Chapter 128: Chapter 128 - I've only got one shot.
The Yellow sea flowed endlessly into the orange sunset. Xin trotted Horhu's horse towards the Horqin tribe's encampment, moving up and down in a saddle as he rode. This whole feeling felt oddly similar to sailing a ship, except Xin's foot never stepped on anything larger than a six men river ferry. He gazed somberly at the horizon, his face caressed by the tender flickers of the waning sun.
For the last time, mayhaps.
The siblings jogged behind, struggling for breath. They were young and hardy, but it was still hard to keep up with a horse, even one holding itself back. Xin gave Erdeni his endurance bracer to wear, as she was tired from their "daily exercise", but Horhu only received a "tough luck" shrug. The horse he rode was also tired, and he'd soon have to walk on foot, so he considered just asking for directions and travelling alone, but Erdeni firmly rejected this idea.
She insisted that it's crucial that they arrive together, otherwise a Skyfolk patrol could stop Xin and cause an incident, potentially wasting their surprise advantage. She also added that despite not being a cultivator, she was a shaman, and could assault the hag's soul. Given their soul foundation differences, it would only be enough to disrupt her connection with the plant monsters, but it would still be quite an advantage. Horhu also tried to barge in, saying that he could help them fight the plant monsters, but Erdeni quickly shut him down.
With an hour to go, Xin finally unhorsed. He was now walking through tall grass along with his other companions, his senses attuned to every sound. The steppe lived and breathed, unbothered by the mortals' petty struggles. Rodents and raptors skulked around, doing their thing, and one time, Xin even had to warn Horhu not to step on a viper. The youngster thanked Xin, embarrassed, but Xin just smirked and kept going.
Hm. Viper. Mercurial Snake ring. Xin read about it after he came back from his previous steppe trip, and knew how it worked. The user points their fist at the opponent, and sends their will into the ring. The snake springs like an arrow and penetrates the target with the strength of a rank two move. The manual warned that the attack can be launched "deceptively fast". Sounds dreadful.
Baiting it out, is this my plan? Not using my movement methods to make her think she has a clear shot, then ducking to the side with my boots and wood path methods. Is that it? Sounds like a coin flip, am I being too audacious? Well, when you attack a higher ranked opponent, you're already flipping a coin.
And praying that it lands on its edge.
Boy, is your protagonism wise? Think just because you got lucky before, you'll get lucky again? Are you intoxicated by your totem again, or do you have a death wish? Don't tell me it's just love, if you truly loved her, you'd keep her safe, not lead her into the belly of the beast.
Xin scoffed lightly. Having to stay silent so much, he developed a habit of carrying his usual overthinking as an internal dialogue, as it gave him an illusion of company in these lonely times. Still, with the totem on top, sounds like too many voices for one head.
Even one is too many. "I" needs to die to bring my best fighter out. Can't worry about death, can't worry about Erdeni, can't think in words. Can't get drunk on martial spirit. If it emerges during battle, so be it! I'll let it guide me and ride the wave, but I won't pump myself up in advance.
"Xin." Erdeni put a hand on his shoulder. The way she pronounced his name sounded a bit desperate, but also filled with longing.
"Uh?" Xin grunted in response, his voice carrying a gentle note.
"Our encampment is beyond that little hill, halfway to the horizon," she pointed. "It's surrounded from all sides by these creatures, and she must be in the… Square? Well, the centre of the tribe, where the biggest campfire is. Horhu says she dug a hole, filled with boiling blood and pungent materials, and is melting horses in it."
Xin pointed at the horse Horhu led by the reins, then at the ground. He then showed a "put" gesture and drew flames in the air with his fingers, his face twisted in an exaggeratedly questioning manner.
How does she put the living horses into the pit?
Getting dangerously close to sign language, boy.
Oh, fuck off.
"Well, she spawns tentacle-like vines that lift the horses and drop them in. She lets a hostage go in exchange for a horse. At this rate, we'll completely run out of horses, and the tribe disbands…" Erdeni explained.
It's more important to keep the people safe. Then the horses. Then we can start thinking about your tribe, dear. Xin put a hand on her shoulder to console her anyway.
"Sister, how strong is this friend of yours? Think we have a chance?" Horhu was annoyed by them getting touchy, and decided to interrupt.
"It's our best chance for the foreseeable future. She is in the centre of the encampment, her minions on the sides. Many of our warriors are inside, and Xin is a good ambusher, as you've noticed. We've got to take a risk, the alternative is death." There were other alternatives, of course, but they implied her father's legacy being destroyed, and her pride ruined, thus she discarded them.
Ten minutes later.
You, stay behind, Xin pointed. I sneak around and ambush, he showed using a gesture of a human skulking with his two fingers. Then I shoot my crossbow and charge her, everyone helps and we kill her. You two shout for them to help me. Deal?
The siblings nodded.
Now that was sign language! You aren't getting any respect from me!
So what? I haven't broken any rules. I almost tamed you, anyway, by the end of this bloodshed, you'll be my obedient kitty.
You'll beg for my powers soon enough, Xin. We both know this.
Stupid animal, if you hinder me in this combat, you'll get captured by a rank two master who probably trained her soul foundation on top. Then what? Got a plan? You're too weak to oppose her. You have to help me win, or you'll be her obedient trinket until the end of time.
The totem hissed.
