Chapter 638
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Chapter 638
The ebb and flow of battle lines portrayed a tale of strife and sacrifice, but one Song had no part in.
Idle and anxious as the conflict raged on around her, she stood by Erdene with one hand holding her drawn sabre while running the other through Princesss thick, bristling fur. Tucked inside her shoulder bag which lay slung across the quins back, the weasel-bear poked her head out from the flaps, turning this way and that as she emitted rumbling growls of threat and warning. Ferocious though she might appear, Song knew the sweet girl would much rather avoid confrontation wherever possible, but being a slow, near-sighted creature of formidable fang and muscle, fleeing would always be an option of last resort. Affected by Princesss audible trepidation, the other animals were also on edge, huddled together on the wagon in search of safety and comfort as they trembled in fear. Not Mama Bun though, who stood perched on her hind legs peering out at the battlefield, a watchful protector ready to defend her family with her life.
Not that Song expected much from the foolishly courageous bicorn rabbit. No, she was more concerned with making sure Mama Bun stayed in the wagon instead of hopping off to go commit suicide by headbutting a Defiled Chosen in the shin. At least the baby bunnies were all more level-headed, all hiding their faces in Auries fur or burrowing under the bears bellies, save for sweet George who was flopped on his side and fast asleep. The laughing birds were also being well-behaved, with Roc, Yipi, and a few others standing vigil on the wagon sides, while the others roosted on and around the other animals. The birds were a clever bunch, frightened by the din of battle yet smart enough not to fly off into the sky, where they would undoubtedly be struck down by the constant deluge of stones, bolts, and arrows arcing overhead and sailing towards the Defiled horde.
This was Songs fault for bringing the pet wagon so close to Rains carriage without thinking things through. True, she was Oath-Sworn to remain within five kilometres of his person, but she could easily have stayed behind the Irregulars and still had plenty of room to work with. Then again, the laughing birds preferred roosting atop the carriage which meant they wouldve been left on their own for the duration of battle, but Roc was an able guardian who appeared undaunted by the death and bloodshed, his feathers only lightly ruffled as he watched the carnage unfold with startling calm. Perhaps it was because hed seen battles before, or perhaps it was simply instinct as the leader of his flock, but the other laughing birds took their cues from his calm presence and behaved themselves while keeping to the confines of the wagon, a feat Song would have once believed impossible.
The bears and wildcats were not faring as well, their quivering bodies and plaintive stares paining Song more gravely than any weapon ever could, especially poor Jimjam kneading away at Baloos shoulder. She desperately wished she could bring the animals away to safety and solace, but both were in short supply here on the fields of Central. This engagement might well be the greatest battle the Empire had seen in centuries, though from the sounds of things, that title might not remain theirs for long as conflicts broke out at Castle Wulin and along the coast of the Azure Sea. Still, with more than half-a-million Imperial soldiers facing off against Mother knows how many Defiled, this was shaping up into a battle for the ages, one which would be studied in depth by budding Officers for years to come.
Song was curious to know the details herself. If the Imperial forces were outnumbered by less than five to one, then she would consider that a blessing. One to ten was considered the golden ratio, to have one Imperial soldier for every ten Defiled to ensure victory, but that was when defending a well-fortified position, which this was not, and against typical Defiled, which the Chosen were far from. This type of engagement was rarely seen even in the annals of history, a sprawling, open field battle between two massive, well-equipped forces. Rebellions were common enough, but for an entire army to turn against the Empire was almost unheard of, save for a dozen or so times since the Empires founding. Whats more, in every one of those examples, the rebellion began with the seizure of a critically important location, whether it be a city, fortress, treasury, or what have you, all of which were typically well fortified. There were not many commanders foolish enough to abandon their fortified positions in order to do battle against an equally powerful enemy force, which meant the examples Song had to draw from were few and far between.
Even the smaller scale skirmishes fought in this manner couldnt hold a light to this grand battle. Those usually read like a series of carefully calculated movements, like pieces on a chessboard shifting into position for one, grand, climatic attack. Officer One leads his retinue to hold the centre, while Officers Two and Three break through the flanks. Officer Four falters and falls, but Soldier One rallies his comrades and holds out long enough for Officers Five and Six to arrive and save the day. It all seemed so cut and dry, detailing every major event and variable as if it all added up on a balance sheet of cause and effect.
In a battle of this size, however, there was nothing but chaos and bloodshed, two factions locked in bitter combat, with no mercy given and none asked for. Try as she might to make sense of the situation, Song was unsure if the Imperials were winning, losing, or holding firm. To make matters worse, she had not been called upon to join the fray, and instead was relegated to permanent pet duty by her immediate commander Kuang Biao. The taciturn Peak Expert never once came to her to ask if she would care to fight, and simply left her to her own devices, treating her as mere luggage to guard and protect rather than a fellow soldier to fight alongside.
As proof of this, the former Royal Guardian assigned her eight protectors, Yellow One through Eight respectively, but not the same Yellow One through Eight Song was familiar with and previously fought beside. Ever since Rain rose to the Office of Legate, the Death Corps soldiers serving under him all had their ranks reshuffled and names reassigned, much to her dismay. The former Yellow One was now Wood Ninety-Eight, and Song only knew this because she went looking for the gruff and humourless woman when preparing to ride out for Castle JiangHu. Unfortunately, Kuang Biao rejected Songs request to have her old retinue of Death Corps with her, stating that Wood Ninety-Eight was too weak to properly protect her, as if she were some sort of fragile maiden who needed to be coddled and cared for. Perhaps that was exactly how the former Royal Guardian saw her though, since Songs strength counted as a mere drop in the bucket when measuring both armies as a whole. In fact, her presence might be lowering the overall strength of the Imperial forces, considering this new Yellow One was likely a Peak Expert, and Song suspected Yellow Two through Eight were the same. The depths of the Imperial Clan seemed more unfathomable than ever, but at least they were united against the Enemy.
In short, Song was a detriment to the cause, a burden to be guarded, and both the Bekhai and the Empire would be better off without her.
Never before had she felt so small and insignificant when faced with the prospect of battle, utterly helpless and forced to watched as Warriors of the Empire fought, bled, and died. Lives were spent like raindrops in a thunderstorm, yet nothing changed in her eyes, the Imperial forces holding firm while the Defiled marched ever forward to engage. Off on the right flank, Mama led five-thousand Khishigs including Sister Mila to deliver death from afar, and Sister-in-Law Sarnai did the same with Niece Alsantset on the left, all while Aunty Ghurda sat in reserve, watching and waiting for the opportune moment to strike. At some point, Yan disappeared into the chaotic mess which was the left flank, and emerged sometime later covered in blood and sweat, yet still the Imperial and Defiled lines remained locked in place, with neither side gaining or losing ground to any significant degree. Mister Rustram made two trips into the battle to reinforce flagging sections, but both times he withdrew as soon as matters stabilized so he could keep his reserves well rested.
Better men and women gave their lives in defence of the Empire, while Song stood idle. She could do more to help, should do more, but instead, she did nothing.
All across the battlefield, dying screams and roars of defiance intermingled into a single, steady stream of indecipherable sound. Tired soldiers withdrew and were replaced by fresh reserves, while dead Defiled were trampled over by new ones eager to take their place. In less than half an hour, the mound of bodies grew so high, Brigadier Hongji ordered his soldiers to shift back because the Enemy Defiled were leaping off heaped piles of corpses and launching aerial assaults that were equally fatal to attacker and defender alike. One for one trades were a net loss for the Empire, and this movement marked the first break in the near constant waves of bolts falling down upon the Defiled as the Irregulars faltered and stumbled in place, milling about in confusion from such a simple manoeuvre. It took long seconds for their leaders to sort everything out, long seconds Gongsun Qi took full advantage of to try and surround the partially isolated Death Corps contingent. Having anticipated this reaction, Mamas Khishigs charged into the rear of the Defiled mob and drew their attention away from the beleaguered centre, relieving enough pressure to allow the Death Corps to fight their way free and fall back into line with their allies once the Irregulars were finally out of their way.
