Chapter Fourteen: Six Days of Restoration, The Virtue of Three Teachings

At this moment, the two shield-bearers who had fallen from above finally crashed to the ground, exchanging uncertain glances with the two spearmen, none daring to move recklessly for a time. The surrounding guards, who had been swarming in, also fell into brief silence. Yet, as warriors defending the most prestigious clans of Chu, they possessed unwavering courage and resolve.

“Kill!”

Another squad leader shouted, shield raised before him, blade in hand, spear poised for attack.

Kill!

Dozens surged forward, fearless and fierce, charging ahead. No matter how savage the enemy called Slayer was, faced with such numbers, he immediately found himself in a desperate struggle.

Xu You had already retreated to the first deck, four shield-bearers flanking him on all sides, guarding his safety. Zuo Min followed closely behind, tiger-like eyes scanning the surroundings as he made his way determinedly toward the main cabin.

At the door to the cabin, Xu You spoke without turning his head, “Commander, head to the second deck and assess the situation. If casualties are too severe, withdraw our brothers. I am quite safe here, so don’t worry.”

“Yes, sir!” Zuo Min saluted, then hurried toward the second deck. No sooner had his figure vanished than, from the sheer cliffs on the right side of the ship, a cascade of crimson leaves suddenly fluttered down, as though a murderous rain had begun to fall.

The place was named Redleaf Bank because dense groves of red-leafed trees grew on both sides of this narrow waterway. Every late autumn, the cliffs would blaze with scarlet, reflecting in the river’s mist and the morning glow—a rare and breathtaking human wonder.

Xu You’s face changed. He lunged forward, barely making it into the cabin. The four shield-bearers reacted instantly, overlapping their heavy shields above and below to form a defensive wall outside the door.

Thud, thud!

Hidden among the falling leaves, scarlet crescent-shaped arrows struck the ox-hide covering of the shields, making muffled, frightening noises. Those without the protection of shields were not so fortunate—screams and splashes filled the air. One shield-bearer, unable to restrain his curiosity, tried to peer outside. The moment he did, he saw a woman in a brilliant red feathered cloak, her face veiled in scarlet, descending onto the leaves like a fairy, her long, enchanting blue eyes revealed.

Slayer Moon!

This would be the last sight he would ever see. A crescent arrow pierced his brow, the venom sealing his fate in a heartbeat.

The shield wall collapsed!

With a cold smile, Moon raised her hand again; the other three shield-bearers dropped dead at once. She flicked up one of the heavy shields with her toe and hurled it at the cabin door, following swiftly behind.

The main cabin was small—one glance took it all in. Moon saw no sign of Xu You and immediately realized she’d fallen into a trap. She was about to withdraw when the thunderous roar of repeating crossbows filled her ears.

The general term for arrows was “Eight Slayers.” The Four Slayers were famed for their archery, so they had taken “Eight Slayers,” split it in half, as their collective name—clearly, these were not ignorant foes. The repeating crossbow, a prized war instrument, evolved from the bow: first the heavy horn-bow and chariot-mounted crossbows, later developing into the Han and Wei-era armbow, a single-soldier weapon. Among Chu’s elite families, however, the “Thunder Lord Crossbow” was most revered.

The Thunder Lord Crossbow was a type of repeating crossbow, entirely of iron without feathered flights, named for the thunderous sound it made when fired. Each shot loosed three bolts at once. While less accurate at long range, at close quarters it could pierce heavy armor and was devastatingly powerful.

It was from Zuo Min that Xu You learned there were twenty such crossbows aboard. The might of the Yuan clan thus provided the necessary means for his carefully laid deathtrap.

Sixty quarrels, released by hidden mechanisms, shot out from holes in the walls of the main cabin, so densely that the chamber became a death trap from which no one could escape.

Moon let out a piercing cry as her red cloak billowed out, enveloping her like a giant ball.

Thwack, thwack, thwack!

One after another, the bolts struck her cloak and were deflected. But such relentless, concentrated force was the truest test of endurance. Though Moon’s cultivation was profound and she could fill her soft cloak with inner force, she could not hold out forever. After only thirty bolts, her strength was nearly spent. To wait longer would be certain death.

With a shout, she cast off the cloak, revealing a body of exquisite curves. Spinning her wrist, she swept up a dozen quarrels with the cloak and, retreating, launched herself toward the cabin door.

But in this brief instant, she could not entirely evade the deadly rain. Arrows struck her arms, thighs, and shoulder, blood gushing forth and soaking her dress in moments. Yet no matter the severity of her wounds, as long as she reached the deck—where the river was just beside—she believed she could escape with her life.

She neared the door, feeling the chill wind from the river on her back. She began to turn, seeking a path for the water, when a sudden, searing pain lanced through her chest. All her remaining strength drained as she looked down: the tip of a single-handed spear had burst through her breast, glinting coldly.

I… am going to die…

The spearhead withdrew and a gush of blood arched through the air and spattered crimson across the floor.

Moon’s body sank slowly to the ground, her eyes first blank, then filled with a smile of release. She unfastened her veil, revealing a beautiful face unlike the women of the Lower Yangtze—her features bold and chiseled, with a touch of heroic spirit. Forcing herself upright, she sat cross-legged, palms open, thumbs touching, and chanted softly:

“Heaven’s six realms govern the rise and fall, the Three Teachings guide the path. Heaven and earth do not endure, formlessness is its own barrier. Heaven and earth do not age, thus the Great Way is achieved. The Way is formless, beyond all names. The Vermilion Book’s talisman decrees, transforming into immortality!”

