บท 355: Wanderer. (7)
The Sand Sovereign, as it cut through the night Wanderer got a sense of just how the ship got that name. The desert flew past them as the ship moved, the sand was thrown aside and splattered through the air like drops of water. The ship was fast, far faster than Wanderer would have expected of a vessel this large.
He didn't know if they were just that close, or if it was due to the immense speed of the ship, but something became visible on the horizon even before dawn started to break. The captain and the others also spotted the distant structure, Ching Shih taking the chance to leave the ship's helm and make his way over to Wanderer.
"We'll reach Skewer's Rest before long so take this, that place can quickly become dangerous if you show weakness."
Ching Shih swept the ring he was wearing and presented the spear that appeared in his hands to Wanderer. The spear was hard, that was the first thought Wanderer had when he grasped it. The handle was rigid, more akin to stone than wood. Tough and durable, but lacking in flexibility. A strap accompanied the weapon, allowing Wanderer to tie it to his back, albeit in a slightly awkward manner since the weapon was longer than him. Ching Shih gave a small nod of his head as Wanderer fiddled with the weapon, it wasn't a coincidence that he had given him a spear.
"I don't know if you've got any prior experience with weapons, not that it really matters now. But a spear is the perfect weapon for a beginner, it's simple and easy, just stab and slice. But more importantly, it gives you range. I don't know how it is when it comes to stronger cultivators, but between normal people and weaker cultivators, the range of the spear is king. As long as you can use it to prevent others from coming close to you, you'll be undefeated. So, if things end up going bad out there, point the tip at the enemy and make sure to keep them at range, back pedal if you have to."
There was a reason that the spear was the favoured weapon in the army while the sword was used more as a side weapon. Charging cavalry, rushing soldiers, all could be decimated with a properly lined up squadron of spearmen. Granted, if you failed to keep the enemy at bay and let them get close then things would become quite grim, but there was no need for him to reiterate that point.
"Thank you, Captain. I will make sure to try my best."
Wanderer made sure to engrave Ching Shih's words into his mind, he knew nothing about fighting so he had to absorb any advice he could. But at the same time, this scene felt familiar to him, a little dear even. Had someone given him a spear and advice in the past as well?
"Good, but make sure you take the others and escape if things really get too hairy, a moment of pride is not worth an eternity of loss."
Ching Shih did not notice Wanderer's glimmer of familiarity, patting his shoulder somewhat heavily. He was already on the cusp of losing one crewmate, and although it may be common for people in their line of business to die, it wasn't something he wanted to happen.
Ching Shih raised his head slightly after patting Wanderer on the shoulder, his gaze landing on Yi Sao as he waved her over.
"Yi Sao, when we dock I want you to take Wanderer and five others with you to the tavern. Check if Dong Shao and his crew have returned, if they have then you need to get hold of their Five-Hearts Orchid. No matter what, understand?"
He spoke with a hard edge, a cold wedge driving itself into his words. Wanderer couldn't quite pinpoint it, but the words 'No matter what' pricked his heart slightly. It felt warm, but it was an uncomfortable warmth, like a small spark lit up inside him and then faded.
"Don't worry, I know what to do. Wanderer, get ready by the railing, we'll move as fast as possible."
Yi Sao simply nodded her head and started preparing. She gave Wanderer a quick reminder and then went around to inform the five others she was going to bring along. Her steps were quick and sure so it seemed like she had already determined who else she would bring along. Perhaps a scene like this was rather common for her?
Before long, Yi Sao and the fiver selected individuals gathered around Wanderer, a slightly tense atmosphere running through the chosen people. The distant structure slowly grew larger as they got closer, revealing its actual form.
It was a stone island covered in what looked like moss, but some of the moss was large enough to look like a forest. A tilted mountain rose at the centre of the island, jagged cliffs jutting out from the almost perfectly straight landmark.
"That's Skewer's Rest. Don't let its appearance fool you, it's not actually an island. It's a spear, a weapon thrown out by the One-Eyed Saint five years ago. It skewered his opponent and buried him beneath the sand, the leaking lifeforce of the slain foe creating the land you see there. The foe was luckily not on the level of the King of the Ash Lands, the last thing we need is for them to ruin this dominion any further."
