Chapter 433

Chapter 433

Stomach fluttering in rhythm with the shadows flickering by torchlight, Song directed Tiger Squad into formation as they readied to meet the Defiled. Her nervous apprehension had nothing to do with the obscured figures jogging towards them through the shrouded nights gloom. According to Chey, the Enemy came in greater numbers than theyd ever faced before, but the odds were of little concern to Song. With a flowing river on one side and a deep pond on the other, the retinues defensible position limited the number of combatants each side could bring to bear, and in comparable numbers, the Defiled were no match for the Imperial Death Corps Elites at her side. Even if the desert-dwelling Defiled overcame their aversion to swimming, it would only hasten their hour of death and leave them helpless before the deadly, aquatic roosequins.

Though the battle would be long and tedious due to the lack of charging cavalry and chariots, their victory was all but assured.The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))

No, the Defiled were not the cause of Songs trepidation, only a stark reminder of her abject failures. Two months of near constant combat and she had little to show for it, only marginally stronger today than she was when she first joined Rains retinue. Tail lashing in agitation, Song glanced back at Tursinais wide grin and took comfort from the Khishigs imposing presence as she twirled a short section of chain in slow, easy circles. Poised and patient as always, Tenjin stood beside his beloved wife with a throwing knife dancing through his fingers, ready to step in and pull Song to safety should she falter in the coming battle, as hed done during yesterdays brief skirmish and countless other times before.

Though theyd only encountered the most feral and impulsive of Defiled, the dregs and chaff of the Enemy, Song had almost died more times than she cared to remember. A slip of the foot here, a momentary lapse of focus there, her litany of errors grew with every battle and it shamed her to her bones. To think, she dared called herself a Khishig of the Bekhai and thought to make her family proud with such lacklustre skills and deficient talents, unable to keep herself safe while wearing a priceless Runic breastplate. Tenjin and Tursinai were only a handful of years older, a year or two senior to Situ Jia Zian, and both were easily talented enough to warrant a Majors rank should they desire it, but their abilities were wasted protecting an incompetent dreamer like Song.

Meeting Songs eyes, Tursinai winked and Sent, Dont you worry Commander Li-Li, Hubby acted a little too hastily yesterday, but it was our first day back and you know how he frets. Ill keep him out of your hair, so you fight to your hearts content. Anxiety spiking due to the misunderstanding, Song held her hand out so she could clear the air through Sending, but the capricious Khishig shook her head and instead stuck out her tongue. No time for hand holding Commander Li-Li, but Ill be happy to snuggle after the battles finished. In fact, if youd like to snuggle sooner, then why dont we send Hubby out to end the battle now? Hes been looking for an excuse to show off and you know how men are with their egos.

Oh how Song wished she could Send without physical contact and correct this misunderstanding, but even after devoting so much effort to the subject in the past three months, she had yet to accomplish anything even remotely resembling success. Were this her only shortcoming, then circumstances would not be so dire, but since becoming Mamas Disciple, Song had made no progress whatsoever along her Martial Path. Not only was she unable to utilize external Chi, she also had yet to condense her Aura and still struggled with her mental exercises, to say nothing of forming an actual Natal Palace.

Despite weeks of failure, Mama was still as patient as ever, her letters filled with love and encouragement which told Song not to concern herself with failure or success, but to simply continue with her strange and seemingly frivolous exercises without reason or explanation. Why did it matter if Song could close her eyes and remember how many swords were in the room, or have one conversation through Sending and another out loud at the same time? Not that she could, but what benefit would be gained from success? The other assignments were similarly far-fetched, doing things like drawing circles with the right hand and squares with the left, playing games of concentration with Tursinai and Tenjin, or reciting memorized poetry while performing the Forms. None of it made sense to Song, and though she gave it her all, her constant failures and lack of progress were both shameful and discouraging.

Things had been different with Teacher Du, who always laid out his expectations beforehand and gave Song a goal to strive for. With Mama, there were no goals or markers to track her progress which left her feeling lost in her training, like a ship adrift in the Azure Sea without oar or sail. Mama always answered Songs questions the same way, to continue her exercises, seek Insight in the Forms, and meditate on her findings, but no matter how hard she tried, she still couldnt perform two separate tasks at once like Mama expected her to. Single-minded focus was one of Songs greatest strengths as shed been taught to devote all her attention to the task at hand, but in her last letter, Mama instructed Song to recite the entirety of the Classics of Poetry while in combat, even at the cost of Enlightenment. Yesterday, shed lost her place while battling a particularly tenacious opponent and almost lost her head in the process, but Tenjins timely intervention kept her neck intact.

Three stanzas consisting of fifteen words total, thats how far she got into her first poem before forgetting her place, an utterly disgraceful display.

Making a note to clear up the misunderstanding and thank Tenjin properly, Song swallowed her irritation and reached for Balance, for the scouts were slipping past her lines and the Defiled close enough to see. Already in place atop their wagons behind her, the bows of the Protectorate sang out in greeting, their arrows flitting off into the darkness to strike down the oncoming foe. Without need for orders, the Death Corps collectively pointed their polearms towards the Defiled horde, the disciplined, dark-armoured warriors utterly silent in stark contrast to their unruly, howling foes. Gripping her sheath with her left hand and the hilt with the right, Song lowered her stance and recited the first line of Clear Temple. Solemn is the Clear Temple.

