Capítulo 26: Flames and Fighting
In the cover of the night, the soldiers crept into their places. Fei Li was accompanying this attack personally this time, observing the camp below through the shrubbery, faint glows of light from the hanging light orbs visible between the tents. He could make out the flickering forms of uniforms strung up to dry between a few of the tents, the night wind dragging at their fabric. A few soldiers on night guard walked the border of the camp, occasionally pausing to make idle chat with one another. Fei Li felt something was off but even as he delayed giving the signal while he closely observed the camp, he couldn't tell what.
Just as the soldiers by him were starting to get restless, he raised a hand. He took the bow and the single arrow offered by Xi Ming at his side, dipping the arrow's tip in the pot of liquid sitting beside him before notching it. Thanks to the burning liquid, the wind wouldn't put out the flame once it was lit, but it would offset the trajectory of his arrow so he still had to be mindful. He drew the string back, raising his aim and shifting it slightly before he was satisfied, nodding his head in the dim light. With a click of the spark lighter Xi Ming held, the flame flickered into life, quickly engulfing the entire tip of the arrow. Fei Li just as quickly released his hold of the string before that little flame could alert the guards on duty. It pierced into one of the tents at the edge of the camp, its flame quickly crawling across the surface of the tent.
Following that initial arrow, a shower of fire arrows rained onto the camp, piercing into various tents and setting them alight, the flames spreading through the camp quickly. The sky filled with scattering embers and thick smoke. The night guards on duty let out startled cries before they scrambled to flee. As Fei Li saw this, a frown formed on his face, his brows furrowing as his gaze darted about, analyzing the scene before him.
"General Fei, what's wrong?"
"It's a decoy. No other soldiers have left the tents and those night guards aren't running away randomly, they're following a set path to escape." Fei Li spun around, turning his back to the burning camp. He had prepared for the chance this didn't go well as he hadn't liked how convenient it had been that they discovered this camp in the first place. "Have the men follow the instructions we laid out before. Scatter and retreat back to the new location," he ordered with a wave of his hand.
"Yes General," Xi Ming acknowledged before turning to a few of the soldiers with them, providing them with instructions to fulfil the new order.
Fei Li calmly started walking away, following one of the winding paths of escape he had mapped out. However, as he got closer to the location he found something was wrong once again. There was the smell of burning despite how he'd left the decoy camp long behind.
The clearing he'd chosen and the few supplies that had been moved ahead of time were on fire. The men who had arrived here already were engaged in battle with soldiers wearing the South's token blues. Fei Li muttered a curse under his breath as he looked over the chaos before him.
"Xi Ming!" He called and in a moment Xi Ming was at his side, his expression looking grim as he took in the scene. "They knew somehow. It's an ambush. Call the men back, spread each squad out into a different location somewhere near that river to the east. Make sure none of them know the other locations until we work out how this happened. I'll meet with you at the river bend."
"Got it." Xi Ming rushed away while Fei Li remained in place, looking at the utter mess this night had become. He couldn't help being vexed at having been so well outplayed by the South, this wasn't going to be good for his army going forward. He felt more vexed when he spotted a certain familiar figure sitting casually on a rock on the outskirts of the area. He walked over.
"General Lu."
Lu Qinyi was wearing robes more suited for military affairs, tighter sleeves and split at the side of the legs to better allow movement, with engraved metal wrist guards to complete the look. He glanced at Fei Li out of the side of his eyes that were lit with the glow of the fires before them, a pleased smile on his face. "General Fei."
Fei Li glanced back to the flames and fighting as he asked, "How did you do it?"
"And why would I tell you that?" He asked with some amusement.
The corner of Fei Li's lips twitched. But he somewhat understood the other's temperament after the time they'd spent together. "What do you want in return for the information?"
Lu Qinyi seemed delighted with this, grinning broadly to Fei Li who had agreed to play his games. "One of my scouts went missing a few days ago, I assume you know where she is. I'd like her released. In return, I'll answer your question."
Fei Li sighed lightly before nodding his head. "I'll release her."
"Deal." He then paused a moment to consider how he'd go about telling Fei Li. There was a playful smile on his face as he finally lifted a finger to lightly tap at his own ear. "So you liked my present then, considering you haven't thrown it away."
Fei Li's expression darkened. "The earring. What's it made of?"
"Empress Mu's Tears."
Empress Mu's Tears was a gemstone found only in deep cracks in the earth where lava flowed closely underneath. Heat emanated so strongly from where deposits of it formed that it was incredibly difficult to mine. As such, it was incredibly rare. Although Fei Li knew of it, he had never expected to encounter it. The gemstone had an accompanying story of Empress Mu. Empress Mu was separated from her lover by a great catastrophe and spent many years searching for him. When she finally found him again, she couldn't stand the thought of losing him ever again, so she ventured down into the depths of the earth and dug out a gemstone that burned the skin of her bare hands. The Empress has used her own blood so the gemstone would burn with the passion of her love and when she split it, the two pieces would warm the closer together they got. This way the couple would be able to find one another again if they were ever separated. That is, until Empress Mu's lover died. The Empress cried and cried, that gemstone she held so dearly becoming terribly cold. Thus, it was named after her passion and her sorrow, and the rightful shape of the gemstone is considered to be a teardrop.
True to its legend, the gemstone did actually warm when it came closer to a piece forged from the same source, which meant that forgotten earring he'd thrown in with his belongings had led General Lu's army right to them. He was glad he'd gone through escape routes and plans with Xi Ming, and then with his men, otherwise his losses would be even greater. Fei Li's expression didn't look good as he muttered another curse under his breath, turning to leave.
