King Ye launched himself straight at his sister. It was a primal urge more than a coherent battle strategy. It might have paid off for him to spread out and start attacking the less hardy of Lijuan’s forces and push her to scramble to defend them.
Perhaps he assumed that Lijuan would have abandoned them to their fates, as he would have. He came down where Lijuam had been standing with a crash of flame. Lijuan danced out of the way throwing a kick that was never meant to really land.
The plan they had discussed earlier was that Lijuan was going to keep her brother busy whilst the rest of them whittled down the other cultivators.
With far less conviction the other assembled cultivators started their assault. They too made a fatal error. They attacked the highest ranked cultivators they could locate. They were still far higher in experience and cultivation level, but Xiulan’s first purchase surprised them.
All around the weak qi gathering cultivators started to bleed qi into a series of streams that shot forward to their stronger comrades. Every cultivator who was hit by the stream of collected qi balled it into a fist and shot it forward. Dark spikes of lightning-fast qi erupted from their balled hands and many pierced capital cultivators in their dantians.
Some managed to dodge and a good few were not in range for the spikes to hit them but three hundred died immediately. Xiulan had purchased the technique to take advantage of their superior numbers but weaker cultivation.
Thunder cracked across the battlefield as Elder Xin caved in the chest of another sect cultivator. The man had tried to block but his own arm had just snapped before the Elder contacted his chest. The Thunder sect’s techniques truly were a masterclass in brutality and speed.
It was not one-sided exchange. Lijuans assembled allies also started to fall I great numbers. The capital cultivators did not act as a conventual army would. Instead of formations and volleys each cultivator was an elite unit who could easily fight against many people at the same time. The battle devolved into a confusing mess of screams and the flashing lights of different cultivation techniques firing.
Lijuan was keeping her brother locked into a cat and mouse game. Lijuan continually fell back. She was clearly trying to lead him away from the larger clash into a separate area. Even when not focused on collateral damage the golden core cultivator was devastating. He was cracking people’s spines with casual swats just to move them out of his way.
Xiulan had a significant bankroll at this point, but it was not enough to eliminate the King. This whole battle could have been averted if she did have the funds. As it was it looked like the clash was slowly going their way. Their numbers advantage and surprise with the spikes was enough for them to win but still at ruinous cost. Xiulan decided that she would rather keep the human capital of those involved instead of the gold she had banked.
Xiulan started to eliminate capital cultivators at a rapid pace. Some were still weak enough that they simply burst apart as Kang Gang had all those months ago. The others were vaporised by flashes of golden lightning that struck down from the heavens unfeelingly.
The more she thinned their numbers the more the Capital cultivators disadvantage grew. After a few minutes those who were left alive started to run. It was a slow trickle at first but eventually all who could, started to flee south.
King Ye growled in anger but was no preoccupied with a Lijuan who was starting to fight back in earnest. It was clear that the royal clan’s family techniques relied heavily on fire qi. Both siblings were trading fire filled fists.
It was a visually stunning display. The flames that erupted from the king were a deep red with black tingeing the edges. Lijuan’s flames were a pure white with edges that faded to transparent before the real end of the fire.
The rest of the battlefield had stilled. Everybody who was assembled watched the conflict silently. It was not that they didn’t want to help but attacking a golden core cultivator at a lower level was folly.
Lijuan suddenly changed tactics and threw a weak looking palm strike. The change surprised her brother who did not manage to avoid it in time. The palm collided seemingly harmlessly against his chest.
The apparent ineffectualness of her strike made him confident, and he laughed before attacking more recklessly. This went on for a time and Lijuan kept landing the occasional weak palm strikes against him but missed the larger flashier techniques.
Eventually the king strated to look pale and was covered in sweat. His fires kept getting smaller and smaller. Lijuan on the other hand still looked fresh.
“Feeling drained brother?” she taunted.
He growled back, “very clever Lijuan. Some kind of qi draining technique I assume?”
Xiulan had recognised the qi siphoning palm as soon as Lijuan had used it. It was a good strategy to beat a stronger opponent.
King Ye chuckled and said, “still it will not be enough. It is time to unveil my final technique.” He took three steps back before a massive fire ball bloomed in his hands. Lijuan prepared to dodge the attack when a surprisingly the fireball spread up the king’s arms and wrapped his body. It was some kind of body enhancement technique.
King Ye took off running south as quickly as Xiulan had seen anyone move. He was running away!
Lijuan tried to give chance, but he was too quick. “Coward!” she called after him. He just kept running. He must have burned all of his remaining qi to give him the speed to run away.
Before he disappeared from view a red blur descended down on him from behind a cloud. A metallic crack was heard, and he suddenly came to a stop, fell to his knees and then to the floor.
Xiulan’s parrot slowly flew back to them. It had King Ye’s head clutched in its claws. It dropped the severed head in front of Lijuan and gave a nonplussed squark.
After a beat of silence everyone who had survived erupted into cheers. Xiulan made her way over to the princess and embraced her. Lijuan was staring at her brother head with a complicated expression.
“What now?” asked Lijuan.
Xiulan rested her head against her lover’s shoulder and said with a smile, “Now we make as much money as possible before anyone from the mainland notices we exist. It might be a short reign but congratulations Queen. How might this humble merchant be of assistance?”