The Defiled charge slowed to a crawl once they reached the crossing, with many in the vanguard slipping into the depths of the pond or pushed into and carried away by the roaring river. Reverent are the illustrious adherents. The second stanza was accompanied by the mechanical twang of crossbows, the scouts repaying the Enemy for the harrowing chase. Bodies fell by the dozens as the Defiled wavered in shallows, only to be trampled underfoot once their fury overcame reason, heedlessly dashing over the slick natural dam and into the waiting polearms of the Death Corps. Tiger Swipes the Rushes scored Songs first kill of the night, her sabre Honed and Lightened in simultaneous fashion. Dignified are the many officers. She once likened using two separate Chi Skills to composing a poem with the right hand while painting a portrait with the left, but she now knew the depths of her ignorance. The former now seemed easy as turning her hand and the latter more difficult than squeezing blood from a stone.

Adhering to the virtues of Nobility. Sabre still Honed and Lightened, Song Amplified her next attack, cleaving her opponents weapon in twain and severing flesh and bone behind it. Retracting her weapon from the entangling corpse, she raised her saber high and...

Forgot the next stanza.

Then youve no need to train anymore, Tursinai Sent, punctuating her point with another kiss on the cheek. Your family would never see you as a burden, because the burden would fall on hubby and me. Chuckling at her own joke, she continued, Your desire to stand alongside your family is admirable, but if you hope to match the likes of your Mama and Papa, then you have a journey of centuries ahead of you. No need to stress over being surpassed by Rain and Dastan, because worst comes to worst, you can claim superiority after outliving them.

Noting Songs dissatisfaction, Tursinai Sent, You see the other youths with their Auras, Natal Palaces, and Blessings, and youre worried you cant match up. Song nodded and Tursinai continued, Well, youre right. You cant match up right now. Heaven isnt fair, and chances are you would have fallen behind regardless because half-beasts in general are slower to progress with regards to Chi manipulation. Which made Wu Gam and Du Min Yan all the more talented, but Song held her tongue. Dont pout, little Li-Li, though it is oh so adorable. Envy and resentment will eat away at your resolve, and even should you overcome it, it wastes time better spent training. Worry not about how your peers fare, for everyone moves along the Martial Path at the same pace: one step at a time.

Nodding in agreement with Tursinais sage advice, Song replied, True, but I still want to be stronger. Though I made some progress in training today and saw its effectiveness, I dont understand how reciting poetry is supposed to help form my Natal Palace. Knowing the Bekhai penchant for letting students reach their own conclusions, Song wasnt brazen enough to directly ask Tursinai for advice, but the talented warrior surely had something to offer.

Understanding Songs meaning, Tursinai shook her head and sighed. The Chief Provost will have my hide if I overstep, so listen carefully, if only so you can tell her exactly what I said and prove me innocent. Forget your Natal Palace. You havent even condensed your Aura yet, so just continue working on the exercises your Mama gave you and reflect on my earlier question. Strength for the sake of strength is meaningless, for only with purpose can Martial Strength truly hold significance. Got it?

Yes Big Sister. Thank You. Though she didnt quite understand Tursinais veiled meanings, Song committed every word to heart before turning her thoughts to her second Spiritual Weapon. Though she already put off answering Papa for a quarter of a year, she still had no answer to give. Shed hoped to ask her older brother Kyung for insight into Teacher Dus thoughts, but not only did he repeatedly rebuff her attempts to make conversation and refuse to spar because she was clearly not his match, he treated their shared parentage and teachings as empty air, and only carried a single Martial Weapon, a sabre much like her own.

In short, Kyung was a massive disappointment, of no help whatsoever, and prickly to boot.

Seeing Rain and Dragon Squad holding the Defiled back with ease, Song wondered if he had any insight to offer. Though hed been on his best behaviour while holding her chain and she was fond of his warm head pats, she wasnt too keen about going to him for advice. It wasnt because she worried he might take advantage or tout his strength over her, but there was something unsavoury about outright admitting her inferiority. Why this was, again, she couldnt quite say, but the mere thought of acknowledging his genius out loud set her nerves on edge, especially now that hed gone back to being intensely uncomfortable in her presence, a sign of his impure thoughts he could not act upon.

A failing of all men, but at least Rain was repentant of his desires.

If purpose was so important to Martial Strength, then maybe Song should set a goal of her own besides becoming strong for the sake of being needed, something like surpassing Rain and Yan, defeating Kyung, or better yet, catching up to Tursinai. Then again, maybe something more realistic was in order such as... having her own pet. No, this had nothing to do with the Martial Path, though she would enjoy having an animal to love and call her own, an affectionate but practical creature who served a purpose and could fit in her yurt. A small dream, but best not be too greedy, for she still remembered a time when her dreams consisted of enduring through the night until her morning ritual, the scant five minutes a day which were hers, and hers alone. In light of this, perhaps she didnt need a pet of her own, for she had already been blessed with a loving family and compassionate friends.

Then again, having a cute, battle-trained torch weasel or thunder mouse would make up for her lack of Awakening and offer a marked increase in strength. Nestled in Tursinais arms, Song idly watched the engagement play out and imagined herself striding across the battlefield with her sabre engulfed in flame or lightning, reciting poetry and slaughtering Defiled as easily as lifting her hand while leaving Rain awestruck in her wake...

Truly a dream, but perhaps a goal as well...

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