In retrospect, keeping Rain between the Death Corps and Irregulars might not have been the best idea. If, Heavens forbid, the Death Corps line were to crumble apart, Rain, Song, and all the sweet pets would be caught between the Enemy and a panicked horde of commoners, which boded poorly for their chances of survival. Glancing over to the empty area where she suspected his carriage might be, Song idly wondered if Rain was being himself and standing on the battlefield without a care for his safety, or if the mysterious Guard Leader had finally managed to reign him in and keep him locked inside the carriage. Song personally hoped for the latter, since it meant Lin-Lin, Ping Ping, Blackjack, and the red panda would be relatively safe, or rather as safe as their current circumstances would allow.
Forcing herself to relax her grip, Song rested her sabres tip in the dirt and flexed her fingers just to get the blood flowing once more, before doing the same with the rest of her rigid muscles. Restlessness and anxiety was making her tense, tension she could ill afford if she should have need to do battle. It didnt look likely, but things could change in an instant, or so the history books would have Song believe. There was also the ever present risk of Wraiths or Peak Experts roaming the battlefield in search of easy prey, and while Song was being kept hidden under a veil of Concealment, this was exactly the sort of target the Enemy assassins would be searching for.
Granted, theyd likely be disappointed to find a slave girl and a wagon full of pets, but on the bright side, at least Songs presence might draw attention away from other, more important Imperial targets. That was really the most she could hope for, as she was unable to affect the battles outcome in any other manner. That was the harsh truth of it all, her progress along the Martial Path proceeding along far too slowly in comparison to her peers. Yan was fast becoming a beloved leader of soldiers, having blossomed into an able commander since her first foray on the front lines and earning a reputation as a formidable combatant on the field of battle. The Blessing of Wind allowed her to kill Chosen with near impunity as her ranged Wind Blades slipped through the gaps in their Runic armour and claimed their lives with ease. Then there was Zian and Tam Taewoong, who were equally matched in time spent upon the front lines since the First Imperial Grand Conference. Both had progressed by leaps and bounds in the time since, and both were expected to become Peak Experts given time, with whispers of Zian following in his fathers footsteps to achieve this penultimate breakthrough before forty, if not earlier. Why that might be, Song wasnt entirely sure, but she did know that the measure of a Peak Expert wasnt solely strength of arm, but rather was weighted more heavily towards the utilization of External Chi.
Domain. That was the next milestone along Songs Martial Path, the final step before tackling the hurdle of Peak Expert, and while Mama was pleased with her progress, Song was far from satisfied. Everyone around her was improving by leaps and bounds, while she moved forward one small step at a time, and though it might be asking too much of the Heavens, she too wanted to be of use to Mama. Even from this great distance, Song could make out Sister Milas position on the battlefield, her unique weapon Paragon flashing in the afternoon light as it whipped out and scythed through any Defiled who drew close. During Mamas timed charge, Sister Mila must have scored at least two dozen kills in a matter of seconds, if not more, while only Sister Tursinai had any chance of measuring up. This meant Sister Milas performance on the field of battle was a match for Sister Tursinai, a stand-out genius a decade her senior who was only outmatched by Gerel, a once-in-a-thousand years talent who became a Peak Expert at thirty three.
Meanwhile, Song was comparable to a run-of-the-mill Captain or Senior Captain level talent. Not terrible, but not particularly outstanding either, with little to no prospects for the future.
Lips puckering at the errant thought, she took a deep breath and sought Balance to centre her thoughts. It was easy to see why so many Martial Warriors grew frustrated and lost motivation, since they were in no way compelled to work hard. That was how Song felt now, and she almost wished Rain would order her to train just so motivation would no longer factor in. Things were so much easier when shed been a mere slave with no prospects. Back then, her only goal in life was to follow Teacher Dus lessons and progress along the Martial Path, nothing more, nothing less. There was security in such simplicity, a sense of freedom from responsibility, but now that she was Li Song, daughter of Akanai and Husolt, she was free to do whatever she pleased, yet constrained by expectations to live up to. Mama and Papa loved Song regardless of whether or not she continued progressing along the Martial Path, but as Mamas daughter and Disciple, Song didnt want to shame her by becoming a lacklustre Martial Warrior. The problem was, she couldnt even begin to imagine how to proceed from here, for she had seen firsthand the vast difference between herself and Kyung, not to mention the vast, insurmountable chasm between herself and Teacher Du.
Out there on the field of battle, Du Min Gyu slaughtered Demons and Peak Experts with laughable ease. On the surface, his actions didnt look overly complex or awe-inspiring, but the thought process behind each and every decision made Songs head spin with confusion. A simple twist of the wrist brought his sabre in a curving arc, one which blocked three strikes and claimed two lives. An unremarkable side step moved him in position to avoid a counterattack and aim a thrust towards an unsuspecting foe. Languidly raising his arm ever so slightly moved his weapon in perfect position to block or attack, defending and threatening all at once and leaving his foe frozen with indecision before the sabre claimed his life. Simple, yet brilliant decisions combined with powerful and unexpected movements, these were the core tenants of Teacher Dus strength. With this alone, he would stand out from the masses, but add in his superb grasp of battlefield positioning and the Blessing of Wind, and Song was certain she could never match up.
Never. Even if she worked day and night without food or sleep, no amount of hard work could ever make up for lacking talent.
Even as the dissonant thought rang through her mind, Songs sabre emerged from its sheath to strike at the Wraith, but her backhanded grip slowed her down so much, even Tate couldve blocked the attack. However, before her sabre even left the sheath, the Wraith disappeared from the doorway in a spray of water. Beak open and eyes narrowed, Ping Ping sat perched atop Rains legs and watched the carriage door swing and slam shut before snapping her jaws shut with an audible click, though she remained vigilant even after the carriage slowed and the danger had passed.
Im coming in. Startled by the Sending, Song almost reacted too slowly to stop Ping Ping from firing a Water Ball at Yellow One, but luckily the sweet girl recognized the guards armoured form. Squeaking in warning as Songs hand reached over to cover her open beak, the Divine Turtle only relaxed when she saw Yellow One stopped outside. We must move the Legate, Yellow One Sent, warily watching Ping Ping but unwilling to back away. The carriage is too easily found by those who know how to look.
Which made perfect sense to Song. A large carriage required significantly more effort to Conceal than a few individuals since the carriage was larger in size, which meant it required a larger Domain to cover it. Unless Yellow One and her comrades knew how to Conceal themselves from probing Domains, then the Enemy Wraiths only needed to attack the largest target to find the Legate, whereas they could split up into groups and force the assassins to guess at which Concealed bunch was hiding the Legate. Putting away her sabre, Song hurriedly helped Princess into her bag before lifting the comatose Rain into her arms and bringing him out of the carriage.
Is the Legate injured?
Genuine concern tinged Yellow Ones Sending, but Song shook her head. Sleeping. Seeing the questioning look, she merely shrugged in reply, also unsure how he could sleep through all this excitement. This clearly wasnt natural, but there was no time to think. The clamour of battle struck her like a hammer as she exited the carriage, but she grit her teeth and checked her surroundings. As expected, there were many more hidden Experts about than before, mostly more Death Corps and a handful of Khishigs, but four of the armoured guards were bleeding heavily and unable to stand. Have two of your people get those four to the Healers. Before Yellow One could argue, she added, Theyre of no use to the Legate dead. We have more than enough guards to protect him.
As if the Heavens meant to prove her wrong, the area exploded into chaos as more Wraiths emerged from Concealment, their twin blades dripping with insidious poison and dark eyes radiating sadistic glee. Yellow One reacted first, her halberd sweeping out to smash the closest Wraith aside, and Song was unable to follow the rest of the exchange. In the blink of an eye, three more friendly guards were down, including one of Rains previously unrevealed fanatics. Belatedly opening wide, Ping Pings summoned Water Ball faded back into obscurity as the sweet but slow turtle tried to understand what just took place. Divine Beast she might be, but Ping Ping was inexperienced and untrained in the ways of war and conflict, a sheltered creature who lived in relative safety for centuries, if not millennia. She lacked both the hunters alacrity and the ever-vigilance of prey, which meant she let her guard down far too easily and reacted much too late, but that wasnt her fault. Ping Ping was a sweet innocent, and if Song had her way, the Divine Turtle would remain so, because she was too kind and pure to be marred by this ugly, tainted world.
Better to burn this whole world down and rebuild atop the ashes.
