Chapter 11: The Tale of Wang Jin- An Empire with Kings

Outside Shi Family Village, 102 Leagues From Dongjing, Third Age Year 1934

"The shabby-looking carriage, of course," Wang Jin said matter-of-factly, "the fellow driving it carries a podao (sabre-on-a-stick) and their horses seem to be the most trained."

Silence ensued.

"... daughter, if you want me gone, just leave me in the village," contemptuously muttered Wang Sheng, "I would rather not die in some random forest after we get robbed."

Shi Jin also looked displeased, adding, "your student understands your desire for discretion but still would like to know... why, Master?"

"Your father filled you in on my situation? Good... But student, just think. Look carefully first at the red wagon. What's the weapon the driver's carrying?"

Shi Jin squinted at the scholar, darting his eyes to search for anything that would hint as to why Wang Jin held little consideration for him. The scholar immediately looked around and pointed to himself in confusion. Wang Jin dismissively waved, shaking her head at the scholar... which confused him a little more.

"A sword," Shi Jin muttered, then asked, "but we can both fight, Master. Also, would we even need to should they use the main road? It is a punishment worthy of exile, after all."

"Well... I'm glad you recognized that swords are a prime target for robberies. But do you think I want to take any chances with my Ma inside the carriage?" Wang Jin responded, gesturing towards her mother.

"Hmph!" grunted Wang Sheng, slowly raising and shaking her wrinkly fist, "you think I can't still fight, whelp? Have you forgotten who taught you, already?"

Nope, thought Wang Jin immediately but knew that this automatic response she would have made 10 years ago would greatly increase her mother's temper. A mere decade ago, her mother bore no wrinkles, had hair as black as a raven's, possessed both large thigh and shoulder muscles, and showed a gait that commanded respect. Now, however, she dared not think of the contrast with her mother now.

Truthfully, there was another reason outside of the fact that her mother was not even a hundredth of the warrior she was when Wang Jin was a babe. Besides the clear atrophy in her mother's shoulder and thigh muscles, hair whitening by the day, skin becoming more akin to a raisin, and a posture steadily bending forwards.

"Is it selfish that I don't want to part from you this soon, Ma?" responded Wang Jin, eyes tightening in a sorrowful expression, "did the healers not say..."

"... yes," her mother said, cutting her off, though lowering her fist and choosing not to look at her daughter, "... yes it is. Though... I appreciate your concern."

Shi Jin then interrupted, "again, the East-West Road though. Would we really get robbed on it?"

Wang Jin sighed, inwardly thankful that her student changed the subject, then she clarified, "I want us to get to Cangzhou quickly; the old roads have a more direct route."

She knew an influential person named Lord Chai who lived in the city, the one who met with her father years ago before the latter was sent to the Last Desert's garrison; Wang Jin wanted to find out if Lord Chai was still there.

"Well I guess we won't be traveling with the dwarf then," commented Wang Sheng, "... the ponies do look cute though. Look at their fluffy feet..."

The dwarf in question was angry that the human scholar was asking him if he recognized the people that were staring at them, angrily pointing at the human scholar and saying biting growls in Khuzdul.

Wang Jin gave a wry look at the perplexed human scholar looking down at the dwarf, the scholar struggling to speak in Khuzdul, "I was more concerned about our lack of knowledge in Dwarfese, or whatever language they call it. Dwarves are some of the best hagglers and economists in the lands, you know?"

"Khuzdul!" shouted the dwarf, glaring at Wang Jin.

"Yes, well, that's the language and I dare not mispronounce it," Wang Jin said nonplussed, "awfully good ears that dwarf."

"But Master, does not that man with the red hair look kind of... suspicious?" Shi Jin asked, squinting towards the crimson-haired person, who had folded his hands on his chest while tapping his foot on the ground as if annoyed at the group for making him wait, "the skin, the hair, the clothing... the glare."

Wang Jin's eye twitched, finding the description too familiar, "... well I am ecstatic to know you find me suspicious too! Know who exactly is training you... fool!"

"... always looking down on our skin, and I am no poet so do not expect a rhyme!" Wang Sheng added, glaring at Shi Jin, as she also had tanned skin. Shi Jin gave a sideways look at her. Meanwhile, the dwarf, offended by some statement from the scholar, had stomped on one of the human's feet, causing the scholar to start yelping in agony.

"Aaah! Help! I'm being assaulted!" cried the scholar.

Shi Jin prioritized his own safety first. He put his hands up in denial, "no Master... it's not like you have red hair... Stop looking at me like that! I'm not saying... Some of my friends..." Wang Jin flexed and twitched her left hand in such a way as to crack her knuckles, making him quickly add, "I mean just overall... the hair... it looks like... never mind! Forget I said anything."

Shi Jin looked around desperately, then pointed at the angry dwarf, who had stomped on the other scholar's foot, causing the scholar to fall on the ground, "should we not save him, Master?"

"Ow! AAAHH!" yelled the scholar.

"Kha! Zâd! Ai! Mênu!" the dwarf yelled after each stomp of the scholar's four limbs.

"There are few graver insults than mocking the language of the Dwarves. Helping this scholar does not benefit us," replied Wang Jin dismissively, "dwarves have long memories and I'd rather not have a trailing regiment tail us. Do you not remember that tale with the elven king who was hacked to pieces because they gave the lowest of lowball offers in exchange for a service?"

"GOOD CHOICE! And we'll remember those grievances ALWAYS!" shouted the dwarf as he began kicking the scholar in the stomach amidst the scholar's screams.

