Legend of The Young Master

Chapter 162: Refugees

When Wuyi sensed same thing again. He was ready for it this time, and he reached into the sacred chamber—there, his statues were glowing. He sat down below the Statue of Harmony. A message reached him, "He is looking for you. His identity is unknown, but he is seeking knowledge, the power of hi Qi that is darker than black. A demonic path being"

Wuyi nodded.

"How do you know it's him and from the demonic path? Don't righteous cultivate different dark Qi's " he asked.

"The Shadow Deity craves the energy, and the being has cast spells many times tonight." Wuyi was hearing for the first time how the statues referred to themselves; they called themselves deities.

"We can try to swallow the energy, but it is too potent," the Statue of Harmony communicated.

He smiled. "I'm not interested. Sounds like too much hard work."

Wuyi heard some kind of knock. He looked at the source of the sound. Some distance from him the chamber wall appeared ethereal, and there was someone outside the wall a being who was trying to break through it. This sent shivers down Wuyi's spine.

"Is it the specter?" Wuyi asked.

The Statue of Harmony communicated in disagreement, "Unlikely. The Knowledge Deity deduced it's the being that the specter serves."

"What should I do?" Wuyi asked.

"Channel Qi through us so the chamber is strengthened."

"How do I do that?" Wuyi inquired.

"Do as instructed," the statue communicated.

Wuyi nodded, got up, and approached the door. He saw the black silhouette trying very hard to get inside. He touched the wall, imagining it as thick and strong as fortress walls. Energy from the statues flowed toward him and through him, reaching the wall. It strengthened in a few breaths' time.

The walls of the chamber solidified from being ethereal to appearing real, and the silhouette trying to break through disappeared.

He heard communication from the Statue of Harmony, "We need more energy."

Wuyi nodded and left the chamber, pale as a sheet. This exertion seemed to be an endless journey. Somehow, he returned to his chambers and immediately went to sleep.

He woke still tired. He got up, called for Dong, and stumbled to his wash basin. Dong came in, chewing on some food, and began to lay out Wuyi's clothes. He moved warily, and Wuyi, noticing his averted gaze, assumed something was wrong. Whatever it was, Wuyi would have to figure it out himself.

"What news, Dong?" Wuyi asked.

"Swamplings in the fields," the boy said, and went back to chewing.

"Where's Jia?" Wuyi asked, when no one came to help him with his Qi armor.

Dong looked away. "At the pavilion's temple, I reckon."

"Only if the heavens came and visited Jia in person last night, then maybe he would. I doubt he is attending temple prayers," Wuyi said. These kids knew from a young age what to hide and what not to. Dong wasn't to blame, but the boy idolized Jia and wasn't going to rat him out.

Wuyi pointed to his Qi armor and started dressing up. He didn't call for Jia until he was sure he wouldn't be able to manage on his own. When the young man still wasn't there, he nodded to Dong. "I'm going to go find him," he said.

Dong looked terrified. "I'll go, Young Master!"

Wuyi sighed. "We can go together," he said, and his legs took him out of the room and down the hall to the courtyard where Jia slept.

Dong tried to beat him to the door, but a combination of shorter legs and less cultivation kept him behind.

Wuyi flung the heavy door open.

Jia leaped from his bedroll, a long dagger in his right fist. He was naked. So was the beautiful young girl he shielded behind him.

"Jia?" Wuyi spoke..

Jia blushed. The blush started just above his stomach, ran over his chest, and up his neck to his face. "Oh my God— young master, I'm so sorry—"

Wuyi looked at the girl. Her blush was even brighter.

"That's our clothes maid,I believe" Wuyi Sighed. Many females serve the pavilion with the hope of being accepted as a pavilion apprentice. He said. He raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps 'maid' is the wrong word, given the circumstances."

She hid her head.

"Get dressed, Jia. It's full light, and when that poor young woman walks down the steps to the courtyard, every person in the fortress will know where she's been; either with you, with me, or with Dong. Perhaps with all three.."

Jia was trying to put his dagger away. "I love her!" he exclaimed.

