~~~
“Obviously, I could not allow things to continue as they were,” Feng Gui, Future Patriarch of the Eternal Flame Clan, says as he paces impatiently around a spacious red room. “The Divine Frozen Palace loaned that madwoman to them. The Eternal Flame Clan could not be seen as a lesser ally.”
His words are met with silence.
“Just think of the repercussions had the attack from those barbarians succeeded! The Elders would never agree to this whole conflict after that. My plans would have been set back by at least five centuries!” Feng Gui says, throwing his hands into the air. “All because of that child!”
His listener raises an eyebrow. It is impressive how Feng Gui says the word child with fondness and bloodthirst in equal amounts. His hands twitch as if preparing to squeeze someone's neck.
“I had to do something, and it couldn't be me who went there. That wouldn’t be proper at all,” Feng Gui says, shaking his head. “I had to send someone, and who better than my most trusted subordinate?”
Feng Gui turns towards his listener.
“It felt good! I love ordering my brother around like a common lackey,” Feng Gui says with a gleeful smile. “Besides, I’m letting him go rescue his kids. He should be thanking me. I win. He wins. The child wins. It all works out.”
The smile gradually fades from Feng Gui’s face and is replaced by a thoughtful frown. His mouth opens and closes multiple times, his words struggling to get out. Finally, he manages to get them into the proper order.
“Father, why do I feel like I let my brother get the best part?”
Feng Zhang of the Eternal Flame Clan laughs at his foolish son.
~~~
Lu Mei looks through the palace window. The shadows covering the sky have been extinguished. Red Shadow’s menacing Qi has been overwhelmed by Lord Feng Shang’s warmth. Though the shadow swords could never have reached her inside the Storm Dragon Palace, she suddenly feels safer.
She wonders if this is how having a father is supposed to feel.
~~~
“How?”
The question leaves Red Shadow’s mouth as a demand. He is not asking how his technique was defeated. Watching the process once was enough for him to get a rough idea.
What he wants to know is how it is that he missed Feng Shang's approach!
Nie Dan might have distracted him, and the palace might have taken his attention immediately after. Even so, that should not have been enough time for an Emperor to sneak up on him. It cannot be due to a stealth technique. Feng Shang would have surely tried to strike him if it were. Thus, it must have been some sort of instantaneous movement. Such things are not uncommon at their level.
“I hope you do not expect me to answer that question,” Feng Shang says, meeting the burning intensity in Red Shadow’s black eyes with cold stoicism. “After all, I am here to kill you.”
Red Shadow’s Qi rises.
“You speak boldly, Emperor from this side of the Dead Plains,” Red Shadow says. “However, you will not find me an easy foe. The penalty for daring to interfere with my judgment is high.”
“You should return to the palace,” Feng Shang says, not to Red Shadow but to General Nie Dan. “You have done your master and your country proud, but I ask that you allow me to take your place. It would mean much to me.”
Nie Dan can only marvel at Feng Shang’s wording. Despite the urgency of the situation, Feng Shang is trying to give him some face. He is making it sound as if Nie Dan would be doing him a favor by stepping aside.
What an outrageously proper man.
Nie Dan retreats. Red Shadow allows it. He and Feng Shang assess each other in silence. Their auras brim with barely repressed hostility. The space around them begins to distort.
Red Shadow strikes first.
He rushes towards Feng Shang and brings down three of his massive arms against him with shattering force. Feng Shang does not move. Golden flames form a barrier around him that stops Red Shadow’s blows. Immediately, shadows cover the red ogre’s arms, protecting them from the golden flames, as he keeps pushing against Feng Shang’s golden barrier.
Feng Shang’s Qi rises.
Red Shadow’s Qi rises to match it.
And again, Feng Shang’s Qi rises.
Neither budges an inch as their powers clash. The sweat shining in Feng Shang’s brow is the only indication of how much he is exerting himself. Finally, their combined energies grow too strong to be contained. Both fighters are blown back by the ensuing explosion.
“Well, well, well,” Red Shadow says, laughing. “Despite how you talk and look. You are a very stubborn person, ain’t you?”
Feng Shang says nothing. That’s fine. Red Shadow already has a feel for his character. Shadows appear in his hands and morph into blades. Immediately, the barrier around Feng Shang goes away. A single saber of golden flames appears in his hand.
Red Shadow grins.
A shockwave is unleashed high above the Storm Dragon Empire as the two fighters clash. Red Shadow strikes with relentless power. Two of his blades are always trying to smash through Feng Shang’s guard, two are always trying to land a lethal blow, and two are always focusing on defense. The role of each hand changes as the battle continues. Still, there is an undeniable order to his brutal fighting style.