"... I remember," Shi Jin said, giving an apologetic look towards the scholar, "they made a 'necklace' of the elven king's entrails and strangled them if I recall... It was a disgusting tale. But, for a person as tall as they were, they should have carried a polearm. The reach alone would have been ridiculous and the elven king would have been unstoppable in battle."

"and you'll end up with the same fate, polearm or no, student, should you ever greatly offend the dwarves. And... Shi Jin, I think I will forget you said anything. For your safety, of course," Wang Jin said with a huff as she walked towards the thatched carriage, "so just drive the wheelbarrow and follow my lead... or we shall re-enact that scene with you playing the part of the elven king."

"Y-yes Master!" Shi Jin said, exhaling quickly. The dwarf then stomped on the scholar's hands, specifically the fingers, and other open limbs as the scholar vainly tried to shield himself.

"C-curse... you... all," the scholar grunted, "I... GAAH... will... rem- this!"

Both Wang Jin and Wang Sheng ignored the scholar's warning while Shi Jin held a rather nervous look as he hesitated, but still in the end followed the pair.

As the group approached the thatched carriage, the Crimson-Haired Carriage Driver shook his head, saying in his dialect, "about time y'all arrived, I was gonna drive off without ya."

The driver opened the door to the back of the carriage and placed a stepping stone to allow for one to easily climb onto the vehicle, "weren't sure if y'all were lost kine or my passengers. Well, except for you, young lady."

"I do try to make a good first impression," responded Wang Jin with the barest of smiles.

"Oh really?" the Crimson-Haired Carriage Driver asked with a frown, "cause second impressions count more in my work. Ya think I didn't hear your whelp insult my hair?"

Wang Jin counted to three in her head as she closed her eyes. She turned her eyes to Shi Jin, saying, "you go ahead and compensate this nice man. I will move our possessions on the carriage."

"Umm..." awkwardly began the student, "I swear on my honor that I did not mean any insult in regards to..."

… and while the three had begun moving their items onto the carriage, the dwarf had robbed the scholar of all his possessions (besides the carriage), leaving only the scholar's sword behind.

Now, this was completely unexpected.

The interior of the carriage was completely different than what it looked like on the outside. For one, the ceiling, sides, and floor were made of bronze. Covering the metal was complex artwork depicting various tales and legends from antiquity. The square window openings were covered in layered silk curtains. The bench seats were soft but the backrest was rigid, and there was plenty of room to store their belongings and still have enough leg room to relax. This was no ordinary carriage befitting peasants and merchants; it was fit for a ruler.

More specifically an Emperor of the Eastern Empire. Not a carriage for the current ruling family, however, but rather befitting the First Emperors of the Eastern Empire one thousand years ago. She knew this because Wang Jin, during her free time in the capital, had studied the beginning of the Empire. In particular, how a king's eighth concubine became the First Emperor, the Mother of the Empire. Because it was written in Classical Easternese, it was very difficult to understand the writing. Luckily, there was art that aided her understanding of the subject. Among the various topics included drawings of these long-distance carriages as the rulers surveyed their own land from the comfort of these vehicles.

Wang Jin hated to admit it, but Shi Jin was right (for completely different reasons, of course). The driver was suspicious... Or at least, more than he seemed.

"You chose well, daughter," commented Wang Sheng, smiling as she happily sighed, seating herself on the comfortable bench.

"... I guess you can't judge a carriage by its cover," muttered Shi Jin.

"Learn that lesson well, Shi Jin," commented Wang Jin, "a sandy emerald is worth more than its beach."

"... Shi Jin will remember your wisdom for eternity!" proclaimed Shi Jin, clasping his hands and bowing.

She smiled inwardly. As years of mentoring apprentices passed, one thing Wang Jin improved at was making up idioms and metaphors.

There was a plop noise in the front as the Crimson-Haired Carriage Driver sat in his driver's seat. He turned around, awkwardly giving a wave to the group at the back.

"We'll be taking the Old Roads, you three. Cangzhou is far away so get used to sittin' in this here carriage. If ya want to relieve yourself, lemme know, cause you'll be cleaning any messes you make in here! The roads'll get rocky, but this thing is durable; you'll hardly feel a thing! Questions?"

Shi Jin raised his hand. Wang Jin closed her eyes hoping he would not ask the question she thought he was going to ask.

"If I may ask, fine sir," Shi Jin asked politely, "where did you purchase this magnificent carriage?"

Oh for the love of-! thought Wang Jin.

"Nunya," responded the Crimson-Haired Carriage Driver, whose mouth twitched.

Shi Jin looked rather confused while Wang Jin slapped her own forehead.

"A strange name... where may I ask is this 'Nunya'?"

"... Nunya business! Gwahahaha!" laughed the Crimson-Haired Carriage Driver.

Shi Jin audibly groaned while Wang Sheng chuckled. Wang Jin exhaled a few times.

"Just... drive the damn carriage, carriage driver," said Wang Jin, wishing that she could just place a gag over her student.

The Crimson-Haired Carriage Driver's laughter stopped as he gave a glare over at the former Head Arms Instructor.

"Sure thing," he said, "... jackass."

"How dare-!" Shi Jin began saying, only to be stopped by the former Head Arms Instructor.

"No, student," Wang Jin commanded, looking him in the eyes. Shi Jin looked away, scowling, focusing his attention on the floor of the carriage.

"Hehe, good to have somebody with thick skin on board! Gahahaha!" the Crimson-Haired Carriage Driver laughed, closing the curtain.

Wang Jin tried to focus on the covered window to her left, wondering whether they should have just hijacked the scholar's carriage and not put up with this nonsense. But it was pointless in attacking the crimson-haired driver because of the unpredictable stallions. They were oddly still as if they were highly trained or highly loyal. Those steeds, therefore, could pose a problem itself and since the group was already inside the carriage, they were at the whim of the driver.

