Author's Note: Sorry for the late upload, and also not upload, and all that. Did you have a good Fourth of July? Eat good food? Fireworks exploded in your face? Cool. To my non-American readers, I bet Monday still sucked, and I'm sorry. Was really hard writing this chapter...cause it was a large scale battle, and that's hard -- too many factors. Had to split it off into two parts...so I can actually think. Anyways, as always, thanks for reading.

The light of the stars — pale dew — seeped into the cracks sheared across the Buddha statues lined along the stone steps of the Yue Yun Mountains. Snow and frost veiled their closed eyes as the frozen ice further chipped at their shoulders bare. Yue Leader Dao walked down past the legion of Buddha statues. He walked down the steps in quick, small steps, but his face was drawn up in an anticipating smile.

Leaving the sanctuary of his sect, Yue Leader Dao’s eyes waned and he brought out a bell from inside his robes. Headed north in large strides, with each step he rung his little silver handbell. The reverberation echoed out and obscured his presence. Once the Yue Yun Mountains disappeared into the horizons, Yue Leader Dao stowed away his bell and whistled. As he whistled, he drew blood from his fingers with his teeth.

A tourbillion of cool water droplets, lingering oscillation of chimes, and the sharp scent of night carrying mellifluous incense and bitter soil gathered around the cultivator. He unsheathed his silver blade, holding out the sword to catch the drizzle of starlight. The communion of light, sound, and scent caressed and kissed the blade — parting with black burns and blue tears. Yue Leader Dao painted the final strokes with blood.

And the silver blade revealed its true form: a glittering artifact fashioned from ice and star-dew, bound by blood and the very essence of the night; one side illustrated with the sun, the moon, and stars; the other side was simply black as shadow. Yue Leader Dao swung his sword elegantly, rowing his blade outwards. A crisp slice emerged, and trees beside him fell with a dull thud. Taking on an air of solemnity, Yue Leader Dao smiled with heavy cheeks.

“Qi Xing Long [Seven Stars Dragon], I will have to rely on you again,” he said and swiftly dashed forward, cutting at the snow-ladened earth with precision rivaling a skilled calligrapher — erratic and bold, unrestrained by either gravity or air. As he sliced at the earth, the wind coiled around him, becoming his armor, his lover. The very open cracked open, filtering out golden shadows: dragon-lines, through which the earth’s energy flowed through.

Finishing his sword-dance which churned up the earth as butterflies stirred the wind, Yue Leader Dao exchanged his robes for common clothing. He also donned a wooden mask, with only holes for the eyes and nothing else. Then the golden shadows streamed out from the unfathomable crevices swallowed him and the man was gone.

Using the dragon-lines, Yue Leader Dao travelled to a nearby city, Taiyuan. He promptly slit the throats of the few loitering beggars caught sight of his appearance. No one will miss them, he thought to himself and stepped on their boiled-ridden, scraggy bodies. Their tattered cloths will be salvaged, and that will be there unceremonious delivery into the afterlife. Grimly chuckling at the fate of the weak, Yue Leader Dao stepped into the city streets well-lit by lanterns and torches.

“My, handsome man, looking for some company?” The madam of a brothel solicited as Yue Leader Dao walked by. He released a bit of his qi and the plump madam squealed, quickly retreating back inside. The other passersby fell down and spat out blood. Yue Leader Dao smiled like a hyena and ventured into the brothel regardless.

Despite the mask shielding his face, the man can’t but help groan. Walking into a brothel was to risk the annihilation of one’s sense of smell. The concoction of perfumes cumulated into thick clouds. Smoke from incense obscured one’s eyes as well. And the unforgettable musk of crow’s piece bombarded the crowd without pause.

Yue Leader Dao scoffed at the establishment. It was filthy, without class, and reeking of death. A place of only carnal pleasure, nothing else. There was no poetry, music, or debate of the learned mind. Only the flow of influence for obedience. He loved places like this.