Wanderer obviously didn't know who Yi Sao was talking about as she introduced the land ahead of them, but he didn't need to know them to be amazed at their prowess. A single thrown spear had created an island, and a single battle had apparently ruined the dominion? Granted, he didn't know what a dominion was, but he could at least guess that it was something larger than this desert so ruining it definitely wouldn't be easy.
The ship reached the island before the sun managed to rise too much, revealing the dock that was built on its side. A city of stone and wood stretched out across the island, there weren't any trees on the island so all the wood had probably been shipped in over time. A myriad of other ships were already docked there, some looked fine but others had clear signs of damage, holes in the hull or cuts in the sails.
"Dengde, keep taking care of Bao, shave off some of the crystal whenever he seems to be getting worse. Doushi, you're with me."
Ching Shih barked out the orders without turning his head, his gaze firmly locked on the city ahead of them. He didn't call for Yi Sao, but she knew her mission, as did the rest of the people in her group. The ship docked in the harbour, the area around that particular dock strangely empty, there wasn't even a single other ship there.
Wanderer also saw some people shy away from that section of the harbour, especially when they saw the large ship pull into the dock. Sovereign, the title of a ruler, it could inspire either fear or awe, despair or reverence. The Sand Sovereign, in the end, what did it inspire?
The anchors were dropped and the ship docked, the crew separating into three groups. One group stayed behind to keep an eye on the ship, one group went with Ching Shih, and the final group was the one with Yi Sao and Wanderer. They moved in the opposite direction of Ching Shih's group so it was clear that the captain had a different target in mind.
Wanderer took this chance to survey his surroundings, this was the first city he had arrived in after losing his memories after all. Haphazard, that was the only word he could think of as he looked at the city around him. There was no rhyme or rhythm to how things were built, roads were cut off or forced to make abrupt turns by buildings that had just been placed there. Some buildings were squeezed right up against each other while others had large gaps between them, some had even built small shacks in these larger gaps.
The people were also a bit strange. Most of them looked gruff, on edge and wary even. And those who didn't look like they were on edge looked either drunk or careless, they staggered around without a care in the world. But their eyes were empty, or perhaps hopeless was a better word. They walked around, but they were already dead, if not physically then mentally.
"Dead or dying, Wanderer."
Yi Sao's voice reached him as his gaze swept about. The people on the street gave them ample room so they didn't have to worry about colliding with anyone. He turned his head to look at her, tilting his head slightly, because he wasn't sure what she meant.
"The people here. Those who settle on this solitary island are either dead or dying. They've given up on living, they fear the struggle and the pain, they've abandoned whatever hope they had left. So never settle down in a place like this, Wanderer. Follow that name until you find your own. Don't become one of the dead, it's far better to be someone who spreads death."
Death, the final end goal of all life. Some reached it early, be it because they gave up or because their path to the future was cut off. It was a miserable fate, and it was far better to be someone who sowed death rather than someone who reaps death. Wanderer's eyes drifted over the people milling about around him, a slight murmur escaping him.
"...It would be nice if they could just live good lives instead."
To sow death or to reap death, were those two really the only options you had in life? Wanderer didn't know, there were far too many things he didn't know. But he felt it within him, a thought that came forth with each thud of his heart. It would be nice if people could just live good lives, it would be nice if there weren't people who reaped or sowed death.
It was a soft mutter, or perhaps prayer, one heard only by Wanderer as they moved. The lone and quiet whisper of the nameless.
Wanderer and the rest of the group quickly made their way through the streets, heading for the tavern that the captain told them about. Wanderer's eyes continued to drift about as they moved, but he didn't feel any sense of familiarity from anything around him, and those who glanced at the group didn't seem to recognize him either.
As such, he didn't find any clues about his identity in the time it took them to reach the tavern, a simple square building that had an open front with a lot of tables. Yi Sao seemed to recognize some of the people indulging in alcohol amidst the tables at the front snorting coldly.
"Hmph, figures that those annoyances would be lounging around here, when it rains it really pours. Ignore them as much as possible, we're only here for Dong Shao and his men."
She strode forward with heavy steps after giving the rest of the group the reminder, her expression stern as she pushed open the doors to the tavern. Wanderer saw that some of the people she had recognized were looking over, whispering and snickering to themselves.
"Dong Shao! Flower head, are you here?!"
Yi Sao's voice rang throughout the tavern, which was filled with the heavy smell of alcohol and smoke, a slight tinge of sweat mixed into the scent. As with the outside, people were scattered amongst the tables within the tavern, drinking the day away without a care.
