Beyond the Three Realms
“I only have two choices?” you repeat.
A tiny little scowl flits across Nuwa’s lips. “That is what I said, Jing. Is it not enough for you?”
You make a show of scratching your head and looking apologetic. “To be honest, they aren’t very good choices.”
Nuwa’s eyes narrow into slits. “This is a favour from Heaven! Men would and have killed for such opportunities!”
“Oh, come on, Lady Nuwa! You have been watching me from the start, right? Then you would know that when someone says one, I say two. When someone says the sky is blue, obviously it’s green. Can a man be both a tiger and a pig? Why not all three?” You laugh uncontrollably, throwing your head back in amusement.
“Xu Jing, is this the attitude of someone seeking help from the gods?” warns Nuwa politely.
“No, this is the attitude of someone dismissing the gods,” you grin. “Look, since you know me so well, you should understand the type of help I need. Why did you even bother showing up with some lousy offer, my dear goddess? Wait, you didn’t have any ulterior motive coming to me, did you? I’d be so disappointed. That would not be very godly behaviour.”
“Xu Jing…” The world trembles with her rage; the endless void reappears behind Nuwa’s eyes as she glares at you. Her visage flickers once, seamlessly transforming into her divine appearance. Nuwa’s ornate garb of sheer cloth billows out from behind her, a giant snake tail uncurling itself into existence from nowhere. Celestial markings form on her face, as if drawn on by an invisible brush, and begin glowing with power. Her kindly demeanour falls away, leaving behind the cold and terrible façade of a merciless goddess. “You have always been like this! Can you not be humble for once? Would it kill you to do so?”
“Oh, you know how it is. I wouldn’t be surprised if it actually would,” you chuckle, trying to hide your nervousness. You wonder if you did the right thing, inciting Nuwa’s anger like this with no real plan… still, not only is the thought of bending a knee to the goddess unpalatable to you, from the time you met her there has been a niggling whisper in your mind urging you not to trust Nuwa’s promises; that the moment you do so, your fate would be sealed. Winking at her, you say, “Besides, you know that’s why you like me enough to watch over me in the first place.”
That seems to make her even angrier, unfortunately.
“You are such an unthinking idiot, Xu Jing! We gave you brains to think, not to rebel mindlessly!”
“If I’m an idiot, what does that make you, all-powerful goddess who spends all her time watching an idiot?”
“You… you…! I was so close… I will not let you slip through my grasp this time! You will be kissing my feet before you know it!”
“What? You don’t even have feet at the moment! Look at yourself; you only have a giant, fat tail!”
“…did you just call me fat?” The air turns a freezing cold as she glares at you. You find yourself unable to move at all, and the sheer insignificance of your mote-like presence before her divinity hits you with full force.
“Wait, no, I didn’t mean it in a bad way, I happen to think your tail is absolutely beautiful!” you call out, trying to free yourself from her bindings but to no avail. Your muscles just refuse to move. “I’d love to touch it!”
“I will make you mine, even if it breaks your mind so utterly that you will never recover…” hisses Nuwa, slithering towards you. A terrible hostile intent, far more terrifying than anything you have ever felt in your life – though strangely familiar – engulfs you.
This may be bad.
The spark of flame within your eye socket roars to life – somehow, it appears to have been awakened by Nuwa’s hostility, reacting to it out of some unfathomable drive nestled deep within your being. Pure white fire bursts out of your eye, slowly spreading across your face. Slowly, gradually, the frozen flames currently burning the throne hall around you begin wavering. Time seems to be returning.
Nuwa appears to be as surprised as you are at this development. “It is trying to put you out of my grasp. I will not let that happen… I cannot.” A mad expression forms on her face. “If that is the case, I would rather banish your soul from the cycle of rebirth for eternity!” The white fire has continued to slowly engulf your body, bit by bit. Holding out her hand, Nuwa begins chanting an incantation. A primordial darkness forms at her fingertips, overpowering the light of the sacred fire – you sense that if she is to reach out and touch you, her threat would come true, regardless of any protection that the Eternal Flame can offer.
Yet, you are unable to move.
Nuwa’s fingers stretch out towards you, her beautiful face distorted in an expression of insane glee.
“Jing!”
You feel yourself being shoved aside. Still frozen, you tumble to the floor. The roaring of the flames around you assail your ears; time has already snapped back to normal.
Above you, Shun stands in Nuwa’s way. The Xuanyuan Sword is embedded in her abdomen. She looks down at it in surprise. "H-how did you..."
"The designs of mortals are not for Celestial ears," laughs Shun weakly.
Glaring at you tearfully, Nuwa disperses into a sea of glowing spheres that dissipate into thin air. The Xuanyuan Sword clatters to the ground, left behind in her disappearance.
Nuwa’s last words echo in your head.