Pushing aside prostitutes with depressed cheeks, Yue Leader Dao shouldered his way up the stairs to the third floor reserved for the most valued customers. He called out for his contact. There came a knocking from a private room at the end of the halls.

Ten people occupied the room. One was a man with needles stuck all over his body along with these special cylinders. These wooden cylinders contained various herbs and were heated up, then suctioned onto the person’s back. His bloodshot eyes stared at the newcomer. Reclining on his seat, he raised a finger as he finished up his business with the nine entertainers he paid for. Yue Leader Dao drank tea as he waited.

“Are you the one with the request?” The man bellowed out as he pulled his pants up.

Yue Leader Dao showed his bare back to the man.

“A scar in the shape of a lotus flower, and you radiate power. Very nice,” the man replied as he grunted. All the needles and cylinders popped off of his body. He finished dressing and pulled out a pipe. “So, Gentleman Mi, what do you need of me and my band of tiger brothers?”

Leaning forward, Yue Leader Dao spoke simply, “The road leading to the Black Pearl Sect, come the next few days, I want you to kill some people travelling that path.”

“Assassination of high-profile figures is not what we do,” the man inhaled with a moan. Coughing, he laughed. “Man, this is the good life. But yeah, assassinations are too risky. Getting caught up in intrigue is too messy for my brothers.”

“No, no,” Yue Leader Dao responded. “You just need to kill a group of children. Not a single one of them older than ten. You can also sell them into slavery if that works better. I just want you to make sure they can never return from where they came from.”

“Children,” the man said with a drawl. “That’s sick. Why don’t you do it yourself?”

“My good brother, then there would be no need for people like you if I do it myself,” Yue Leader Dao replied, injecting killing intent into his words.

“Calm down, Gentlemen Mi. Our policy is never ask, never tell,” the man replied and played with the wisps of smoke condensing around him. “So what level of security?”

“Two men at the cultivation of the first stage of petrification. One of the man wields a sword — you must not harm that young man. If harm befalls him, I shall hunt down each and every one of your brother. I will make clothing with their flesh. Do you understand,” Yue Leader Dao asked, lifting his mask slightly to make sure the other man can see his smile.

“And the other young man?”

“Kill him if you want. Actually, I will award you a bonus if you do slay him. There will also be three other people older than the children, but I do not care what will happen to them either. Those three and the children will not exceed the first stage of consolidation of qi. Finally, there will be two escorts, each at the first stage of soul-severing. I do not wish for the escorts to be harmed, but if you must harm them — then do so.”

The man leaned back and exhaled smoke from his nose. Lifting up the jug of wine, he smashed it over his head.

“Ah, what good wine,” he rejoiced, licking his lips. “Consider it done, Gentleman Mi. If they are only at the stage of soul-severing, they will not be a match for me and my brothers. Please, contact me and my tiger brothers if any trouble arises in the future.”

Yue Leader Dao stood up and left. Returning to the alley, he found the dead beggars stripped naked. Slicing at the ground, he reopened the dragon-lines and returned home. Whistling to himself, his caterpillar-brows wiggling in joy, Yue Leader Dao drifted up the stone steps.

From nearby, the red fairy furrowed her brows. Resting her fan on her chin, she asked herself, “Should I report this to Sect Master Mo? Hmm…”

“Wah, Big Sister Meili, look at the pretty flowers,” Qiu’yue shouted, pointing at a patch of red blossoms growing off the side of a cliff.

Meili smiled and stroked Qiu’yue’s hair. Qiu’yue looked at the other’s for any response. Cai was meditating as always. Jang-Guo grunted with a nod. Senior Sha, he was off in the corner of the carriage, meditating. But every so often, he would emerge with sweat, clutching at his stump.

Sighing, Qiu’yue leaned her head against Meili’s shoulder. This awkward mood had been going on for three days now. Qiu’yue had run out of things to talk about. Everyone simply did their own thing: often, this meant staring into nothing, and occasionally at the window.

The young girl sighed and patted her chest. She has long accepted the people around her as family, but the people around her has ceased to even speak to each other.