Instead, as the carriage moved, she looked at Shi Jin opening one of the silk curtains to peek at his village, his home for most of his life. Wang Jin supposed that he saw that the sun had moved more west, but had not yet reached its peak. The unremarkable wooden houses with straw-thatched roofs would slowly fade in the distance, melding within the surrounding forest.

Shi Jin was still a mystery to her, but not like his very distant cousin, Shi Wengong. Wang Jin could quickly determine someone's potential when in their company for an hour. The latter was akin to a many-layered orange, or a fruit with a thick hard shell that protected the sweet pulp inside. Wang Jin feared that Shi Jin was like an onion. That no matter how many layers he appeared to have, no matter how much effort it would take to peel and ignore the stench that would make her cry, the inside was absolutely nothing. More fit to be cut up and spread out upon some greater dish, but cannot be eaten by itself, let alone raw.

Wang Jin appreciated a good challenge but teaching this student in particular... She was confident he could master weapons easily. But everything else...

She wondered if she should even put an effort into improving his other aspects. Perhaps a hands-off elven approach would be best for him to improve his wisdom.

140 Leagues from Dongjing, Outside of an Abandoned Temple on a Hill

She knew something was off as soon as the carriage began shaking and moving upwards.

Wang Jin opened the silk curtains revealing a darkening sky as the sun had just set in the West, though scattered light still lit an ever-darkening sky. There was no hint of moonlight anywhere, marking the beginning of the new month. Even if the moon were out, she noticed a gathering of thick clouds that was slowly creeping over. It would be pitch-black this evening, which would not necessarily be a problem if they were planning on resting in a village. Villages had torches. But she saw the vehicle slightly tilt as it moved upwards on the ground, scattered rocks and thin grass beginning to overtake the road. These were not the old roads and given that they were going up... Wang Jin had a growing suspicion about where exactly they were going.

No sound of crickets or cicadas greeted them as they normally would in a forest clearing. The songs of birds could not be heard. She doubted even ants and earthworms would even breach the earth where she thought they were.

Soon, the looming charred-black temple in the middle of a desolate clearing confirmed it. She glanced over at Shi Jin, who had been sleeping with his head tilted. It looked like Wang Jin would have to resolve this alone.

"Why are we stopping here, carriage driver?" Wang Jin asked, her left hand fingering her baldric's buckle. If he was one of those...

"Don't wanna spend money lodging'. Abandoned temples are great for us poor folk," the driver curtly responded, causing Wang Jin's left hand to relax, and then an appraised expression appeared on his face, "unless ya pay me. Then we'll trot over to the nearest village. A bath would sound nice right about now."

For a "poor person," the Crimson-Haired Carriage Driver navigated the Old Roads as if he made the trek hundreds of times. He did not even traverse the trap villages, cannibalistic taverns, or dangerous areas, like Mt. Shaohua. Furthermore, he did so with incredible speed. A normal carriage driver would have only managed 10 leagues from sunrise to sunset. But this driver knew what he was doing: the horses would trot at a brisk speed, yet by the time the horses were exhausted they would enter a village, and the driver quickly swapped for new horses that immediately beckoned to his call. The transfer was quick, and by the time the passengers had the chance to fully stretch their legs, they were on the carriage again. This happened multiple times on their trip up until they stopped outside this abandoned temple.

Wang Jin scoffed, concealing the temptation to hand him all their gold and silver to find any village to lodge in, "maybe tomorrow. But do as you wish, carriage driver."

"Bah! No free room and board tonight then," he muttered, though he had a smile on his face the whole time.

Shi Jin chose at that moment to wake up, stretching his arms, and asking, "where are we, Master?"

"Outside a temple," Wang Jin curtly responded, then leaned her head out of the window to yell out at the carriage driver, "just don't relieve yourself in there. I don't want any curses rubbing off on us!" she warned.

"Hah!" loudly said the Crimson-Haired Carriage Driver as he made an obscene gesture towards the temple, "I am the Red-Haired Devil, Liu Tang (劉唐)! I shall relieve myself where I please!"

Fine, you blithering fool! angrily thought Wang Jin as she gave a disgusted look at Liu Tang.

"You recognize this temple, Master?" asked Shi Jin as Wang Sheng loudly snored in her carriage seat.

Wang Jin gazed at the building with a distant expression, as certain images and screams began rising from the crevices in her brain. A memory she had forced deep within her mind was slowly escaping like smoky tendrils through a grate.

"Look at the top of the temple, student," replied Wang Jin quietly. Shi Jin's eyes looked up, widening in recognition at the domed ceiling with a small, circular, oculus opening on its roof.

The area around the temple was naught but charcoal-like sand; not even grass dared grow. Though cobwebs covered the outside, the elements had not made one single crack in the temple walls. The dome was charred black, bereft of all its original luster as if thousands of years of fire had completely defiled and assimilated it. The temple's stairs were hewn haphazardly, flecks and red stains scattered on each step.

Wang Jin stared at it, transfixed. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, Wang Jin beheld trailing bodies, eyes frozen open, freshly slain, their blood from their entrails meeting each sharp edge of the stairs as they were dragged upwards. An open door with naught but darkness inside, until a fire would blaze inside the temple, consuming everything it touched, black smoke rising and issuing from the dome's oculus opening. Then after the fire finished its feast, not even a fragment of bone would be found in the ashes. For once the fire died down and the last tendrils of smoke rose, silence reentered the temple, and with it... the Dark.

