"Wū Yáo has suddenly stopped singing."

The pair stared down the courtyard back towards the markets where Làng Wū Yáo was once singing to counteract the sorcerous blade's power. They didn't have the Sorrowful Soul in their possession, but someone did. It was possible Làng had claimed the blade for himself from whoever had stolen it, but something told the both of them that wasn't the case.

"Someone else is there," Mù Tien Ming observed.

"Likely one with the sword," Shāng Bù Huàn agreed. The sound of the horn earlier indicated the imperial troops were still some ways away. Still there was no less a sense of urgency. If Làng had become injured, he would have no way to fend off imperial forces alone and that simply wouldn't do.

They dashed forward, out of the building and through the courtyard. Quickly they were greeted by the noisy sound of cicadas attempting to flush them out of the pathway. Hundreds upon hundreds buzzed like a noisy barricade attempting to hald their advances.

"You will not have him!" an unfamiliar voice on the other side of the wall declared. "This bard is mine!"

Something was wrong. The voice was unknown and there were no sounds of fighting. Mù had barely heard the voice of the pipa screeching about something or someone, but still no sounds of music or sonic blasts. Pulling the guqin off her back, Mù blasted through the cicadas and pushed her way into the marketplace, Shāng managing to dive through before the wall closed up again. The townsfolk had cleared out of the way but Làng himself lay curled up on his side with Líng Yá tucked under his arm and pain etched across what little was visible of his face.

"Like hell he's yours, you buggy bitch!" Líng Yá screeched as Yīn Xiàtiān approached the fallen musician.

"No one needs a noisy instrument like you!" the cicada lady hissed, stabbing her heel into the pipa then moving to swiftly kick Líng Yá far across the courtyard.

Shāng leapt forward, catching Líng Yá before being pushed backwards by another swarm of cicadas. "Who is that? What happened in the last few moments?"

"That insect bitch did something to Làng!" Líng Yá explained poorly. "Something buzzed in his head and he couldn't hear anymore!"

"With his acute hearing, that must've been unbearable." Mù frowned. "She must be one of Huò Shì Míng Huáng's minions. But to overpower Wū Yáo that much?"

"He kept thinking It's loud! It's inside my head! like he had a bug in his head!" Líng Yá seethed. "That cicada freak did something to him! His knees went weak and he fell off the roof!"

"I didn't expect the insect assassins to be that precise so fast, but perhaps it was simply a lucky shot," Shāng frowned.

"Lucky or not, she wants to cage him up! Like hell I'll let her do that!" the pipa hissed.

"And neither will we." Shāng placed the pipa on his back. He had seen that forlorn expression Làng once wore. He wore it after they took him to the southern reaches on their journey and even after that as he'd left to stay in the mountains. The musician no longer had that look, now able to live his own life and travel with them. And some Huò Shì Míng Huáng lackey was now threatening to take that away.

Shāng couldn't always understand what Làng was thinking, but he was absolutely certain being caged up and forced to sing for another evil woman was not on Làng's to-do list.

He glanced at Mù. "If she likes songs, think you can distract her?"

"Definitely," Mù nodded, leaping to the side and running along the town wall. Pulling the strings of her guqin, she flung several sonic attacks to defeat the cicadas threatening to swarm her. The bug lady hadn't yet fled with Làng. He was still laying on the ground as she took her time to admire him while her bugs did all the work.

Mù shuddered. This was beyond the enthralling effect Làng's voice had. This was pure obsession. She didn't want to think what Yīn would actually do to him if they let her kidnap him.

But even worse, Yīn held an unusual sword in her hand. The Sorrowful Soul, Mù reasoned. There was a chance she would use the sword on Làng as well. She wouldn't put it past one of those bug assassins to do something low like that, especially one who had become so obsessed.

Mù pulled the strings, flinging sonic attacks at the creepy bug lady and pushing her away from Làng. The redhead had moved only slightly, just enough to curl a hand over his ear as blood trickled down his cheek. Whatever was affecting him was still doing so and badly. They had to treat him before he lost his hearing permanently.

Between the approaching imperial army and now an obsessive cicada assassin and Làng's bleeding ear, the situation really had turned for the worst. But when was anything easy when collecting sorcerous weapons and keeping them away from assassins and a sadistic imperial army?

"I will make him mine!" Yīn declared as she landed on the nearby stall. Drawing the Sorrowful Soul over her shoulder, she slashed an attack towards Làng, frowning as the musician suddenly rolled away.

He barely felt alive, the noise ringing incessantly in his head as he forcefully willed himself to move. He couldn't hear a thing but he could still see it in a way. He had his hand on the ground, feeling the vibrations around him. It was hardly as detailed as the usual way he understood the world, but it was still sufficient enough.

On the buildings to his left stood Mù, her stance poised for battle.

On the right was Yīn still holding the sorcerous sword. Her stance read unnerved now that she was faced with two other people.