“Hey, Tang-ge, people are complicated,” she remarked. Then she turned to her blood sister, “Big Sister Meili, why can’t people just get along?”

“Shut up,” Jang-Guo shouted and slammed his fist against the wall. Pulling back his fist, he rubbed his cheeks and repeated what he said.

Meili closed her eyes and sighed heavily, her shoulders sunk like weights. She pulled Qiu’yue closer. “I don’t know Mei-Mei. That’s why I like you. You’re still so young and simple and innocent.”

Qiu’yue didn’t know what else to say. The carriage rolled along the road some more. Then it stopped.

The elder handling the carriage, flipped open the thatch cover preserving the interior privacy.

“Listen up,” he grunted, “I absolutely loathe you -- especially the Ugly Dwarf. However, you are still members of our sect, so listen up. Me and Grand Elder Wu has sensed a mass of killing intent surrounding us. All are at least of the consolidation stage; a mass of qi like the sun gathers on both sides of this passing.”

“What do you want us to do?” Cai asked and cracked his shoulder joints.

“Fight, of course,” the elder chuckled. “I have a spare blade and a dagger. Who wants what?”

“I’ll take the blade,” Cai answered and received a iron sword.

“Senior Sha can take the dagger,” Meili said tersely.

Senior Sha took the dagger with his one hand.

“Good, we are all armed and ready. They no doubt know we know they’re up there on the cliffs, waiting to jump us.” The elder smacked the arse of the horse and the carriage sauntered forward once more. “We do not have time to coordinate with the others. But don’t just react to danger; act to become danger. You five are known to each other — I do not believe you cannot laid down tactics in an instant!”

Without speaking, Senior Sha dove out of the carriage into the earth. The others shared a look; Cai reassured the others that Sha will be fine. Jang-Guo and Qiu’yue positioned their flying swords to shoot out at a moment’s notice.

“Get ready to jump,” Senior Sha shouted, poking his head from the earth. His voice carried to both carriages, echoing against the two walls of the pass. The mercenaries stationed above the pass cursed and pushed boulders down the sides. Forced to go forward, the elders yelped with glee, and the horses bolted forward. Immediately after clearing the falling boulders, everyone leapt from the carriage and rolled.

Those unfortunate horses continued forward, setting off explosives hidden underneath the snowy earth. Their front legs blown off, the two horses skidded forward into the minefield of death. Smoke engulfed the pass and the mercenaries above immediately leapt down with their swords glinting like primal eyes. Charging forth, the smoke dispersed, revealing fifty men occupying the width of the pass with swords swinging.

Yet, in a single breath, those fifty men were sent flying by the two elders. Acting as vanguard, the two grand elders wielded their own martial arts. Grand Elder Wu struck furiously on the strings of his pipa [Chinese lute], thick vibrations imbued with qi bounded forward. With a collective shout, the fifty men neutralized the onslaught of qi vibrations. Having failed the first assault, the mercenaries pulled out bombs and ropes and talismans.

They threw the bombs behind them to collapse the pass, closing off the singular path to safety. Then, attaching various talismans to the ropes, they threw them to lay out a formation.

As the mercenaries took their time to set up their traps, the Yue Yun Sect people quickly surveyed the situation. They were trapped on all sides: boulders blocked off their retreat and mercenaries halted their advance; on either sides were steep cliffs with no steady hold, as the sides were composed of soil and slippery snow. Only Senior Sha could travel underneath the earth. And the sky was impossible for most of them — even if they took to the sky, they would be shot down without much difficulty. Twenty-five men each occupied the cliff-edge on both sides. In addition, observing the situation were five men, each at the soul-severing stage of qi cultivation.

The leader was currently slouched over, smoking his crow’s piece. A pair of twins with the physique and disposition of tigers guarded his sides with halberds. One man wielded a pair of steel clubs, the size of cantaloupes. The last man held a staff in his hands, frowning.

“Oi, boss, you sure you want to do this?” He asked.

“We’ve kidnapped governors’ daughters, pregnant wives, and more. What does killing children matter?” The leader responded as he refilled his pipe.

