![\"invincible](\"https:\/\/www.benjamincheah.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/invincible-final.png\")
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Lee beheld Zhang with eyes aflame, and when he spoke he struggled to keep the anger leaking from his voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cEnsign Zhang, you dueled a martial artist on the street, killing him. This provoked his friends, who attacked you, forcing you to kill them all. Is that correct?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was an assassination attempt. Mojian<\/em> Han himself was on the scene.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAn assassin would just walk up to you and challenge you to a duel? This isn\u2019t a xiake<\/em> story, and my men found no sign of Mojian<\/em> Han.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHan threw a smoke bomb and fled.\u201d Zhang glanced at the constable next to him. \u201cSergeant, please show the Xianzhang what you found at the scene.\u201d<\/p>\n The constable held a cloth-wrapped bundle in his hand. He placed it in his palm and carefully unwrapped it, revealing five smooth white pebbles. Lee leaned in, squinting at them.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are these?\u201d Lee asked.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are called ruyi pearls. These are anqi<\/em>, weapons for assassination. The pearls are held between the fingers, and launched by clenching your hand into a fist. Excellent at distracting your enemy long enough to land a killing blow. Launched with enough force, they can penetrate throats, eyes and skulls. The challenger had five of these in each hand, and flung them at me in the opening stage of the confrontation.<\/p>\n \u201cThis was not a duel. It was an assassination disguised as a duel. If I had walked away, he would have struck me in the back.\u201d<\/p>\n Lee pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. His voice turned cold.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd why would someone do something like this?\u201d Lee asked.<\/p>\n \u201cA duel between martial artists would not invite official retaliation from the Shenwujun.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEven if you lost?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOur code of conduct is extremely strict. Any Shenwujun idiotic enough to engage in pointless duels automatically ceases to be one.\u201d<\/p>\n That was the official<\/em> stance, of course. No Shenwujun would ever count on another Shenwujun who would not avenge him.<\/p>\n \u201cAh.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSince the duelist failed, Mojian<\/em> Han went to his fallback plan: sending his henchmen to kill me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhich also failed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo he fled.\u201d Zhang grunted. \u201cCoward.\u201d<\/p>\n One of the constables on duty twitched his lip.<\/p>\n \u201cSeems even Han the Demon Sword won\u2019t fight Zhang the Invincible.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOr maybe he is hiding what his mojian<\/em> can do, and biding his time until he has the upper hand.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t know what it can do?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOur intelligence on him is sketchy. What do you have on him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRumors, nothing more. Some say the sword was forged in the Underworld, giving Han supernatural powers. Others claim the sword drinks the blood of his enemies and absorbs their strength. But they all agree that Han is a fearsome swordsman.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt might be a magic weapon, hand-crafted and enchanted to fit the user. The Grand Union gifts them to their finest soldiers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI fought someone with a similar weapon before, during the last invasion.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean the Battle of Three Rivers? Where you earned the title of Wudi<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. The captain of the enemy vanguard had a mojian<\/em> too. He cleaved through our front line as easily as lifting a hand, and shrugged off everything our sorcerers could throw at him. Very similar to what we know about Mojian<\/em> Han. If the Union were supporting Mojian<\/em> Han, it wouldn\u2019t be out of the question for them to give him a magic weapon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the first time I\u2019ve heard of the Union supporting rebels like this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMe too. Does Your Excellency have any new intelligence about the rebels for me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAlas, none. There are rumors of rebels in the district, but no substance.\u201d<\/p>\n Zhang frowned mightily. Lee coughed hastily.<\/p>\n \u201cI mean, no reliable<\/em> information. Nothing a Shenwujun like you can act on.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll be the judge of that. Tell me what you\u2019ve heard.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRebel activity has died down in recent days. Other than the attempt on your life, they haven\u2019t done anything at all. Farmers, hunters and herbalists claim they\u2019ve seen armed men wandering around about in Wangzheng Valley, but the internal troops haven\u2019t found any trace of these men.