Chapter 24
Suddenly its here
"Earlier it was my face, now..." Yuwen Yue looked at where the eyes were focused, and saw his hand holding a familiar sword.
"Master brother, do you know what sword you're holding right now?" asked Zuo Zong. Yuwen Yue was still staring at his hand, his cold eyes fixed on it.
Lost in thought, Yuwen Yue recalled the events from earlier: the woman in the red mask, Zuo, the whip, the woman with the indigo scarf and her sword. His thoughts stopped suddenly.
Yuwen Yue was left speechless, baffled as he looked from the sword to the woman with the indigo scarf who had made him defend her from an arrow. It felt like an automatic instinct had taken over, and now he was holding his own sword, the Poe Yue Jian, the sword his mother had given to his father, Yuwen Hao.
Yuwen Yue never imagined that in this moment of need, the sword would be dropped at his feet by a woman he didn't even know. He remembered that the woman had superb gongfu; she had leapt so high to cut the rope. But then the spotlight shifted to the woman in the red mask, and eventually to Zuo.
Another spy approached Yuwen Yue and caught his attention: "Master brother, we found this. The woman in the red mask might have dropped it when they hurried away with the white lady."
Yuwen Yue looked at the object, it was a map titled "Qinghai."
"There are no coincidences when a spy is at work. They want us to follow them," Yuwen Yue said, unworried.
Yuwen Yue suddenly remembered the cavalry from earlier and spoke to Zuo: "We are being followed! The other half of the band of brothers has been exposed. Hurry, let's go."
Sure enough, they encountered a junior spy from the band of brothers. He was the only one who had escaped.
"Master brother, I escaped to bring you both good and bad news," the spy gasped.
Zuo handed him some water and said, "Take it easy, brother."
Yuwen Yue's eyes turned cold as he asked, "Report the good news first."
"We followed all of your instructions and safely made it to the hideout. But the bad news is that they were captured by a woman with a long whip, and her boss, whose face was hidden, carried a long sword as well."
The junior spy from the rapid blade group saw the sword hanging at Yuwen Yue's waist. "Master brother, why are you carrying this sword?" he asked.
Before Yuwen Yue could respond, Zuo Zong replied, "We had an encounter earlier, and Master brother recovered this sword, abandoned by its owner."
What the others didn't know was that Yuwen Yue had once owned this sword, but he remained silent, especially now, in the midst of their tactical movements. Every minute was critical to follow the plans and stick to the rules.
Suddenly, without showing any concern, Yuwen Yue decided to alter their plans and quickly redirected their next move, as half of the brothers they protected were at risk.
Their heaviest weapons and some possessions had been taken by two women.
"This is insane!" Zuo Zong exclaimed angrily. "We survived a thousand troops, yet we lost a spy war to two women? Help me understand, Master brother. Did I miss something?"
Yuwen Yue replied, "Behind every man's espionage, there's a woman lurking."
Zuo asked, "Have you experienced something like this before?"
Yuwen Yue gave an honest answer, "Yes." He then turned to the junior spy and asked, "Did you see how the two women took half of our brothers?"
"Yes, Master. In fact, there was no violence or threats. The woman simply removed her scarf, and suddenly, all the men became dizzy. But I must say, it was the most pleasant fragrance I've ever smelled in my life."
"How did you escape?" Yuwen Yue asked, curious.
"I used this," the junior spy said, revealing a handkerchief tied around his right arm. "When I noticed the others getting dizzy, I realized it was the fragrance, so I covered my nose and mouth with this."
The handkerchief, which also covered a scarred wound, displayed the band of brothers' creed.
"Good thinking," Yuwen Yue said approvingly. Then he added, "Zuo, hurry. We must head to their hideout and find out what really happened."
Half of the band of brothers walked to the hideout. Yuwen Yue investigated the scene like a detective at a crime scene, though no crime had occurred. He found no signs of struggle or blood. He examined the footprints carefully, but they seemed to vanish as if swept away by the wind.
He thought it was impossible for a natural wind to erase the tracks so cleanly, unless some sort of magic was involved. Frustrated, Yuwen Yue threw a stone to release his angst.