“Yea, Mu Song, you’ve killed your own mother and sold your sister into a brothel; you really going to spout some bullcrap now?” The man holding the steel clubs responded.

“We all know it’s cause Mu Song is a child lover,” one of the twins remarked as he picked at his ear wax.

Blushing, Mu Song dropped the issue.

“Ay, boss,” the man holding the steel clubs said. “Should we unleash the arrows now?”

“Tian-Wei, there is no need to hurry. Let them get caught in our trap first,” the boss answered with a lazy smile. “Then, the rest of us will pounce forward like tigers. Remember Song Jiang’s poem, brothers, remember his words.”

Down below, the grand elders shouted orders.

“Those bastards above are waiting for when we are weakened to send us off with arrows,” Grand Elder Yan cursed. “And those bastards in front are just waiting for us to move forward. This is absolutely shitty.”

“There is no time to erect a good strategy. Grand Elder Yan will charge forward with his sword; I will act as auxiliary. You are cultivators, so act as you see best.”

Dashing forward, Grand Elder Yan immediately stopped, becoming withered by the talismans. It was as if mountains weighed down on him, and his muscles bulged as he struggled to move forward.

The moment he used qi to push forward, the talismans exploded. In the veneer of the smoke, the fifty mercenaries jumped forward. Each swallowed a pellet, and, in an instant, their meridians bulged as they leapt from the consolidation stage to the petrification stage.

The fifty men divided into squads of ten. In each squad, they further divided themselves up into eight trigram pieces, with two men situated inside the formation. The two at the center bled qi into the eight guards surrounding them. Those five groups of ten plowed through, unaffected by the talismans laid down by them.

“Arrows! Ready, fire!” Tian-Wei shouted and the arrows came down like a plague of locusts, blocking out the sun.

Whistling through the air, each fired precisely with the intent to kill, the three outer disciples sprung into action. As true disciples of the Yue Yun Sect, they have been taught the sect’s basic arts and formations.

“Brothers! Peach Orchid Formation,” Long Yong yelled. Yaohua and Gu Jin jumped into action as well, surrounding the others in a triangular formation. Each wielding swords, each at equal distance from the center and each other, each used their sword to deflect the onslaught of arrows. As the fighting continued, the three kept rotating ever so slightly, such that their footsteps became grooves in the snow. In theory, this triangular formation allowed no blind spots and a quick response time to danger.

Meili slipped under and through the formation and raised her palms at the shower of arrows. She was never one to go on the defense. Using her River Carving Fist, she spun and grabbed the arrows by their shafts. With a bunch in hand, she used them to deflect the other arrows, but also launch them back at their owners. Several of the arrows found their marks and lodged themselves in the shoulders — and even eyes or throat — of the mercenaries clad in tiger hide.

Grand Elder Wu struck his pipa furiously, such that his fingers bled. Those vibrations sent at the fifty mercenaries were easily countered. As sonic booms approached, the mercenaries’ eight trigram formation would intercept it. One squad with slice at it, then another squad took over to slice at it again; this method continued in quick succession until it was no more. The mercenaries used the same method against Grand Elder Yan.

Grand Elder Yan was but one man — a strong man, but still one man. In addition, every time he used his qi, an explosion would occur. He fought against five squads of ten, each alternating like a spinning top. Whereas, Grand Elder Yan dealt ten strikes in one exchange, the enemy dealt a hundred back. However, there was a limit to boosting one’s cultivation forcibly. Those bulging meridians showed signs of rupturing completely.

Grand Elder Wu also directed an all-encompassing vibrational blow every so-often. The vibration erupted from him and caused explosions at the cliffs. Archers fell to their death, unprepared. Qiu’yue and Jang-Guo directed their artifacts to take out the archers as well.

As the battle continued, the tides naturally changed — from the high tide of onslaught to the diminishing will of low.