Feng Shang meets it all with flawless grace. Though he only has one sword to Red Shadow’s six, he seems to have no trouble parrying and blocking all of Red Shadow’s strikes. In fact, Feng Shang has yet to back down even a single step.
That is not natural.
Despite his savage appearance, Red Shadow is far from a fool. As Quiet Shadow’s partner, he is more than familiar with foes who can drain the momentum of their foes. However, that’s not what is happening here.
Whenever Feng Shang blocks or parries Red Shadow’s swords, none of the strength behind them reaches Feng Shang. At the exact moment their blades meet, the strength behind Red Shadow’s swings is diverted elsewhere. It is similar to what happened to his [Judgment Blades]. They did not lose power. The attack was just split so many times that each individual sword did nothing.
When Feng Shang blocks his next two strikes, Red Shadow notices how something seems to hit Lady Meng Yue’s barrier. Red Shadow grits his teeth and spins wildly, becoming a whirling of death, yet Feng Shang meets each strike calmly. At the same time, several impacts strike the barrier above the continent.
“Redirection,” Red Shadow says as he backs away. “Either that or redistribution. That’s the core of your ability.”
Feng Shang raises an eyebrow.
“Despite your appearance, you are not entirely unintelligent, it seems,” he says. “How surprising.”
“Do you think you can make me angry with childish taunts?” Red Shadow asks him. “Don’t be naive!”
“I am merely speaking my thoughts,” Feng Shang says. “You are fighting me, and you have yet to apologize for your transgressions. Both mark you as a fool.”
“Growing up on this side of the Dead Plains has made you arrogant,” Red Shadow says darkly. “You do not understand that you are a frog in a well, ignorant of the size of the ocean. Allow me to educate you.”
Shadows spread across Red Shadow’s body like ink, forming sinuous patterns on his skin. His swords become darker, absorbing any light that grows close to them. A practice swing cuts a cloud several miles away in half. Were they not so far above the ground, it would have left a deep gouge across the land.
Six swords strike. Feng Shang meets them with one. The impact that should have gone into his body is spread out across the space behind him instead.
Blood spurts from his shoulder.
The barest flicker of surprise spreads across Feng Shang’s face. Red Shadow’s lips pull back in a savage grin as he attacks with renewed vigor. He is no longer trying to break through Feng Shang’s guard. Instead, he wields his dark blades as clubs and smashes them against Feng Shang’s solitary blade.
Every time Feng Shang blocks or parries, a new wound appears on his body. It is not that he is failing to divert the power behind Red Shadow’s attacks. Something else is happening. Frowning, Feng Shang is forced to back away to dodge.
A cut appears on his side.
“That’s no good!” Red Shadow yells. “You cannot escape your punishment for daring to interfere with our work. Stand and be judged!”
Ah.
“I see you are the sort of person who dislikes the esoteric,” Feng Shang says. “How unsurprising.”
Feng Shang blocks the next strike, but this time, he does not divert the force behind it. The slight narrowing of his eyes and tensing of his jaw are the only signs of how much it inconveniences him.
No wounds appear on his body this time.
The second, third, and fourth clashes all produce equal results, confirming Feng Shang’s theory.
There are countless Dao, and there are countless ways in which they can be manifested. While cultivators have little control over the former, the latter is a different story. Most high-level cultivators go out of their way to find the trickiest ways to manifest their Dao. The more complex the skill is, the harder it is to understand, and the harder it is to counter.
However, there are those who long for a clash of pure power and rebel against the esoteric. Those people harness their Dao specifically to counter those skills. Some nullify, some stagger, and some punish.
Red Shadow is clearly the last type. His Dao punishes attempts to meet his attacks with anything other than force. Even something as simple as dodging is deemed unfair. The skill borders on childish, yet its effectiveness cannot be denied. Feng Shang’s golden blade repeatedly meets Red Shadow’s six swords. They are no longer sword-fighting; they are just bashing their weapons against each other until one grows tired.
That will not do.
“By what right do you pretend to impose rules on me?” Feng Shang says. “You are the aggressor, and I am the wronged party. A thief has no right to hide behind the city guard when caught robbing houses.”
Red Shadow’s swords strike, but Feng Shang diverts their force once more. A cut appears on his robes, but fails to touch his skin. A golden flash follows. A thrust of his sword forces Red Shadow back. The red ogre’s hand rises to cover a small burnt mark over his heart, the only sign that Feng Shang’s sword touched him.