We must move. Rather than waiting for a response, Yellow One grabbed Song by the arm and pulled her along beside her, while another Death Corps Guard, Yellow Three it looked like, took his place on Songs other side. Rains own guards fell in beside them, and a glance back showed that the Bekhai Healers had already arrived to tend to the wounded. Song prayed they would all keep their lives, but it was a vain hope, as she was fairly certain several of those guards had already been dead by the time she laid eyes on them. Honouring the dead would have to wait however, as they came under attack a third time, and this time, Song noticed that none of the guards expected it. Each and every one of them were caught by surprise, and as she thought back to the previous attack, itd happened there as well. The Wraiths appeared and then the guards reacted, but that shouldnt be the case. Assuming they were all under Concealment, at least one of the Wraiths wouldve had to reveal themselves while sweeping the area with their Domain. That was how anti-Concealment measures worked, unless one knew how to Conceal the touch of their Domain.
Which meant... these Wraiths were far more competent than any Wraiths theyd ever encountered before, their familiarity with Concealment allowing them to even Conceal the touch of their Domains...
A brief but intense clash ensued, but after a full second passed, the only Wraith still standing was summarily dispatched by Ping Pings Water Ball. No, not dispatched, merely knocked off his feet, but a flying dagger to the heart finished the fallen Defiled off. Scowling as he appeared in plain sight and retrieved his Spiritual Knife, Healer Tokta confirmed Songs suspicions with a frustrated snarl. Concealment does us no good. Let us move in strength instead. Eight more Bekhai guards appeared from thin air, and a dozen more of Rains fanatics, though Song suspected there were still more in hiding. Frog-marching Song away, this cadre of Peak Experts escorted Rain behind the Irregulars to safety with no further incident. Some of them must have still been Concealed, because none of the commoners spotted Rains comatose form and panicked, though more than one gave their eclectic group a curious stare.
Since no one asked to take him, Song held onto Rain, even after he wrapped his arms around her neck and snuggled peacefully into her shoulder. How he could still sleep was a mystery for the ages, but she would be sure to ask him another time. She only hoped Lin-Lin and the pets were all safe, but as if summoned by the mere thought of her, the half-hare appeared atop Erdene with Coto and Gatais wagon in tow, and all the pets accounted for. Sorry Li-Li, Lin-Lin whispered, mournfully eyeing the wounded guards, some who only just succumbed to the insidious Wraith poison coursing through their veins. I got a little carried away and stepped too far away.
It was hardly her fault the Wraiths attacked, and Song said as much, but Lin-Lin would not be consoled. Instead, she draped herself across Songs back with arms also wrapped around her neck, softly sighing as she watched her beloved hubby sleep. At least her quiver was almost entirely empty now, with only one arrow left to her after contributing to the battle effort, and Rain was still alive and unharmed, though more than a few had given their lives to make this so. There were a few muttered conversations between the Khishig guards, discussion on how the Wraiths kept finding Rains Concealed group without revealing their presence, but aside from sharing Songs unfounded theory that these Wraiths were simply stronger than any others theyd ever encountered, there were no other working explanations.
Just as Song was about to ask about Wraiths and why they were different from regular Defiled, the din of battle died down for the first time in hours. No, rather, her ears were deafened by a single, booming clash, one so loud it felt like her eardrums had popped and the world gone silent. As her hearing slowly recovered, she saw the guards all staring off into the distance and followed their gaze to the right flank, where Mister Rustrams forces were still holding the line with help from Mama, Sister Mila, and five-thousand Sentinels.
At first, Song didnt see what they were all looking at, but then a flash of movement caught her attention, and her breath caught in her throat. For there, up in the skies above the swarming melee, Song spotted Mamas distinct, blonde bun and silver axe-lance trading blows with Gongsun Qi and his oversized Green Dragon Crescent Blade.
The ground shook with every clash of their blades, and Mama moved too quickly for Song to register it, but the Prince of Barbarity was another story. There he was, Cloud-Stepping across the sky, moving faster than any human had any right to, yet in an almost languid, lazy manner. Each time he waved his weapon, Mama disappeared from sight, and it took several seconds and countless exchanges for Song to realize it was because Mama was being violently hurled away every time their weapons connected. Gongsun Qi was dashing about not to dodge Mamas attacks, but to chase her down after launching her away.
The two opposing commanders were clashing head to head, and Mama was clearly losing. To Song, this was almost unthinkable, but she could hardly deny the truth before her eyes.
Hmph. So noisy. Before Song even thought to stop her, Lin-Lin hopped down to the ground, unshouldered her bow, and nocked her last arrow in one, smooth motion. Lifting her left foot high off the ground until her toes pointed at the skies, she aimed the arrow straight up and used the full weight of her body to draw the bow into a full arc. At the same time, her foot descended back down to stomp the ground while she sighted the arrow and loosed whilst still in motion. The bow swung out in her grip like an open door while the arrow flew off into the horizon, and Gongsun Qi plummeted from the skies, but not before Song spotted a feathered arrow protruding from his raised forearm.
Not a kill shot, but on target all the same, and Mama was quick to take advantage.
Ah! Not fair! Stamping her foot again in an adorable fit of pique, Lin-Lin pointed at Gongsun Qi while Song and the Death Corps stared at her in open disbelief. He blocked my arrow! It was gonna hit him in the neck, ya?
Despite listing off all the Martial Warriors Song expected to be outdone by, Lin-Lin name never crossed her mind. Glancing at the now empty quiver, she wondered how many of the half-hares targets were Peak Experts, men and women who trained for decades only to die without knowing why. For better or for worse, once word of this spread to the Empire at large, there was one thing Song knew for certain: no one would dare look down on marksmanship anymore, not once they learned a young girl not even twenty years of age almost brought down the Lord of Martial Peace himself.
Chapter Meme
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Chapter 638
The ebb and flow of battle lines portrayed a tale of strife and sacrifice, but one Song had no part in.
Idle and anxious as the conflict raged on around her, she stood by Erdene with one hand holding her drawn sabre while running the other through Princesss thick, bristling fur. Tucked inside her shoulder bag which lay slung across the quins back, the weasel-bear poked her head out from the flaps, turning this way and that as she emitted rumbling growls of threat and warning. Ferocious though she might appear, Song knew the sweet girl would much rather avoid confrontation wherever possible, but being a slow, near-sighted creature of formidable fang and muscle, fleeing would always be an option of last resort. Affected by Princesss audible trepidation, the other animals were also on edge, huddled together on the wagon in search of safety and comfort as they trembled in fear. Not Mama Bun though, who stood perched on her hind legs peering out at the battlefield, a watchful protector ready to defend her family with her life.
Not that Song expected much from the foolishly courageous bicorn rabbit. No, she was more concerned with making sure Mama Bun stayed in the wagon instead of hopping off to go commit suicide by headbutting a Defiled Chosen in the shin. At least the baby bunnies were all more level-headed, all hiding their faces in Auries fur or burrowing under the bears bellies, save for sweet George who was flopped on his side and fast asleep. The laughing birds were also being well-behaved, with Roc, Yipi, and a few others standing vigil on the wagon sides, while the others roosted on and around the other animals. The birds were a clever bunch, frightened by the din of battle yet smart enough not to fly off into the sky, where they would undoubtedly be struck down by the constant deluge of stones, bolts, and arrows arcing overhead and sailing towards the Defiled horde.
This was Songs fault for bringing the pet wagon so close to Rains carriage without thinking things through. True, she was Oath-Sworn to remain within five kilometres of his person, but she could easily have stayed behind the Irregulars and still had plenty of room to work with. Then again, the laughing birds preferred roosting atop the carriage which meant they wouldve been left on their own for the duration of battle, but Roc was an able guardian who appeared undaunted by the death and bloodshed, his feathers only lightly ruffled as he watched the carnage unfold with startling calm. Perhaps it was because hed seen battles before, or perhaps it was simply instinct as the leader of his flock, but the other laughing birds took their cues from his calm presence and behaved themselves while keeping to the confines of the wagon, a feat Song would have once believed impossible.
The bears and wildcats were not faring as well, their quivering bodies and plaintive stares paining Song more gravely than any weapon ever could, especially poor Jimjam kneading away at Baloos shoulder. She desperately wished she could bring the animals away to safety and solace, but both were in short supply here on the fields of Central. This engagement might well be the greatest battle the Empire had seen in centuries, though from the sounds of things, that title might not remain theirs for long as conflicts broke out at Castle Wulin and along the coast of the Azure Sea. Still, with more than half-a-million Imperial soldiers facing off against Mother knows how many Defiled, this was shaping up into a battle for the ages, one which would be studied in depth by budding Officers for years to come.