Behind him was Shāng. Something said that he had Líng Yá now that the musician couldn't find the pipa.

But something in the distance troubled him. It was noisy, the sound of many feet urgently rushing towards the town. Imperials. He'd heard the horn before his hearing became affected. They were certainly closing in fast, but there were now signs of battle within the town's walls. They likely had picked up their pace to catch the villain in the act, or so the Hunting Fox would say.

Làng attempted to push himself up but his balance was completely shot. There was something in his ear, and his legs still felt weak. That had to be where the noise was coming from, inside his ear. Just what did the cicada assassin do to him without him even noticing? She had been in the crowd for some time while Làng sorted out the real malice from the enthralled. There was a possibility something landed on him when he was dodging thrown bowls and pots.

Mù landed next to him, placing a hand on his back as he collapsed back to the ground. She knew he couldn't hear her right now, but a gentle hand would be enough to tell him that he wasn't alone. He likely had already heard her approach given that he was still semiconscious with a hand pressed against the ground.

Yīn flung several attacks at Mù, even with her next to Làng. Crouched down beside him, she used the guqin to deflect the attacks from the Sorrowful Soul and protect them both. They still weren't completely sure how that sword affected people. Làng could have darkness filling his heart if he were hit, not that he'd be able to do anything about it with the buzzing in his ears.

Làng grasped the edge of Mù's robe tightly as he clasped a hand over his ear with the other. It was unbearably painful and he could still feel the blood trickle down his face. With the dizzying effects and that weakness in his lower body, he found himself barely able to channel qi to heal his ear. The world felt sideways, and he felt like he'd expended an excessive amount of qi somehow. Why was it getting louder? What was this thing?! He grasped his ear tightly. He had to do something to make this stop but how?

"A musician greatly values his hearing," Mù pointedly informed Yīn. "You're taking his song away from him."

Yīn laughed shrilly. "I could take the noise away at any time, if he'd just agree to sing for me alone! But if he doesn't, then he'll hear the buzzing until he does!"

"Everyone should be allowed to hear a beautiful song!" Mù jabbed a finger at Yīn. Not that she was certain Làng could sing for anyone but their small group now. She didn't have to mention that part.

Even when they had first met and Làng was still singing at the taverns, when they sang together, Làng looked so peaceful. But the moment he stopped, his face had twisted into that forlorn knot he tried to hide behind his hair. He was miserable, music the only way he could express what he was feeling deep inside. Music was everything to Làng, and there was no way Mù would allow some assassin to take that away from him.

Mù pulled the guqin strings, deflecting the attacks as Yīn angrily attempted to attack them both with the Sorrowful Soul. Mù wasn't there to attack offensively. She was the distraction. The offensive was now approaching from behind, wooden sword drawn as he swung it widely.

Yīn barely heard the approach in her obsessive ire, leaping to the next roof as she pulled a wall of cicadas in front of her as a defense. Another attack came from Mù this time, threatening to knock Yīn off the roof. She seethed. These two were a thorn in her side, keeping her from her red singing treasure.

"Sword-plundering Nemesiiiiis!"

Shāng frowned sharply. More trouble. They must've spotted him from the roofs, approaching faster than expected. But when a sorcerous sword was involved, that Hunting Fox was sure to follow especially when said sword was a plant to commit war crimes. He could just hear Líng Yá shouting about this being a trap. Well it would've been a simple task if Yīn Xiàtiān hadn't shown up. That assassin sure had mucked up the entire thing.

Yīn took the distraction as an opportunity to quickly shadow step away, over the wall, and disappear into the woods with one of her prizes in her hands. She would return for the songbird later.

Shāng scoffed. Had the situation been different, he would've pursued Yīn but there were more important things at hand. More important people. He leapt off the building, handing Líng Yá to Mù. "We need to retreat."

Mù nodded, taking Líng Yá into her arms after slinging her guqin over her back. Retrieving the sword was important but leaving Làng behind was unacceptable.

Shāng carefully hoisted Làng over his shoulder, feeling the musician quickly grip his robes. Làng was in terrible pain. They had to treat this quickly else he might not survive.

"Stop right there, Shāng Bù Huàn!" the Hunting Fox pointed accusingly at him. "Return the swords and the musician you stole!"

"Neither is your property!" Shāng shouted over his shoulder.

"Like we'll ever surrender to you, you smug ass bastard!" Líng Yá jeered.

Shāng and Mù leapt into the air, the latter turning and firing off several sonic bursts using Líng Yáo as the medium. The attack kicked up dust and flung the fallen noodle bowls at the imperial soldiers who attempted to follow them as they disappeared over the wall and into the forest just beyond.

"Damn you, Shāng Bù Huàn!" Xiào Kuáng Juàn screeched, gritting his teeth. "Search every inch of that forest! Find them!"

...

Author's musings

Something is up with those cicadas. Hopefully Lang's hearing will be okay!