Chapter 10: Courtyard Battle |
The room felt stifling with the windows firmly shut and talisman paper taped all over the walls. The lack of air circulation also served to intensify the smell of incense. The crown prince sat behind his desk with a cold expression on his face.
“Prince Ruì’s palace . . . to think they’d actually go to such a place.”
A sapphire bead shot out onto the table shaking the tea cup with its force, rippling the water inside. The black clad assassin by the table spoke up saying, “This time I won’t leave them any room to maneuver. Where are the hired warriors and spell-casters?”
“Your Highness, they have returned and are outside waiting your command.”
The crown prince nodded in satisfaction. “Good. We’ll see what abilities that evil enchantress has.”
. . .Shěn Lí watched the grape leaves flutter in the wind and idly wondered if they were edible. The things Xíng Yún made were always delicious so the fruits of the trees he tended must also be wonderful and sweet. She didn’t think she would be around long enough to harvest the grapes though, thus her thoughts about the leaves.
Threat from the crown prince would be nullified if Xíng Yún stayed at the palace, however threat from the Demon realm . . . that was not something a mortal could contend with. No matter Xíng Yún’s condition, she had to leave soon; at most she could stay for three more days; any longer than that would just complicate things.
“Sha sha.” Shěn Lí looked over toward the sound and saw Xíng Yún moving a rock. He was apparently laboring very hard judging from the sweat dripping off his forehead. The combination of his serious expression and the somewhat muffled words from his lips gave him an air of seriousness that was unusual for him. She was used to his default idiotic smiling expression. Seeing him like this made her wish the marriage contract didn’t exist. Then she wouldn’t have to leave and feel so anxious. She could . . . she could . . .
Shěn Lí was stunned at her train of thought. What could she do exactly? Her heart felt strange and conflicted with these unfamiliar desires.
Shěn Lí grinned. She walked over and easily lifted the barrel with one hand and asked, “Where do you want it?”
“Over there in the corner.”
Xíng Yún watched as Shěn Lí moved the barrel over. “OK I’ve rearranged the array so its strength is considerably increased, especially at night. The battle array is fierce and extremely powerful. Remember to not go out the front yard, and if you want to leave, make sure you leave with me.”
Shěn Lí knew Xíng Yún was talented when it came to arrays and building them in alignment with the sun and moon, but she had strong doubts about his battle array formation abilities. To call them fierce? Could they really rival those in the Demon realm? Shěn Lí didn’t really think so. She listened to what he had to say but didn’t take it seriously.
“How come you wanted to change the pattern of the array?”
“In case of attacks. This way you and I can sleep soundly.”
In fact that very night proved the sagacity of his words. It wasn’t long after the lights were extinguished that chanting reverberated in the small courtyard. Xíng Yún sighed and burrowed deeper under his quilt trying to cover his ears. “Ugh. I overestimated the crown prince. Seriously what a poor move on his part.” Suddenly a distinct sharp sound disrupted the chanting. Xíng Yún immediately got up and grabbed his robe, putting it on as he rushed out to the hall.
Normally he’d find Shěn Lí sleeping on the bench, using it as a makeshift bed. Despite no longer being a chicken, she still kept to the habit of sleeping outside, only now instead of being on the floor she slept on the bench. Whenever he wanted a drink in the night he’d get up and find her there. She’d awaken, glance at him, then go back to sleep. It reassured him and put his heart at ease.
So his heart clenched a little when he didn’t see her there now. He quickly turned to look in the courtyard. There he saw five people sprawled unconscious on the ground - three men dressed in black and two spell-casters. They looked pale and breathless. Shěn Lí stood above them like some crazed magnificent warrior, completely untouchable. It didn’t look like they had laid a hand on her.
Just as Xíng Yún sighed in relief, Shěn Lí closed her eyes and a trail of red tears flowed down her cheeks. She stood with her hands tightly fisted at her sides, her lips pressed firmly together in a grim line.
Although the array he made was a battle array, it wasn’t designed to physically harm people. What it would do instead was attack the psyche and bring their fears forward, ultimately crushing their will to fight. However, if a person were to struggle and resist, the array’s strength would continue to intensify until the person’s mind and sanity shattered. He didn’t expect Shěn Lí to resist so hard. If he kept watching . . . Following his impulse, he stepped forward into the array just in time to see her unclench her fist and fall down. He closed his eyes and adjusted his breathing as he moved forward one step at a time slowly and surely.
When he opened his eyes again, the world around him felt like a dream. He was witnessing her illusion. The Shěn Lí that stood in front of him had her fists to her sides and blood marked her face.