Xu Jing… I won’t forget this…
“Shun. Did you just…”
“No, what I scattered was just an avatar possessing a fragment of her power. I’m… glad I managed to move in time.” Shun turns to face you. To your horror, you see an inky darkness spreading across his chest. He sees the expression on your face and shakes his head, chuckling. “Don’t worry about it. This is still a better resolution than I could have planned for. Well… slightly better.”
“You will be banished forever, with no chance at reincarnation,” you protest. “How is that better?”
The darkness crawls across his face, submerging his entire body. Shun smiles at you. “If I can continue to remember the memories of our time as brothers, even eternity will not feel so long.”
Finally, you manage to move your hand.
You stretch out to grab Shun.
The darkness swallows him fully, and he vanishes into a void folding in on itself.
At the same time, the Eternal Flame engulfs you completely.
You cry out as the world is flooded with a blinding white light.
***
The Eight Sects
In the years to come, the Eight Sects flourished under the guidance of its leaders. They remained a steady beacon of hope and stability in the chaotic world. Through it all there were ups and downs, and conflicts between the sects, but they managed to overcome their differences in the end. Still, all good things must come to an end, and when order eventually returned at long last, the need for their existence began to dwindle. This time, their diminishing influence would never recover. The decline was slow, spanning hundreds of years, but eventually the flying, soaring pugilists of yore were nothing but legends in the minds of the people…
The Wudu Cult & The Fire Temple
Brought together by the influence of Xu Jing, under the leadership of Chi Qilin and Yunzi their ties would continue to grow closer. They did not take a prominent role in the turmoil immediately following the destruction of the palace in Chang’an, but instead secluded themselves away from the world. There were some that hoped to pin the disappearance of the Emperor on them for political gains. They were invariably found very dead, and those who thought alike soon learnt to let sleeping dogs lie...
Youxia City
Youxia City, as always, remained Youxia City. In times of chaos it flourished, eventually blossoming into the largest city in the land. Then, it was burned down by invading Tujue horsemen. Of course, the strong-willed residents of Youxia would not let that deter them, and it was soon rebuilt – this time with Tujue stalls joining the crowded streets…
The Minamoto Clan
Upon their return to their eastern lands, the Minamoto managed to triumph over their rivals thanks to Yorimitsu’s leadership. He never forgot the time he spent in the Tang empire, and the people that he owed so greatly. Later, a grandson of his would become Shogun, and tales of Yorimitsu’s exploits in lands both foreign and domestic would become legendary in Japan…
Yuhua Hall
The most famous brothel in Yangzhou remained so through both good times and bad until an edict from a syphilitic, vengeful Emperor declared all brothels illegal. Though they had to close down, the entreprising women of Yuhua Hall parlayed their earnings into a successful business; they soon became one of the greatest merchant houses of Yangzhou instead…
Ashina Tribe
Having reformed thanks to their princess, they returned to the Tujue steppes years later under the leadership of their young Khan and united the squabbling tribes. This confederation, forged in both blood and friendship, would go on to become the foundation for one of the most powerful empires in the history of the world…
Tufan Kingdom
The troubles of their larger neighbour and ally meant that the Tufan Kingdom was no longer protected from the advances of the expansionist Lhasa Kingdom. Though Princess Rinchen and her consort, Jixuan Wuni, fought bravely, they were at last defeated and annexed into a greater Tibetan Empire. Their fate remains unknown – some say that they were executed, others say that they managed to escape into exile, aided by a mysterious organization skilled in the arts of poison and war…
The Imperial Court
With the disappearance of Li Shun and the destruction of a good part of the Imperial Palace, the Tang Empire fell apart in the matter of weeks. Brother killed brother in a repeat of the last civil war… this time, there would be no clear winner. The country dissolved into squabbling fiefdoms by the end of the first year, and there would be no peace to come for many, many years…
***
Zuo Qingfeng & You Lanhai
The famous couple made an even greater name for themselves during the civil war, protecting peasants and eradicating evil. They said that they had a certain person to thank; though they had been in seclusion prior to this, this was their way of repaying him, by doing good wherever they went. Their children would grow up to become even more famous heroes…
Xiahou Yu
Together with Liu Chanfeng and Xiaoqing, he wisely left the services of the court upon hearing of Shun’s disappearance. He would live out his days happily as a scholar-for-hire in a more peaceful part of the land, penning letters for villagers and protecting them with intricate schemes pitting neighbouring warlords against one another…
Gao Ying
Seeing the slow death of the dream he worked to achieve before his very eyes, the eunuch decided to retreat and reconsider his next move. He joined up with the former imperial constables, and together they began influencing the world from the shadows. Whether they brought about peace quicker, or if they hindered its coming, no one can say…
Xuxian
