The Ten Swords Conference IV
“Hold it!”
Nie Wuxing’s jaw sets, his face frozen in an expression of extreme irritation. “What is it now?”
“Your humble offer is a shining example of gallantry, but it is not right for the rest of us to stand by and allow you to shoulder this task alone. As fellow wielders of the Ten Great Swords, it is only fair that we assist you in this task, Master Nie. Is that not the righteous path?”
“Yes, Wudang stands ready to assist at any time.”
“I, Song Lingshu, would be pleased to help!”
“…I would have to ask my master first, but I think it would be the right thing for me to do.”
Voices of support for your idea begin rising from your allies amongst the sword-holders.
“I agree with Xu Jing. As the representative of Emei, he has spoken well,” says Liu Qi. Nie doesn’t turn to look at him, but his master. Su Cheng appears to be aghast at his disciple speaking out of turn. The Taishan swordsman continues, “However, even if we go together, someone must carry the sword. When you consider seniority and respectability, out of everyone in this hall there is no other man more qualified than Master Nie of Huashan.” Both Nie Wuxing and Su Cheng look rather relieved at Liu Qi’s conclusion.
“I am with Brother Liu Qi on this.” Zhang Minyue finally says something; she has been rather subdued thus far. “Master Nie’s reputation is impeccable. If anyone can be trusted with the sword, it is he.”
You briefly toy with the idea of revealing that he tried to sell his daughter to you in return for your support.
“We would relish the opportunity to travel to Chang’an to pay homage to our Emperor, and fully support Master Nie as the custodian of the sword until then,” say Zuo Qingfeng. His wife nods, adding her vote to his.
Looking around, you gauge your chances of pushing for another custodian. No. It will not work… you do not have enough support at the moment to get everything your own way. Guo Fu already seems convinced of Nie’s respectability in the first place: if you continue to press the issue, he might start unwittingly asking questions that will make you seem petty in front of the others. You would lose all of the gains you have made thus far. Besides, there is nothing saying that the position of custodian cannot be rotated during the trip itself.
Without hesitation, you nod. “Yes, I too feel that Master Nie is the best person to keep the Xuanyuan Sword safe for now.”
Nie Wuxing smiles: he definitely regards this as a feather in his cap. “Thank you – all of you – for your confidence in me! I am looking forward to this journey with my fellow swordsmen!”
“So, a decision has been made.” The hostess speaks up from behind her red veil. She has been playing a light, calming song on her zither all this while; you had not noticed it until now, so intent that you were on trying to outmanoeuvre Nie Wuxing. “The Xuanyuan Sword belongs to the Emperor, and as a gesture of loyalty and tribute, the wielders present will escort the sword to the Court.”
“Yes, that is our decision,” says Nie Wuxing, confidently taking command of the situation before you can.
“I see.” The delicate fingers stop strumming the strings, and the music comes to a halt. You almost fancy that you can see a smile behind that veil. The hostess looks up and past all of you, towards the audience. “Are you alright with that decision, my lord?” she calls out gently.
“When did you find out?” Shun replies without any hint of fear – in fact, he almost seems amused.
“Did you really think you, of all people, could take a single step on my island and I would still remain blind to your presence? It only amused me to allow you to run around like a lost little puppy. Were you already thinking about what you would do after this, after you had departed the island? How does it feel to have that hope smashed at the last minute?” She giggles enchantingly, placing one hand behind her veil.
“W-what is the meaning of this? What is going on?” shouts Nie Wuxing. Madam Nie is frowning deeply – this is the first time that you have seen her shaken – and she turns to Bai Jiutian to whisper something. Shun’s gaze is fixed on the woman, muttering something under his breath. Gao Ying is already rising from his seat, nodding at you.
You feel as if the woman is smiling directly at you from under her veil.
A thought flashes across your mind.
Shun is in danger.
You have to act.
At the same time Gao Ying lets fly a barrage of needles, you grab the Yuchang Sword and lunge at the veiled woman. “The loyal dogs are so quick to act,” she says mockingly. Raising her hand, she plucks at the zither. The resulting note is at once – somehow – both harmonious and discordant… and powerful enough to blast you backwards through the air before you can reach her, along with Gao Ying’s needles. Laughing, she begins playing the zither at a frenetic pace, her fingers blurring over the strings. As the zither’s melody echoes loudly around the hall, everyone present begins staggering about, clutching at their heads. Your own is spinning painfully – that single strong note from earlier still echoes about inside your skull.
Suddenly, you see Shun leaping over you, heading for the veiled woman. He seems unaffected by the music, a grim smile on his face.
“Foolish child.” The tune rises to a triumphant crescendo, and there is a flash of blinding light. When your vision returns, both Shun and the lady are no longer there. A fluttering red cloth – similar to the clothes worn by the veiled woman – catches your eye as it vanishes into a dark corridor. You are certain that it was not present in the hall before.
“I’ll secure the sword! Then, we go after that woman and rescue the boy!” shouts Nie Wuxing, grabbing the Xuanyuan Sword from the dais. The old bastard has recovered the quickest out of everyone present – you are still flat on your back, struggling from the effects of the song. You have heard of music techniques, and Master Zhang himself knows of a couple, but this is the first time you have encountered it in action. Well, you won't repeat that mistake again. Holding back a wave of vomit, you manage to crawl to your knees… that is all you can manage to do for now. Your strength hasn’t fully returned.
After a short while, a large hand grabs your collar, hauling you to your feet. Turning around, you nod at Guo Fu in appreciation. You are still unsteady, however, and stumble. Lingshu is there before you hit the ground, lending you her shoulder. As Qilin, Yunzi and Armaiti run towards you in concern, you look towards the new passageway. Most of the orthodox members have already vanished. Gao Ying and Xiaofang too are gone – they must have plunged into the corridor as soon as they could. “We must hurry,” urges Lingshu.
There is no time to waste.
***
As your group proceeds down the passage, you spot Liu Qi and Su Liaojing far in front of you where the corridor splits in two opposite directions. “Master! Master Liu! Master Nie! They went this way!” shouts Liu Qi, waving in the air, as he looks down the left path.
“Forget it, Qi,” says Su Liaojing calmly, resting his long staff over his shoulder. “There is no point relying on them. We can do this ourselves. Let’s hurry. If I am not mistaken, that young man is…” Patting his friend on the back, Su rushes down the right passage. Sighing in exasperation, Liu Qi follows, the both of them disappearing before you can catch up.
It looks like the path has split here.
“Nie must have went off on his own with the Xuanyuan Sword,” says Qilin quickly. “His Majesty and the woman should be in the passage on the right. I’ll go and trail him, to make sure he doesn’t do anything funny with the sword. Jing, you can go after the Emperor.”
“I’ll go with you,” says Yunzi. “It’s not safe to go alone.”
Qilin looks surprised at her offer, but nods. “Thank you.”
“I’m… I’m going down the right path…” pants Xuezi, having run desperately to keep up with you. “That woman is too strange!” She might be understating it a little bit.
***
A. You go after Shun.
B. You go after Nie Wuxing.
***
You decide quickly who else should go where.
Song Lingshu should:
A. Go after Shun.
B. Go after Nie Wuxing.
Armaiti should:
A. Go after Shun.
B. Go after Nie Wuxing.
Murong Yandi should:
A. Go after Shun.
B. Go after Nie Wuxing.
Guo Fu should:
A. Go after Shun.
B. Go after Nie Wuxing.