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere is the valley?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNorth of here, about two hundred li. If you\u2019re thinking of going there, be careful. It straddles the border with the Union. Wangliang raiders have infiltrated the Empire from there in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you for your advice.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWill you be headed there?\u201d<\/p>\n Zhang shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cNot yet. I have other business to attend to.\u201d<\/p>\n Zhang returned to the temple. Once again, the Zhuchi seemed to be waiting for him, and so was his aide.<\/p>\n \u201cI heard about the fight outside the Plum Blossom Inn,\u201d Lin said. \u201cAre you well?\u201d<\/p>\n Zhang nodded. \u201cYes. How did you know about the duel?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWord spreads quickly in this city.\u201d Lin sighed. \u201cWhat a waste of life.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot a waste. A sacrifice.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhenever a martial artist challenges a rival school, the teacher would send the weakest student to battle him. If the student loses, he sends the next best, and so on, until either the challenger is defeated or the teacher runs out of students. In every bout, the teacher studies the challenger, identifying his strengths and weaknesses. Should he ever have to fight the challenger, he would know how to deal with him. It\u2019s the same principle here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHan sent his men to die just to learn how you fight?\u201d Huang asked.<\/p>\n \u201cIf they couldn\u2019t kill me, that would be his backup plan,\u201d Zhang replied.<\/p>\n Lin sighed. \u201cExactly as I expected of him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt sounds like you know something about Han.\u201d<\/p>\n Lin cleared his throat. \u201cHan has a reputation for cruelty and barbarism. This merely reinforces our perceptions of him.\u201d<\/p>\n Zhang narrowed his eyes. \u201cI see.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut enough of such somber talk,\u201d Lin said. \u201cSurely you didn\u2019t come here to talk about the fight.\u201d<\/p>\n Zhang shook his head. \u201cIndeed. I wish to report that Suchen Temple has been cleared.\u201d<\/p>\n Lin bowed. \u201cThank you. And the wangliang?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey didn\u2019t suffer.\u201d<\/p>\n Huang frowned. Lin simply sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was the best we could hope for,\u201d Lin said.<\/p>\n \u201cThere were humans with the wangliang too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHumans? Really? What were they doing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey were helping the wangliang shaman to summon an infernal spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n Zhang described what he saw. Huang went pale. Lin simply frowned.<\/p>\n \u201cThat is troubling,\u201d Lin said.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you know of any groups who might be cooperating with wangliang? The Tiandi Lianhe Association, perhaps?\u201d<\/p>\n The monks exchanged a glance.<\/p>\n \u201cThe temple needs to be reconsecrated,\u201d Lin said. \u201cYou may have stopped the summoning, but the remaining evil qi<\/em> will darken the minds of humans in the area, and it may allow lesser spirits to leak through from the infernal realm. We must leave at once. Will you escort us?\u201d<\/p>\n The monk was avoiding the question, but in this city the walls had ears. He could revisit the question at the temple.<\/p>\n \u201cI shall be pleased to escort you to the temple,\u201d Zhang said.<\/p>\n Lin beamed. \u201cThank you, Your Excellency.\u201d<\/p>\n Out of deference to the monks, Zhang hired a horse cart. At the foot of the hill, Zhang paid the driver to stay put, and led the monks to the temple. Two men in black armor stood guard at the temple gates. One of them held up his hand.<\/p>\n \u201cHalt! This area is off-limits!\u201d<\/p>\n Zhang produced his medallion. \u201cSergeant Ouyang, it\u2019s me! Ensign Zhang Tianyou!\u201d<\/p>\n Ouyang squinted and smiled. \u201cZhang Wudi<\/em>! It\u2019s good to see you again. What brings you here?\u201d<\/p>\n Zhang led the monks to the guards.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are here to reconsecrate the temple,\u201d Lin said.<\/p>\n Ouyang nodded. \u201cI was wondering when that would happen. It\u2019s a real mess in there. Zhuchi, I\u2019m glad you\u2019re here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the situation?\u201d Zhang asked.<\/p>\n \u201cI have two men on guard in the temple and two more on patrol in the forest. No sign of rebels or yaomo since you left.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally? I was attacked in the city. No one came back here?\u201d<\/p>\n Ouyang frowned. \u201cAttacked? How?\u201d<\/p>\n Zhang recounted the fight. Ouyang rubbed his chin.<\/p>\n \u201cThat is<\/em> strange,\u201d Ouyang said. \u201cIf they knew you were in the city, why weren\u2019t they prepared for your assault on the temple?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps that is why they summoned the infernal spirit,\u201d Lin offered. \u201cIt\u2019s the only reliable way to fight a Shenwujun.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd in case that failed, they had men waiting for me in the city,\u201d Zhang mused.