Senior Sha using his Soil-Ground Arts snuck behind enemy lines. First, he ripped apart the various talismans, unopposed. Then he sliced, jabbed, and cut at the mercenaries’ tendons. Unable to move, those mercenaries naturally fell. With any formation, if one falls, the entire formation collapses. As the mercenaries fell, those above, lept down with spears and swords and hammers raised to call upon death and thunder.

Qin Kuai and Gai’zhi leapt forward to assist Grand Elder Yan with their brilliant arts. With elegant swordplay, those who leapt forward met death at the hands of Qin Kuai. Gai’zhi threw out a string of talismans and coins which promptly exploded and arced lightning all about.

Cai understood that he was in no position to act. So he simply waited.

“Well, time for us to act, no?” The boss sighed as he took another puff from his pipe. All his men has fallen: either from the rupturing of meridians, the cutting of tendons, or simply from being impaled by the swords. However, at the same time, the Yue Yun Sect people were exhausted. In particular, Grand Elder Yan. He bore the brunt of that battle: arrows stuck out of his back and shoulders like antennae and burnt marks marred him like the face of the moon.

At his words, his four generals slid off the side of the pass. Each radiated power and killing intent. Everyone got goosebumps. Qiu’yue rubbed those odd little bumps and felt chills creep up on her back.

“Bonehead, you think we can get out of this alive?” Grand Elder Yan shouted as he moved in front of the group.

“Maybe they’ll sell us into slavery...well, maybe only me. I still look very good,” Grand Elder Wu responded in an attempt to lighten up the mood.

“We are the Five Tiger Brothers,” Mu Song shouted, gesturing with his staff. “We simply want the children — that is all.”

“I knew it, Mu Song’s child loving has no boundary,” Tian-Wei clucked his tongue, shaking his head.

“Please, keep work and your personal affairs separate!”

“You think we will give up our own disciples?” Grand Elder Wu shouted with an angry strung of his pipa.

Tian-Wei met the furious vibration with his steel clubs. An explosion occurred, but he did not move back. “They dress in servant's garb.”

“Hmph! Even so, the Yue Yun Sect is not so cowardly!” Grand Elder Yan rebuked.

“Then, this is your burial ground,” one of the twins grunted.

“Hmph, so what if it’s five against —” Grand Elder Yan shouted but stopped. He and the others felt an enormous wave of qi emanate behind them.

Thick smoke imbued with qi coiled around the corpses of a hundred men. Those whose tendons were not cut, stood back up. Those whose tendons were cut crawled forward, and that was scariest.

Everyone traced the qi back to the boss lounging at the top of the cliff. The man was at the fifth stage of soul-severing — and his pungent qi engulfed the pass.

“Man, using all my strength is really tiring,” the boss yawned and moaned as his eyes squinted and became even more bloodshot.

“What the hell is your boss,” Grand Elder Wu barked. “Such a filthy mystical art.”

“Do not insult our boss,” one of the twins snarled. “He is a great man who brought us four brothers to a better life.”

“Then what about the corpses of your other brothers?”

“Hmph,” Mu Song snorted. “Merely slaves picked up from the black market. Not true brothers at all!”

With that exchange finished, the four generals launched forward. As soon as they launched forward, the hundred corpses also struck. Grand Elder Wu smiled. With one mighty flick of his pipa, the entire pass rumbled.

“Don’t think I was just playing around,” he laughed as he strung his instrument of destruction. An avalanche came forth and buried the corpses around them. The four generals were able to escape with minor injuries. A ring formed due to the collapse of the loose soil. “Always have a backup plan!”

“So you weren’t just sending out random vibrations,” Tian-Wei nodded in awe. “But now you’re trapped in here with us and the boss.”

“Eh?” Hearing him being addressed, the boss groaned. “I have to fight too? Oh, fine, fine.” He leapt down from his place, in front of his four brothers.

“Wait, he can fight too?” Grand Elder Yan grimaced. “Aiyah, two against five. Old Bonehead, we are getting too old for this shit.”

“Beansprout, you’re still only eighty years old; I’m already one hundred and sixteen!” Grand Elder Wu sighed. “The Black Pearl Sect is literally only moments from here. Disciples, get there safely; buy plenty of incense to burn for us!”