"Master?... Master?" Shi Jin repeatedly asked.

"... we slew them where they stood," Wang Jin quietly uttered, "the worshippers of the Dark. I dragged them by their feet, up the stairs like those, one at a time, placing their bodies inside a prepared pit. Their organs spilled out from their open wounds, bits of liver here, a long line of intestines there. Those I grabbed and placed in the prepared firepit inside as well."

"Master, you need not tell me these...!"

"All it took was one torch," Wang Jin continued, her eyes dulling, "and when the fire turned their bodies to ash, the Dark became their home... the irony."

"Master... Master!" Shi Jin urged, and finally, Wang Jin's eyes blinked as if she awoke from a trance. She gave Shi Jin a steely look.

"I'll take first watch outside, Shi Jin," she ordered, as she grabbed an umbrella, noticing the growing clouds above, "... get some rest. I'll wake you when it's your turn."

"Very well then, Master," Shi Jin responded, though still looking concerned, "but as for the driver... what was their name... Liu? What of that fellow?"

"They'll reap what they sow! Care not for him!" swiftly responded Wang Jin, "best you sleep topless too. It'll scare away any robbers if they somehow get inside the carriage. Carry a weapon beside you, they're in one of the bags."

"I..." Shi Jin began, then reconsidered his next words, "... I understand, Master."

"Good..." Wang Jin said, as she adjusted her baldric, sabre now positioned at her side. She also attached her dwarven swordbreaker, then left the carriage and stood watch with umbrella at hand.

As the minutes and hours passed by, Wang Jin sat on the charcoal-black sand, hearing only whatever Liu Tang was doing inside the temple. When more time passed and the clouds covered all of the skies, not even a ray of starlight could pierce through. All was dark, and soon enough, all was silent. The only things Wang Jin could clearly hear were her own body, heartbeat, and all.

If she could not feel her eyes blinking, Wang Jin would have thought that she had fallen into a dreamless sleep. Or, a dreamless nightmare, as each minute felt like an eternity on earth. The nothingness surrounded her, covered all of her senses, and it took all of Wang Jin's willpower to not blindly return to the carriage and fumble around for an unlit torch.

No, she could not do that. Lighting a torch would signal to any being that there were living things in this area. Living things could be sacrificed in the Temple of Darkness, just like in the days of old, beyond the historical reckoning of the Eastern Empire. Of all the ironies existing in the world, the worshippers of the Dark needed one thing to conduct their activities at night:

Light.

That was how Wang Jin, in her youth, had tracked the group down, slaying them one by one. She still remembered it clearly:

A light on top of a hill alerted her and a group of village hunters. The elf scout was correct, there were foul doings in the night, and the reason for the disappearance of so many villagers was clear. It was not the Wainriders... it was the worshippers of the Dark.

She immediately signaled the hunters to extinguish their flames. The clouds covered the sky and not a shred of moonlight could pierce through it, as it was the beginning of the month. The original plan was for them to walk in the eaves of the forest, ambush them with arrows and bolts, then for Wang Jin to kill any stragglers. But she was paranoid of the amount of noise that would create; even the snapping of a twig could alert the worshippers to their presence. So, she, barely 17, decided to move through the forest alone. There was of course the emergency noise she could make to have the rest of the group join in, the same whistle she used to summon a horse, but hopefully, that was not needed.

Luan Tingyu was off on a different assignment, and even if she were present, Wang Jin was paranoid enough not to risk her death. It seemed almost every major assignment led to the death of one of her dear friends, and she was not going to risk losing her most dear (and last) one. Hopefully, Tingyu would understand if she heard about what she was about to do.

Assuming Wang Jin would survive...

Attached to her side was a new weapon Wang Jin had felt she mastered, a sheathed swordbreaker made of dwarven steel. The weapon looked from afar like some sort of round sword, but in reality, the blade had four corners, similar to a rectangular prism at its base, then converging towards a sharp tip. It was much heavier than it looked, and Wang Jin desired this weapon as it was not only deceptive but a bane to all double-edged weapons. It could be thrown like a lance, slash like a sword, break bone like a bludgeon, and stab like a spear. That was her reward, personally gifted by the dwarves, for slaying the cave troll.

Attached diagonally along her back was her trusty spear. In her arms, she carried an already loaded crossbow. She did not possess any armor aside from a green tunic that covered her upper body. For the confidence of youth filled her heart, and after surviving the troll, naught could dim her courage.

The lack of armor helped her feet be light as she carefully stepped through the forest. She had to rotate a few times to avoid her spear from colliding with any of the trees, but the distance between the trunks grew ever farther the closer she got. The fire, in contrast, grew ever brighter, and eventually, she was within crossbow range. She knew that so long as her noise was quieter than the crackling sound of the open fire, only an elf would be able to spot her in the dark. Her eyes squinted, seeing four figures, three clad in black robes and black hoods around a campfire some 50 feet away from a temple that was completely charred black. But the fellow not clad in black was an abnormally tall person in full steel armor from head to toe with a sheathed sword that was longer than the rest. Nearby the temple were naked bodies, still as stone, perhaps dead, perhaps unconscious.

She needed to kill the worshippers quickly before they could burn the bodies.

The group's weapons contrasted with their gear so that Wang Jin saw one archer and two swordsmen.

Wang Jin's eyes widened in shock. Could that be a Giant of the West? But what were they doing here all the way here?

A grim expression appeared as she quickly placed the loaded crossbow in front of her, aiming slightly above the head of the target she needed to neutralize first:

The archer.