<\/p>\n \u201cSo\u2026we came all the way out here for nothing?\u201d Ouyang asked.<\/p>\n Lin shook his head. \u201cNo. You protected the temple from further desecration. For this, I thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo problem. It\u2019s a nice break from running all over the countryside.\u201d<\/p>\n Zhang followed the monks inside the temple. It was still the same as he had left it. Dried blood caked the walls, floor and ceiling. The totems leered at the men. The stench of death and rot lingered in the air. Huang gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.<\/p>\n \u201cThose…animals!\u201d Huang whispered. \u201cThey dare do this<\/em> to a temple? To the Taifo?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs that so?\u201d Lin asked, and gestured at the broken statue. \u201cIs that the Taifo? Or is that simply a statue of the Taifo?\u201d<\/p>\n Huang closed his eyes and took a deep breath.<\/p>\n \u201cZhuchi, it is a statue of the Taifo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWill destroying a statue destroy the Taifo?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Zhuchi.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo we need a temple to pray to the Taifo? Or can we practice his teachings anywhere?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cZhuchi, we can practice anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery good. Why do we pray to the Taifo?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo show our respect to the Taifo, to cultivate compassion for all sentient beings, and to remind ourselves to walk the Middle Way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo it is. Will destroying a statue or desecrating a temple diminish our respect for the Taifo, cause us to lose compassion for all sentient beings, or make us stray from the Middle Way?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Zhuchi.\u201d<\/p>\n Lin beamed. \u201cWhy, there is no need for anger then, is there?\u201d<\/p>\n Huang smiled gently. \u201cNo, Zhuchi.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExcellent.\u201d Lin clapped his hands. \u201cCome! We have work to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Zhang had helped the monks store their equipment in his interspatial ring. They retrieved bundles of incense sticks, a lamp, a brazier, a pair of vases filled with flowers, and a bell. Together, they cleaned up the altar, removed the offending totems, and placed the lamp, brazier and flowers in front of the statue. Zhang lit the lamp, and Huang ignited the incense sticks.<\/p>\n \u201cYou may pray with us if you like,\u201d Lin said, \u201cbut please remain silent.\u201d<\/p>\n Zhang accepted a bunch of incense sticks and stood well clear of the monks.<\/p>\n Lin rang the bell three times. The monks bowed to the defaced statue. Lin set the bell on the altar, and Huang passed him a few sticks. For a moment, there was silence. Then Lin spoke.<\/p>\n \u201cSentient beings who have passed away in this place, we have come to honor you. May you be free from sorrow and the causes of sorrow. May you be free from suffering and the causes of suffering. May you find peace and be the cause of peace.<\/p>\n \u201cMay the Taifo guide you to the Pure Land, where you may find enlightenment and be liberated from the Wheel of Life. Should you be reborn into an impure land or a lower order of being, may you quickly accumulate sufficient merit to rise above your suffering.<\/p>\n \u201cAway! Away! Be at peace!\u201d<\/p>\n The monks bowed again. One by one, the men placed three sticks of incense in the brazier. Huang and Zhang returned to their positions, while Lin took up the bell. The bell chimed once, and the monks began chanting, invoking the name of the Taifo and a host of other enlightened and divine beings.<\/p>\n Their voices reverberated in the temple, transitioning into a series of sutras. Lin rang the bell at regular intervals, keeping time. Hot ash fell on Zhang\u2019s hand. He blew it off and remained silent. The air grew lighter, the world brighter. A cool breeze blew, carrying away the worst of the odor. The incense covered up the rest. The oppressive qi<\/em> dissipated, leaving only the natural qi<\/em> of the world.<\/p>\n \u201cAway! Away! Be awakened!\u201d<\/p>\n A final chime. The monks bowed once more, and the men inserted their remaining incense sticks into the brazier.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is much work to do,\u201d Lin said. \u201cWe must hire artisans and laborers to repair the damage. Xiao<\/em> Huang, please inspect the exterior of the temple and record any damage you find. I will take care of the interior.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Zhuchi.\u201d<\/p>\n The younger monk left. The elder bowed to Zhang.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you for indulging an old man\u2019s whims.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is no trouble at all, Zhuchi.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNow we may speak freely. I imagine you want to know more about the Tiandi Lianhe Association.\u201d<\/p>\n Zhang nodded. \u201cWhat do you know about them?