THE PATH: CHAPTER 5
Inside the Scripture Palace, the walls and pillars were covered with lightning-patterned cracks. Holes in the ceiling grew larger as pieces of debris and tiling fell apart like raindrops. The Divinity Hall—where disciples of the Scripture Palace had taken their daily lectures and practiced scriptures— was now completely demolished, and the sleeping dorms were reduced to rubble and ash. The light of the Scripture Palace had diminished into a dark night and the rolling clouds became as grey as aged hair, desaturating from the world.
Chen-Chen panted heavily as though his breath had been stolen. His large and strong body had sustained numerous wounds. Blood trickled down his white-coated fur, staining it in a deep red; over his left eye a large cut bleed profusely impairing his vision, and the numerous bites and scratches on his arms and legs stung intensely in the ice-chilling wind. The civilians had been relentless.
Upon entering the courtyard everything was a mess. The east entrance gate had been blown to pieces and the entire compound had already been overrun by a market of civilians. As for the disciples, many lay scattered on the ground in their own blood, while the others were either mauled or violently dismembered. The purity of white snow was infected with maroon. The ordered cleanliness of the gardens was dirtied with rubble and ash. Chen-Chen's heart sank when he realized the plan to descend the mountain had been rendered useless.
Though in the onslaught of bloodshed, two young disciples remained unharmed, one was a young junior disciple named Li-Cheng and his younger sister Qing-Mei. Together the two siblings had managed to fend off the incoming madness by climbing onto a high ledge in the center of the courtyard. With their manageable use of the Inkstrike, they pushed the sprawling civilians that clawed at their way. However, it wasn’t long before they were surrounded by a sea of undeads pulling at their feet.
The sea of chaos was terrifying and yet it seemed the worst of it all had just begun. Chen-Chen caught sight of a tall, dark, and malicious figure standing at the east palace gates. The upper half of the figure’s face was covered by a bird-like mask made from an unknown metallic material. Beneath the beak revealed the figure’s lower half of their face, exposing a jarring smile. As the enigmatic stranger appeared from the shadows, a haunting tune echoed into the air. Chen-Chen’s attention turned to the single leaf placed onto the figure’s lips— whistling an ear-piercing tune.
The fur on Chen-Chen's spine flared upwards when he felt the tension in his body grow. The figure was approximately 8 feet tall, and the shadow cast by their silhouette was undoubtedly intimidating. Their extensive shoulders were enveloped by a layer of feathers that spread across their bicep and sternum. The skin was a tone of dark ultramarine, and over the textured epidermis, the figure was covered with incomprehensible markings. Four muscular arms sprouted from the torso. From the back —two arms wielded enormous scimitar blades in each hand, their curved edges resembled a crescent moon. Around each wrist was a pair of spiraled-patterned metal rings made from the same material as the figure’s mask. As for the remaining two arms at the front— a devilish hand gripped onto a mysterious red sword, permeating a deathly essence. At a glance, one could tell the red sword alone contained a threatening radiance. Invigorating the terrifying appearance, a tattered piece of fabric strung by a lace of various bird skulls hung below the figure's exposed abdomen. With each stride, the earth thumped beneath the figure's feet.
Chen-Chen’s arms quivered and his mind turned unsettled as he stared petrified at the creature. In his mind, there were no better words to describe the figure besides monstrous indeed.
The ghostly melody ceased playing, and so did the movements of the civilians. At last, Chen-Chen managed to push through the piling bodies and weaved himself past the crowd. When he reached the siblings, their faces revealed the same distress as the exhausted white tiger. He scanned the siblings for any injuries but was relieved to find that they had sustained nothing serious.
The siblings carefully descended from the ledge, ensuring not to touch the frozen civilians. Li-Cheng quickly ran to lend Chen-Chen a hand, but the broad-built white tiger placed a hand in front of him and shook his head, “Don’t bother, these wounds aren’t deep.”
“ Uncle Chen-Chen, where is Shifu?”