In the quiet confines of Shaolin Temple, he drew upon his experiences in the world and the people he had met, and achieved an enlightened understanding of himself and his place in the world. When he was appointed Abbot, many decades later, it was rumoured that even the Shaolin Librarian bowed to him out of respect…
Guo Fu
Guo Fu and his family remained steadfast through the times of troubles, guiding Wudang through the harsh environment. Thanks to his ability, the fame of Wudang grew by leap and bounds under his eventual leadership as Grandmaster. Guo Fu’s understanding of Taiji was said to be second only to the mythical Wang Zhengchong – he was deemed a legend in his own right. His descendants would later become famous generals… and Emperors…
Qi Liuwu
Surviving Black Dragon Gate and the civil war that broke out shortly after, Qi Liuwu lived out the rest of his life in peace as a trusted mentor to beggars young and old alike. He incorporated the Wuying Leipo Kick as one of the core techniques of the Beggars’ Sect, and it became their third signature technique behind the Xianglong Eighteen Palms and the Dog-Beating Stick…
Murong Yandi
Though he spent a good part of his life under his teacher’s shadow, he would later go on to make a name for himself, in his own right, as a righteous swordsman who wielded the Zhanlu Sword. In a feat of great legend, he sought out Zhang Minyue again, single-handedly rescuing her from the confines of the palace by defeating a thousand soldiers during the most turbulent period of the civil war…
Song Lingshu
The sect leader of Qingcheng never forgot her time spent travelling with unorthodox rabble. Her leadership was unique, dynamic, interesting, and Qingcheng soon became one of the most popular sects by virtue of teachings and not money. Thanks to her, they became the sect most well-equipped to handle the transition into a new age. As for Lingshu herself, she never married, despite numerous proposals from the most eligible bachelors of the jianghu…
Nie Shuixian & Nie Mudan
The adopted daughters of Nie Wuxing devoted themselves to doing good in the world. After Xu Jing’s disappearance, Nie Shuixian would later follow Chi Qilin and Yunzi into seclusion. Her twin, Nie Mudan, joined Song Lingshu’s Qingcheng Sect and became her right-hand woman.
Bai Jiutian
As the head of the orthodox world, Bai Jiutian was unparalleled in leadership or martial arts technique. However, a year after Xu Jing’s disappearance, after performing great deeds that would lay down a secure foundation for the pugilistic world, she stepped down and vanished. Her reasons for doing so would only be known to her, though some say that she was feeling a great emptiness in her heart, and went on a journey in search of answers…
Yao Shunshi & Abbess Miecao
The two veterans of the jianghu lived their lives quietly on Yinhu Island, choosing to remain remote from the affairs of the world. When they eventually passed on, it was within seconds of each other…
Yifang
The former nun cared for her grandparents as much as she could. After their passing, she rejoined Emei, and swiftly became one of its leading figures. She now found doubt in her heart as to her path, however, and within a few years she had left Emei again. No one knows where she went, though it is said that she sought out her twin sister…
Cao’er
With grim resolve upon learning of Xu Jing’s disappearance, she became the sole inheritor of Xuezi’s techniques. With Xuezi serving as her mentor, she would travel to the frozen north and claim leadership over the Xueguizi ruthlessly, becoming a name to be feared. Cao’er used her immortal lifespan to search for Xu Jing through the centuries, believing that he was still alive out there…
Chi Qilin & Yunzi
The first wives of the Fire Lord, Xu Jing, supported each other greatly in the aftermath of his disappearance. They never gave up hope that he was still alive. Under their leadership, the Wudu Cult and the Fire Temple grew closer together, and eventually merged into a single organization. Qilin’s daughter and Yunzi’s son would later go on to perform great deeds that outstripped that of their father in history…
***
The seagulls squawked, circling above the great blue ocean. Shangguan Chuji stood on the rocks, looking out at the vast expanse of water. He didn’t have a good feeling about this – there was no land to be seen at all on the horizon. Was there really a new world awaiting at the other end? Turning, he frowned at his travelling companion. “Are you sure about this?”
“Of course.” With one last shave from the edge of his palm, Zhang Jue finished the last log that would go into the raft. “I’m certain there is land out there, with new challenges to face and new sights to see.” Looking up into the distance, he squinted under the bright sun.
“I’m not sure we brought enough food.”
“We’ll just dive and fish, like we did in that southern sea.”
“What about water?”
“That’s what our neigong is for.”
The Sword Saint sighed. They were at the other end of the continent, having travelled – and fought – their way through strange lands and pale barbarians. It had been an adventure, the journey of a life time. Looking up into the distance, he squinted under the bright sun.
“Are you searching for your disciple?” asked Shangguan quietly, seeing Zhang Jue uncharacteristically lost in thought for once.
“Of course not.” The maniac grinned widely. “If my stupid disciple is dead, then he was too weak to cut it. But if he is still alive, I do not need to search for him. I am his master.” Standing up, he unfurled the raft’s sail – a patchwork of banners from the numerous knights and kings he had crushed on his way here.
“I will leave behind a worthy legend for him to chase after.”
---END---
treave strikes again.