She was bound and unable to move. All she could do was watch as her brave and fierce soldiers disappeared into the crimson lava flow one by one, their hands outstretched to her pleading for help. From this distance, she could see the Demon emperor’s castle burning, crumbling, turning to dust. She wondered about the welfare of her lord and hoped he was safe. She suddenly felt a strong presence from behind; it was as though she conjured him by thinking about him. She turned her head to find him there dressed in a black robe and was the one binding her wrists. In a cold voice he said, “This place should not exist. Nor should you . . .”
Shěn Lí’s stomach dropped at the words. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, the other party bit into her neck and tore away the skin with his teeth. He was eating her alive.
No . . .
“Shěn Lí!” A shrill voice called out her name. It sounded like it was coming from a great distance away. “Wake up!” Who was calling her? She felt pain in her eyes as they were being forced open. A familiar face stood in front of her.
The person spoke, “It’s just an illusion. It’s not real.” The chaotic blood-filled scene and the sense of being bound gradually faded and was replaced with the small courtyard. Xíng Yún pressed his fingers against her eyelids to keep them open. “Hey! Wake up soon OK?!” He blew a breath into her open eyes.
Shěn Lí’s eyes felt really dry. She wanted to close them, and was finally able to do so after some difficulty. Xíng Yún saw she was still not lucid, so he pried her eyes open and took a deep breath, intending to blow harder this time. Shěn Lí woke up just as he was about to do so. “Stop. No more. You’re going to blind me.” She rubbed her eyes with her hands.
Xíng Yún laughed. “Didn’t it help to blow your nightmares away?” Grabbing her hand, he said, “Let’s get out of this array first.”
Shěn Lí followed behind him. Looking down she was surprised to find bloodstains on the back of her hand. She stumbled. Was the array really that powerful? Looking up at Xíng Yún’s back she asked, “Are you not affected by the array because you made it and it recognized you?”
“No it’s just a battle array. How could it recognize people?” His voice was faint as he continued speaking. “It’s an array that touches people’s fears. If I have no fears how can it harm me?”
Nothing to fear? It’s not so much that you have no fear, you’re just . . . too indifferent. Shěn Lí thought as she looked down at their clasped hands. Oddly enough despite this, he somehow put her at ease.
Xíng Yún didn’t bring up the vision in the array once they made it back into the hall.
“What should we do with them?” Shěn Lí pointed to the people lying in the array.
“Wait till dawn, then drag them out.”
“What about the ones chanting outside right now?”
The chanting stopped as he was thinking what to do. A loud voice from outside yelled. “Useless trash!” It was a young and cold sounding voice. “Just burn the whole place down!” Immediately a rain of flaming arrows shot into the courtyard, setting everything in contact aflame.
Shěn Lí frowned. “They would do this while their people are still here?!”
Xíng Yún didn’t answer. He was too busy looking at the backyard and the damage already done by the flames. Every object in the courtyard was a part of the array, so damage to one part would affect the whole. The fierce atmosphere around the house began to fade as damage around the yard compounded, in fact, he could already see the grapevine trellis sagging. The grim situation didn’t alarm Xíng Yún, in fact he was smiling.
The courtyards in the cul-de-sac were all connected to each other. Looking at the flames he knew they would quickly spread to his neighbors if not extinguished soon. It was beyond his expectations that the crown prince would endanger so many lives in order to get him. The disregard the royal family had for the lives of the common people was obvious. “I’ve been considerate of the people and their wishes all these years, but it would appear I didn’t plan well enough, and now I’m the one who’s brought harm to them.”
Shěn Lí glanced over at him. “You feel guilty?” The smile he had clearly didn’t reach his eyes, it was just a curve of the lips without any soul. She wiped at her face to clear away the bloodstains on her cheeks. She spoke with a heavy heart as she walked over. “I can help you one last time before leaving. I strongly recommend you go to Ruì Palace tomorrow. This courtyard . . . I don’t think it can be saved.”
This was the first time she spoke about leaving. Xíng Yún had a blank look on his face as he watched her walk to the gate. She waved her hand and a bright silvery light appeared. It started small but continued to condense until a flash erupted and a long incredibly cold looking spear appeared. It had a lustrous body with red tassels that burned like flames at each end, emitting a murderous aura.
Shěn Lí pushed off from her feet and jumped into the air landing on the roof. She used the spear to draw four arcs in the air creating a seal. After whispering into it, the walls collapsed and Xíng Yún’s courtyard was pulled away from the surrounding area by about two feet. Without wind the chances of nearby residences catching fire dropped significantly.
As soon as she finished, she dropped back down into the courtyard. She could clearly see her opponents outside now that the walls no longer acted as a barrier. The dozen guards beyond the courtyard held their bows in trembling hands, taking a few steps back upon seeing her. The only one unaffected was a young man who looked at her with cold eyes.
Shěn Lí unceremoniously kicked the five unconscious people in the array out. “This king does not want to see bloodshed today. All of you retreat.”
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