Xin used a spirit stone to recharge his ambush ring, then carefully chose a set of dao shards. With the totem, mercury greaves and his huge set, he'll have to make some sacrifices.
Iron Lung.
Healing seed.
Steel sting.
Mercury greaves.
Jade ambush ring.
That's it, the most optimal setup for this fight. Any more, and my soul would be too strained to channel the totem's powers. And I'll need them.
The totem purred in response. Don't worry, Xin, I won't oppose you in this fight. In fact, you can cut your attunement with your dao shards once you no longer need them, I'll augment you enough to compensate.
Xin worried, of course. The tiger's plan was pretty straightforward, but it was true that he'd have to rely on the totem to win. Stuck between the hammer and anvil again. Sigh.
It's time.
Xin procured a grass camouflage that he prepared in advance from his bag of holding and attached it all over his armour. He then left the siblings behind, gesturing for them to wait here, and crouched forward towards the tribe's encampment, a guandao glaive in his hands and an arbalest on a strap behind his shoulder.
Five minutes later.
Xin laid in wait, his camouflage melding seamlessly with the tall yellow grass around him. He didn't breathe, his mind focused fully on the greenish strands of qi wrapping around his greaves, obscuring the sound of his crouching.
There was a flytrap-headed monster fifteen steps away from him, gazing into the steppe with its empty bead-like eyes, but Xin just sneaked past it. He could have killed the creature in one fell swoop, but he suspected that its mind was linked with its owner, and she'd be alerted by its death.
Xin approached a humble gathering of mundane looking tents, a part of his mind admiring the scenery around. The steppe was majestic this evening, the insects chirping an ambient song, oblivious to their mating calls conjoining into a symphony. The bird's hummed, too, and for a moment Xin felt like an outcast of this universe, the only being intent on taking life, not creating it.
Neigh! His reminiscing was cut short by an ugly moan of a horse somewhere afar, closer to the centre of the encampment. Right, this is where their "square" is.
Totem, grant me your senses.
Granted.
Xin infused each of his senses, then spent a few moments analysing the rapid stream assaulting his every orifice.
People talking among themselves in Skyfolk. The agonising sounds of a horse neighing and groaning, probably as it boils to death. The wind caressing Xin's face under his open helmet.
And the smells.
Boiling blood.
Gore.
More boiling blood.
More gore. Firewood smoke. Burnt flesh. Sulphur. Spirit leaves. Brown moss? Narcotic cacti. Pus. Quite a concoction.
Xin saw another plant creature blocking the passage towards the camp centre. No sneaking past this one, it stares right where I am. Guess there is at least one creature guarding every passage. There should be some other people in the camp, but most are gathered in the centre. She is probably holding them hostage, surrounded by more plant monsters, and exchanges them for horses.
Need to find a way past this creature. Wait, they're quite dumb, will this work? Xin picked up a small stone and threw it in an arc, over the tent, such that it lands behind the plant monster's shoulder, but it doesn't have a line of sight of where it came from.
Bop. The stone landed right where he wanted, and Xin saw the creature turn its neck.
Now. Expansion jump. Wood qi infusion. Xin leaped across the street without making a sound and ended up behind another tent, its entrance to the left shoulder of the monster. He sniffed the air once again. It seems that the street to the right also has a plant monster guarding it. The only way is through the tent, but how do I go about it? Hm. Xin's armoured gloves were meant for crossbow marksmanship, and left the fingers uncovered, quite convenient for Resonance type techniques.
Resonance Nail.
Xin gently cut a hole in the tent's fabric, big enough to crawl through. He then procured a spirit stone and started sucking on it, as munching it could produce a loud sound, while swallowing it would digest it too slowly. He frowned lightly, his wood qi infusions are rather wasteful, especially since he had to infuse his metal boots, which created an elemental conflict.
Jade ambush ring. Xin crawled into the empty tent, with nothing but hides, sleeping bags and a carpet for the footwear inside. Whoever lives here, they probably carry most of their stuff on their saddlebags. Xin focused on blending his image with the environment, moving in small squatting steps.
Out of the blue, the plant monster outside turned its head and gazed into the tent. Xin felt his heart jump. His visage was almost perfectly obscured, but his glaive leaned awkwardly on the tent's wall in an unnatural position. The monster stared for two more breaths, then turned away. What a relief, if this was a demoness looking through its eyes, I'd be cooked already. Xin crawled slowly through the tent, then cut another hole, this time to get out.
He peeked through it, and saw a gathering of two dozen people sixty steps away from him, most of them children and old people. Indeed, they were surrounded by plant monsters, five of them, to be precise. Twenty steps deeper into the "square", a bark covered woman stood near a huge boiling cauldron, a large pungent pit dug beside her, enough to fit two horses side by side.
By the time Xin arrived, the neighing horse was already consumed, but some limping man in his late middle ages was bringing her another one. The hag barked something at him in Skyfolk language, then allowed one of the prisoners to leave. A mother clad in exquisite, relative to everyone else's clothing nudged a boy standing beside her and told him to run away.
If I was one of these trapped people, how would I act? Would I choose to sacrifice myself? Who would I try to save, if given a choice? How do these people feel, seeing this boy get preferential treatment?
Doesn't matter. The hunter within held his focus on the task.
Need to execute a perfect shot. If any of the people or plant monsters spot me, they might get spooked and expose me. The hag herself seems unaware of me. Good.
If I move around, I've only got fifteen breaths of the ring left.
How do I time my first shot?
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone