A Thousand Li: Imperial March: A Cultivation Short Story by Tao Wong

Author:Tao Wong [Wong, Tao]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: A Thousand Li, short story, cultivation, xianxia
ISBN: 9781989994825
Publisher: Starlit Publishing
Published: 2021-10-15T05:00:00+00:00

***

He had almost made it in time. When the fires started, he had started riding faster, making Hong Ma gallop down the ridge and jump the dry barriers between fields. He had almost made it, but the blade plunged into through the farmer’s guard as he was readying his strike, taking care because there were so many civilians in the way. He had to take his time.

Almost. Almost, he made it. But as the farmer, the father, choked to death on blood, then was he free to strike. He rode through the burning village, striking and laying down around him, dealing with the raiders like Lei Kung himself.

The raiders ran soon after, the remaining two attempting to escape. They did not make it far, but he left them alive, their legs crippled, a hand gripping a shirt, a familiar tunic.

“How dare you do this! These are your people. Yours to guard, to serve.” Qu Yuan raged, his fist shaking as he hauled the guard up with one hand. “How dare you!”

“We… we were ordered!”

“Ordered! By who.”

A gaze flicked sideways, and he turned towards the still burning village. Memory replayed itself, of a dark coated man wearing Imperial Officer armour. Ah, he had struck him, as he tried to drag one of the women into an unburnt hut.

“How many?”

“Honored sir. What… what do you mean?” The soldier sobbed.

“How many villages have you done this to.”

“I haven’t any sir, please.” The soldier sobbed. “It’s my first time out.”

“Liar!” The other soldier, clutching the stump of his foot shouted. “He’s the worst of the lot. He laughs, when he burns the houses down. He locks them inside, and smiles as they burn.”

“Hun dan!” the soldier twisted, trying to tear himself away from Qu Yuan. When Qu Yuan turned to stare at the man on the ground, he sensed the shift in the soldier’s movements, the way he adjusted his weight. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the hand snaking upwards and the blade plunge towards his chest. Where the mortal blade bent, incapable of even piercing the robes he wore.

Not that he was going to allow the other soldier to live. He turned slightly, throwing him down to the ground hard enough that his impact flattened the earth and shattered bones. A step off the stallion and he was beside the other soldier, who looked about to pass out from blood loss. Hong Ma, temper inflamed, danced upon the broken body, eliciting low groans from below before it quietened.

A pair of fingers, joined together, plunged towards the soldier. Too fast for him to stop. It struck and pressed, a trio of times, and the blood pouring from the wound trickled to a stop. Qu Yuan nodded and stayed squatting, meeting the soldier’s eyes.

“Now, tell me. About your leader and what happened here.” Qu Yuan said, still livid. “Tell me why you have abandoned all honour.”

“Yes, Honored Sire. Yes…”

When he stood up later, he left the soldier to crawl away. Perhaps he would survive, perhaps he would live.

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