Chapter 47

A Harsh Lesson

 

The next few days progress without much changes, or any problems. I reached Tier 2, Level 6. Maw really likes the Qi sodas, but also likes Di's Nuts even more. The other three auctions went without a hitch, netting me a grand total of 107,394 Qi Stones and 40 purple gold taels. After the auction houses' 5% cut of course.

You can never have too many taels.

I also ask them to shop for me a bit, giving them 4 more recipes to stock up for, among other things. Then also trade another couple of Stones for more purple golds. They said the foundations for my orphanage look good. And ordered the construction of a second one at another site. At that, I thanked them for thinking ahead.

You can never have too much good karma.

This time they're doing the shopping while waiting for the auctions to finish. That will let them hurry back as soon as possible, tomorrow morning. I'm not sure how long it'll take them to make the trip though, the composition of their group changes each time, coming and going. Now they also have two orphan waifs to take care of as they go.

That'll slow them down a bit, compared to last time they made the 800+ mile journey in half a day. And without even using a car. Actually, with our groups composition, I wouldn't drive us all in anything other than a full-size RV. But on these roads, and without an experienced driver who also has hands? No way in hell. They're closer to a wagon-trail than a paved highway. Even an ancient Roman one. And just imagine if it broke down. Even a little, like a flat tire. How much would it cost to get AAA¹premium roadside assistance company here in the States out here? Do they charge by the light-year?

Anyways, they should be back sometime tomorrow evening? So I'm taking tomorrow off. That way, I'll be fresh to red-eye us over to the other forest, just as they track anyone looking for their Master to this area.

Yeah, I'm a bit paranoid over here. But it's probably also true that they really are out to get me.

. . .

Bored, bored, bored, board, bored,
BORED!

I know I should rest up for the flight tonite, but I can't sleep. And with nothing to work on, there's nothing to just pass the time with. Maybe I could brush up on my reading?

{SUMMON A COLLEGE TEXTBOOK ON CHEMISTRY}

Uncle) 'Oh, what's this then?'

Zo Ro) 'An entry-level book on what physical matter actually is, as well as how it manifests and interacts.'

Hao Long) (opens it) "I can't recognize this language."

Z) 'It's english, the same one I use with my Blood spells. Because it's the one I'm most familiar with.'

Bai Miti) "Can you translate it for us, Master?"

Well, now that teacher mode is on, my boredom kinda dissolves away. Like a morning fog under full daylight.

. .

Z) 'Everything, and I mean EVERYthing is made up of just 4 things, combined in different ways: photons..'

. .

Z) 'Protons, with their positive charge always try to maintain a balance with electrons and their negative charge, just like yin and yang..'

. .

Z) 'Each atom organizes its electrons in layers of sets of arrays. The first layer holds two, and the second as well and then another six, then the third two and six again. See how this chart is organized? (periodic table) The fourth and fifth layers each have two, ten, then six. Then the sixth and seventh are two, fourteen, ten and six.'

Go Rong) "Then the eighth one has two, eighteen, fourteen, ten and six?"

Z) 'Well, it would if it went up that high. The reason it can't..'

. .

Z) 'Every atom wants its own "outermost arrays" to be either completely full or empty, but without changing the balance between positive and negative. Except for those with tens or fourteens can be exactly half full as well. So they form links with other atoms to share, in three types.'

Bai) "Just like joining small arrays together, to make a bigger one."

Z) 'That's right.'

. . And another hour or so of the same . .

Vixen) 'How do you know so much?'

Z) 'Like I keep saying, all of this is common knowledge in my previous life's world.'

Well, enough of that. Now like the kit scouts' motto says: "Be prepared, to chase squirrels." Or was that the puppy scouts? Anyways the otters will be back soon. They'll definately need some nutrition paste, and maybe healing pills as well. I expect I'll be wrong about that, but in that case, we'll have them for later when we eventually do need them.

I spend the afternoon making one batch of Minor Healing pills. Followed by 4 more of nutrition pastes.

Right after Miss Bai starts cooking dinner for me, wolf boy gets a message from ti-girl on his transmission jade which has me fly down south with all my might. Taking along Kujo and all four tigers.

-POV Kara-

Bandit1) "They sent off a message for help."

Bandit2) "Good, it's their master we're really after. Though the amount of wealth they should have on them is plenty as well. LISTEN UP! WE HAVE TIME FOR YOU TO HAVE FUN. (chuckling) BUT LEAVE SOME ALIVE AS HOSTAGES!"

Me) "Kids: run and hide, quickly. These fake bandits don't care who lives or dies."

B2) "What makes you think we're not bandits?"

Me) "Your poor acting for one. Second, all of you are wearing the same type of armors. And third-"

All five of us charge into their ranks at the same instant. If we can pick off a few of them, we might be able to hold out until Master comes to rescue us.

Me) "Sisters: back-to-backs, holding pattern. Lǎohǔ: run amok. I've got the leader. Let's all be good soldiers."²Master had shared a profound bit of wisdom with us:
a good warrior is willing die for his cause, but a good soldier will make the enemy die for theirs.

Slash, Dodge, Feint, Thrust, Parry, Counter -No, that's not an opening, that's a trap. It's too early in the duel f-
DODGE! Okay, not merely a duel.

Their superior numbers mean they can toy with us, wearing us down. But if we can coordinate well enough- THERE! One of the group surrounding my sisters got tangled up in roots. (thanks, Lǎohǔ)  I dash over in an instant using Gale Steps and bring down my sword to take his neck. He brought his own sword up to deflect my killing blow. But me against a low Tier 2 not-bandit? He doesn't have a chance.

