Icy Heart
You decide to throw the eunuch a bone. “What a coincidence. I’m also here on Shun’s orders.”
“It is what I would expect you to say,” replies Gao Ying confidently. “If you think that can fool me-“
“My name is familiar, isn’t it? Think. When did you start serving at the palace?” You begin inching towards the window.
“Eight years ago, but… do you mean-“
“Exactly.” With a grin, you leap through the window. “Wait!” shouts Gao Ying. As you clear the sill, something small zips past your ear, vanishing into the darkness. You land clumsily – the fall is not high, but you are in no condition to perform any acrobatics – and spring to your feet quickly before the eunuch can give chase. Yunzi is in front of you waving agitatedly. “What took you so long, you turtle?”
“Go, go!” you shout, sprinting towards her. She stretches out her hand; you grab it, realizing that you can’t make it over the wall alone. With her help, you clear the fortifications safely. You run for the protection of the trees the moment you land on the other side. With any luck, they will not find your trail.
***
“Three years ago there was an attack on the Ashina tribe that you participated in. You were planning to assassinate the Crown Prince Li Shun. Who ordered it and why?”
As expected, Xiahou Yu had successfully freed Liu Chanfeng and met up with you in the woods. The five of you, including Liu’s apprentice, had put a fair amount of distance between yourselves and the fortress before being forced to stop and rest; the night was not getting any younger, and to continue moving would only worsen everyone’s fatigued condition. You decided to take that chance to question the woman you had come here for.
Liu Chanfeng glares at you while Xiahou Yu watches on, his face impassive. Though she seemed frail from her imprisonment, her cold and sharp demeanour was as intimidating as you remembered, and her beauty undiminished even by the mark on her face. Then, she lets out a mad laugh. “You came all the way here and freed me to ask me this? Men are so foolish. I will tell you if you desire to know that much… I certainly do not owe them anything but hatred. I received my mission from the Hei brothers of the Black Dragon Society… that was back when I was still useful to them. Take it up with them if you want to know who gave them the orders, though it was probably either the Lady Wu or Grand Eunuch Li. The older one was there that night, gathering riders from another tribe. The mission was to take the Crown Prince into custody, not kill him. Why did we elect to do it all the way out in Tujue territory, involving the Ashina? I do not know. Figure it out yourself. There. That is all I have for you.” She says nothing more, turning her gaze up into the sky.
Liu Chanfeng seems to be telling the truth. You turn away from her and stare frustratedly in the direction of the fortress. There is no way you will be able to approach the Hei brothers for a while – it looks like you would have to pay them another visit at a later time. Perhaps if you had not shown your hand so early…
Suddenly, a hail of arrows flies out of the dark, without warning.
“They’ve found us!” shouts Xiaoqi, jumping up in a panic. In your eagerness to interrogate Liu Chanfeng, you had failed to detect the approach of your pursuers. Xiaoqi hurls her round smoke pellets towards the direction of the arrows to cover your escape. Surprisingly, Xiahou Yu scoops up a protesting Liu Chanfeng in his arms in a decisive manner and bounds away at high speed. He might not be a good fighter, but you realize that his qinggong is at a superb level, probably a lot better than yours. As you turn to retreat, a stray projectile flies at you out from the smoke. You instinctively flinch away – that is all that saves you from having an arrow through your head.
Your left eye, however, is not so lucky.
A blinding pain assails the left side of your head as the sharp tip of the arrow skims across your eyeball. You resist the urge to scream out, biting on your lip as you clutch your burning eye. Warm, sticky blood is oozing from between your fingers. Stumbling off, you wave away Yunzi, who seems alarmed at your injury. “Run, go! We have to shake them off again!” The Black Dragon Society appears to have some good trackers amongst their men – just your luck.
Making a clucking noise of dissatisfaction, she turns and flees. “Don’t fall behind,” she calls out.
You run until you catch up to Xiaoqi, who yelps when you grab her by the collar. “One of your smoke bombs. Quickly!” She looks confused until you plunge your hand down her robes, searching around for what you want. Xiaoqi leaps back with a girlish yelp but you have already gotten what you need. You give her a gentle kick to the rear, urging her to catch up with the others.
There is no way about it. If you are to stop their pursuit, you must find a way to turn the tables on them. Sighing, you run behind a large tree before quietly clambering up it. Though you cannot see out of your left eye right now, your other senses still work. Calming yourself, you keep your ears open.
How many are there?
Six? Nine? No, more than twelve men. Skilled fighters – it would not be a good idea to confront them head-on. You listen to the sound of leaves and twigs being crunched underfoot.
Two of the men walk with quieter steps.
They are probably the trackers. You place the round, chemical-filled container between your teeth, holding it gently so that you don’t break it. Then, you slowly draw your wodao and the Yuchang Sword, a weapon in each hand.
They would be passing beneath you soon - in this darkness, with your injured eye, your sight is almost useless. You would just have to rely on your other senses and your instinct.
The trackers would be at the front of the pack. Keeping a low profile, your silhouette melds with the branches and the leaves. They would see you if they knew where to find you, but it seems that they are not thinking of looking up. They pause below the tree, looking at the obvious tracks you made on purpose.
“Strange,” you hear one of them say, “one of these tracks leads away-“
You do not give him the chance to finish. Dropping down from the branches, you cut him down with the wodao – the keen blade splits him from collarbone to his last rib. You attempt to stab at the other tracker, but he deflects the Yuchang Sword with a lucky parry despite his panic. The mercenaries shout out at the sight of you.
This is as far as you go; staying here would be the death of you. You would just have to satisfy yourself with the death of one tracker and scaring them. You laugh maniacally. “Come after me and one of you will be next!” Dropping the smoke bomb, you stamp on it, hard. It erupts into a large plume of obscuring smoke, and you flee without looking back.
***
Your gambit worked; their pursuit slowed down though it did not cease. You rejoin the others at a small cabin south of the fortress, near Shennong Forest; Xiahou Yu had pointed out the gathering location should any of you had gotten lost. Finally you could rest.
With the dawn, however, came new problems. After bandaging your eye – you step out into the cheerful, sunny open only to find Yu and Chanfeng arguing. Before he can react, she strikes at him with her fingers. The scholar freezes in position, and you start to move towards them, wondering if she is planning on harming your friend.
“Stop right there,” she snarls. “Are you going to stop me from leaving too?”
“Are you?” you ask. “Why? Yu has gone through so much to find you.”
“That is his business,” replies Liu Chanfeng. “I did not ask him to come find me. I am… thankful that am I now free, but I cannot tarry here. I have to free my sect sisters… Xiaoqi’s friends, before they are sold into slavery.”
“You are going back to the Black Dragon Society? That is insane,” you exclaim. “No wonder Yu did not want to let you go.”
“They do not sell the slaves here - they will drug them, disguise them as foreigners and transport them up north, to a place called Youxia City. I just have to strike there.”
You shake your head. Though Yu is frozen, you can see the pleading look in his eyes. You have no doubt that once he is freed he will attempt to follow her.
“What are you going to do? Make me submit by force, like the brutish male that you are?” sneers Liu Chanfeng. You scratch gently at the bandage around your left eye – it still hurts you terribly. From what you have heard, Liu Chanfeng is not in the best shape from her imprisonment, but right now neither are you.
Yunzi and Xiaoqi exit the cabin. “What’s going on, mistress?” asks Xiaoqi as she trots over to Chanfeng. “We are leaving,” replies her mistress curtly. “Are your things packed?”
“B-but Sister Yunzi promised to teach me some moves!” complains the girl.
“What’s going on, Jing?” asks Yunzi as she comes to your side. You look at her, then at Xiahou Yu, and finally at Liu Chanfeng.
***
A. You ask Yunzi to help you subdue Liu Chanfeng. You are really in no condition for any duels right now, though you are only doing this for Xiahou Yu’s sake.
B. You let her go on her way, and attempt to convince Xiahou Yu to not go after her once he is unfrozen. You are not sure if he will listen, though.
C. You offer to go with her. Youxia City sounds like a fun place, and if it’s to free her sisters from slavery it is for a good cause.