“ The west gate is blocked by the civilians. Master Ru-Jing is trying to prevent them from entering the palace, but who would have thought that we'd been ambushed. ”
They all looked around and realized they were vulnerable prey cornered by hungry beasts. Chen-Chen turned around to see the figure standing at the other end of the courtyard directly ahead of them. Even though the disciples of the Scripture Palace had been cleared out, the courtyard still appeared like a crowded marketplace, only was it now surrounded by motionless civilians. A large ring had formed around the trio, trapping them like helpless mice. Finally, the unnerving stillness returned. It was quiet but dreadfully unnerving. The bird-masked figure began to approach the members.
“Li-Cheng. Qing-Mei. Get behind me!” Chen-Chen ordered.
The two siblings quickly huddled together and hid behind the Paint Master.
Qing-Mei held onto her brother's arm and trembled uncontrollably. Her head turned rapidly from left to right, and her eyes darted frantically in their sockets ‒ searching desperately for a way out.“ Brother Li-Cheng...”
“ Don’t be afraid. I’m here.”
Li-Cheng took her trembling hands and held them tightly. Though, behind his brave and brotherly care, Qing-Mei could sense the fear he was suppressing.
The snow began to fall increasingly heavier onto the mountain peaks and the high altitude of the Scripture Palace intensified the bitterly cold temperatures. The sky began to darken, the wind wailed loudly, and thick clouds rolled through the entire district like ocean tides.
The figure was coming closer. Chen-Chen’s hostile instincts became apparent and a threatening growl seethed from his clamoring jaw. With a quick toss, Chen-Chen shot his long silk scroll into the air. It twirled and elongated rapidly like a drapery cloth. He clasped his hands together and focused deeply on gathering his spiritual energy. As he prepared to incarnate a spell, his aggressive demeanor was diminished into a pulverizing fear when the bird-masked figure spoke.
“Don’t bother trying.”
The ghoulish voice broke the silence, and the threatening words evoked a blood-curdling ambiance. Chen-Chen lowered his brush when the unnerving mask stared back towards his panicked eyes— like a nightmare seeping into reality. The figure once again revealed a hair-raising smile, extending his vile lips, the horrid mouth bared a set of vicious teeth causing Chen-Chen to almost fumble at the strident voice.
He could feel the children against his back and as he slowly turned his head towards them he was overcome with a sense of foolish cowardice. No courageous attitude came from his posture, instead, the same frightened expression on the sibling's faces reflected on his own. He had vowed to not tell lies when he became Ru-Jing's disciple, at least not to others. Yet, at this moment Chen-Chen found that he would tell the deepest lie that remained a secret to the world. It was a lie afflicted on himself.
He brought himself into a fury and became agitated by the figure’s sickening expression, the remaining courage in his heart suppressed his feeble mind. It was this blind falsehood that could transform his timid personality to appear unaffected by consternation.
“This is sacred ground! devils are not welcomed here!”
The figure didn’t flinch.
“Who are you, evil?”
Again the figure responded with silence.
“Answer me, devil! Why did you come here?“
The figure finally let out a mocking chuckle. And slowly the jarring smile curved downwards in extreme displeasure.
“No devils here.”
The sense of apprehensiveness did not pass, instead intensified each time the figure spoke. The unnerving behavior and the vague responses made it especially difficult for Chen-Chen to deduce whether the figure was deceiving him or not.
He looked at the figure again, this time he intensively scanned the beast from head to toe. Besides the menacing appearance and heavily built anatomy, he realized that he could not sense any demonic aura from the figure. Something felt strange as if the figure was a creature from an ancient world, an embodiment of terror, but there was a hint of divinity. Yet this only worsened Chen-Chen's uneasiness and brought him frustration. Speculation that the figure was a mystical beast or perhaps a highly cultivated bird yao crossed his mind. Even so, he did not dare lower his guard in the slightest. With all the havoc brought upon Mount Hua by this unpleasant stranger, Chen-Chen affirmed to himself that regardless of what this creature could be, it was no friendly foe. His attention momentarily wavered, when he felt Li-Cheng lightly tug at his sleeve.
“ Uncle Chen-Chen, what should we do now?”
Despite his false bravery, Chen-Chen was clueless. He was no tactician, neither was he a valiant warrior. But he was caring and desperate. Desperate for the safety of the two siblings. He slowly turned his head to Li-Cheng and gave an honest reply, “For now we can only wait until Master Ru-Jing arrives.”
As if a fire had been ignited, the markings on the figure's ultramarine skin suddenly lit up in a ghastly white. Then the gruesome voice returned through gritted teeth.
“Where is he?”
Chen-Chen stayed silent and continued to nervously stare back. However, this only fueled the figures' temper even more, and in a fit of anger, the figure’s voice boomed across the courtyard.
“ Where is he?!”
Wind and snow plumed outwards from the figure's dark silhouette.
“Who?” Chen-Chen shouted back, though his voice stammered and cracked.
“The heaven’s mutt you call Ru-Jing!”
The creature's rage was visibly evident when trails of steam began emitting from the thick body. Though something agitating seemed to have awakened in Chen-Chen's heart, his eyes flicked open as if the anxiety had dissolved into their sockets. His distress was becoming more difficult to conceal, but to uphold justice for Mount Hua he could not reprieve the antagonizing figure so easily. Despite his own aggressive attitude serving as a mask to hide his cowardly heart, his loyalty towards Ru-Jing invited his own true ferocity against the figure's slandering words. It was a flame that ignited in his soul that he could not deny was the feeling of authentic bravery against the enemy.
“What do you mean heaven’s mutt?” Chen-Chen retorted. “ Lord Ru-Jing is the savior of tragedies. Do you have no respect for a man like him? How dare you speak of my master in such ill-mannered ways!”
The figure let out an earth-shattering cackle. “You ignorant worms wouldn’t know a darn thing about this savior of yours. Who would have thought the Gods would have sent a dog to watch over the feeble mortals.” The figure extended one of his elongated fingers upwards to the sky.” It’s a long way to the purple palace little kitty, why don't I help send you there. You can see for yourself that the Heavens are nothing but a house of indulgent imbeciles and dancing harlots.”
“ You–”
The figure interjected abruptly before Chen-Chen had a chance to respond.“ Those heavenly dogs will feed on your merits and intoxicate themselves with your worship, yet sick little vermin like you would gladly bow graciously to their revolting image and poison the air with your foul incense.”
The two siblings trembled at the sound of the figure's crude words. Their bodies clung to each other desperately, not knowing whether they could overcome this terror before them. Qing-Mei’s eyes were fixed shut as she sunk her head into her brother's chest. As for Li-Cheng, his eyes quivered as he continued to stare directly into Chen-Chen's wide back. It seemed to bring some relief that he could not get a glimpse of the figure. But the booming voice alone was enough to make his soul crumble.
“ I’m growing impatient. I’ll ask again. Where is he?” The figure demanded.
Chen-Chen managed to find the courage and scoffed, “What nonsense are you spouting. You speak of the Heavens in such tyrannical ways. You come barging on sacred ground, annihilating the innocent. You now claim that there are no devils, but all I see is a creature that eludes nothing but malevolence. The worst of your crimes is that you dare slander Master Ru-Jing. What makes you believe that I will tell you anything?”
The figure broke out into a wicked giggle instilling an overbearing trepidation into Qing-Mei’s bones. She clutched onto her brother's arms tightly and placed her hand over her mouth to suppress her whimpering sobs. Something hot approached the trio. Chen-Chen kept his gaze forward and noticed fuming vapors expelled from the figure's skin; causing it to rise like the steam trails from a pot of boiling soup.
The siblings suddenly felt a pressurizing doom collapse over their bodies. The air became thick with dread. Qing-Mei gasped frantically as the nails from her small hands dug deep into Li-Cheng's wrist. Though he appeared unaffected by the pain, for he was trembling just as uncontrollably as she was. The murderous air perfused from the figure’s silhouette was so unbearable and sinister that even Chen-Chen could not withstand the intensity.