Grand Elder Yan held his saber in both hands and swung. A great cleave wrecked the pile of earth blockading any hope of escape. The fierce blow also stalled the rush of the mercenaries. Grand Elder Wu strung his pipa, and the vibrations shielded the young cultivators from the impact of Grand Elder Yan’s strike. Quickly, the young cultivators dashed out and away.

The mercenaries tried to give chase, but the grand elders blocked them with one mighty sword slash and one burst of sound. Despite their efforts, the twins wielding halberds slipped past.

Linking up their hands, the twins synergized their identical qi flow, becoming much stronger. Within breaths, the two tigers overtook their prey. A mighty sweep of their halberds and the children were blown away.

Senior Sha shielded both Meili and Qiu’yue with his own body, bearing the brunt of the pressure himself. Jang-Guo diverted the force best as he could using Ten Suns. Though being an amateur with swords, the process of doing so tore a ligament near the armpit. Cai escaped the majority of the impact by dashing. The two inner sect disciples protected the three outer sect disciples using their individual martial arts. The outer disciples fainted, not being used to facing opponents with cultivation so much higher.

It was as if wading through a river of mud as it began to hail and shower meteors while the wind struck from all sides. And the fear of going through all that placed incredible strain on one’s chest, tightening like a vice or grinding it like a grains mill. Simply, that sudden and intense stimulation popped Yaohua Xiu’s heart, and he died.

Deciding to use everything at his disposal, Qin Kuai grabbed the recently deceased Yaohua and tossed it at one of the twins. Gai’zhi got serious and from his sleeves shot out a chains with a sharp dagger attached at the ends. Simultaneously, he threw out powder and a storm of talismans.

Each twin with a single slash blew away all obstruction, scattering sound and light kilometers apart.

“You are at the petrification stage,” one of them boomed. “We simply want the children.”

“Hmph,” Gai’zhi snorted and stuck out his pinky. “Don’t look down on this little man! If we hand them over, there’s no guarantee you won’t kill us anyways! And what kind of man would I be if I just handed children over.”

“Tsk,” Qin Kuai clucked his tongue. He rolled his eyes and held out his blade. But then, with a cunning light in his narrowed eyes, he said, “Gai’zhi, the Black Pearl Sect cannot be far from here; it would be better if at least one of us survive. I am famed for my speed. Let me take them, and you hold them off.”

Gai’zhi stomped his feet. “Oi, Qin Kuai! Aren’t you taking this little man to be too big a buffoon? I may be the village idiot, but I am not your stupid fool!”

“You don’t think we can all get out of this alive, do you?” Qin Kuai smirked. He stuffed the two unconscious outer sect disciples into his bag of holding. “Now, you are obliged to fight for me, scum.”

And without missing a single step, Qin Kuai rushed away on his speedy legs, hair flowing behind like the remnants of autumn. He headed toward the Black Pearl Sect where he will surely be praised by the people as a hero for rescuing the two outer sect disciples.

“Boy, we offer this one last chance,” the twins roared. “Even as mercenaries, we loathe men like him. He uses people well like a fox. We have no business with you, so you may leave -- go take your revenge. No one will blame you.”

Gai’zhi glanced back behind his shoulders at the children. None of them even twelve yet; not a single one of them were adults. Then he gave them a wry smile, bowed his head.

“Please, forgive my dishonesty in the afterlife,” Gai’zhi looked away. Then he too fled.

“Smart man.” One of the twins laughed and flexed his arm. He looked at the children. “Well, here’s another choice.”

“We just want to kill the girl, that young one. You can all either die with her, or be sold into slavery.”

Senior Sha stood up with trembling knees. Knocking at his thighs with his stump, he straightened up. He spat at the ground. “Fuck you and your great-aunt’s mom! These are my brothers and sisters!”

"I rather be dead than be a slave," Cai growled and cracked his knuckles.

The two tigers sneered. “Anyone else? Hmph, everyone, ay? Oh, brats these days...all so eager to die.”