Zuo, who had experience with the eastern spy network, told Yuwen Yue about the spies of the underworld. "They are quite mystical," Zuo said. "They have supernatural abilities that are stronger at night and weaker during the day."
As he spoke, Zuo began to feel a chill.
Yuwen Yue asked Zuo, "You told me about the spies of the underworld that serve the Eastern Empire, but were weakened by their Queen, right? The middle kingdom was smashed by parties from the Wei and Liang Empires, dividing its spoils. And then there's the secret princess from eastern folklore, and the oracle of the middle kingdom who is said to rise again?"
Zuo Zong sat down on one of the large, old rocks and said, "Master brother, those stories are from the past, but today is the present. I once knew a spiritual healer who knows everything from beginning to end. He often comes to the Shangxi port to trade and provide information. Pay him, and he will give you secret knowledge. I can arrange a meeting, but he never allows himself to be seen when delivering confidential information."
"How do you communicate with him?" Yuwen Yue asked, clearly interested.
"At the port, I buy a special mooncake. Inside is a simple note: 'See me, I need secret information.' The note is passed to beggars, and they deliver it to him. From what I know, he's a shop owner near the borders of Wei and Liang."
"Where do you usually meet him?" Yuwen Yue asked, thinking he might have encountered this shop owner before.
"In the Thousand Caves. Only those registered in the spy network can enter and find him in the caves. At the entrance is an old woman; you have to give her a gold coin. She's called the Skyshadow gatekeeper. Once you enter, there's no turning back. If you do, she'll take your soul and feed it to the underworld," Zuo said, sending chills through the group.
One of the brothers, a stick warrior, chimed in, "Don't be frightened; she's just human, but it's impossible to defeat her."
Yuwen Yue had heard many such stories from the East, about the Qinghai Empire and its Chu Jing kingdom, but no one dared venture there because the fragrant poison killed anyone who entered. He'd also heard of the missing secret princess and the underworld league of spies waiting for her to gather them.
In reality, though Yuwen Yue had led a quiet life for a year, it had not been peaceful. He had gathered vast information on the powerhouses of the Ximeng continent, blending in with all kinds of people, from the richest lords to the poorest beggars learning their secrets.
These secrets were tied to Wei, Liang, and Yanbei. Some of them had even been stored in the repository of the Eyes of God, which Yuwen Huai had accidentally destroyed by triggering its self-destruct mechanism.
Yuwen Yue hadn't believed these stories until now. He had traveled to the places described in his readings, as the keeper of ancient secrets, and had grown up surrounded by such tales.
Meanwhile, Chu Qiao, in her dark burgundy royal paladin armor, and Viper, managing three horses, had an army of cavalry following them. The men seemed hypnotized by Viper.
Each man wore a black iron neck cuff connected by chains to the man in front, forming a long line. Viper had commanded them to put the cuffs on themselves, and they obeyed as though they were prisoners of war, though no war had been declared.
Viper knew her power would only last a short time. Sooner or later, these heavily armed warriors would awaken from their trance and return to reality. Chu Qiao, lost in thought, flashed back to her fight with a man earlier, a man whose sword she had failed to draw.
The Poe Yue Jian sword had suddenly become too heavy for her to lift. Her Chi had been momentarily blocked by a slight touch from the rugged man, who seemed to be their leader. She was unsure, yet certain, that she had seen those sharp, cold eyes before. In his presence, she had felt weakened and unable to wield her powers.
Chu Qiao wasn't too concerned about losing the sword; after all, she had taken half of his cavalry from their leader. She knew they would come after her eventually and had dropped the Qinghai map intentionally to lure them into capturing their own men.
Zuo, ranting and scratching his head, complained, "It would have been easier if we were captured by a thousand men, but two women capturing our band of brothers? That's a headache I'd rather not deal with. I'd take body aches from battle over this any day." He grinned sarcastically, shaking his head in frustration.
Yuwen Yue replied, "This is just a delay. Our brothers are more important than our plans. We'll camp here and figure out our next move. I never believed those old stories, but it seems the underworld spies are still active, even after my father's 'celestial warfare,' the war that stretched from the heavens to the underworld."
Zuo glanced at Yuwen Yue's sword, his eyes filled with curiosity. "Master brother, you still haven't answered my question from earlier."