The snow swirled in a haunting manner, and the wind did not settle in the slightest. When a powerful gale flew towards the trio, Chen-Chen quickly shielded the two siblings from the force but left himself exposed to the deathly gust. His silk scroll was caught by the draft and his paintbrush fell from his paw. The brush was quickly tossed along the ground, eventually landing on one of the civilian’s shoes.
“ You’re right. With such dedicated loyalty, it’s beyond saving those who have rotted their minds like yourself. I don’t believe you will tell me anything. How unfortunate, I thought sparing some of you may have been useful for finding that stupid mutt. Though it appears I was mistaken.” The figure silhouette grew dark and advanced forward
“Don't come any closer!”
“What’s stopping me?”
“You'll pay for all of this when my masters discover everything you have done.”
”Sooner or later he will appear on his own. But in the meantime, my hands are itching for bloodshed.” The petrifying smile returned to the figure’s foul lips, only this time it grew wider, deepening the wrinkles around the gruesome mouth.
Chen-Chen managed to regain his balance from the force. However, when his eyes regained sight of the figure, his pupils immediately constricted the moment he saw the beast lean forward― extending itself outwards before charging forward at lightning speed. The powerful steps left by the figure clawed the snow upwards, leaving deep footprints in the ground.
Qing-Mei could not help but shriek loudly when she saw the beast approaching. “No. He’s coming!”
Chen-Chen hastily clasped his hands and concentrated on gathering his qi. However, his courageous spirit had crumbled and his wishful persona was stripped and thrown into the depths of horror. His hand fumbled and shook as he tried to keep them together, but his mind had been infiltrated by fear as he desperately tried to visualize something to conjure.
Chen-Chen mentally shouted to himself. “ Visualise! Visualise!”
Though nothing came to mind/ Only the terrorizing fear lingered.
“Think! Visualise!”
The figure began to cackle loudly as he approached closer, taunting the white tiger in a fiend-like manner, “ It’s not going to work.”
From behind Li-Cheng's horrified voice called out, “ Uncle Chen-Chen...”
The sweat from the white tiger's head dripped profusely, regardless of the ice-blazing weather, his torso had soaked through his inner robe. Chen-Chen's body felt devoured and his mind was poisoned. His large strong body was possessed by uncontrollably shaking, his deep and calm breathing was now short and rigid, and his heart thumped loudly in his chest―so loud that he could hear the pronounced heartbeat in his ears overpowering the loud stomps of the charging figure.
When he thought he would be trampled, Chen-Chen’s eyes suddenly looked passed the figure, and something caught his gaze. A broken stone lion statue in his peripheral― the cloud-twisting patterned mane; the protruding muzzle; and the fierce snarl of the lion’s head― was all Chen-Chen needed for the imagery to form. And at that moment he extended his right arm outwards and shouted earnestly.
“Come forth!”
Recap on some Xian-Xia beings:
1*魔/mó or 魔鬼/mó guǐ: can be closely translated to “Devil”, a mighty yet cruel being that is associated with the practice of demonic cultivation. They are the contradiction of 仙/xian( cultivated existence) and 神(gods).
2*妖/Yāo or 妖鬼/Yāo guǐ: can be loosely translated as “Demon”, “Monstaintser” or “Spirit”. However, it should not be confused with “devils”. In Chinese mythology “demons” are beings that can either be animals, plants, or inanimate objects, through years of cultivating and absorbing the natural energy (qi) from the world, they can gain supernatural powers and spiritual awareness; developing skills such as human speech or gaining a body that resembles human-like features. Chen-Chen is a white tiger Yao, he is cultivated enough to walk on two legs, speak, and practice martial training. Another character introduced in Chapter 1 was Silver Gecko Fan-Ru. He is a Gecko Yao.
3*Purple Palace: another name for the Heavenly Palace
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