'We're facing a Catastrophe on the outside and Shanhaizhong insurgents on the inside. The General has no time to see a commoner.'
'I hear he knows the General.'
'We should still pass the word, just in case it's really something important.'
......
'Go up. The general will see you.'
'He's on the tower.'
The night is deep.
The stairs, however, remain as bright as day, illuminated by Originium spotlights in the walls.
Meng Tieyi walks slowly. The soldier behind does not rush him.
It has been more than a decade since he last climbed the towers of Yumen.
Meng Tieyi
......
Zuo Xuanliao
......
Meng Tieyi
Lord Exorcist, sir.
Zuo Xuanliao
Cut the formalities. What is it?
Meng Tieyi
I would like to ask permission to leave the city.
Meng Tieyi
I heard about what happened to the Messenger's party. There wasn't much left of it.
Meng Tieyi
There were a few boys from the Sword Forge in that party. Someone should pour out spirits and bring back a few grains of sand where they died.
Zuo Xuanliao
Come.
Patrol Battalion Soldier
Sir?
Zuo Xuanliao
Has the lockdown been communicated to the entire city?
Patrol Battalion Soldier
Yes, sir.
Meng Tieyi
......
Zuo Xuanliao
You heard him.
Meng Tieyi
That's why i came to ask you.
Zuo Xuanliao
No.
Patrol Battalion Soldier
Sir, Yumen is currently moving at a high speed over the barren desert. There's no point in leaving the city right now.
Zuo Xuanliao
Enough.
Meng Tieyi
Yes, Yumen has gone too far. How will we find our brothers in this sand and wind?
Zuo Xuanliao
The dead are already gone. The forward progress of Yumen permits no delay.
Zuo Xuanliao
The criminals who killed the Messenger have infiltrated the city. The entire city is on high alert. Catching the criminals is the most important thing we can do for the dead.
Meng Tieyi
If that's the case, please allow us to join in the hunt for the killer.
Meng Tieyi
We have many connections in the city. I'm sure we can be of help, especially with so many jianghu wanderers in town lately.
Zuo Xuanliao
Catching criminals and protecting Yumen is the duty of the soldiers of Yumen.
Zuo Xuanliao
I am not so incompetent as to need to ask for civilian help.
You struck out in midair with such force, yet somehow managed to stop the momentum.
Record Keeper
The fowlbeast dives into the river and flies away with the fin, leaving behind only ripples on the water. Your mastery of your kung fu has reached new heights.
Record Keeper
May I ask you to demonstrate one more time?
Qiubai
......
Qiubai
Only if you can get that frightened sand beast to come out again.
Record Keeper
That's beyond my ability.
Qiubai
A move is simply the abstract compilation of human reaction, something that is not and cannot be fixed. People don't react in fixed ways. Kung fu is all about improvisation.
Qiubai
Do not let yourself be bound by form and moves when you record the martial arts under Heaven.
Record Keeper
The form is the shell, while the concept is the spirit. The Grandmaster taught me that long ago.
So Meng had dealings with the Candleholder. I knew he couldn't be trusted.
Shanhaizhong Ringleader
He still has the Catastrophe data. Find him.
Shanhaizhong Ringleader
After dispatching these two kids.
Du Yaoye
Who are you? Where's Uncle Meng? Did you kill him, or are you working with him?
Shanhaizhong Ringleader
......
Du Yaoye
Where are the Qis?
Shanhaizhong Ringleader
......
Du Yaoye
Not in a talking mood?
Du Yaoye
Then we can do this the hard way...
[charslot(slot="l", posfrom = "-100,0", posto = "100,0",duration =0.5 )]
A sword flashes past Du Yaoye as Zuo Le steps forward.
He swings his sword without a word, his brow furrowed.
This is the second time that Du Yaoye has been interrupted today.
Du Yaoye
Son of a—
The old smith told me to stay in the house while I recover from my injuries.
Someone has intruded into the yard. Things are chaotic. Have the mandarins found me?
Jieyun holds the sword tighter in her arms.
