Legend of The Young Master

Chapter 175: My Plan

The man who called himself Talon, the leader of the Talons in the area, arrived from the west. His face was partially concealed by a fine silk hood, transitioning into an ornate half-face iron mask. He wore a dark knee-length tunic, embroidered with intricate designs of creatures, blending silk and sturdy cotton for both mobility and status.

Instead of the usual Western hose, he wore wide flowing trousers, tied at his waist with a sash that subtly indicated his rank through its unique pattern and color. His footwear consisted of traditional cloth boots with flexible soles, ideal for silent movement.

Unlike his members, this Talon wore no conspicuous badge of rank and carried no flashy weapons—only a single, elegantly crafted sword with a jade-inlaid hilt and a sleek, powerful recurved bow, typical of Talons. Neither short nor tall, his greying beard peeked out from under his mask, proclaiming his age.

Accompanying him were a dozen men, each armed with long yew bows, sheaves of arrows and swords..

JianFeng came from the south, where he had roamed the woods with his Yingmo demon kin, observing the Royal Army's advance up the Xiang River. A fifty-mile run through the woods had not winded him. The wave of fear that he projected made the hardened Talons fold their arms; even Luding felt his power. With him were just two of his mighty people – his brother Nianzu, and his sister Zinni.

Each was the size of a war horse with jaggedly pointed faces, inlaid brow ridges, beautiful eyes, long, heavy, muscular legs, long arms tipped with bone scythes, and elegant, scaled tails. With them came one of the most dangerous living demonics that Wuyis group feared - a flying serpent from the north woods; Jixue.

His people had borne the greatest losses, and his anger was betrayed in bright red spots that moved like flickering fire on the surface of his smooth black skin.

From the east came a party of nomadic men; led by Wenyin Liancheng of the nomads. They had harried the suburbs of Xiang, taken a hundred prisoners, and were now ready to return home. Such was the way of the Nomads– to raid and then slip away. Wenyin Liancheng was as old as a man could be and still lead Nomad warriors – his skin betrayed his age.

He was hairless, painted a metallic grey that gleamed like silver in the light. He was the rarest of Nomads– a Qi adept. A leader, warrior, and a great song-maker among his people, the old man was a living legend.

Huajun was the chief paramount of the demonic group that men called the Swampling. His thorax emanated a vibrant shade of green, reminiscent of lush swamp foliage, while his limbs mirrored the murky depths, cloaked in hues of swampy brown. Standing tall like a man, he exuded an aura of primal power, with energy pulsating around his mouth, far surpassing that of his lower-caste counterparts.

In contrast to others of his kind, the Swampling boasted superior natural armor, seamlessly fused with carefully crafted armor from distant Eastern lands. This armor, meticulously riveted to his carapace, formed a symbiotic bond with his living form, enhancing his formidable presence in the swamp.

Clutching a pair of imposing great swords, forged by human hands but wielded with the finesse of a seasoned warrior, he embodied strength and dominance in his domain. A horn, proudly worn at his waist, symbolized his authority and prowess among his kin.

Luding was pleased they had come, and he offered wine and Qi nectar take from dark mountain.

"We have taken heavy losses, and suffered costly victories and humiliating defeats," Luding began. He left it there – the fact of defeat.

"The Nomads have won a great victory in the east," said the painted man. The other warriors with him grunted their approval.

"They have, indeed, paid a great price," Luding acknowledged. Above them, the stars were rising, casting a spectacular display of light across the blue-black sky of late evening. However, their meeting was not illuminated by fire, as few creatures of the demonic wild held an affinity for it. Luding gestured toward the heavens.

"The Nomads and the denizens of the demonic wild are not as plentiful as the stars," he remarked. "And many Nomads met their end at the Crossings of the Kotter."

Huajun sighed, signifying the squandering of valuable warrior resources, which were not easily replaced and lacked a clearly defined target. His disapproval was palpable. Wenyin Liancheng shrugged. "When you hold dominion over the nomads, you may dictate their conflicts," he remarked. The Swampling lord emitted a snorting noise of anger. Luding grunted, and both lords settled into a tense silence.