The aura around Red Shadow sharpens as his focus grows. Feng Shang is unsurprised. No matter how he looks and acts, Red Shadow is someone who has reached the top of the Emperor Realm. He cannot possibly be a fool who lets his emotions get the better of him. Assuming otherwise would be lethal.
“I can impose judgment on you by virtue of what we represent,” Red Shadow says. His body grows before Feng Shang’s eyes. “You find my actions despicable. That’s unimportant. I stand here to represent the cause the Temple of the Thousand Shadows has championed for four thousand years. It doesn’t matter if innocents die. It doesn’t matter if I have to be vile. Warrior from the other side, from the moment you were born, you were already under my authority!”
[Spear of Judgment]
Six swords merge into one spear. Red Shadow hurls it at Feng Shang with all his strength. Dodging it will not work. Diverting its power will not work. Feng Shang’s golden eyes shine like stars as his flames roar.
[Shield of Eternity]
A nine-layered barrier of golden flames appears in front of Feng Shang. Fire and shadow meet in an explosion felt across the country. The power behind the spear is greater than any technique Red Shadow has used thus far. It immediately destroys the top five layers of Feng Shang’s shield.
[Roar of Eternity]
Feng Shang detonates the remaining four layers to destroy the spear before it can go further. The golden flames burn Red Shadow’s body, but that’s not enough to seriously wound him. His body is a dense armor of Qi, and the shadows on his skin quickly smother the flames.
Feng Shang is above him.
Red Shadow rises to meet him. Blades appear in his hands once more.
“Four thousand years of authority is not enough,” Feng Shang says as they clash blades. “Every mountain crumbles. Every fire goes out. Those are inescapable facts. Here and now, there are only the accused and the accuser, and I will not relinquish my position!”
The force behind Red Shadow’s swords is diverted. Feng Shang’s blades cut through them and slice through Red Shadow’s chest, burning a deep scar in it.
However, the grin that spreads across Red Shadow’s face is triumphant.
[Shadowed Tribunal]
Darkness gushes out of Red Shadow's wound. Feng Shang tries to step back, but he is not fast enough. As the shadows surround him, he protects himself with golden flames, but he quickly realizes this is not an attack. The world shifts, and the Storm Dragon Empire disappears from his senses. All that remains is a pure black world with four gigantic red pillars in each cardinal direction.
Feng Shang immediately identifies the place as an alternate spatial realm, most likely one created through Red Shadow’s Dao.
“I should thank you,” Red Shadow says as shadows cover his injuries and mend them. “The moment you said those words, you agreed to be brought here. People like you always play into it.”
“Accuser and accused,” Feng Shang mutters, realizing what just happened.
“Exactly,” Red Shadow says. The swords in his hands change to spiked clubs. “There are no more tricks here. Feng Shang of the Eternal Flame Clan, I accuse you! You have interfered with my mission! By stopping me from delivering judgment to the Storm Dragon Empire, you tipped the world towards calamity!”
Immediately, dark shackles appear around Feng Shang’s wrists. He instinctively knows his flames will not be able to destroy them.
“Your so-called mission led you to threaten the lives of the Disciples of the Eternal Flame Clan, including my son and daughter,” Feng Shang replies. “Such transgression cannot stand. Offer up your life now, and I will make your death painless."
Just as Feng Shang expects, shackles appear around Red Shadow’s wrists. The red ogre nods approvingly at him before attacking. Six giant clubs come at Feng Shang from all sides. His golden sword flashes.
Reality warps.
Feng Shang’s mind had already traced the path through which his sword needed to travel to break those spiked clubs. However, that is not what happens. The clubs slam into his body and break his bones. The spikes dig into his flesh and make him bleed. Meanwhile, his golden sword is buried in Red Shadow’s gut.
“Simple, isn’t it?!” Red Shadow shouts before smashing his head into Feng Shang's. “No one escapes judgment here. Not you. Not I. Our bodies must suffer for our transgressions!”
The flames on Feng Shang’s sword light up as he tries his best to burn Red Shadow from the inside, but something is not right. His flames are not burning as fiercely as they should.
Red Shadow’s club strikes him across the face and sends him tumbling to the ground.
“I could have killed your children today. I could have murdered a country today,” Red Shadow says, pulling Feng Shang’s sword out of his stomach. “But you prevented that!”
“The punishment must match,” Feng Shang realizes.
He tries to block Red Shadow’s club, but it’s pointless. His defense disappears, and the strike launches him into one of the pillars.
“Exactly! However, you did stop my mission!” Red Shadow says. “You did bring the world closer to calamity!”