"Wonderful. That love is about to bring down a mountain of consequences that may end with you no longer being in my attendant," Wuyi said angrily.

"At least she's not an apprentice!" Jia retorted.

That stopped Wuyi. He sighed deeply, going from a distant, weary amusement to a flat desire to really beat sense into his attendant. He was struggling not to look for a cane, or use his fists, or his power.

Jia took a step back, and Dong positioned himself between Wuyi and the attendant.

Strong arms suddenly tried to tap Wuyi's shoulder from behind, but before the hand could touch him, Wuyi moved and reappeared behind the person.

"Whoa!" Baijian said. "Whoa there!"

While Baijian was being surprised by Wuyi's agility.Jia was apologising.

"I am sorry," Jia said, his voice trembling. The maid cowered in the corner.

Wuyi sighed and spoke to Baijian, "My idiot attendant deflowered a local virgin, for sport." He took a deep breath.

"I love her!" Jia shouted, his voice high and whiny with fear.

"Like for real truly?," Baijian said, grinning. "I love all the women I sleep with, too. She's just one of the pavilion sluts. No damage done."

The maid burst into tears.

Wuyi shook his head. "The pavilion mistress—" he began.

Baijian nodded. "Yes. She won't take it well."

He looked at Jia. "I won't ask what you were thinking, because I can guess well enough."

"Get him out of my sight," Wuyi ordered. "Dong, get the girl dressed and see if you can get her out of here without everyone seeing."

Dong nodded soberly. "Yes," he said, eager to help. Dong didn't like it when his heroes were angry, especially not with each other.

Wuyi had a headache, and the day hadn't even properly started. "What are you doing here, anyway?" he asked Baijian.

"Meiying has a group of warriors out, and there are remnants of a convoy in Bridge Fort," Baijian replied. "Bad news."

An hour later, Meiying reported, handing a child down off the saddlebow of her horse and bowing crisply to Wuyi.

"Twenty-three wagons. All burned. Sixty corpses found, not yet ripe, and not much of a fight," she shrugged. "Slightly chewed." She lowered her voice, as there were dozens of people in earshot, all looking for news. "Many eaten down to sinew and bone, Young Master."

Wuyi touched his chin thoughtfully, looked at the desperate people surrounding his horse, and knew that any morale won by his raids on the enemy camp was now dissipated in a fresh wave of terror.

"Back to your work," Wuyi called.

"We have no work!" a man shouted, and the crowd in the courtyard rumbled angrily.

Wuyi had mounted his horse in anticipation of taking out a patrol. He just wanted to roam around a bit to see—anything to distract him. But these refugees and victims were souring his mood.

He nodded to Jin. "Go north, and move fast. You know what we want."

He swung one foot over his horse's back and slid down. "Yun Ming, Meiying, on me. The rest of you—well done. Get some rest."

He led them inside. Jia dismounted too, looking as furious as Wuyi felt, having lost an opportunity to substitute honest fear for nagging terror. He clearly knew that he now had no chance to expiate his sin. Nevertheless, he took his own horse and Wuyi's and headed for the stable without any untoward comments.

Elder Yueli—the heaviest and thus most easily identified of the Elders—was passing through the courtyard with a basket of sweet potatoes for the children. Wuyi caught her eye and waved.

"The Pavilion mistress will want to hear this," he said to her. She handed him a potato with a look that might have curdled milk—a look of blanket disapproval. Underneath it was a slip of thin sheet.

Meet me tonight.

He knew who it was from—his summer romance. But this was not the time for it.

The Pavilion mistress came to him soon after. He had just stripped off his armored cloak and was going to place it on the sideboard. Meiying took it from him, and he turned to find the Pavilion mistress, hands clasped loosely in front of her, wimple starched and perfect, eyes bright.

Wuyi had to smile, but she did not return it.

He sighed. "We've lost another convoy coming to the fair—six li to the west, near the Xiang stronghold. More than sixty are dead. The survivors are panicking your people, and they aren't helping mine much," he sighed. "Among them are refugees from Xiang town, which, I am sorry to report, has fallen to the Demonics, it seems."