Song was curious to know the details herself. If the Imperial forces were outnumbered by less than five to one, then she would consider that a blessing. One to ten was considered the golden ratio, to have one Imperial soldier for every ten Defiled to ensure victory, but that was when defending a well-fortified position, which this was not, and against typical Defiled, which the Chosen were far from. This type of engagement was rarely seen even in the annals of history, a sprawling, open field battle between two massive, well-equipped forces. Rebellions were common enough, but for an entire army to turn against the Empire was almost unheard of, save for a dozen or so times since the Empires founding. Whats more, in every one of those examples, the rebellion began with the seizure of a critically important location, whether it be a city, fortress, treasury, or what have you, all of which were typically well fortified. There were not many commanders foolish enough to abandon their fortified positions in order to do battle against an equally powerful enemy force, which meant the examples Song had to draw from were few and far between.
Even the smaller scale skirmishes fought in this manner couldnt hold a light to this grand battle. Those usually read like a series of carefully calculated movements, like pieces on a chessboard shifting into position for one, grand, climatic attack. Officer One leads his retinue to hold the centre, while Officers Two and Three break through the flanks. Officer Four falters and falls, but Soldier One rallies his comrades and holds out long enough for Officers Five and Six to arrive and save the day. It all seemed so cut and dry, detailing every major event and variable as if it all added up on a balance sheet of cause and effect.
In a battle of this size, however, there was nothing but chaos and bloodshed, two factions locked in bitter combat, with no mercy given and none asked for. Try as she might to make sense of the situation, Song was unsure if the Imperials were winning, losing, or holding firm. To make matters worse, she had not been called upon to join the fray, and instead was relegated to permanent pet duty by her immediate commander Kuang Biao. The taciturn Peak Expert never once came to her to ask if she would care to fight, and simply left her to her own devices, treating her as mere luggage to guard and protect rather than a fellow soldier to fight alongside.
As proof of this, the former Royal Guardian assigned her eight protectors, Yellow One through Eight respectively, but not the same Yellow One through Eight Song was familiar with and previously fought beside. Ever since Rain rose to the Office of Legate, the Death Corps soldiers serving under him all had their ranks reshuffled and names reassigned, much to her dismay. The former Yellow One was now Wood Ninety-Eight, and Song only knew this because she went looking for the gruff and humourless woman when preparing to ride out for Castle JiangHu. Unfortunately, Kuang Biao rejected Songs request to have her old retinue of Death Corps with her, stating that Wood Ninety-Eight was too weak to properly protect her, as if she were some sort of fragile maiden who needed to be coddled and cared for. Perhaps that was exactly how the former Royal Guardian saw her though, since Songs strength counted as a mere drop in the bucket when measuring both armies as a whole. In fact, her presence might be lowering the overall strength of the Imperial forces, considering this new Yellow One was likely a Peak Expert, and Song suspected Yellow Two through Eight were the same. The depths of the Imperial Clan seemed more unfathomable than ever, but at least they were united against the Enemy.
In short, Song was a detriment to the cause, a burden to be guarded, and both the Bekhai and the Empire would be better off without her.
Never before had she felt so small and insignificant when faced with the prospect of battle, utterly helpless and forced to watched as Warriors of the Empire fought, bled, and died. Lives were spent like raindrops in a thunderstorm, yet nothing changed in her eyes, the Imperial forces holding firm while the Defiled marched ever forward to engage. Off on the right flank, Mama led five-thousand Khishigs including Sister Mila to deliver death from afar, and Sister-in-Law Sarnai did the same with Niece Alsantset on the left, all while Aunty Ghurda sat in reserve, watching and waiting for the opportune moment to strike. At some point, Yan disappeared into the chaotic mess which was the left flank, and emerged sometime later covered in blood and sweat, yet still the Imperial and Defiled lines remained locked in place, with neither side gaining or losing ground to any significant degree. Mister Rustram made two trips into the battle to reinforce flagging sections, but both times he withdrew as soon as matters stabilized so he could keep his reserves well rested.
Better men and women gave their lives in defence of the Empire, while Song stood idle. She could do more to help, should do more, but instead, she did nothing.
All across the battlefield, dying screams and roars of defiance intermingled into a single, steady stream of indecipherable sound. Tired soldiers withdrew and were replaced by fresh reserves, while dead Defiled were trampled over by new ones eager to take their place. In less than half an hour, the mound of bodies grew so high, Brigadier Hongji ordered his soldiers to shift back because the Enemy Defiled were leaping off heaped piles of corpses and launching aerial assaults that were equally fatal to attacker and defender alike. One for one trades were a net loss for the Empire, and this movement marked the first break in the near constant waves of bolts falling down upon the Defiled as the Irregulars faltered and stumbled in place, milling about in confusion from such a simple manoeuvre. It took long seconds for their leaders to sort everything out, long seconds Gongsun Qi took full advantage of to try and surround the partially isolated Death Corps contingent. Having anticipated this reaction, Mamas Khishigs charged into the rear of the Defiled mob and drew their attention away from the beleaguered centre, relieving enough pressure to allow the Death Corps to fight their way free and fall back into line with their allies once the Irregulars were finally out of their way.
In retrospect, keeping Rain between the Death Corps and Irregulars might not have been the best idea. If, Heavens forbid, the Death Corps line were to crumble apart, Rain, Song, and all the sweet pets would be caught between the Enemy and a panicked horde of commoners, which boded poorly for their chances of survival. Glancing over to the empty area where she suspected his carriage might be, Song idly wondered if Rain was being himself and standing on the battlefield without a care for his safety, or if the mysterious Guard Leader had finally managed to reign him in and keep him locked inside the carriage. Song personally hoped for the latter, since it meant Lin-Lin, Ping Ping, Blackjack, and the red panda would be relatively safe, or rather as safe as their current circumstances would allow.
Forcing herself to relax her grip, Song rested her sabres tip in the dirt and flexed her fingers just to get the blood flowing once more, before doing the same with the rest of her rigid muscles. Restlessness and anxiety was making her tense, tension she could ill afford if she should have need to do battle. It didnt look likely, but things could change in an instant, or so the history books would have Song believe. There was also the ever present risk of Wraiths or Peak Experts roaming the battlefield in search of easy prey, and while Song was being kept hidden under a veil of Concealment, this was exactly the sort of target the Enemy assassins would be searching for.
Granted, theyd likely be disappointed to find a slave girl and a wagon full of pets, but on the bright side, at least Songs presence might draw attention away from other, more important Imperial targets. That was really the most she could hope for, as she was unable to affect the battles outcome in any other manner. That was the harsh truth of it all, her progress along the Martial Path proceeding along far too slowly in comparison to her peers. Yan was fast becoming a beloved leader of soldiers, having blossomed into an able commander since her first foray on the front lines and earning a reputation as a formidable combatant on the field of battle. The Blessing of Wind allowed her to kill Chosen with near impunity as her ranged Wind Blades slipped through the gaps in their Runic armour and claimed their lives with ease. Then there was Zian and Tam Taewoong, who were equally matched in time spent upon the front lines since the First Imperial Grand Conference. Both had progressed by leaps and bounds in the time since, and both were expected to become Peak Experts given time, with whispers of Zian following in his fathers footsteps to achieve this penultimate breakthrough before forty, if not earlier. Why that might be, Song wasnt entirely sure, but she did know that the measure of a Peak Expert wasnt solely strength of arm, but rather was weighted more heavily towards the utilization of External Chi.
Domain. That was the next milestone along Songs Martial Path, the final step before tackling the hurdle of Peak Expert, and while Mama was pleased with her progress, Song was far from satisfied. Everyone around her was improving by leaps and bounds, while she moved forward one small step at a time, and though it might be asking too much of the Heavens, she too wanted to be of use to Mama. Even from this great distance, Song could make out Sister Milas position on the battlefield, her unique weapon Paragon flashing in the afternoon light as it whipped out and scythed through any Defiled who drew close. During Mamas timed charge, Sister Mila must have scored at least two dozen kills in a matter of seconds, if not more, while only Sister Tursinai had any chance of measuring up. This meant Sister Milas performance on the field of battle was a match for Sister Tursinai, a stand-out genius a decade her senior who was only outmatched by Gerel, a once-in-a-thousand years talent who became a Peak Expert at thirty three.
