The Laws of Cultivation: Qi = MC^2

Chapter [B3] 27 — The Winter Assassin

I twisted under her strike, dodging the knives she threw, as I saw the green coating on them denoting poison. If there was any doubt before that she was an assassin then this cleared it. But why? And who sent her?

Those thoughts didn’t linger in my mind for too long, as I ran around in the knee height snow desperately using my flames to melt them while dodging all her strikes. The woman moved with a grace that showed years of experience while I dodged clumsily with all the grace of a drunk monkey. Pulling on my Chi as much as I could, I drew upon the power, letting my Chi seep out for a second. The earth shook beneath me, and from within the cold embrace of winter surrounding all of us, I called Life.

Fire blazed all around my body, flames covering me and melting the snow as steam erupted from my body, and as the assassin rushed in closer, instead of running from her strike, I moved in closer. Using my hands and covering them in Chi I formed a layer of earth upon it, using it to grab the poisoned blade and deflect it from her strike. The woman didn’t even hesitate, letting the blade go as she immediately struck back with a different hand, cutting through my thigh, but I took the chance to let flames erupt all around me, covering her in flames.

Plants and life began to peek around me at my behest, the snow melting rapidly in a small area where I moved as I drew upon the remnant life sleeping beneath the earth. It was difficult, and there was barely any of it, but it countered the effects of the snow just a little bit. The assassin spun away as her attacks proved futile. I briefly glanced down at the cut on my thigh and the poison in it, but I put it out of my mind for now. Here, outside of my home, I lacked immunity to poison, but my spirit was still strong. I would not go down this easily.

I looked at the woman and sneered, a rare display of raw anger on my expression. “What’s wrong? Can’t fight if your ambush doesn’t work?” I said, though the woman didn’t react to my words. She continued to look at me expressionlessly, her cold eyes sending a shiver down my back. Silently, she raised her flute to her lips and began to play a melody.

“Not on my watch,” I shouted, Stepping as Chi rushed to my feet, the world contracting between me and her as I rushed closer with my fist sinking into her gut. But instead of a hearty strike, my hand passed right through, the woman’s body melting into an illusion within the snow. A second later, a ghostly specter appeared behind me, slashing at my back as I screamed. Spinning around, I struck back, but found my strike miss as the specter simply melted away.

The snow storm began to rise in power, as I looked all around myself, seeing multiple ghastly figures rising within it and melting into the snow. I let my flames grow all around me, trying to melt the snow and focus my vision to locate the woman, but the freezing cold chilled my spirit, slowing the flow of my Chi, as my fires began to grow weaker as well.

“Damn it,” I cursed, feeling a warmth rising within my body. The poison. Not good. I needed to end this quickly and get back. I turned around, trying to head back towards the village but the snow storm covered my path, not letting me see in any direction. I continued to move on, trying to feel my connection to my spirits to guide me and help me.

The assassin moved closer and I let my fire loose, but her figure simply melted, the haunting song of the flute playing in the distance as I moved through the storm. Dark wraiths began to rise through the snow, striking me the moment I lost my focus. I turned and struck, my paranoia and anxiety growing as each step I took felt slower and slower through the snow, the cold rapidly sapping my strength.

“A mere child. You have fought well. Now rest,” the words whispered in my ear, and I shook my head, pushing onwards. My face was flushed now, my body starting to go numb. And I could no longer tell if it was the cold or the poison that was doing it. I pushed and pushed, striking back at the shadowy figures moving all around me. The woman’s shadow rose, her blade slashing through my chest this time. I struck back with my fist but found my knees buckling as I fell into the snow.

Her figure loomed overhead.

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“You were a worthy prey,” she said, as I panted in the snow, no longer with enough energy to fight back. My eyelids dropped, heavy, and I clasped the snow around me to rise up. Not like this. I could not die like this.

As the woman’s blade hung over me, ready to separate my head from my body, I closed my eyes and then called upon the half molded spirit ring within my soul.

“The Third Law: Resonance.”

The words were incomplete, but their meaning was carried, as a metallic hum rang across the world around me. I felt the spirit rings in my soul resonating with power, and shaking the Chi all around me with them. I rolled sideways, dodging the sinking blade, before kicking at the woman, this time landing my strike. Pulling myself back to my feet, I panted, as power began to flow into me.

I could feel the spirit inside my soul, and I drew upon a sliver of his power, just enough to not break my own will and make me lose control. My body changed, the tie on my hair falling as it hung loose behind my back instead. And instead of fire, I now drew on water, on the chilling colds from my depths as I felt it sink into my very soul as something new rose instead.

I opened my eyes and saw the world from a new perspective. Words that shook my soul as I spoke them with power.

“You steal from our domain. A child of the snow? You shall perish for your insolence,” I… no, Xuanwu’s spirit spoke, as the world shook around me. My eyes were draconian, and a silent hiss emanated behind me as I carried the aura of death with me.

The assassin looked at me, and for the first time, I saw an expression upon her face.

She was confused.

“Who are you?” she asked, raising her blade.

“We are the one who will judge you today,” Xuanwu said, using my mouth. He raised my hand, power rising with it. With a snap of a finger, the snow storm fell apart, breaking away. Water rose at my command, turning to ice as it struck the assassin.

The woman’s body melted into spirit, as she rushed around the area. Her illusions rose once more, five of her striking from all different directions. I closed my eyes, and let my Chi hum within my soul, the Third Law resonating with power and letting me borrow the domain of those I held within me.

Water erupted from around me in all directions, freezing instantly as shards of snow shot forward in a shattering spectacle that pierced all the illusions, before stabbing the woman. I moved, Stepping as the world bowed to my command and I stood in front of the woman, a single finger landing at her forehead.

Her hat and mask had fallen apart as blood flowed from her gut. She looked up at me, her eyes still emotionless, and I felt Xuanwu’s will and power ready to crush her into nothing.

I pushed my will, and forced him to come to a halt.

The spirit turned at me with anger.

“Why stop us? She is an assassin. And she has captured a spirit from our lands, making it a tool. She deserves no mercy.”

“Not mercy.” I spoke through gritted teeth under Xuanwu’s spirit weighing on me. “I need to know who sent her,” I replied to Xuanwu, who looked down at me, for a second looming massively as I stood inside my own spirit.

“You overstep your bounds, when our mercy is all that keeps you alive.”

And with that, the spirit took control of my body.

“Who sent you here?” He spoke, his words like a command written upon the world itself.

The assassin opened her mouth, fighting against the compulsion.

“SPEAK.”

The woman shivered and shook, each word spoken with pain. “Al…che…my… Ha..ll…” she said, bleeding from her mouth as she bit her tongue from her attempts to stop.

I felt my body bend down, and then touch the lantern next to her. The next second, the device shattered and with a screech and a howl, a snowstorm burst out of it, rushing into the world.

The assassin screamed, as the spirit grabbed her in her hands, bringing her to the skies as she began to rip her apart limb by limb.

I did not watch any longer. I could not. All strength left me moments later as the third law fell apart, and Xuanwu’s spirit left my body. I sank into the snow, slowly turning it red as my wounds bled from my many injuries.

I tried to call out for help, to reach for my spirits but found nothing left in me to do so with. The world began to darkness around me, even the cold I felt slowly starting to fade into the unending nothingness.

As my mind sank into the depths of the dark, I felt icy hands brush against my body, before lifting me up. Through my closing vision, I saw a pale face, with blue eyes that looked down at me.

And then, darkness was all I knew.