Unfortunately there's no time to bring him down fully. Because my own opponent is rushing at me. So I merely adjust my aim to his forearm, *chop* to take him out of the fight. Then a bounding flip over the melee. As I turn paws over head, I bring my sword down close enough to take another's head. *chop*

Their leader started going around clockwise, to get back to me. Still flipping through the air, I use my mastery over Gale Steps to air-jump the same way around, along the encirclement surrounding my sisters. Swinging my sword, and my claws wildly to wound however many enemies I can. A few of them try to strike me down as I go, but my Tier 2 Armor holds firm.

As I hit the ground, I tuck in my arms and spread my legs, to roll my body such that my paws catch the ground underneath. Letting me stand with the last of my momentum. And just in time, as the not-bandit leader finally caught up to me.

Just then, more roots tripped him up. Dropping him on his face. In a single large step, I rush to decapitate him while he's lying prone. But as I bring my sword down in a chopping blow, he rolls out of the way, bringing his own sword up to defend himself. Not well enough though, as I turn my heavy chop into a thrust, piercing clear through his right shoulder. No time to finish him, I have to protect my sisters. So I merely take his left leg off at the knee as I rush past.

B2) "YOU FUCKING BITCH!!"

Me) "Quit talking to yourself!"

Now they're down one of their powerhouses, but we're still outnumbered by a wide margin. Even with this minor victory, we will be lucky to last until we're rescued.³at Jackie Chan/Jet Li speed, this much fighting would likely take about 80-90 secs. For anyone else, close to 3 minutes. At the speed cultivators of this Tier use, it took just under 15 secs

-POV MC-

Fox Airlines© has reached record speed. To judge by the angle of deflection,⁴the shockwave cone.
It only forms at speeds equal to or greater than the speed of sound.
for a good example try a video of a rocket launch we're going a bit over Mach 4. I'm keeping a certain Eye peeled for signs of fighting so we don't simply blow right past them. But even if we do, the sonic *BOOM!* should startle the enemy enough that my Putas can recover the initiative.

A minute later, I notice Qi explosions in the distance, a little to the right. So I simultaneously bank in that direction and decelerate at about 15 G's. With my robust Tier 2 body, this feels like what ~2-2½ G's would feel like for a mere mortal. Or back on Earth. I certainly don't have to worry about my passengers' safety and comfort as they're all Tier 3.

Nine seconds later, we're heading straight towards the nearby battle, at roughly Nascar speed. Once we're close enough for them to notice us, I form a Human-Barrier under the battlefield. To fling their enemies into the air. Once the enemies have separated from our friendlies, I form a mass of gravity-Qi to toss them even higher and faster. But not quite straight up, I aim it about 5 degrees to the left, with the wind.

Once the group are roughly a third of a mile up, (that's just over half a kilometer) I disperse the first mass of gravity-Qi. Then make a second, stronger mass to hurl them swiftly back down.

Each one strikes the ground with the force of a heavy-duty pickup truck ramming into a wall at highway speeds.

Zo Ro) 'Restrain the injured. If anyone tries to fight or flee, injury them some more. And confiscate all their storage treasures.⁵Four tigers and a wolf. Sometimes I forget they don't have any thumbs; 'Drop the ring, or I'll bite it off!' Make sure they can't send out a message.'

Then I speed toward our waylaid wounded wandering wolf women warriors.

Despite having arrived in under 5 minutes after the message, two of my Putas are already dead. Dare with her throat slit open. And Doko pierced through the heart. Nani is not much better, and Lauhu can barely stand. Kara is more exhausted than injured though.

Z) 'Quick take these.' I give Nani and the tigress a healing pill each. 'Who did this and why?'

K) "Fake bandits. They wanted to take us prisoner, as bait to lure you into a trap."

Lauhu) 'I recognize their leader. Hu Go, the Young Master's- I mean Lang Kujo's uncle. A low-ranked Elder from the Autumn Crescent sect. They-'

Z) 'Thank you, I understand. Now rest. I'll finish them.'

Girl?) "Please help!"

Bandit) "SHUT UP!"

Turning towards this new scuffle, I see one of the not-bandits. Apparently I didn't get them all earlier. He's holding a beastkin girl, a raccoon, by both of her ears with one grubby hand. The other is holding a knife to her throat.

B) "If you come after me, I'll kill her."

Z) 'Quick? . Or. . Slow?'

B) . ."What?"

Z) 'Do you want to die quickly? Or do you want to die slowly.'

B) "I'm SERIOUS!"

Z) 'If you let her go free, without harm, I'll kill you quickly. You won't even feel any pain.'

B) "WHAT ARE-"

In an instant I wrap a strand of fire Qi around his body. Looping several times at armpit level, and several more at the neck.⁶ imagine a garrotte wire,
but it's made of lightsaber®

Z) 'But if you hurt her, then at this time next month you'll have long ago screamed yourself hoarse. Begging. Just. BEGGING! To be allowed to die.'

. .

He drops the knife on the ground. And slowly lowers his hands to his sides. Then shuts his eyes tightly.

B) (crying) "Please."

Keeping my fire Qi wrapped around him like the warmest scarf, I float up to his face.

Z) 'Hold still.'

And write in my blood on his brow:

{MY LOYAL SLAVE}