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe are right across the border from the Union. Yaomo and bandits roamed the land, preying on farmers, merchants and isolated villages. The people formed a self-defense group to protect themselves. But over time…its purpose changed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTen years ago, a man named Han Wenguang joined the Association and rose to the top. He said that we\u2019ve been warring with the Union for over a hundred years, with no end in sight. Instead of fighting them, we should make peace with them. But his idea of \u2018peace\u2019 was fan Yong fu Guang<\/em>. He thought that a restored Guang dynasty would be more willing to make peace with the Union. His ideas were met with widespread support.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy did the people support him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the frontier. Parents regularly send their sons to die along the border. Many bloodlines have ended at the point of a Union spear. Taxes are high, and three-tenths of the grain harvest goes to the military. The people have precious little left, and are desperate enough that they will turn to banditry to support themselves and their families.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat did the bureaucracy do?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNothing. The people have been urging changes in imperial policy for years, but…\u201d<\/p>\n Lin shrugged. To say any more in the presence of a Shenwujun was to risk an automatic death sentence.<\/p>\n Zhang nodded. \u201cAnd what did Han do?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEverything a man shouldn\u2019t. He eliminated all dissent inside the Association, then turned it into a rebel group. He raided Army units for their weapons and supplies, robbed traders and innocent travelers, attacked government officials… But you know all this by now, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, but how did you know all this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was part of the Tiandi Lianhe Association, back when it was only a self-defense force. Almost every able-bodied man was. I rose to the rank of corporal. Then Han sent us out on missions to attack tax collectors and people who criticized the Association. The last straw came when Han proposed a partnership with the frontier wangliang. He said they gifted him a magic sword, and they promised to teach us magic. It was a betrayal of everything we stood for. I exchanged my spear for the robes and never looked back.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe let you leave?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEven Han wouldn\u2019t dare anger the Taifo.\u201d He sighed. \u201cAt least, until recently.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe wangliang must have finally taught him how to summon infernal spirits.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd so, he has discarded the last of his humanity. Such is the fate of those who bargain with infernal spirits.\u201d Lin shook his head. \u201cHe must be stopped.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere can I find him?\u201d<\/p>\n Lin raised an eyebrow. \u201cI don\u2019t know anything about them now. With all your encounters with the Tiandi Lianhe Association, have you not had the opportunity to take one alive?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t have a choice.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI suppose you truly have no living<\/em> enemies, Zhang Wudi<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy bond-spirit grants me her power only so long as I destroy evil.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, but it doesn\u2019t necessarily mean destroying lives, does it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t understand.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEvil intent paired with ability gives rise to evil deeds. Eliminate this evil intent, or take away the ability to act, and you destroy evil. You don\u2019t have always have to resort to violence and killing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI…\u201d Zhang frowned. \u201cI guess I haven\u2019t thought about it that way. Thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re welcome. I\u2019m sorry I couldn\u2019t be of much help.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps you still might. Yaomo and bandits were reported in the Wangzheng valley. Are you familiar with it?\u201d<\/p>\n Lin pursed his lips. \u201cIn my time, we discovered a cave network in Fu Hill. It led through the hill into Union territory. Smugglers and infiltrators used the caves regularly. We built an outpost there to intercept them. The outpost was supposed to have been handed over to the local garrison five years ago, but…\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe rebels have pushed the troops out of the valley,\u201d Zhang finished. \u201cDo you think the Tiandi Lianhe Association might have taken it back?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps. It explains how so many wangliang were able to enter the Empire so easily and so stealthily.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd the wangliang might have rewarded Han by teaching him how to summon infernal spirits,\u201d Zhang said.<\/p>\n \u201cThat might be so.\u201d<\/p>\n Zhang bowed. \u201cThank you for your advice. I must leave.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMay the Taifo watch over you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you also.\u201d<\/p>\n Previous parts: Part 1<\/a>, 2<\/a>, 3<\/a> and 4<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/h1>\n
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