Meanwhile, Song was comparable to a run-of-the-mill Captain or Senior Captain level talent. Not terrible, but not particularly outstanding either, with little to no prospects for the future.
Lips puckering at the errant thought, she took a deep breath and sought Balance to centre her thoughts. It was easy to see why so many Martial Warriors grew frustrated and lost motivation, since they were in no way compelled to work hard. That was how Song felt now, and she almost wished Rain would order her to train just so motivation would no longer factor in. Things were so much easier when shed been a mere slave with no prospects. Back then, her only goal in life was to follow Teacher Dus lessons and progress along the Martial Path, nothing more, nothing less. There was security in such simplicity, a sense of freedom from responsibility, but now that she was Li Song, daughter of Akanai and Husolt, she was free to do whatever she pleased, yet constrained by expectations to live up to. Mama and Papa loved Song regardless of whether or not she continued progressing along the Martial Path, but as Mamas daughter and Disciple, Song didnt want to shame her by becoming a lacklustre Martial Warrior. The problem was, she couldnt even begin to imagine how to proceed from here, for she had seen firsthand the vast difference between herself and Kyung, not to mention the vast, insurmountable chasm between herself and Teacher Du.
Out there on the field of battle, Du Min Gyu slaughtered Demons and Peak Experts with laughable ease. On the surface, his actions didnt look overly complex or awe-inspiring, but the thought process behind each and every decision made Songs head spin with confusion. A simple twist of the wrist brought his sabre in a curving arc, one which blocked three strikes and claimed two lives. An unremarkable side step moved him in position to avoid a counterattack and aim a thrust towards an unsuspecting foe. Languidly raising his arm ever so slightly moved his weapon in perfect position to block or attack, defending and threatening all at once and leaving his foe frozen with indecision before the sabre claimed his life. Simple, yet brilliant decisions combined with powerful and unexpected movements, these were the core tenants of Teacher Dus strength. With this alone, he would stand out from the masses, but add in his superb grasp of battlefield positioning and the Blessing of Wind, and Song was certain she could never match up.
Never. Even if she worked day and night without food or sleep, no amount of hard work could ever make up for lacking talent.
Even as the dissonant thought rang through her mind, Songs sabre emerged from its sheath to strike at the Wraith, but her backhanded grip slowed her down so much, even Tate couldve blocked the attack. However, before her sabre even left the sheath, the Wraith disappeared from the doorway in a spray of water. Beak open and eyes narrowed, Ping Ping sat perched atop Rains legs and watched the carriage door swing and slam shut before snapping her jaws shut with an audible click, though she remained vigilant even after the carriage slowed and the danger had passed.
Im coming in. Startled by the Sending, Song almost reacted too slowly to stop Ping Ping from firing a Water Ball at Yellow One, but luckily the sweet girl recognized the guards armoured form. Squeaking in warning as Songs hand reached over to cover her open beak, the Divine Turtle only relaxed when she saw Yellow One stopped outside. We must move the Legate, Yellow One Sent, warily watching Ping Ping but unwilling to back away. The carriage is too easily found by those who know how to look.
Which made perfect sense to Song. A large carriage required significantly more effort to Conceal than a few individuals since the carriage was larger in size, which meant it required a larger Domain to cover it. Unless Yellow One and her comrades knew how to Conceal themselves from probing Domains, then the Enemy Wraiths only needed to attack the largest target to find the Legate, whereas they could split up into groups and force the assassins to guess at which Concealed bunch was hiding the Legate. Putting away her sabre, Song hurriedly helped Princess into her bag before lifting the comatose Rain into her arms and bringing him out of the carriage.
Is the Legate injured?
Genuine concern tinged Yellow Ones Sending, but Song shook her head. Sleeping. Seeing the questioning look, she merely shrugged in reply, also unsure how he could sleep through all this excitement. This clearly wasnt natural, but there was no time to think. The clamour of battle struck her like a hammer as she exited the carriage, but she grit her teeth and checked her surroundings. As expected, there were many more hidden Experts about than before, mostly more Death Corps and a handful of Khishigs, but four of the armoured guards were bleeding heavily and unable to stand. Have two of your people get those four to the Healers. Before Yellow One could argue, she added, Theyre of no use to the Legate dead. We have more than enough guards to protect him.
As if the Heavens meant to prove her wrong, the area exploded into chaos as more Wraiths emerged from Concealment, their twin blades dripping with insidious poison and dark eyes radiating sadistic glee. Yellow One reacted first, her halberd sweeping out to smash the closest Wraith aside, and Song was unable to follow the rest of the exchange. In the blink of an eye, three more friendly guards were down, including one of Rains previously unrevealed fanatics. Belatedly opening wide, Ping Pings summoned Water Ball faded back into obscurity as the sweet but slow turtle tried to understand what just took place. Divine Beast she might be, but Ping Ping was inexperienced and untrained in the ways of war and conflict, a sheltered creature who lived in relative safety for centuries, if not millennia. She lacked both the hunters alacrity and the ever-vigilance of prey, which meant she let her guard down far too easily and reacted much too late, but that wasnt her fault. Ping Ping was a sweet innocent, and if Song had her way, the Divine Turtle would remain so, because she was too kind and pure to be marred by this ugly, tainted world.
Better to burn this whole world down and rebuild atop the ashes.
We must move. Rather than waiting for a response, Yellow One grabbed Song by the arm and pulled her along beside her, while another Death Corps Guard, Yellow Three it looked like, took his place on Songs other side. Rains own guards fell in beside them, and a glance back showed that the Bekhai Healers had already arrived to tend to the wounded. Song prayed they would all keep their lives, but it was a vain hope, as she was fairly certain several of those guards had already been dead by the time she laid eyes on them. Honouring the dead would have to wait however, as they came under attack a third time, and this time, Song noticed that none of the guards expected it. Each and every one of them were caught by surprise, and as she thought back to the previous attack, itd happened there as well. The Wraiths appeared and then the guards reacted, but that shouldnt be the case. Assuming they were all under Concealment, at least one of the Wraiths wouldve had to reveal themselves while sweeping the area with their Domain. That was how anti-Concealment measures worked, unless one knew how to Conceal the touch of their Domain.
Which meant... these Wraiths were far more competent than any Wraiths theyd ever encountered before, their familiarity with Concealment allowing them to even Conceal the touch of their Domains...
A brief but intense clash ensued, but after a full second passed, the only Wraith still standing was summarily dispatched by Ping Pings Water Ball. No, not dispatched, merely knocked off his feet, but a flying dagger to the heart finished the fallen Defiled off. Scowling as he appeared in plain sight and retrieved his Spiritual Knife, Healer Tokta confirmed Songs suspicions with a frustrated snarl. Concealment does us no good. Let us move in strength instead. Eight more Bekhai guards appeared from thin air, and a dozen more of Rains fanatics, though Song suspected there were still more in hiding. Frog-marching Song away, this cadre of Peak Experts escorted Rain behind the Irregulars to safety with no further incident. Some of them must have still been Concealed, because none of the commoners spotted Rains comatose form and panicked, though more than one gave their eclectic group a curious stare.
Since no one asked to take him, Song held onto Rain, even after he wrapped his arms around her neck and snuggled peacefully into her shoulder. How he could still sleep was a mystery for the ages, but she would be sure to ask him another time. She only hoped Lin-Lin and the pets were all safe, but as if summoned by the mere thought of her, the half-hare appeared atop Erdene with Coto and Gatais wagon in tow, and all the pets accounted for. Sorry Li-Li, Lin-Lin whispered, mournfully eyeing the wounded guards, some who only just succumbed to the insidious Wraith poison coursing through their veins. I got a little carried away and stepped too far away.
It was hardly her fault the Wraiths attacked, and Song said as much, but Lin-Lin would not be consoled. Instead, she draped herself across Songs back with arms also wrapped around her neck, softly sighing as she watched her beloved hubby sleep. At least her quiver was almost entirely empty now, with only one arrow left to her after contributing to the battle effort, and Rain was still alive and unharmed, though more than a few had given their lives to make this so. There were a few muttered conversations between the Khishig guards, discussion on how the Wraiths kept finding Rains Concealed group without revealing their presence, but aside from sharing Songs unfounded theory that these Wraiths were simply stronger than any others theyd ever encountered, there were no other working explanations.
