As the new Victor lead his horde to the canyon Nikola waited for two days and then he removed the shelter silently. The survivors cried at the sight before them. Everything was decked in snow and there were pots with human limbs sticking out of them. But Nikola was sure that this will never happen again. Victor will lead every single beast in this blasted valley to Marek. But for now the people of Pangong needed his help.

He turned towards Penemue and send her a pleading look.

“Someone needs to melt the snow and I am exhausted.” He said and Penemue looked like she was considering it.

“You will give me a foot massage after I do so.” Said the angel and Nikola was glad he had gotten off with so little. The former streets soon turned into rivers as Penemue worked. The half-collapsed houses were uncovered and people began to go towards the ruins of their homes.

“We can’t live here anymore.” Said the magistrate. Then he raised his voice. “We must travel to Yuzhang and search for shelter there.”

“And how are we going to pay the magistrate of Yuzhang?” asked the woman from before, although she was missing her cleaver. “Our bellies are full now but we have nowhere to live. And so many died too. Why? Before we were attacked once a week and only from a single bad thing. Now they came in force.”

“I’ll tell you why!” Snapped a young man who was pointing at Nikola and his family. “They came! They angered the monkeys. I demand that they stand before a court!”

Many people yelled their approval of the idea, but they didn’t know of the charisma potion that the Wei family has drank.

“Good people, I am Wei Caihong. A former magistrate of…” Someone picked a stone from the ground and was just about to chug it towards Wei Caihong when the cleaver woman slapped it out of his hand.

“You let the lady speak! If she is the same Wei Caihong from Gangcho village then you have no right to judge her.”

“That Wei Caihong is a man. And he was a shitty magistrate!” Came a yell further down the street.

“I ate a mermaid’s heart and became a woman. And I did much and more to pay for my mistakes as a magistrate. And I can do plenty for all of you.”

“Like what?” Called an old man and Wei Caihong turned to him.

“My name is still valued among the other magistrates. The family Wei is only three steps from the family Han. It is indeed best if you settle somewhere else. Somewhere on the silk road so that you won’t go hungry again. I can make it happen. And my husband will pay the magistrate of Yuzhang to house you within the town.”

People began to talk to each other excitedly. Yuzhang was outside of the valley and had it’s own cultivation sect. It wasn’t attacked by monsters the way Pangong had been.

“How rich is your husband, Wei Caihong?” Asked the cleaver woman. She has seen that the only man in the family wore cotton while everyone else wore silks. Before he had begun to battle with the beasts she has pegged him for a servant.

“He has two main caravaners, one that deals in weapons and the other in jewelry. It won’t take more than five hundred golden coins to get you all housed in Yuzhang. We have triple that amount reserved for travelling expenses alone.”

People looked to Nikola. He smiled and waved. The crowd stepped towards him as one. He unsheathed his sword.

“We deal with bandits without mercy.” Said Wei Caihong as he too unsheathed a sword. Nikola was exhausted, so Wei Caihong made ice shoot out of his sword and right in front of the feet of the one closest to Nikola. “It is in your best interest if you don’t behave like ones.”

“Sorry, sorry, Wei Caihong.” Said the cleaver woman, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. “It is just that no one here has ever seen such a fortune. Say, where did you good people park your wagons?”

The crowd turned it’s heads towards Wei Caihong. They made a step towards him. Penemue stepped in front of him and dropped a paper figurine on the ground. A dragon roared and the crowd gave up any thoughts of robbery.

“Now that this good reptile is going to guarantee that you won’t be spitting in our faces for our kindness, are you willing to leave with us and head towards Yuzhang?” Said Wei Caihong, hands shaking from nearly being mobbed like this.

“If these critters won’t go, then at least I will. I refuse to be their magistrate any longer. Shame! Shame on you all!” Said the magistrate who had not been a part of the crowd.

People went to their water logged homes to take the little they have left. More paper figurines were created by Wei Caihong and Penemue. Horses and oxen to be loaded with belongings. Fortunately for the Wei family their two wagons had been within the shelter and their horses had survived. But the drivers hadn’t managed to find them a third wagon and so they piled all of their baggage on the dragon.

Now with two wagons to carry them they got on and the slow procession from Pangong began it’s journey towards Yuzhang. On the third day they passed through a mountain pass and on the fifth they reached the walls of Yuzhang. The magistrate was on the battlements, demanding to know why so many people wanted refuge in his town. The former magistrate of Pangong explained everything and soon Nikola was counting five hundred and fifty golden coins to get everyone settled.

He grumbled at that. Sure, he had earned them with a magic trick, but it still felt like a robbery. There weren’t that many survivors, after all. Two hundred, at best. The Wei family was lead to the town’s inn and the magistrate even threw in a wagon for them and two horses. The driver of the destroyed wagon was happy to have a job again. As night fell all that the people in the inn could talk about was the people of Pangong.

