind.

Could it be...

Does the Legate want her dead? Is that why Ping Ping didnt like him? Because she sensed his intentions? The death of the Divine Guardian could be the rallying cry he needs to kick off the First Imperial Grand Conference... or something? I dont know...

God dammit. I hate politics.

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