Just as Song was about to ask about Wraiths and why they were different from regular Defiled, the din of battle died down for the first time in hours. No, rather, her ears were deafened by a single, booming clash, one so loud it felt like her eardrums had popped and the world gone silent. As her hearing slowly recovered, she saw the guards all staring off into the distance and followed their gaze to the right flank, where Mister Rustrams forces were still holding the line with help from Mama, Sister Mila, and five-thousand Sentinels.
At first, Song didnt see what they were all looking at, but then a flash of movement caught her attention, and her breath caught in her throat. For there, up in the skies above the swarming melee, Song spotted Mamas distinct, blonde bun and silver axe-lance trading blows with Gongsun Qi and his oversized Green Dragon Crescent Blade.
The ground shook with every clash of their blades, and Mama moved too quickly for Song to register it, but the Prince of Barbarity was another story. There he was, Cloud-Stepping across the sky, moving faster than any human had any right to, yet in an almost languid, lazy manner. Each time he waved his weapon, Mama disappeared from sight, and it took several seconds and countless exchanges for Song to realize it was because Mama was being violently hurled away every time their weapons connected. Gongsun Qi was dashing about not to dodge Mamas attacks, but to chase her down after launching her away.
The two opposing commanders were clashing head to head, and Mama was clearly losing. To Song, this was almost unthinkable, but she could hardly deny the truth before her eyes.
Hmph. So noisy. Before Song even thought to stop her, Lin-Lin hopped down to the ground, unshouldered her bow, and nocked her last arrow in one, smooth motion. Lifting her left foot high off the ground until her toes pointed at the skies, she aimed the arrow straight up and used the full weight of her body to draw the bow into a full arc. At the same time, her foot descended back down to stomp the ground while she sighted the arrow and loosed whilst still in motion. The bow swung out in her grip like an open door while the arrow flew off into the horizon, and Gongsun Qi plummeted from the skies, but not before Song spotted a feathered arrow protruding from his raised forearm.
Not a kill shot, but on target all the same, and Mama was quick to take advantage.
Ah! Not fair! Stamping her foot again in an adorable fit of pique, Lin-Lin pointed at Gongsun Qi while Song and the Death Corps stared at her in open disbelief. He blocked my arrow! It was gonna hit him in the neck, ya?
Despite listing off all the Martial Warriors Song expected to be outdone by, Lin-Lin name never crossed her mind. Glancing at the now empty quiver, she wondered how many of the half-hares targets were Peak Experts, men and women who trained for decades only to die without knowing why. For better or for worse, once word of this spread to the Empire at large, there was one thing Song knew for certain: no one would dare look down on marksmanship anymore, not once they learned a young girl not even twenty years of age almost brought down the Lord of Martial Peace himself.
Chapter Meme
Chapter 638The ebb and flow of battle lines portrayed a tale of strife and sacrifice, but one Song had no part in.Idle and anxious as the conflict raged on around her, she stood by Erdene with one hand holding her drawn sabre while running the other through Princesss thick, bristling fur. Tucked inside her shoulder bag which lay slung across the quins back, the weasel-bear poked her head out from the flaps, turning this way and that as she emitted rumbling growls of threat and warning. Ferocious though she might appear, Song knew the sweet girl would much rather avoid confrontation wherever possible, but being a slow, near-sighted creature of formidable fang and muscle, fleeing would always be an option of last resort. Affected by Princesss audible trepidation, the other animals were also on edge, huddled together on the wagon in search of safety and comfort as they trembled in fear. Not Mama Bun though, who stood perched on her hind legs peering out at the battlefield, a watchful protector ready to defend her family with her life.Not that Song expected much from the foolishly courageous bicorn rabbit. No, she was more concerned with making sure Mama Bun stayed in the wagon instead of hopping off to go commit suicide by headbutting a Defiled Chosen in the shin. At least the baby bunnies were all more level-headed, all hiding their faces in Auries fur or burrowing under the bears bellies, save for sweet George who was flopped on his side and fast asleep. The laughing birds were also being well-behaved, with Roc, Yipi, and a few others standing vigil on the wagon sides, while the others roosted on and around the other animals. The birds were a clever bunch, frightened by the din of battle yet smart enough not to fly off into the sky, where they would undoubtedly be struck down by the constant deluge of stones, bolts, and arrows arcing overhead and sailing towards the Defiled horde.This was Songs fault for bringing the pet wagon so close to Rains carriage without thinking things through. True, she was Oath-Sworn to remain within five kilometres of his person, but she could easily have stayed behind the Irregulars and still had plenty of room to work with. Then again, the laughing birds preferred roosting atop the carriage which meant they wouldve been left on their own for the duration of battle, but Roc was an able guardian who appeared undaunted by the death and bloodshed, his feathers only lightly ruffled as he watched the carnage unfold with startling calm. Perhaps it was because hed seen battles before, or perhaps it was simply instinct as the leader of his flock, but the other laughing birds took their cues from his calm presence and behaved themselves while keeping to the confines of the wagon, a feat Song would have once believed impossible.The bears and wildcats were not faring as well, their quivering bodies and plaintive stares paining Song more gravely than any weapon ever could, especially poor Jimjam kneading away at Baloos shoulder. She desperately wished she could bring the animals away to safety and solace, but both were in short supply here on the fields of Central. This engagement might well be the greatest battle the Empire had seen in centuries, though from the sounds of things, that title might not remain theirs for long as conflicts broke out at Castle Wulin and along the coast of the Azure Sea. Still, with more than half-a-million Imperial soldiers facing off against Mother knows how many Defiled, this was shaping up into a battle for the ages, one which would be studied in depth by budding Officers for years to come.Song was curious to know the details herself. If the Imperial forces were outnumbered by less than five to one, then she would consider that a blessing. One to ten was considered the golden ratio, to have one Imperial soldier for every ten Defiled to ensure victory, but that was when defending a well-fortified position, which this was not, and against typical Defiled, which the Chosen were far from. This type of engagement was rarely seen even in the annals of history, a sprawling, open field battle between two massive, well-equipped forces. Rebellions were common enough, but for an entire army to turn against the Empire was almost unheard of, save for a dozen or so times since the Empires founding. Whats more, in every one of those examples, the rebellion began with the seizure of a critically important location, whether it be a city, fortress, treasury, or what have you, all of which were typically well fortified. There were not many commanders foolish enough to abandon their fortified positions in order to do battle against an equally powerful enemy force, which meant the examples Song had to draw from were few and far between.Even the smaller scale skirmishes fought in this manner couldnt hold a light to this grand battle. Those usually read like a series of carefully calculated movements, like pieces on a chessboard shifting into position for one, grand, climatic attack. Officer One leads his retinue to hold the centre, while Officers Two and Three break through the flanks. Officer Four falters and falls, but Soldier One rallies his comrades and holds out long enough for Officers Five and Six to arrive and save the day. It all seemed so cut and dry, detailing every major event and variable as if it all added up on a balance sheet of cause and effect.In a battle of this size, however, there was nothing but chaos and bloodshed, two factions locked in bitter combat, with no mercy given and none asked for. Try as she might to make sense of the situation, Song was unsure if the Imperials were winning, losing, or holding firm. To make matters worse, she had not been called upon to join the fray, and instead was relegated to permanent pet duty by her immediate commander Kuang Biao. The taciturn Peak Expert never once came to her to ask if she would care to fight, and simply left her to her own devices, treating her as mere luggage to guard and protect rather than a fellow soldier to fight alongside.As proof of this, the former Royal Guardian assigned her eight protectors, Yellow One through Eight respectively, but not the same Yellow One through Eight Song was familiar with and previously fought beside. Ever since Rain rose to the Office of Legate, the Death Corps soldiers serving under him all had their ranks reshuffled and names reassigned, much to her dismay. The former Yellow One was now Wood Ninety-Eight, and Song only knew this because she went looking for the gruff and humourless woman when preparing to ride out for Castle JiangHu. Unfortunately, Kuang Biao rejected Songs request to have her old retinue of Death Corps with her, stating that Wood Ninety-Eight was too weak to properly protect her, as if she were some sort of fragile maiden who needed to be coddled and cared for. Perhaps that was exactly how the former Royal