When the archer's back was turned against her, Wang Jin pressed the trigger, and the bolt struck through the back of the head, and the archer fell down motionless on their face.

As the group began shouting in some weird tongue, she dropped the crossbow, unfastened the spear from her back, caught it with her right hand, leaped from the eaves, and sprinted straight towards the group. Hearing the unsheathing of the blades, she noted that two of the three remaining foes stood their ground, swords in front of them. The third had merely stood.

She then smirked, and when she was within 10 feet, she shifted her running trajectory, moving more towards the forest dragging her spear on the ground, zig-zagging it like a snake, as if taunting the group to chase her. For that was the plan: she would dictate where the fight would take place, who would chase whom... and who would be slain. Two of them fell for the bait, their mouths uttering curses that she could not quite understand. But she was faster, ever running backward and sideways, and eventually one of the swordsmen ran ahead of the other, sword ahead of him. She let that one slowly catch up until suddenly she halted, and with one diagonal upward thrust, the snake-like spear struck the swordsman's groin, causing him to fall. In a second swift motion, Wang Jin pierced the falling swordsman's abdomen with both hands on the spear, twisting downwards and pulling the blade out.

The wounded swordsman screamed but could do nothing more than vainly try to get up, but the wound kept him down.

The second swordsman stopped in shock, and that was when Wang Jin attacked with a flurry of spear thrusts. The second swordsman tried to dodge or parry each thrust, but the spear would coil its way around the sword, leaving entry and exit wounds throughout. If there was more light, Wang Jin was certain that most of this one's robes would be stained red, just like her spear.

"M-m-mercy! I beg-" she heard right before undercutting her opponent with the bottom of her spear shaft, then thrusting the blade straight through the person's throat, blood spurting from the wound, staining her green tunic red. This woman, as Wang Jin now realized, made noises as if trying to scream, hands desperately trying to stop the blood from escaping from her bloody throat. Eventually, Wang Jin heard the release of a death rattle, and her enemy lay still, a pool of blood growing about her body.

Wang Jin then turned around, noting that the first swordsman had been crawling with one hand, the other placed on his blood-red abdomen. With little hesitation, she threw the spear like a javelin, the blade piercing through his back into the ground. And there he would lay, soon as still as his fellow swordsman.

That left one enemy, the tall armored one who had merely stood there near the fire, watching the melee unfold. Wang Jin unsheathed her swordbreaker with her right hand, lifting it above her head horizontally pointing in front of her, her left palm facing her armored foe as if bidding them stop.

A low-pitched laugh came forth as he unsheathed a long, thin double-edged sword, saying, "Йоу щисх то фигхт щитх тхат той, литтле гирл? Йоу лост йоур онлй адвантаге!"

Wang Jin had no idea what he (she assumed) said, so she assumed that he called her a watery tart nightsoil fountain. She spat out some excess spit at her side in response.

The fire was behind him, his helm obscuring most of his face. His armor-covered body was a dark grey silhouette, and soon enough he descended upon Wang Jin, his stance and movements optimal for a mighty diagonal downwards cut towards her left. But she was prepared, trusting in her weapon, and when the slash attempted, her right hand whipped the swordbreaker diagonally, not only blocking the flat side of the sword but completely bending it.

Wang Jin took advantage of the palpable shock from the tall warrior, and did a quick 360-turn, gathering her momentum for a horizontal two-handed swing that dented the warrior's left waist, causing him to yell. She then followed up with an attempted stab straight through his head.

But she missed it! And the warrior kicked Wang Jin in the chest. She gasped, falling flat on her back.

"И щилл рип оут йоур ентраилс!" he cried, as he stomped a right foot onto her stomach, causing her to yell, eyes widening instinctively. But even as the pain reverberated throughout, her right arm seemingly moved by itself, swordbreaker smashing her foe's right heel, near the tendon. The warrior roared in pain, trying not to stumble, giving enough time for Wang Jin to smash a blow towards the kneecap area, causing him to yell again, falling to his side.

She popped back up, grunting in pain as she did so, as the warrior vainly tried to guard his front with the now-bent sword. Wang Jin yelled, her face a blazing fury, as she swung the swordbreaker across the bent blade, this time breaking the long sword. Though she could not quite see his opponent's eyes clearly, his body screamed terror as he desperately tried to crawl away backward.

There was no mercy, as she swung again and again, denting the legs, arms, and finally the helmet area itself. The swordbreaker turned the warrior's armor into crumpled foil, and it wasn't until her face was covered in the warrior's blood that had spilled from the armor that she finally stopped.

She exhaled a few times, staring at the still enemy lying on the ground, not wanting to lift the dented helmet, knowing that a crushed skull with oozing brain matter would probably greet her. Thus, she decided to drop the swordbreaker next to that corpse, intending to retrieve it later and checked the other bodies.

Wang Jin limped, one arm holding her body, still throbbing in pain, as she used her other arm to lift the hood from the woman with the pierced throat. This one was about her age, eyes ajar, with black hair and an apple-shaped face stained in red. Then she went over to the male swordsman, grabbing her spear and spearing him again just in case. That one lay still. Wiping the blood from the spear on the unstained part of his black robes, she reattached the spear to her back. She lifted the hood, noting once again, someone around her age, eyes also ajar.

She then hobbled over, more quickly this time as the pain was subsiding, towards the temple to inspect the naked bodies. She cursed as she moved closer, seeing the unnaturally pale skin, not feeling any radiance nor any sign of movement. Still, her hand went under each nose, trying to detect breath from any of them.

They were all dead. Yet another set of funerals for her village. She dared not try to identify any of them, for the weight of each slain acquaintance took its toll.