The people of Yuzhang agreed on one thing. The Wuzhiqi menace had to be dealt with. The town’s crier burst into the inn just as the patrons were leaving and cleared his throat.

“Hear, hear and let it be known:

Lord Marek has cleared the whole of the Wuzhiqi infestation as well as their Aoyin and Gudiao servants. He only wishes that we all light him an incense in the temple…”

A stampede ensured as the happy patrons rushed towards the temple. Nikola frowned. What was Marek up to now? And what was this “lord” business? He moved towards the door but the crier stopped him.

“You look like him! The one in whose honor Lord Marek killed off the Wuzhiqi. He told me to tell you that he is bringing you something dear to you. He waits for you at the temple.”

Nikola frowned. Their baggage was still with the dragon and Marek wasn’t brave enough to steal from it. Wei Caihong linked an arm around his and followed him outside. The snow fell silently on the moving crowds, all of them moving towards the temple. The clouds in the skies let no light out and yet the streets were lit by lanterns carried by the people.

When they reached the temple the crowd parted as one.

“Congratulations.” Said an old man, patting Nikola on the back.

“You are so lucky, Gege.”

“Blessed is more like it.”

Nikola wanted to get out of the temple suddenly, having caught on about what was happening. But the crowd closed around him and he had no other option but to keep going forward. The Taoist God, some general or a scholar, had been removed. And on the pedestal stood Marek with a bundle in his hands.

“What is the meaning of this, you darn cat.” Spat out Nikola and Wei Caihong gripped his arm tighter. Nikola was still not recovered from their fight against the Wuzhiqi.

“My God. I am spreading your religion! Everyone, bow for your savior. My creator and beloved, Nikola the Emerald.”

People bowed and some repeated the name and title of the one who had created Marek. Nikola pointed at the tiger demon.

“You! You will stop this madness and you will return to the canyon! And call me beloved again and I will remove your claws and force feed them to you. What are you holding?” Finished Nikola and Marek hopped off the pedestal to show him a baby. A baby Nikola had left back in Danyang with a well-off family.

“Where did you get her from?” Snapped Nikola and Marek shushed him as the little girl began to move in his arms.

“The family you left her with tried to give her back to you. They were ambushed by Wuzhiqi just outside of the canyon. But I managed to save your daughter.”

“She is not his daughter.” Said Wei Caihong quietly. This was the first time he had seen Marek and the tiger demon was easy on the eyes. He had short, dark main-like hair and he was build slender, but strong. What was worse he was looking at him with calculating eyes.

“I deserve a reward.” Said Marek. “Don’t I deserve a reward?” He yelled so that he could be heard over the crowd. People screamed their approval and the crowd closed in on the four of them.

“You are as weak as a kitten right now.” Said Marek to Nikola who had his hand on his sword. “And I want to ascent. I want to have something you cherish. You looked after this girl. Saved her from certain death. I want you to release her from her debt to you and to let me raise her.”

Nikola blinked. That was all?

“What do you get out of this?” Asked Nikola. He reached out to hold the girl and Marek placed her in his arms but didn’t let go.

“I get a piece of you. As I see it, you adopted her when you first fed her. I have the means to raise her and my fallowers are going to help me. Isn’t that right?” He said and people began to nod. “I will, of course, make sure she visits you often.” The trap snapped shut around Nikola’s foot and he couldn’t do anything else but to look down at the girl who he was pressured into adopting. He turned to Wei Caihong.

“She will need a mother.” He said and watched as Wei Caihong nodded.

“We will have twelve children in total. He can’t raise her away from her siblings.” Said Wei Caihong sternly. Marek began to sing a wedding march to himself and Nikola turned to glare at him.

“That will never happen.”

“Says you.” Said the tiger demon as he began to walk out of the temple with the bundle in his arms. “I don’t mind sharing. You, pretty lady, I wonder how many cubs you will give me?” He said addressing Wei Caihong. The noble huffed at him and hugged Nikola’s arm.

“None. I will eat another mermaid’s heart after I wean off my children and then I will be a man.”

Marek seemed to consider this and then he just shrugged.

“A handsome one, if my God married you. I can always have children with the other wife. What was her name? Pene…”

“Pen!” Screamed both Nikola and Wei Caihong at the same time, the threat not having escaped them.

“Yes, that. And we will need to name our daughter. Wei Bao. Do you like this, little gem?” The little girl giggled as she was being tickled and the crowd made it’s way to the inn. There they were met with Penemue who stared at Marek with challenge in her eyes. She stood up from the dining table and took the little girl from his hands. Then Marek felt pressure behind his eyes and he grinned at the angel. She had to try harder than this to get rid of him.