Shifu said the Sword Forge would be easy to find.
There are as many sword forges as there are inns in the nomadic city, but you are always pointed towards the same place if you ask for the Sword Forge without specifying which one.
Shifu was right.
She said the Sword Forge was not big or impressive, just a few furnaces and an old tree.
But there are always friends coming in and out, drinking, singing, sparring with each other. They come from all walks of life, but they have fought together and went to many places together.
They take turns fueling the fire, sometimes even grabbing the blacksmith's hammer to bang on the metal for a while. The bright fires keep the night away.
Shifu says there is a place like this in every city.
Inconspicuous, but indispensable.
All Shifu talked about in her last days were these things, these people, and this place.
Ominous Shanhaizhong Member
Who's there?!
This place cannot be allowed to come to harm.
Jieyun
Stop.
Jieyun
You're making a mess of the yard! Go outside, if you want to fight.
Zuo Le
......
Ominous Shanhaizhong Member
So they had help hiding here.
Jieyun
(Tsk—)
Shanhaizhong Ringleader
Why does she have the sword?
Ominous Shanhaizhong Member
Boss, the girl's injured!
Shanhaizhong Ringleader
Kill her first.
A gust of wind sends sand flying everywhere, obscuring the figures darting across the yard.
The injured girl steps back, pressing on her wound, and leans against the old tree, panting. She does not notice Du Yaoye's approach.
The masked attacker once again disappears into the shadows.
The young Candleholder steps into the middle of the yard, shielding the two girls behind him. A sword has appeared on his belt, tightly attached to a hidden fastener.
Jieyun
My sword!
When did it...? The impact just now...
A broken leather strap falls to the ground, made by hunters out of the hide of their prey. The tough, durable leather was perfect for holding a sword.
The sword that has never left her side.
Zuo Le
This is the Grandmaster's sword.
Zuo Le
Now that I have the sword, I won't pursue this particular matter any further, if you're not working with the Shanhaizhong. The matter of your trespassing into the barracks can wait.
Jieyun
Hey...!
Jieyun
Give it back!
Jieyun
Who are you? Let me go!
Du Yaoye
You're hurt. Stay put.
Du Yaoye
I don't care about the sword, but you being here at the Sword Forge means you must know Meng Tieyi.
Du Yaoye
Tell me, where is he? Did you see two young people from Shangshu in the Sword Forge?
Du Yaoye
I'll rip your wound open if you don't talk.
Jieyun
......
Ominous Shanhaizhong Member
Looks like they're not together.
Ominous Shanhaizhong Member
Those outside block the exit. Don't let them get away.
???
......
Ominous Shanhaizhong Member
Did you hear me?
???
Hmph.
The sound is very close. He turns around, startled.
The pain increases as he moves, becoming as clear as the communicator that has been cut in half.
He does not have time to regret.
Zuo Le
Qiubai.
Qiubai
I took care of the ones outside.
Shanhaizhong Ringleader
!!!
Qiubai
The same group that attacked you at the market. Shanhaizhong?
Zuo Le
Yes.
Qiubai
Reckless.
Qiubai
Not only have you failed to improve your kung fu...
Zuo Le
I can listen to your reproaches later, after we've taken care of these!
Qiubai
...Wait.
Her palms have begun to sweat, after just a few movements.
Qiubai
......
Qiubai
The yard... the heat...
Zuo Le
It's getting hotter.
Zuo Le
It's only March, and it's night. How could the temperature be rising?
Zuo Le
Could it be the Sword Forge's Originium furnace...
Qiubai
The fire is out.
Angry Shanhaizhong Member
Boss, we lost a few guys to her.
Shanhaizhong Ringleader
Stop wasting time.
???
So you know you're wasting time.
Do the cicadas sing in March?
The air is so oppressively humid, it almost feels like water. This is no morning dew.
Everyone realizes that something is out of the ordinary.
A drop of water falls on Qiubai's face.
Spring comes late in the north. New leaves have yet to appear on the old pagoda tree.