Finally, she walked slowly over towards the first person she killed this evening, the one with a crossbow bolt stuck in the back of their head. She first removed the bloody bolt, twisting it until she could finally remove it from the back of their skull. Next, she lifted the hood, and with one quick look at their face, she immediately looked away.

She killed a child.

Having had enough, she walked back through the forest eaves alerting the hunters. It was a fright to appear as a bloody mess, but after she reassured them that it was not hers, they went to work gathering firewood to cremate the worshippers of the Dark. The torches were lit, thank goodness. Others gathered the slain villagers, placing them on wheelbarrows. Howls of misery were heard, as some of the slain were either related or dear to the hunters. Wang Jin did her best to ignore the various names that were wailed out. She chose to sit on the charcoal black substance surrounding the temple, drinking from a gourd filled to the brim with colorless wine, mulling over the people she had just slain.

What led them all the way to this land? What desires, promises, or lies were they led to believe they could just roam around the Eastern Empire as open worshippers? They were no Wainriders; Wainriders spoke in earthy, harsh, and guttural tones. This group used a breathy atonal language that she had never heard before. When the female begged for mercy, the words were all atonal and, thus, heavily accented. All of them looked foreign, especially the armored one. Were they a family? Maybe some of them were. More likely that the ones in black served the armored warrior.

She drank part of the gourd, the wine passing through her throat like liquid fire.

Just who was that warrior anyway? Was he truly a Giant of the West? Or was he from some other area that had tall people?

Wang Jin let a mouthful of the wine into her mouth, swished and rinsed it around, then spat the liquid on the ground.

Regardless, most of them were horrible at fighting. No coordination, no real technique, as if they believed that being handed a weapon made them a warrior. No, a warrior could kill someone with their bare hands and feet, their weapons as extensions to increase their deadly reach. The only person in that group that appeared to have any training was the armored one, who apparently was never tested against foes with weapons specifically designed to counter them. She knew this because it would take a vice-like grip to not drop their sword from a colliding swordbreaker. The warrior obviously trained their arms, but not really their legs.

Of course, Wang Jin used his ignorance to her advantage. Everything from his lack of knowledge of swordbreakers, to her concealment of strength through wearing conservative clothing. Really, Wang Jin should not have been kicked at all if she had aimed more accurately; the weapon was a bit heavy. But even then, she was used to fighting on her back, her experience fighting with her own villagers paying off, which was not known by the warrior.

If this were a one-on-one fight in which both people knew each other's strengths and weaknesses, using only certain weapons and following certain rules, then perhaps Wang Jin would have been the dead one, another sacrifice to the Dark. Tingyu and her Ma would weep... She tried not to think of that.

Thankfully, this was no game; it was a fight of life and death. And Wang Jin always lived.

The dead child's eyes flashed in her head.

Not wishing to think more about her actions, she drank until the gourd was empty, stood up shakily, and worked with the others to prepare the cremation.

Wang Jin blinked, shook the cobwebs from her head, and tried to look at her palms in front of her. but she could not see anything. The only things she could hear were the distant snores from both within the carriage and the temple. That event was what? 13 years ago? It was a memory Wang Jin did not wish to remember, but every so often their dead faces flashed in her dreams, which was exceedingly unusual.

For that was not even remotely the first person she killed. None of those ever stayed and haunted her. Yet these four remained in her thoughts. Wang Jin, therefore, included that it must have been the influence of those temples. There was a reason the elves avoided them after all, a grim reminder of who humans once were, and perhaps... still could be.

Another memory surfaced in her head, as she remembered what was inside those temples:

The bodies were piled in the pit in the center of the temple, directly underneath the dome's oculus opening. She bore aloft a torch, inspecting the interior of the temple.

Barren. Nothing. Yet even more unsettling than she expected.

Typically religious temples contained... something! Usually a combination of art, relics, torch holders, seats, tables, scrolls, or mysterious tomes in arcane languages that went horizontally left-to-right rather than vertically right-to-left.

But aside from the fire pit in the center of the room, all that greeted her were walls so bereft of any color, she could not even label them 'black.' The air stilled inside, even though the wind howled outside as she left the doors open. In front of her was nothing, and yet the more she stood in this temple, the more she felt... something, perhaps the shadows now surrounding her, beckoning the torch to be snuffed out. A creeping feeling initially, but now becoming more familiar, like an old friend knocking outside her door.

The temptation within grew to blow out the torch, close the temple doors, sit down, open her mind to her surroundings, and let every single fiber of her being be filled with the Dark. To become one with it, to master its power, to destroy every single person, place, and everything else on this earth. What right did they have to live when so many of her villagers were lost?! When so many of her friends were dead?!

A voice echoed in her head, beseeching her to challenge the heavens, blot out every single star, choke the life out of both the sun and moon, strangle its brightness until their bodies were no more than dark corpses, cast those foul abominations out into the unknown, let those entities decay in the Void, their bearers slaughtered and consumed, and declare herself the Elder King.

Through her dominion, there would be nothing that would stand in her way. No empires east of the Red Mountains nor kingdoms west of it would exist for long. The once loyal servant who DARED usurp her authority as the Ruler of the World would be slain by her own hand. And by the power vested, she would destroy everything within her domain, so that all remained... was the Dark. And then... And then...

The dead child's eyes flashed in her mind.

She gasped, breathing out several times, regaining control of her thoughts. She waved the torch around her, walking directly above the fire pit filled with four corpses, wondering what in the world caused her to think such thoughts. Weren't her parents still alive? Her father was in the Last Desert's Garrison but he couldn't have perished. Wasn't Luan Tingyu still alive?