"I can't exactly let you leave just like that," Lu Qinyi spoke from behind him and when Fei Li looked back, the other had gotten up from his leisurely position, a thin sword held lightly in his hand with a sharp edge that gleamed dangerously.
"And I can't exactly stay and fight with you. I don't wish to be captured a second time, or killed for that matter." But Fei Li knew he didn't have much choice, drawing his sword from its place at his side.
"Hm, that certainly is a problem. For you that is." Lu Qinyi pushed off his feet, swinging his sword heavily. Fei Li met the blade with his own, the clash of metal resounding loudly. The two exchanged blows back and forth but Fei Li was painfully aware that each second that he passed fighting Lu Qinyi was another second his men were withdrawing further, leaving him alone, surrounded by the Southern army. So with each time he defended, he took another two steps back, steadily drawing away from the clearing of burning flames into the dark depths of the surrounding forest.
Lu Qinyi persisted with his attacks, following him until the sounds of fighting from the clearing were muffled in the distance behind them and the only clear sound remaining was that of their blades. The glow of the fires in the distance that peeked between the trees became nothing more than backlighting.
They were too evenly matched in ability for either to make any progress, with neither able to injure the other. So Fei Li decided he would use a different approach. Lu Qinyi had just stepped in to attack again but he pulled back quickly, just in the nick of time. He had only just seen the glint of metal of Fei Li's dagger that had previously been hidden, any later and it would have sliced further than just the fabric of his robes. He had thought it odd how lightweight Fei Li's sword had seemed as they were exchanging blows but he figured Fei Li merely preferred the speed and maneuverability it offered. Now he saw this choice was to allow Fei Li to more comfortably dual wield. Although the strength of Fei Li's attacks was now weaker, his speed had picked up and just as Lu Qinyi would block the attack of one of the blades, the other would swing toward him. If Lu Qinyi's own strengths didn't lie in his quick feet, he certainly would have tasted metal and blood by now.
Lu Qinyi blocked another swing of Fei Li's sword, twisting his hand to leverage his blade against the other's before pushing it back, quickly moving his sword in anticipation for Fei Li's dagger, but it didn't come. Instead, the dagger plunged downward. Lu Qinyi instinctively pulled his leg backward but once again, this wasn't what Fei Li was aiming for. The dagger was driven down into the loose fabric of Lu Qinyi's robes and the ground beneath, pinning him in place for what would last only a moment. Fei Li pressed in on him before he could tear himself free, forcing him to defend instead, stumbling a bit as the caught fabric pulled on him.
Fei Li knew Lu Qinyi could defend himself fine even like this, and having his robes caught would only stall him for a moment. So instead of attacking further, he turned tail and fled. Lu Qinyi cursed as he tore himself free but by the time he gave chase, Fei Li had already weaved through the trees and foliage, using their cover and the shadows of the night to distance himself from his pursuer. He couldn't close the distance between them, and soon enough he had to give up altogether as he made out the shadow of another soldier joining Fei Li's side. He'd left his own subordinates behind so he would be outnumbered if he continued, he could only begrudgingly give up, heading back to the clearing.
Fei Li and Xi Ming watched Lu Qinyi disappear beyond the trees. Once no trace of him could be seen, Fei Li spoke quietly. "You were meant to be at the river bend."
Xi Ming, who had been looking fiercely in the direction Lu Qinyi had left, hurriedly lowered his head. "My apologies, General. As I was directing the men, they said you had vanished. I disobeyed your order."
Fei Li's cold gaze fixed on him and they remained like that for a long moment before finally Fei Li turned to the east. "Don't do it again."
Xi Ming followed behind him without a word although his silence wasn't one of agreement.
"Once we get back, we can find a new place to set up camp and call our forces together."
"You found out how the South ambushed us then, General Fei?"
Fei Li's expression soured. "Unfortunately."
The moment he got back, he was going to crush that earring to dust.
---
Lu Qinyi sat with his cheek propped against his fist, staring at the golden teardrop gem he slowly twirled between his fingers. He'd since changed clothes but the scent of the fires still clung to his hair and skin. The gemstone was so cold now it was slightly chilling to the touch.
Zhao Mei lifted the flap of the tent and entered unannounced, as casually as entering her own tent. She lifted an eyebrow as she noticed the gem Lu Qinyi was playing with. "He found out?"
"He would have anyway."
Zhao Mei nodded in agreement. "He would have. He's the cautious type, he would have disposed of it. It served its purpose regardless. What did you get out of it?"
"He promised to release that scout that got caught a few days back."
"Mm, Yang Xun said she was quite good and it was a shame she was captured. So how did he get away from you then?"
Lu Qinyi smiled at that, tucking the gem back into the little black bag. He then picked up the dagger that was laying next to him, tossing it to Zhao Mei who caught it with ease, turning it in her hand as she inspected it. "Turns out General Fei can dual wield a sword and dagger quite skillfully. He used the dagger to pin my clothes down, giving him enough time to slip away."
"Hm. Not bad." She lightly ran a finger along the length of the blade, although her expression gave no clues, Lu Qinyi could tell she was interested in it.
"If you like it, you can keep it."
Zhao Mei glanced at him, considering for a moment before she agreed, "Alright."
Lu Qinyi then stared off into the distance, seeming lost in thought. "I'm considering piercing my ear." He announced, seemingly out of the blue.
Zhao Mei nearly choked on her own shock. "You /what/?"
REFLEXIONES DE LOS CREADORES 
mehasacupcake
mehasacupcake Lu Qinyi is a menace and I love him. Fun fact, the entire inclusion of minor magic/fantasy elements was for these damn tracker earrings. I wanted to include them so bad I built an entire low level magic system for it.
I'll be slowing the chapter release schedule to roughly once a week to accomodate my school work crunch.
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