Guardian saw her though, since Songs strength counted as a mere drop in the bucket when measuring both armies as a whole. In fact, her presence might be lowering the overall strength of the Imperial forces, considering this new Yellow One was likely a Peak Expert, and Song suspected Yellow Two through Eight were the same. The depths of the Imperial Clan seemed more unfathomable than ever, but at least they were united against the Enemy.In short, Song was a detriment to the cause, a burden to be guarded, and both the Bekhai and the Empire would be better off without her.Never before had she felt so small and insignificant when faced with the prospect of battle, utterly helpless and forced to watched as Warriors of the Empire fought, bled, and died. Lives were spent like raindrops in a thunderstorm, yet nothing changed in her eyes, the Imperial forces holding firm while the Defiled marched ever forward to engage. Off on the right flank, Mama led five-thousand Khishigs including Sister Mila to deliver death from afar, and Sister-in-Law Sarnai did the same with Niece Alsantset on the left, all while Aunty Ghurda sat in reserve, watching and waiting for the opportune moment to strike. At some point, Yan disappeared into the chaotic mess which was the left flank, and emerged sometime later covered in blood and sweat, yet still the Imperial and Defiled lines remained locked in place, with neither side gaining or losing ground to any significant degree. Mister Rustram made two trips into the battle to reinforce flagging sections, but both times he withdrew as soon as matters stabilized so he could keep his reserves well rested.Better men and women gave their lives in defence of the Empire, while Song stood idle. She could do more to help, should do more, but instead, she did nothing.All across the battlefield, dying screams and roars of defiance intermingled into a single, steady stream of indecipherable sound. Tired soldiers withdrew and were replaced by fresh reserves, while dead Defiled were trampled over by new ones eager to take their place. In less than half an hour, the mound of bodies grew so high, Brigadier Hongji ordered his soldiers to shift back because the Enemy Defiled were leaping off heaped piles of corpses and launching aerial assaults that were equally fatal to attacker and defender alike. One for one trades were a net loss for the Empire, and this movement marked the first break in the near constant waves of bolts falling down upon the Defiled as the Irregulars faltered and stumbled in place, milling about in confusion from such a simple manoeuvre. It took long seconds for their leaders to sort everything out, long seconds Gongsun Qi took full advantage of to try and surround the partially isolated Death Corps contingent. Having anticipated this reaction, Mamas Khishigs charged into the rear of the Defiled mob and drew their attention away from the beleaguered centre, relieving enough pressure to allow the Death Corps to fight their way free and fall back into line with their allies once the Irregulars were finally out of their way.In retrospect, keeping Rain between the Death Corps and Irregulars might not have been the best idea. If, Heavens forbid, the Death Corps line were to crumble apart, Rain, Song, and all the sweet pets would be caught between the Enemy and a panicked horde of commoners, which boded poorly for their chances of survival. Glancing over to the empty area where she suspected his carriage might be, Song idly wondered if Rain was being himself and standing on the battlefield without a care for his safety, or if the mysterious Guard Leader had finally managed to reign him in and keep him locked inside the carriage. Song personally hoped for the latter, since it meant Lin-Lin, Ping Ping, Blackjack, and the red panda would be relatively safe, or rather as safe as their current circumstances would allow.Forcing herself to relax her grip, Song rested her sabres tip in the dirt and flexed her fingers just to get the blood flowing once more, before doing the same with the rest of her rigid muscles. Restlessness and anxiety was making her tense, tension she could ill afford if she should have need to do battle. It didnt look likely, but things could change in an instant, or so the history books would have Song believe. There was also the ever present risk of Wraiths or Peak Experts roaming the battlefield in search of easy prey, and while Song was being kept hidden under a veil of Concealment, this was exactly the sort of target the Enemy assassins would be searching for.Granted, theyd likely be disappointed to find a slave girl and a wagon full of pets, but on the bright side, at least Songs presence might draw attention away from other, more important Imperial targets. That was really the most she could hope for, as she was unable to affect the battles outcome in any other manner. That was the harsh truth of it all, her progress along the Martial Path proceeding along far too slowly in comparison to her peers. Yan was fast becoming a beloved leader of soldiers, having blossomed into an able commander since her first foray on the front lines and earning a reputation as a formidable combatant on the field of battle. The Blessing of Wind allowed her to kill Chosen with near impunity as her ranged Wind Blades slipped through the gaps in their Runic armour and claimed their lives with ease. Then there was Zian and Tam Taewoong, who were equally matched in time spent upon the front lines since the First Imperial Grand Conference. Both had progressed by leaps and bounds in the time since, and both were expected to become Peak Experts given time, with whispers of Zian following in his fathers footsteps to achieve this penultimate breakthrough before forty, if not earlier. Why that might be, Song wasnt entirely sure, but she did know that the measure of a Peak Expert wasnt solely strength of arm, but rather was weighted more heavily towards the utilization of External Chi.Domain. That was the next milestone along Songs Martial Path, the final step before tackling the hurdle of Peak Expert, and while Mama was pleased with her progress, Song was far from satisfied. Everyone around her was improving by leaps and bounds, while she moved forward one small step at a time, and though it might be asking too much of the Heavens, she too wanted to be of use to Mama. Even from this great distance, Song could make out Sister Milas position on the battlefield, her unique weapon Paragon flashing in the afternoon light as it whipped out and scythed through any Defiled who drew close. During Mamas timed charge, Sister Mila must have scored at least two dozen kills in a matter of seconds, if not more, while only Sister Tursinai had any chance of measuring up. This meant Sister Milas performance on the field of battle was a match for Sister Tursinai, a stand-out genius a decade her senior who was only outmatched by Gerel, a once-in-a-thousand years talent who became a Peak Expert at thirty three.Meanwhile, Song was comparable to a run-of-the-mill Captain or Senior Captain level talent. Not terrible, but not particularly outstanding either, with little to no prospects for the future.Lips puckering at the errant thought, she took a deep breath and sought Balance to centre her thoughts. It was easy to see why so many Martial Warriors grew frustrated and lost motivation, since they were in no way compelled to work hard. That was how Song felt now, and she almost wished Rain would order her to train just so motivation would no longer factor in. Things were so much easier when shed been a mere slave with no prospects. Back then, her only goal in life was to follow Teacher Dus lessons and progress along the Martial Path, nothing more, nothing less. There was security in such simplicity, a sense of freedom from responsibility, but now that she was Li Song, daughter of Akanai and Husolt, she was free to do whatever she pleased, yet constrained by expectations to live up to. Mama and Papa loved Song regardless of whether or not she continued progressing along the Martial Path, but as Mamas daughter and Disciple, Song didnt want to shame her by becoming a lacklustre Martial Warrior. The problem was, she couldnt even begin to imagine how to proceed from here, for she had seen firsthand the vast difference between herself and Kyung, not to mention the vast, insurmountable chasm between herself and Teacher Du.Out there on the field of battle, Du Min Gyu slaughtered Demons and Peak Experts with laughable ease. On the surface, his actions didnt look overly complex or awe-inspiring, but the thought process behind each and every decision made Songs head spin with confusion. A simple twist of the wrist brought his sabre in a curving arc, one which blocked three strikes and claimed two lives. An unremarkable side step moved him in position to avoid a counterattack and aim a thrust towards an unsuspecting foe. Languidly raising his arm ever so slightly moved his weapon in perfect position to block or attack, defending and threatening all at once and leaving his foe frozen with indecision before the sabre claimed his life. Simple, yet brilliant decisions combined with powerful and unexpected movements, these were the core tenants of Teacher Dus strength. With this alone, he would stand out from the masses, but add in his superb grasp of battlefield positioning and the Blessing of Wind, and Song was certain she could never match up.Never. Even if she worked day and night without food or sleep, no amount of hard work could ever make up for lacking talent.Even as the dissonant thought rang through her mind, Songs sabre emerged from its sheath to strike at the Wraith, but her backhanded grip slowed her down so much, even Tate couldve blocked the attack. However, before her sabre even left the sheath, the Wraith disappeared from the doorway in a spray of water. Beak open and eyes narrowed, Ping Ping sat perched atop Rains legs and watched the carriage door swing and slam shut before snapping her jaws shut with an audible click, though she remained vigilant