Yuwen Yue didn't respond. Instead, he whistled to call his Yuwen Parrot, which had been following them from behind the trees.
The parrot landed on his shoulder and squawked, "Xinger, Xinger, Xinger!"
Zuo mimicked the parrot in a slightly raised voice, "Xinger?"
Yuwen Yue glared at the bird, clearly irritated. He hadn't intended to reveal more than necessary about his past. He hoped to return to his grandfather and perhaps make an appeal later.
"Master," the stick warrior interrupted. "The sword you're holding... it didn't surprise you?"
Yuwen Yue gave a cold look and, after a moment, finally replied, "It was mine. My father gave it to me."
Zuo Zong stood up, narrowing his eyes with a smile to downplay the revelation. "Master brother, don't tease us like this. You know I'm gullible when it comes to you."
The stick warrior was equally surprised. "You must be joking, Master brother."
Yuwen Yue, relieved that the conversation had shifted from Xinger to the sword, said, "I don't tell stories. I just do things like this..."
With a swift motion, Yuwen Yue leaped and sliced through a nearby tree branch, landing perfectly in the stance of a Jian swordmaster.
"Master brother, I can't fight you," the stick warrior said, raising his hands in surrender. "I'm only good with sticks, remember? Please, don't get angry. I believe you."
Feeling the fire in his heart, Zuo grabbed the stick warrior's staff and joined Yuwen Yue in a mock fight. The master of the Eyes of God versus a Shaolin kungfu master both danced through the twilight, their weapons flashing in the evening light. The band of brothers gathered to watch, their eyes fixed on the mesmerizing martial display.
Yuwen Yue showed no expression as he fought, and Zuo was equally composed. At the critical moment, Zuo tossed the staff into the air, but Yuwen Yue mirrored the move, thrusting his sword into his left hand and catching the staff with his right.
"Now you're unarmed," Yuwen Yue said coldly. "What will you do?"
Zuo smiled. "Not today, Master brother. You win this time."
Zuo was applying the praise-and-attack strategy to outsmart Yuwen Yue, but Yuwen Yue knew the game. He grinned slightly and turned to sit on the old rock. As Zuo tapped the staff on his hand, Yuwen Yue swiftly spun and smacked him on the butt.
Zuo cried out in pain, grinning through the discomfort. "Ouch, ouch, I was just playing with the staff, Master!"
Yuwen Yue grinned and said, "I knew you were, so I hit your butt."
Laughing, Zuo held his bruised backside and said, "Master brother, even if you hadn't said it, we knew you owned this sword. We saw how you used it earlier."
"The Poe Yue Jian sword is one of the most important weapons in the history of the Eastern Empire. It has a unique grip that only the owner can wield properly, which is why it's known as the gentleman's sword, the finest of its kind. When you used it to deflect the arrow, you did so in a way that both protected the woman and stopped the attack."
Yuwen Yue ignored Zuo's praise and continued forward. But Zuo suddenly grabbed his foot, bowed his head, and said, "Master brother, we don't know who you really are or where you come from, but that sword you carry belonged to the Qinghai King, who gave it to his son."
Zuo sobbed briefly, but Yuwen Yue said, "Enough! Get off my feet, I can't walk!" Zuo stopped immediately, wiping his eyes, and stood as if nothing had happened. "What about it, Master brother?" he asked.
Yuwen Yue glanced at him. "Are you acting again?"
Zuo grinned sheepishly.
Yuwen Yue approached him and patted his shoulder. "Didn't we do enough acting earlier?" he said, turning to the stick warrior, who was watching with admiration.
Zuo had revealed the significance of the Poe Yue Jian sword, and all eyes were on Yuwen Yue. Feeling the weight of their respect, Yuwen Yue said, "My brothers, I am what I am, but whatever story lies behind this sword, we will uncover it together."
Yuwen Yue gave a short speech to reassure his brothers, not wanting to burden them with the full story of the Poe Yue Jian sword or his own position. He hadn't told them that he was the heir to the Eyes of God in the Wei state, only Zuo Zong knew, as Yuwen Yue had given him his handkerchief as a symbol of trust.
The band of brothers, relieved, came forward to Yuwen Yue. He patted their shoulders, and they prepared to move forward, ready to rescue their captive brothers.
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