She was about to throw the torch in the pit, beginning the cremation of the worshippers, when she realized somebody was watching her.

There stood someone that was tower-like in height, clad in the Dark, an iron crown with three gem-like holes adorning the head, carrying both a vast shield bereft of light and a war hammer that would leave all before it slain.

Was this the God of Destruction himself?

Part of her wanted to throw the torch inside the pit and run away. But instead, she lifted her head and stared at what she wanted to think was a very lifelike statue right in the eyes.

For some reason, she felt the statue stare right back at her. And there she stood, for what felt like an eternity.

Then the torch dropped from her hands onto the prepared fire pit containing the corpses, and she backed away to protect herself from the rising flames and the soon-to-be burning stench. Wang Jin looked at the corner again, and her eyes widened in shock.

For there was nothing there, naught but the color reflected from the growing fire.

Wang Jin never saw that... spirit? Apparition? Drunk hallucination? That thing ever again. Tingyu was outraged, of course, she dared take the risk of fighting those people all by herself. The anger quickly turned to worry though when Wang Jin told her of the encounter in the temple.

When she told any of the elves in her village of the events in the temple, they were silent, their eyes distant.

They told her little that she could fully understand, saying that the full tale would not even come close to filling all the possible books that could be made in 10,000 years, other than the fact that most likely a combination of hidden grief and alcohol had led her to hallucinate the being as the embodiment of the Dark, an ancient foe that pretty much marred everything on earth. A primordial being that greatly contributed to the destruction of their birthland. Someone who was supposed to be already defeated, but whose influence still remained everywhere.

At least that answer was better than "let us have you search for the answers that you seek."

She remembered it was quite some time before she would drink again.

Refocusing her attention on the here and now was difficult because she still could not see anything in front of her. Time further passed and her concentration ebbed.

Luan Tingyu was probably doing good deeds in the West as a Frontier Arms Instructor. She missed her. The more Wang Jin thought about her the sadder she felt. Though they reconciled, Wang Jin knew of the political game in the capital. Tingyu was under no circumstance to be used as leverage against Wang Jin, which was why Tingyu was on the frontier. It ironically would be safer.

Wang Jin thought of her own former apprentices. Wang Jin wondered whether Shi Wengong had taken the dwarven or human mountain passes to enter the frontier. She pondered how Lu Junyi was faring in the city of Daming, as the "Jade Qilin" never did send her former master any communication, for good reason of course. Then there was that one kid in Dongjing who she personally taught for only a short time. She wondered how he was doing, and what his name was. It was on the tip of her tongue. Finally, she thought of Lin Chong, probably eating dinner right now, perhaps eating a meal fit for a monarch as her husband was quite the cook.

Eventually, she felt and heard droplets of rainfall, breaking the near-complete silence. A part of her wanted to use the umbrella and not make herself soaking wet.

But then again, feeling the coldness of the rain reminded her that she would not be alone keeping watch in the dark. The pitter-patter was akin to hearing the joyous sound of children when one left a cave they tarried in for some time. Oddly, she felt a renewed vigor, and the memories of the temple began their slow retreat back inside the crevices of her memory. The shadows surrounding her lessened, and the rain felt like an old friend waiting for a door to be opened. Strange, but Wang Jin gladly welcomed the company, even though it was merely water falling from the skies.

The rain came and went. Through it all, Wang Jin stood outside, still as a statue, until the Sun began rising from the East. The serenades of birds and insects from far-off trees could be heard. By the time morning came, Wang Jin was utterly exhausted, her tired muscles aching as she sat in front of the temple, waiting for the Crimson-haired Carriage Driver, Liu Tang, to resume their travel.

"Still alive?" asked Wang Jin, her eyes struggling to open as Liu Tang, who had begun binding his long crimson unkempt hair into a topknot, exited the temple.

He gave her an inquisitive look, slowly responding, "... yes? Why would I not?"

"I don't know... the darkness inside," she paused to yawn, "... the lack of color, and... whatever?"

"... Ya never been inside these temples, have ya?" replied Liu Tang, looking at her as if she said the world was flat, "I can open the door and let ya look inside."

Without waiting for Wang Jin to object, he opened the doors, and she hesitantly looked inside. As the temple's doors faced East, the sunlight unveiled what was inside the building.

It was neither the fresh coat of colorful paint that got her attention, nor the torch holders on the sides of the walls, nor a table with a book labeled "Sign Your Name Inside," nor the grinning statue of the portly Agricultural God, Mairon, in one of the corners.

No, it was the well-endowed recently drawn genitalia that was plastered on the wall in front of her.

"AHAHAHA!" laughed Liu Tang, "got ya! I knew ya would fall for it!"

... Wang Jin was too tired to backhand slap the red-haired fool, and she quite frankly had enough of these stupid temples in her life. What would she find in the next temple? One of the legendary, short, half-men eating breakfast? So, she took something from one of her pockets.

A golden tael was offered to a stunned-looking Liu Tang, his laughter immediately halting, as both his eyes and mouth were agape in shock.

"... no more lodging in temples," mumbled Wang Jin with bags underneath her eyes, "... should be enough for room and board the whole way through, right?"

"You! I... hah!" Liu Tang sputtered in delight, but just before he accepted the gold, his eyes narrowed in suspicion, as he asked "just who are you?"

"I told you already, my name is Wang..."

"Aaagh, yes yes, Wang Jin, very common name," interrupted Liu Tang, "but what do you do? Some sorta merchant?"

"... former... *yawn* Head Arms... Arms *yawn* Instr-,"

"Master Wang Jin!" yelled Shi Jin, half-naked and walking angrily walking towards her, "why did you not wake me for the second watch? Did you get any sleep whatsoever?"