END OF VOLUME ONE
King Ye launched himself straight at his sister. It was a primal urge more than a coherent battle strategy. It might have paid off for him to spread out and start attacking the less hardy of Lijuan’s forces and push her to scramble to defend them.
Perhaps he assumed that Lijuan would have abandoned them to their fates, as he would have. He came down where Lijuam had been standing with a crash of flame. Lijuan danced out of the way throwing a kick that was never meant to really land.
The plan they had discussed earlier was that Lijuan was going to keep her brother busy whilst the rest of them whittled down the other cultivators.
With far less conviction the other assembled cultivators started their assault. They too made a fatal error. They attacked the highest ranked cultivators they could locate. They were still far higher in experience and cultivation level, but Xiulan’s first purchase surprised them.
All around the weak qi gathering cultivators started to bleed qi into a series of streams that shot forward to their stronger comrades. Every cultivator who was hit by the stream of collected qi balled it into a fist and shot it forward. Dark spikes of lightning-fast qi erupted from their balled hands and many pierced capital cultivators in their dantians.
Some managed to dodge and a good few were not in range for the spikes to hit them but three hundred died immediately. Xiulan had purchased the technique to take advantage of their superior numbers but weaker cultivation.
Thunder cracked across the battlefield as Elder Xin caved in the chest of another sect cultivator. The man had tried to block but his own arm had just snapped before the Elder contacted his chest. The Thunder sect’s techniques truly were a masterclass in brutality and speed.
It was not one-sided exchange. Lijuans assembled allies also started to fall I great numbers. The capital cultivators did not act as a conventual army would. Instead of formations and volleys each cultivator was an elite unit who could easily fight against many people at the same time. The battle devolved into a confusing mess of screams and the flashing lights of different cultivation techniques firing.
Lijuan was keeping her brother locked into a cat and mouse game. Lijuan continually fell back. She was clearly trying to lead him away from the larger clash into a separate area. Even when not focused on collateral damage the golden core cultivator was devastating. He was cracking people’s spines with casual swats just to move them out of his way.
Xiulan had a significant bankroll at this point, but it was not enough to eliminate the King. This whole battle could have been averted if she did have the funds. As it was it looked like the clash was slowly going their way. Their numbers advantage and surprise with the spikes was enough for them to win but still at ruinous cost. Xiulan decided that she would rather keep the human capital of those involved instead of the gold she had banked.
Xiulan started to eliminate capital cultivators at a rapid pace. Some were still weak enough that they simply burst apart as Kang Gang had all those months ago. The others were vaporised by flashes of golden lightning that struck down from the heavens unfeelingly.
The more she thinned their numbers the more the Capital cultivators disadvantage grew. After a few minutes those who were left alive started to run. It was a slow trickle at first but eventually all who could, started to flee south.
King Ye growled in anger but was no preoccupied with a Lijuan who was starting to fight back in earnest. It was clear that the royal clan’s family techniques relied heavily on fire qi. Both siblings were trading fire filled fists.
It was a visually stunning display. The flames that erupted from the king were a deep red with black tingeing the edges. Lijuan’s flames were a pure white with edges that faded to transparent before the real end of the fire.
The rest of the battlefield had stilled. Everybody who was assembled watched the conflict silently. It was not that they didn’t want to help but attacking a golden core cultivator at a lower level was folly.
Lijuan suddenly changed tactics and threw a weak looking palm strike. The change surprised her brother who did not manage to avoid it in time. The palm collided seemingly harmlessly against his chest.
The apparent ineffectualness of her strike made him confident, and he laughed before attacking more recklessly. This went on for a time and Lijuan kept landing the occasional weak palm strikes against him but missed the larger flashier techniques.
Eventually the king strated to look pale and was covered in sweat. His fires kept getting smaller and smaller. Lijuan on the other hand still looked fresh.
“Feeling drained brother?” she taunted.
He growled back, “very clever Lijuan. Some kind of qi draining technique I assume?”
Xiulan had recognised the qi siphoning palm as soon as Lijuan had used it. It was a good strategy to beat a stronger opponent.
King Ye chuckled and said, “still it will not be enough. It is time to unveil my final technique.” He took three steps back before a massive fire ball bloomed in his hands. Lijuan prepared to dodge the attack when a surprisingly the fireball spread up the king’s arms and wrapped his body. It was some kind of body enhancement technique.
King Ye took off running south as quickly as Xiulan had seen anyone move. He was running away!
Lijuan tried to give chance, but he was too quick. “Coward!” she called after him. He just kept running. He must have burned all of his remaining qi to give him the speed to run away.
Before he disappeared from view a red blur descended down on him from behind a cloud. A metallic crack was heard, and he suddenly came to a stop, fell to his knees and then to the floor.
Xiulan’s parrot slowly flew back to them. It had King Ye’s head clutched in its claws. It dropped the severed head in front of Lijuan and gave a nonplussed squark.
After a beat of silence everyone who had survived erupted into cheers. Xiulan made her way over to the princess and embraced her. Lijuan was staring at her brother head with a complicated expression.
“What now?” asked Lijuan.
Xiulan rested her head against her lover’s shoulder and said with a smile, “Now we make as much money as possible before anyone from the mainland notices we exist. It might be a short reign but congratulations Queen. How might this humble merchant be of assistance?”
END OF VOLUME ONE