A burst of speed puts Red Shadow in front of Feng Shang. His spiked club slams into Feng Shang once more. A roar of fire catches Red Shadow in the face at the same time.
“Ridiculous!” Feng Shang shouts. “A place where attacks always land? A place where the power is decided by perceived wrongs? This is what you have chosen to create?! It’s just a game of endurance!”
“It is a place of purity!” Red Shadow shouts. “Unhindered by petty deceit and trickery! There is nothing here but you and I, and only one will emerge!”
Ah.
“I withdraw my accusation," Feng Shang says.
As soon as he says that, the shackles disappear from Red Shadow’s body. However, the shackles on Feng Shang’s body remain.
“Did you really think that would work?” Red Shadow asks. “Withdrawing the accusation does not release you from this place. It just leaves me as the sole accuser!”
He stri-
-away from each other.
“What?” Red Shadow looks around. He and Feng Shang are suddenly facing away from each other, much further apart than they were an instant ago. “What did you do?”
Feng Shang does not reply. He assumes a fighting stance and beckons Red Shadow t-
“-nd!”
Red Shadow looks down at his bloody club in confusion before turning to Feng Shang, and-.
“-I am not escaping anything,” Feng Shang says, showing Red Shadow his bloodied side. Curiously, it already seems to be healing. “It’s quite painful, I assure you. However, it might be possible that the significance of the event has been lost to time.”
“Enough! You cannot-”
It happens again.
And again.
And a-
-gain.
Red Shadow tries to hit Feng Shang, but something keeps happening. Feng Shang is not avoiding the damage. That is impossible in this world. Instead, the damage is being done, but Red Shadow cannot recall doing it. Feng Shang’s injuries are also not lasting as long as they should.
Why…why is he so tired?
“How!” Red Shadow roars, suddenly falling to one knee.
“The arrow of time only flows in one direction. That is an inescapable truth,” Feng Shang says. “It will not stop for anyone, and it will not turn back for anyone. It can only move forward. That is why everything fades away eventually. No matter how much fire rages, it will eventually burn itself out. Things must be added to it if it is to retain its warmth. People are the same. We constantly require things outside ourselves. Nothing lives as a closed system.”
“What does that have to do with…?” Red Shadow starts coughing blood, unable to finish his question. His Qi is in disarray. His body is breaking apart.
“Ordinarily, I could never do this to one such as you, but you created the conditions for it,” Feng Shang continues. “You made this a closed system. A world where there is nothing but you and me. However, I am no longer your accuser. Thus, nothing from me flows to you. I cannot nourish you. You are alone, hurling accusations at one who is not connected to you. Such an existence can only reach its end. I am merely speeding up the process.”
The spatial realm! He needs to bring it down.
Why can’t he do it?
“You and I have poor compatibility,” Feng Shang says as golden flames burn in his hands. “Do not expect me to regret your misfortune.”
When the flames burn his soul, Red Shadow can only welcome it.
~~~
“No,” Quiet Shadow whispers. Feng Shang has returned from Red Shadow’s spatial realm, but his partner cannot be felt. He tries to go to him, but Meng Yue blocks his path.
“You came here to kill an entire nation,” Meng Yue rebukes him. “Do not act surprised when you and yours end up meeting the same fate.”
Quiet Shadow smiles sadly.
“That would be quite shameless of me, wouldn’t it?” the old man asks.
“Lady Meng Yue,” Feng Shang says as he flies down to them. “Rude as it might be, I hoped you would allow me to aid you in your battle.”
Meng Yue sighs.
“Be my guest,” Meng Yue replies. “This battle has already lost its taste.”
Two Emperors against one.
Quiet Shadow’s Qi rises one last time.
He will not see the end of the day.
~~~
Mini-Character List
Liu Jin: Our protagonist. Really glad he never had to fight Feng Shang.
Feng Gui: Almost Patriarch of the Eternal Flame Clan. Inexperienced advice-seeker.
Feng Zhang: Mostly retired Patriarch of the Eternal Flame Clan. Experienced son mocker.
Red Shadow: Member of the Temple of the Thousand Shadows. Poor compatibility. Bit of a rule lawyer.
Feng Shang: Brother of Feng Gui. Very dangerous. Do not threaten his kids.
Lu Mei: Daughter of Feng Shang. Would have grown up very spoiled in a different life.
Nie Dan: Heavenly General. Needs to level grind.
Meng Yue: One of the Five Fairies of the Divine Frozen Palace. A bit disappointed.
Quiet Shadow: Member of the Temple of the Thousand Shadows. Always knew it could end like this.