![\"invincible](\"https:\/\/www.benjamincheah.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/invincible-final.png\")
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The Shenwujun labored through most of the night, picking through the remains of the rebel camp. In the fullness of time, the internal troops regrouped and returned, but by then there was nothing more for them to do. The Shenwujun made camp upriver of the rebel camp, and bedded down for the few hours to dawn.<\/p>\n
After breakfast, Captain Cao gathered the men around him. It was a small group, only thirty of them, but Shenwujun rarely gathered in larger numbers.<\/p>\n
\u201cGentlemen, good work last night. You took on a rebel group three times your number and won. Impressive work, even by our standards. Well done.\u201d<\/p>\n
Regular soldiers might have cheered. The Shenwujun simply smiled and nodded approvingly. They were still in the field. Still at war.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow the bad news,\u201d Cao said. \u201cOur target, Mojian<\/em> Han, was not among the dead. We found no trace of him or his infamous sword.\u201d<\/p>\n Regular soldiers might have groaned. The Shenwujun simply remained silent.<\/p>\n \u201cOur campaign continues. But there\u2019s been a new development.<\/p>\n \u201cWe ran into spirit warriors last night. The rebels have the knowledge and the means to bond with infernal spirits. They are better-trained and better-equipped than we thought.<\/p>\n \u201cWorse, the summoning circle they used was based on blood magic. Wangliang<\/em> blood magic. The words written in the circle come from the language of the frontier wangliang tribes. And that means the Grand Union is involved.\u201d<\/p>\n Now the men whispered among themselves. North of the Empire, the Grand Union claimed it was a land where all races could live together in peace. Zhang knew the truth: the Union\u2019s Immortals subjugated every living being in the Union under their rule, and used wangliang and humans as spear fodder in their countless wars with the Empire.<\/p>\n But this was the first time the Union was supporting an internal rebellion like this.<\/p>\n \u201cWe cannot overlook this, but neither do we have manpower to spare,\u201d Cao continued. \u201cSo long as Mojian<\/em> Han lives, our campaign against the Tiandi Lianhe Association continues. We must continue to support the regular Army. At the same time, we must see if the Tiandi Lianhe Association were truly cooperating with wangliang, and if so, whether the Union is involved. Higher command cannot spare any more men to assist us. We must conduct the investigation ourselves. Ensign Zhang?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain,\u201d Zhang replied.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m dispatching you to investigate the situation.\u201d<\/p>\n Zhang blinked.<\/p>\n \u201cJust me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. I need everybody else to hunt the rebels. It\u2019s a tough assignment, but if anyone can do it, it\u2019s Zhang Wudi<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n The men smiled and jeered good-naturedly. Zhang simply nodded. He had long ago given up any notion of persuading his comrades to stop calling him Zhang the Invincible.<\/p>\n \u201cAren\u2019t investigations the responsibility of the Censorate?\u201d Zhang asked.<\/p>\n \u201cCriminal investigations. This concerns national security, making it our business.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery well,\u201d Zhang said. \u201cDo we have any leads?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNone. We were unable to recover any intelligence materials from the rebel camp.\u201d<\/p>\n And dead men told no tales.<\/p>\n \u201cThen we have to do this the hard way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed. Head to the city of Sujiang. It\u2019s the district capital. The local Xianzhang should be able to assist you. Keep me updated.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery well. By your leave, I shall depart.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMay the gods watch over you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe are Shenwujun. They always do.\u201d<\/p>\n Sujiang was a hundred and sixty li away, through wending forest roads and rugged hill trails. Most men would need a horse to travel that distance in a day.<\/p>\n Zhang walked.<\/p>\n With every step, every breath, he inhaled qi<\/em> into his dantian<\/em>. On the exhale, he expelled toxins and waste qi<\/em> into the air, returning it to the cosmos. Energy filled every fiber of his being, keeping him going long after a lesser man would have needed to rest. His step lightened, his gait loosened, his muscles relaxed. He walked from sunup to sundown and sunup again. For sustenance, he sipped at a calabash of water and chewed dried strips of oversalted pork. It was the only time he allowed himself to stop\u2014the doctors said eating while walking interfered with digestion.<\/p>\n A man wandering the frontier alone was looking to die alone. But Zhang had left on the black uniform of the Shenwujun and wore his dao at his hip. Neither man nor beast dared to disturb him.<\/p>\n Half a li from his destination, he saw the first sign of civilization: a long line of carriages snaking down the road. Merchants and travelers from the rest of the Empire. He headed for the front of the queue. The people complained, then went silent when they saw who he was.<\/p>\n The guard commander did not.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d he demanded. \u201cGet back in line like everyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n Zhang reached into his ring and drew a brass medallion.<\/p>\n \u201cI am a Shenwujun on Imperial business. Let me through.\u201d<\/p>\n Any other day and he would have waited patiently for his turn. But every hour he spent doing nothing was an hour the rebels gained. And despite his mastery of qigong<\/em>, a deep ache sank into his calloused feet.<\/p>\n The guard\u2019s lips moved as he pretended to read the words embossed on the medallion\u2019s face. Finally, he nodded sharply and gestured at his men. Zhang passed through without even a perfunctory inspection and headed for the first inn he saw. The signboard said it was the Plum Blossom Inn.<\/p>\n An aged woman waited at the counter. She greeted him with a smile and a bow.<\/p>\n \u201cGood morning, honored Shenwujun. Would you be staying with us?\u201d<\/p>\n Zhang nodded. \u201cWhat are your rates for a basic room?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOne fen a night.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd a bath?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t have one. You can find the public bath next to the market.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery well.\u201d<\/p>\n From his interspatial ring, Zhang produced a silver ingot and handed it to the woman. She goggled.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s too much!\u201d she protested. \u201cI can\u2019t accept this!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll be staying in the city for a while. Consider it a deposit. You can give me the change when I check out.\u201d<\/p>\n She beamed.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Your Excellency!\u201d<\/p>\n She handed him a worn key. It called out to him, promising rest and relief. It would be so easy to just take a bath, head for his room, strip off his clothes and fall into bed.<\/p>\n Instead, he asked, \u201cHow do I get to the yamen from here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGo down the road to the marketplace. Turn left at the cobbler\u2019s, then make a right at the clinic. You should see the yamen down the street.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, laoban niang<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n At the public bath, Zhang washed off the dust and grime from the road. Breakfast was a pair of steamed buns at the market. Then it was off to the yamen, a walled complex where the local government officers lived and worked. A pair of stern-faced constables stood watch at the gate with repeating crossbows.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m here to see the Xianzhang,\u201d Zhang declared, holding up his medallion.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the purpose of your visit?\u201d the senior guard asked.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is for the Xianzhang\u2019s ears only.\u201d<\/p>\n The men exchanged looks.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Xianzhang is currently engaged. We must ask you to wait.\u201d<\/p>\n Zhang folded his arms. \u201cTo keep me waiting is to keep the Emperor waiting.\u201d<\/p>\n The guard cleared his throat. \u201cPlease allow this one to arrange an appointment with the Xianzhang.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGo.\u201d<\/p>\n The guard retreated inside. A minute later, he reappeared.<\/p>\n \u201cYour Excellency, please follow this one.\u201d<\/p>\n The guards escorted him into the main courtyard, where a functionary met him. Zhang rang the gong, formally announcing his presence, and entered the main hall.<\/p>\n \u201cEnsign Zhang Tianyou of the Shenwujun!\u201d the minor bureaucrat proclaimed.<\/p>\n The Xianzhang sat at a high table at the far end of the room. He was dressed in a rich emerald robe of fine silk. His table was covered by a vivid green tablecloth, and by his right hand was a teapot and a set of cups. The functionary seated himself at a smaller table at the great man\u2019s side and took up a pen; it appeared he was the Xianzhang\u2019s scribe. At every corner in the room, the constables on duty stared at the Shenwujun.<\/p>\n Zhang marched up to the Xianzhang and bowed deeply.<\/p>\n \u201cXianzhang, thank you for seeing me on such short notice. I deeply apologize for the inconvenience.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is no trouble at all. It is my great honor to host the great Zhang Wudi.\u201d<\/p>\n Zhang snapped his head up. \u201cYou\u2019ve heard of me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone in the frontier has heard of your exploits. You are a living legend.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you. But if anyone deserves the title of Wudi<\/em>, it is my father.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTrue, but a tiger of a father does not beget a dog of a son.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour Excellency is too kind. May I know your honored name?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am Lee Deyao.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLee Xianzhang, I am here on a mission of vital importance to the state, and I request your assistance.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course. Come, sit, have some tea. Please tell us why you have come today. Is this about the rebels?\u201d<\/p>\n As if by magic, slaves appeared, carrying a chair and a cup of steaming tea. Zhang sat and sipped at the brew. It was superb, better than the tea he was issued.<\/p>\n \u201cYour Excellency I am here to chase yaomo,\u201d Zhang said. \u201cWangliang, to be specific.\u201d<\/p>\n Lee\u2019s face fell. \u201cI thought rebellion takes a higher priority than yaomo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen the sandpiper and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits. The Grand Union had designs on the frontier for centuries, and they deploy wangliang as vanguards and saboteurs.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen I\u2019m glad you\u2019re here. The provincial yamen told me a group of Shenwujun would be operating in the area. Are you with them?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have no knowledge of their present activities,\u201d Zhang said truthfully. \u201cI am on an independent assignment.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh. Did the provincial yamen send you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n Lee stared expectantly at Zhang. Zhang simply sipped at his tea and said nothing. A moment later, Lee broke the silence.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2026see. Last I heard from the provincial yamen, they said they would send a runner to a regiment in the field. I thought the runner must have caught up with the Army.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI heard from my comrades that they found signs of yaomo operating in your district. I was sent to investigate. Before I left, we have not received any reports from the provincial yamen.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen it must be Heaven\u2019s will that you are here. Three days ago, a group of wangliang attacked and occupied Suchen Temple. I would have sent the local garrison, but they are away hunting the Tiandi Lianhe Association.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can take care of the problem for you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust one man?\u201d<\/p>\n Zhang raised an eyebrow.<\/p>\n \u201cAh, my apologies,\u201d Lee said. \u201cI forgot who I am speaking to.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo offense taken. What can you tell me about the attack?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSpeak to the monks at the temple in our city. They reported the incident to me. They can give you the full details.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery well.\u201d Zhang finished his tea. \u201cThank you for your tea. I must leave now, but if you have any additional information, either about yaomo or rebels, you can leave a message for me at the Plum Blossom Inn.\u201d<\/p>\n As Zhang stood, Lee did also.<\/p>\n \u201cEnsign Zhang, may Heaven watch over you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a Shenwujun. Heaven is always looking after us.\u201d<\/p>\n The temple sat in an isolated corner of the city. The monks busied themselves with their daily chores: gardening, laundry, general cleaning. He found a monk and requested to see the Zhuchi. The monk led Zhang to a small chamber that served as the Zhuchi\u2019s office.<\/p>\n The Zhuchi, dressed in a simple saffron robe, sat at a plain wooden table. Papers and scrolls lay stacked neatly in a corner. Another monk worked at a smaller table, painstakingly examining a book. As Zhang entered, both monks stood and bowed, pressing their hands together.<\/p>\n \u201cGood morning, Your Excellency,\u201d the Zhuchi said. \u201cTo what do we owe the honor of hosting such a powerful Shenwujun today?\u201d<\/p>\n Zhang blinked. \u201cYou know I\u2019m one?\u201d<\/p>\n The Zhuchi smiled beatifically. \u201cAside from your black uniform? It is plain as day in your aura. You have contracted with a powerful celestial spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n Auras were invisible to the naked eye; people needed special training or celestial assistance to see them. The monks here were the real deal. The meditation and qi<\/em> exercises that empowered Shenwujun came from various holy orders, and Zhang had no doubt that the monks had concealed their most secret teachings from the state.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, indeed,\u201d Zhang admitted. \u201cHow may I address you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am Lin Guo An. And yourself?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cZhang Tianyou.\u201d<\/p>\n The aide laid out cups of tea for everyone. Zhang accepted the beverage gladly; the long march had left him parched, and he hadn\u2019t had a chance to refill his calabashes.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat can I do for you today?\u201d the Zhuchi asked.<\/p>\n \u201cI am here to track down yaomo in the region. Lee Xianzhang told me about a wangliang attack on Suchen Temple, and referred me to you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you\u2019re in luck.