JianFeng spoke, his Demon voice high and badly pitched – a shock from such a large and beautiful creature. "I blame you, Luding." Luding had not expected a direct challenge and began to gather Qi. JianFeng reached out a long forearm and pointed. "We each act under your order – but we do not mesh. We are not together. No Swampling stand with the Nomads.

No Swampling climb with the serpents when we fly against the enemies. Flying Serpent and Yingmo and Swampling fight the same foe in the same woods, but no creature goes to the support of the other. Brother of mine died with Swampling a few hands away."

Luding considered this – full of power, ready for the challenge that criticism usually led to, he was not at his most rational. "You have armed yourself against me," whined the great Demon. At least, his every utterance sounded like a whine. "Yet I challenge you not, someone who Once Was righteous Man." Luding let some of the QI he had gathered dissipate.

Several demonic insect-like creatures, dispatched by the great demon tree reigning over the southeast, were drawn to gather Qi, as they habitually were enticed by sheer potency. Known as demonic tree seeds, these insects were finger-sized and brimming with Qi.

Zinni seized one from the air and consumed it, triggering the ominous aura of the demon tree's curse as the tiny entity disappeared down her throat. Huajun nodded approvingly. "Strong indeed. Well chosen."

Talon of Talons shuddered. To most men, the killing of demonic tree seeds was sacrilege. He spat. "Luding, we are here for one reason only. You promised us you'd defeat the righteous nobles. For that, we have gathered every bow from our region.

Our people suffer under those lords' hammers this summer so that we can defeat them. And yet, the king's army comes closer and closer." Talon scowled. "When will we fight?"

"You are a deadly secret, Talon of Talons," Luding nodded. "Your long poison arrows will be the death of many Qi warriors, and your men – you said yourself they must stay hidden. They will emerge from decades in the shadows at the right moment, when we play for everything. I will face the king and his army on the ground of my choosing. You will be there."

He turned to the Yingmos. "I am guilty of sending each of you to fight your own foes in your own way. This still seems wise to me. Between Swampling and nomad, there is no friendship. The Talons have no love for any creature of the demonic wild. Every beast in the woods fears the Yingmos." He tried taste a dollop of Qi nectar from dark mountains .

"We should have triumphed by now, and I feel the strong hand of fate on the rim of our shield. I command that you all take more care." He had lowered his voice and imbued it with Qi from the air around him and the store he held for emergencies, and in case the Demons challenged him. "Obey me, now. We will not fight the king at Xiang. We let our early victory spread us too far, dissipate our strength.

Let JianFeng watch the king and eat his horses. No more. Let Huajun withdraw from Xiang. Offer no battle. Let the Nomad and the demonics fall back to their camps here. Let the Talons sharpen their bodkins.

Our day approaches, and the king will never reach Yushan."

JianFeng nodded. "This is more to my liking," he hissed. "One mighty fight, and a rending of flesh."

Luding forced a piece of a smile – it seemed to crack the bones around his mouth – and all but the Demons quailed. "We will scarcely need to fight," he said. "But when they have fought among themselves, you may rend their flesh to your heart's content."

JianFeng nodded. "Such is always your way, Luding.Are you certain? I have difficulty fighting battles i with these humans by my side.."

Luding hated being questioned, and his anger rose. "You fear defeat before a single spear is cast?"

The great Demon stood his ground. "Yes," he said. "I have seen many defeats, and many empty victories; my hide bears the scars, and my nest is empty where it should be full. Both of my cousins have died in the last moon – one by the red warrior of the dark sun, and one with his soul ripped from him by their cruel pavilions witches." He looked around. "Who will come to my aid?

You expect treason – and I agree that humans are born to betray each other. But many will fight, and fight bitterly. This is their way! So I say – who will come to my aid?"

"Have you finished whining?" Luding bellowed.

Talon squared his shoulders. "If it is your unshared plan that the mighty Demons face the king, then my comrades and I will be honored to share the danger with our scaled allies."

Luding wanted to scream in frustration. My plan is my plan. I will not share it with the likes of you. But he narrowed his eyes, banished the bile of anger from his great heart, and nodded.