even after the carriage slowed and the danger had passed.Im coming in. Startled by the Sending, Song almost reacted too slowly to stop Ping Ping from firing a Water Ball at Yellow One, but luckily the sweet girl recognized the guards armoured form. Squeaking in warning as Songs hand reached over to cover her open beak, the Divine Turtle only relaxed when she saw Yellow One stopped outside. We must move the Legate, Yellow One Sent, warily watching Ping Ping but unwilling to back away. The carriage is too easily found by those who know how to look.Which made perfect sense to Song. A large carriage required significantly more effort to Conceal than a few individuals since the carriage was larger in size, which meant it required a larger Domain to cover it. Unless Yellow One and her comrades knew how to Conceal themselves from probing Domains, then the Enemy Wraiths only needed to attack the largest target to find the Legate, whereas they could split up into groups and force the assassins to guess at which Concealed bunch was hiding the Legate. Putting away her sabre, Song hurriedly helped Princess into her bag before lifting the comatose Rain into her arms and bringing him out of the carriage.Is the Legate injured?Genuine concern tinged Yellow Ones Sending, but Song shook her head. Sleeping. Seeing the questioning look, she merely shrugged in reply, also unsure how he could sleep through all this excitement. This clearly wasnt natural, but there was no time to think. The clamour of battle struck her like a hammer as she exited the carriage, but she grit her teeth and checked her surroundings. As expected, there were many more hidden Experts about than before, mostly more Death Corps and a handful of Khishigs, but four of the armoured guards were bleeding heavily and unable to stand. Have two of your people get those four to the Healers. Before Yellow One could argue, she added, Theyre of no use to the Legate dead. We have more than enough guards to protect him.As if the Heavens meant to prove her wrong, the area exploded into chaos as more Wraiths emerged from Concealment, their twin blades dripping with insidious poison and dark eyes radiating sadistic glee. Yellow One reacted first, her halberd sweeping out to smash the closest Wraith aside, and Song was unable to follow the rest of the exchange. In the blink of an eye, three more friendly guards were down, including one of Rains previously unrevealed fanatics. Belatedly opening wide, Ping Pings summoned Water Ball faded back into obscurity as the sweet but slow turtle tried to understand what just took place. Divine Beast she might be, but Ping Ping was inexperienced and untrained in the ways of war and conflict, a sheltered creature who lived in relative safety for centuries, if not millennia. She lacked both the hunters alacrity and the ever-vigilance of prey, which meant she let her guard down far too easily and reacted much too late, but that wasnt her fault. Ping Ping was a sweet innocent, and if Song had her way, the Divine Turtle would remain so, because she was too kind and pure to be marred by this ugly, tainted world.Better to burn this whole world down and rebuild atop the ashes.We must move. Rather than waiting for a response, Yellow One grabbed Song by the arm and pulled her along beside her, while another Death Corps Guard, Yellow Three it looked like, took his place on Songs other side. Rains own guards fell in beside them, and a glance back showed that the Bekhai Healers had already arrived to tend to the wounded. Song prayed they would all keep their lives, but it was a vain hope, as she was fairly certain several of those guards had already been dead by the time she laid eyes on them. Honouring the dead would have to wait however, as they came under attack a third time, and this time, Song noticed that none of the guards expected it. Each and every one of them were caught by surprise, and as she thought back to the previous attack, itd happened there as well. The Wraiths appeared and then the guards reacted, but that shouldnt be the case. Assuming they were all under Concealment, at least one of the Wraiths wouldve had to reveal themselves while sweeping the area with their Domain. That was how anti-Concealment measures worked, unless one knew how to Conceal the touch of their Domain.Which meant... these Wraiths were far more competent than any Wraiths theyd ever encountered before, their familiarity with Concealment allowing them to even Conceal the touch of their Domains...A brief but intense clash ensued, but after a full second passed, the only Wraith still standing was summarily dispatched by Ping Pings Water Ball. No, not dispatched, merely knocked off his feet, but a flying dagger to the heart finished the fallen Defiled off. Scowling as he appeared in plain sight and retrieved his Spiritual Knife, Healer Tokta confirmed Songs suspicions with a frustrated snarl. Concealment does us no good. Let us move in strength instead. Eight more Bekhai guards appeared from thin air, and a dozen more of Rains fanatics, though Song suspected there were still more in hiding. Frog-marching Song away, this cadre of Peak Experts escorted Rain behind the Irregulars to safety with no further incident. Some of them must have still been Concealed, because none of the commoners spotted Rains comatose form and panicked, though more than one gave their eclectic group a curious stare.Since no one asked to take him, Song held onto Rain, even after he wrapped his arms around her neck and snuggled peacefully into her shoulder. How he could still sleep was a mystery for the ages, but she would be sure to ask him another time. She only hoped Lin-Lin and the pets were all safe, but as if summoned by the mere thought of her, the half-hare appeared atop Erdene with Coto and Gatais wagon in tow, and all the pets accounted for. Sorry Li-Li, Lin-Lin whispered, mournfully eyeing the wounded guards, some who only just succumbed to the insidious Wraith poison coursing through their veins. I got a little carried away and stepped too far away.It was hardly her fault the Wraiths attacked, and Song said as much, but Lin-Lin would not be consoled. Instead, she draped herself across Songs back with arms also wrapped around her neck, softly sighing as she watched her beloved hubby sleep. At least her quiver was almost entirely empty now, with only one arrow left to her after contributing to the battle effort, and Rain was still alive and unharmed, though more than a few had given their lives to make this so. There were a few muttered conversations between the Khishig guards, discussion on how the Wraiths kept finding Rains Concealed group without revealing their presence, but aside from sharing Songs unfounded theory that these Wraiths were simply stronger than any others theyd ever encountered, there were no other working explanations.Just as Song was about to ask about Wraiths and why they were different from regular Defiled, the din of battle died down for the first time in hours. No, rather, her ears were deafened by a single, booming clash, one so loud it felt like her eardrums had popped and the world gone silent. As her hearing slowly recovered, she saw the guards all staring off into the distance and followed their gaze to the right flank, where Mister Rustrams forces were still holding the line with help from Mama, Sister Mila, and five-thousand Sentinels.At first, Song didnt see what they were all looking at, but then a flash of movement caught her attention, and her breath caught in her throat. For there, up in the skies above the swarming melee, Song spotted Mamas distinct, blonde bun and silver axe-lance trading blows with Gongsun Qi and his oversized Green Dragon Crescent Blade.The ground shook with every clash of their blades, and Mama moved too quickly for Song to register it, but the Prince of Barbarity was another story. There he was, Cloud-Stepping across the sky, moving faster than any human had any right to, yet in an almost languid, lazy manner. Each time he waved his weapon, Mama disappeared from sight, and it took several seconds and countless exchanges for Song to realize it was because Mama was being violently hurled away every time their weapons connected. Gongsun Qi was dashing about not to dodge Mamas attacks, but to chase her down after launching her away.The two opposing commanders were clashing head to head, and Mama was clearly losing. To Song, this was almost unthinkable, but she could hardly deny the truth before her eyes.Hmph. So noisy. Before Song even thought to stop her, Lin-Lin hopped down to the ground, unshouldered her bow, and nocked her last arrow in one, smooth motion. Lifting her left foot high off the ground until her toes pointed at the skies, she aimed the arrow straight up and used the full weight of her body to draw the bow into a full arc. At the same time, her foot descended back down to stomp the ground while she sighted the arrow and loosed whilst still in motion. The bow swung out in her grip like an open door while the arrow flew off into the horizon, and Gongsun Qi plummeted from the skies, but not before Song spotted a feathered arrow protruding from his raised forearm.Not a kill shot, but on target all the same, and Mama was quick to take advantage.Ah! Not fair! Stamping her foot again in an adorable fit of pique, Lin-Lin pointed at Gongsun Qi while Song and the Death Corps stared at her in open disbelief. He blocked my arrow! It was gonna hit him in the neck, ya?Despite listing off all the Martial Warriors Song expected to be outdone by, Lin-Lin name never crossed her mind. Glancing at the now empty quiver, she wondered how many of the half-hares targets were Peak Experts, men and women who trained for decades only to die without knowing why. For better or for worse, once word of this spread to the Empire at large, there was one thing Song knew for certain: no one would dare look down on marksmanship anymore, not once they learned a young girl not even twenty years of age almost brought down the Lord of Martial Peace himself.Chapter Meme