“Heaven’s six realms govern the rise and fall, the Three Teachings guide the path…”

Her voice grew faster, gathering force, swelling into a peal of bells and drums. But before reaching its crescendo, it stopped abruptly. Her head fell to the side—dead.

A hidden door in the wall swung open. Xu You emerged, surveying the cabin littered with quarrels and the blood-soaked body of Moon. He frowned and said, “General Deng, in your opinion, what grade was this woman’s cultivation?”

Deng Tao entered, unconcerned that he’d just slain the infamous Slayer Moon. He rested his bloodstained single-handed spear on his shoulder and replied unhurriedly, “I am of humble rank and light words. How dare I judge figures of the world?”

Xu You glanced at him, let the matter drop, and sighed, “Who would have thought that even a mere Slayer Moon could evade the fire of twenty Thunder Lord crossbows in such a narrow space? If not for you, and she had escaped, she would have become a great threat!”

“All was within your calculations, my lord. If you hadn't first exhausted her inner strength with the quarrels and wounded her limbs, with my skill alone I might not have stopped her.”

Deng Tao lowered his gaze. Where Xu You could not see, a complex expression flickered in his calm eyes—as if even he was startled by Xu You’s methods.

Xu You smiled faintly. “Let’s not flatter each other.” He stepped forward to examine Moon. It was clear she was no native of Han—her brow wide-set, cheekbones slightly pronounced, her features bold and sculpted. Yet, compared to the soft, delicate beauties of the Lower Yangtze, she possessed a singular, vibrant charm.

But all that was meaningless. However lovely a face, in a hundred or a thousand years it would be nothing but dust. The only difference lay in sooner or later.

“There’s still another Slayer above. Next, do as planned. I want to see if the Four Slayers truly share the sibling bond that legend claims.”

“Yes, sir!” Deng Tao hooked Moon’s corpse with his spear and turned to leave. As he stepped away, a green token of unknown material fell from her body, bounced twice, and rolled to Xu You’s feet.

Xu You bent to pick it up. It was cold and heavy, rectangular in shape. On one side was inscribed “Seventh Lady”; on the other, six palaces were carved in staggered order, shrouded in mist among the mountains. Looking closely, one could make out countless fearsome demon faces hidden in the clouds. That such intricate, complex work could be done on a token so small was a marvel of craftsmanship, yet it exuded an eerie, sinister air.

“General, have you ever seen such an item?”

Deng Tao shook his head. “Never seen it, nor heard of it.”

Xu You pondered, then put the token away. “Go ahead.”

The second deck was already awash with blood. Slayer had suffered seven severe wounds, but beside him fifteen bodies lay. Counting the six from before, in the time Xu You had taken to lay his trap and kill Moon on the first deck, Slayer had slain twenty-one men while beset by dozens.

This was the heaviest loss the Yuan clan had suffered in five years.

Slayer advanced another twenty-seven steps.

He was now thirty paces from where he had last seen Xu You. On the deck, it seemed not that the Yuan retainers were besieging him, but rather that he was besieging dozens.

Zuo Min stood by, acting as a bulwark but not joining the fight—his task was only to confine Slayer and guard against the yet-unseen Flyer and Shade.

“Slayer, look who this is!”

Deng Tao entered everyone’s sight, his imposing figure always striking. Yet what drew more attention now was the body of a woman in a red cloak, draped from the tip of his single-handed spear.

Slayer lowered his bow, stopped, and looked up, his narrow eyes narrowing even further, silent for a long while. The retainers, awed by his earlier ruthlessness and waiting for orders, kept their wary distance.

A chilling, owl-like laugh broke out as Slayer finally spoke, “You… killed… her?”

His tone was strange, like rusty iron scraping stone, or the clumsy speech of a child learning to talk. His pallid face, under the sunlight, looked as thin as paper, sending chills down all who saw him.

“That’s right,” Deng Tao replied coolly. “I killed her. What of it?”

Slayer paused, as if searching for words. After a moment, he said, “I… will… have… your… life!”

“Oh?” Deng Tao flung Moon’s corpse to the deck. With the tip of his spear, he tore open her collar, revealing white skin. “Only after removing her veil did I realize that the renowned Slayer Moon was a rare beauty. She’s still warm from death—perhaps I should let the brothers enjoy a taste?”

“You!”

A fire blazed in Slayer’s usually cold eyes. “You… dare!”

“Why wouldn’t I dare?” The spearhead lowered again, about to tear open her garments.

Slayer let out a skyward cry, leaping over twenty feet high. His black wooden bow was drawn to the full, a white-feathered arrow nocked. The setting sun cast its rays behind him, gathering into a dazzling point at the arrow’s tip.

Whizz!

The white-feathered arrow tore through the air, so swift and fierce that it made the air crackle, flying straight for Deng Tao’s brow.

“Watch out!” Zuo Min cried in alarm, sword in hand, leaping into the air like a dragon. Deng Tao’s face remained calm. Balancing the spear on his shoulder, his five fingers suddenly swelled to several times their size, and he hurled it skyward.

To the onlookers, lightning flashed and thunder roared!