\u201d Lee gestured at his aide. \u201cThis is Huang Qingjian from Suchen Temple. He personally witnessed the attack. He\u2019s been helping me ever since he arrived here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour Excellency,\u201d Huang said, bowing. \u201cHow may this one help?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPlease tell me what happened during the attack,\u201d Zhang said.<\/p>\n \u201cLate at night, I rose from bed with a stomachache. The latrine was outside the temple grounds. After I finished my business, I saw a group of men approaching the temple entrance. I was still in the forest then, hidden from view. I wanted to call out to them, then saw that they were holding torches. They weren\u2019t men. They were wangliang.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPlease describe the wangliang.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey were short, about chest height. Long black hair, claws for fingers and toes. They wore rough scraps for clothes, but their weapons were bright and sharp.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow many wangliang were there?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAbout thirty.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what kind of weapons did they have?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShields and spears.\u201d<\/p>\n Which was the hallmark of the Union\u2019s wangliang foot infantry.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat did you do?\u201d Zhang asked.<\/p>\n He looked down. \u201cI\u2026I hid behind a tree. I was too afraid to move. I\u2019m…sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a wise choice. You\u2019re alive now, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c…Yes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes, hiding is the only thing we can do.\u201d<\/p>\n Huang looked up and nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened after the wangliang arrived?\u201d Zhang asked.<\/p>\n \u201cThey surrounded the temple. A team gathered in front of the gate. They chanted something, and the gate exploded. The wangliang charged in. Moments later, I… My brothers… They screamed and screamed and…\u201d<\/p>\n His voice broke. The Zhuchi patted the man\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n \u201cPeace. Breathe and relax. It\u2019s over now.\u201d<\/p>\n Huang obeyed. \u201cI couldn\u2019t stay. I stumbled out the forest and ran. Next thing I knew, I was at the city gates.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you,\u201d Zhang said. \u201cDid you see what kind of magic they used?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. I just saw a flash of light, then a loud explosion.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery well. Do you know the current situation at the temple?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Xianzhang has declared the area off-limits,\u201d Lin said. \u201cWith the local garrison hunting rebels, the Xianzhang felt it best to wait for the Shenwujun to come. We don\u2019t know if the wangliang are still there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m here now,\u201d Zhang said. \u201cI can take care of the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n Lin\u2019s face fell. \u201cYes. I\u2019m sure you can.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean by that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour Excellency, do you consider yourself a follower of the Taifo\u2019s teachings?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo celestial spirit would bond with a Shenwujun who will not.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo it is. Yet the nature of your work violates the First Precept: refraining from killing living beings, both humans and non-humans. By providing you information about the wangliang, we are knowingly contributing to the death of living beings. It is a violation of the oaths we swore as monks.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou speak as if there will be bloodshed.\u201d<\/p>\n Lin raised an eyebrow. \u201cOf course. In the celestial hierarchy, your phoenix is styled a destroyer of evil. She will not bond with anyone who is not aligned with her essential nature.\u201d<\/p>\n Zhang blinked. \u201cYou can see her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n Zhang shook his head. Most people, even Shenwujun, couldn\u2019t see bond-spirits unless they manifested in the human realm.<\/p>\n \u201cThen you must know that her existence is fully in accordance with the will of Heaven,\u201d Zhang said. \u201cWangliang are brutal yaomo who prey on humans at every opportunity. Your brothers at Suchen Temple learned that great cost. To stop them from doing more harm, it may well be necessary to kill them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYet in doing so you will also shoulder the karma of killing, and the suffering that comes with it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo be it. I cannot stand by and allow the wangliang to go unpunished.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen we shall pray for you. And us.\u201d<\/p>\n ****<\/p>\n Part 1 can be found here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/h1>\n
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