Liu Tang's mouth once again widened, his index finger shaking as he pointed at the half-naked nine-dragon tattooed Shi Jin, "y-y-you! You must be some sort of demon!" and then at once, he unsheathed his podao, his sabre-on-a-stick, from his side, "I am Liu Tang! The Red-Haired Devil! You think you scare me, foul thing?!"

Shi Jin, alarmed, merely put his palms in the air to try and calm the carriage driver down, "I am just Shi Jin with these nine dragon tattoos. Shi Jin means no offense and seeks not your-"

"IMPUDENT... BRAT!" screeched a voice from the carriage, as Wang Sheng's head peeked out from one of the carriage windows, "WHY DID YOU GET A STUDENT WITH TATTOOS? NINE TATTOOS? NINE!"

Wang Jin looked up at the clear sky and loudly yawned, tuning out the chaos in front of her. Times had changed so quickly in 13 years, and part of her wondered whether she preferred the times when she was fighting for her life every single day, or whether she would rather see giant phalluses displayed as monuments or temple art during peacetime.

She found the answer to be obvious, as she smiled at the Lonely Bastard in the Heavens.

5 Hours Later

160 Leagues from Dongjing, 40 Leagues away from Cangzhou

Wang Jin sat up from her prone position, as she had been using the stepping stones as a leg rest. Her mind felt foggy, and a minor headache reverberated through her head as she groaned.

"Are you done napping, daughter?" asked Wang Sheng.

"Ma," Wang Jin yawned, "... I'm going back to sleep if I have to explain why Shi Jin is here."

"I actually explained it well enough, Master, while you were resting," Shi Jin answered with a troubled frown on his face.

Wang Jin blinked away the small water escaping her eyes from another yawn, "well that's unexpected... and you took it well, Ma?"

"No."

"Well, just keep on proving your worth, my student. My Ma will come around."

"Nope," her mother immediately responded.

Shi Jin's shoulders drooped as he decided to turn his attention toward some of the artwork within the carriage.

"Well my student, let that be a lesson for you," Wang Jin lectured with one finger in the air, "when you reveal your true self, somebody will get pissed off."

Her student stayed silent for a few seconds, then turned his head with a serious face as he asked Wang Jin, "what happened at that temple, Master? You seemed very... very... it seemed that you were not all there."

He was waiting for me to wake up just to ask that question, wasn't he? she thought.

"Oh?" Wang Jin asked, as her eyes averted his, gesturing to lower their voices, "do you mean to tell me you never had to hunt down the worshippers of the Dark in your corvée service?"

Shi Jin shook his head, whispering, "I have heard of the punishment, though. Slow slicing for the worshippers of the Dark. Could you not have simply turned them over to the government?"

Slow slicing was the polite term for executing someone by slowly slicing the offender 1,000 times. This, along with the nine familial exterminations, were the harshest punishments the Eastern Empire could offer, typically for the worst capital crimes. It was said that in antiquity, the people once followed this foul religion. But once many consumed the burnt corpses' brains and developed a debilitating disease within a decade or two... their wrath was cold, calculating, and when the hosts of the Dark marched to fight the Giants of the West thousands of years ago, vengeance was swift. From then on, once worshippers were discovered, they were tortured and then slowly sliced, their corpses burned in one of the old temples dedicated to their religion.

Wang Jin peeked over at her mother, who appeared sound asleep.

"Student, what I did to them was a favor," she said in a low voice, looking Shi Jin in the eyes, "no one deserves such a fate... and that is all I will say."

161 Leagues from Dongjing, 39 Leagues away from Cangzhou

The carriage had come to a stop, and Wang Jin was just about to stretch her legs when she noticed that the curtain in front of them opened, revealing the crimson hair of Liu Tang, their carriage driver.

"What is it, carriage driver?" Wang Jin said warily, "I will not give you any more money if that's what you're asking."

Liu Tang's face scrunched in an offended look, "oi! You can call me Liu Tang, you know? or Red-Haired Devil. And what do you take me for?"

Wang Jin was just about to respond when Liu Tang quickly continued, "forget I asked! While you were nappin' your student and mother filled me in on who ya were."

"An unfilial and horrid master?" sarcastically asked Wang Jin.

Wang Sheng nodded, still appearing asleep, while Shi Jin shook his head in denial at the same time.

The daughter quickly glared at her mother.

Liu Tang heartily laughed, "... the Head Arms Instructor of Dongjing's 80,000 soldiers, and a snarky one at that!"

She was wondering where this conversation was going. At this rate, she might as well just wear a collar with the title "Former Head Arms Instructor of Dongjing's 80,000" on her neck.

Wang Jin raised an eyebrow, "did I not tell you this already?"

"Your half-naked student took my attention then," Liu Tang retorted, giving a slight glare towards Shi Jin.

"... I still see nothing wrong about my nine dragon tattoos," her student muttered.

"Well, here I am in the flesh," Wang Jin mockingly announced before anyone would give a response to Shi Jin's brainless remark, "shall I bless your podao with my name in ink?"

If this would lead to either yet another phallus joke or a stupid pun, Wang Jin was going to tear out his larynx. Her stomach then decided to take this moment to audibly growl, further annoying her.

Liu Tang shook his head, as both her hunger and sarcasm flew over him, "Actually, I was wondering whether you would like to meet the Big Sister of my village."

"That... would depend," Wang Jin said, looking over at Shi Jin, who looked intrigued, "who is this Big Sister of yours?"

"The leader of Dongxi Village, Heavenly King Chao."