It was obvious that Yi Sao would receive her fair share of stares after shouting so loudly, but no one stood up to answer her call. She also swept her gaze across the room, but judging by how dark her expression became it seemed unlikely that her target was present.
"Heee? Well dip me in the sand and call me Snapper Feed, if it ain't snappy little Sao. Was da matter girlie, you're looking awfully desperate there. Gonna cry maybe?"
No one stood up to answer her call, but there was one man who chuckled at Yi Sao. He was leaned back in his chair, his head and chin covered in frazzled black hair. He was actually a bit similar to Yi Sao, he too only had a single eye, a long scar going across his left eye. He was seated not too far away from the entrance, occasionally using his lone eye to glance at the men outside the tavern.
"Hmph, I have no idea what sort of miracle has happened for a worthless yuppie like you to grow some balls, but don't shove your head too far up your ass, it'll cost you your life."
She spoke harshly, her fingers moving slightly as the energy within her body started to seethe in a quiet warning. The atmosphere in the tavern immediately tense up somewhat, but the black-haired man didn't seem to care about it.
"Oh nooo, I'm soooo scared here."
He raised both arms in an exaggerated manner, but the smirk he wore never left his face.
"You're looking for Dong Shao, aren't you? Well too bad, old flower head ain't here. Well, he was on the way here originally, but man, oldie must have some terrible luck to run into us on the way. The closest harbour at the time was Shiren's Dune, I wonder if they managed to get there intact with their tattered ship?"
The man continued to smirk and chuckle, clearly taking great delight in having ruined whatever plans Yi Sao had. Yi Sao ground her teeth slightly with a dark expression, the people she had brought along tensing up as they readied themselves for whatever might happen. But once again, the man leaning back in his chair didn't seem to care, he actually leaned forward slightly, his smirk growing ever wider.
"But, that's not to say I can't get ya to him. We've had quite the luck lately so we've managed to...upgrade our ship quite a bit. I can take you directly to old flower head, but it'll cost ya."
The man's smirk only grew wider and wider, a shade of lecherousness emerging in it as he let his gaze sweep across Yi Sao's body.
"I've heard great things about the whore of the sands, I wouldn't mind getting a t...!"
The man's voice was instantly cut off as Yi Sao moved, the wooden floor beneath her feet shattering as she barreled forward. Tables were tossed aside and chairs were shattered, her fist smashing into the man's face before he had the chance to respond. He rolled backwards, some blood gushing from his broken nose and splattering the ground.
"Fuck it, we can live without your trade routes."
Yi Sao spat out the words and started walking forwards, a long sword appearing in her grasp as she caressed the ring she wore. The man stumbled to sit up straight, one hand clutching his bloody nose while he glared daggers at Yi Sao. The men who had been seated around him didn't move, but they held their weapons ready and glared fiercely at the rest of Yi Sao's group.
Wanderer watched them from where he stood. His heart thumped slightly with each step Yi Sao took, the sound of the man's blood hitting the floor exceptionally loud in his ears. Three more steps, that would be all Yi Sao needed to reach the downed man. From there, a single swing of the sword would be enough to remove his head.
A simple motion, a simple act, an eternal consequence. He had insulted her, infuriated her while she was already on edge, and for that, she would kill him. But. But did the man deserve to die for that? Was that the weight of his life, one insult? It was light, that was what Wanderer thought. One lie, a handful of words. It was light, so pitifully light that you couldn't even feel it in your grasp. Was that how light a life was?
No, life was heavier than that. Even here, where dead men walked, life had more weight than that. Wanderer was sure of that, convinced of that. Life was heavy, it wasn't something people should just take freely, especially not for such light reasons. He felt it in his chest, with every thump of his heart, that weight.
Yi Sao raised her sword, so Wanderer raised his leg. Yi Sao brought down her sword, so Wanderer brought down his leg. A clank was heard as the man with the bloody nose raised his arm, but the sword never ended up reaching him.
Wanderer had appeared in front of him, grasping the spear that Ching Shih had given him. Yi Sao's sword had clashed with the shaft of the spear, trembling slightly from the force of the collision. Her eye blazed somewhat due to the intrusion, but Wanderer remained steadfast.
"Miss Yi Sao...this... this isn't something worth taking a life over. I understand that he insulted you, but please... don't waste a life for something so light."
Yi Sao's eye narrowed slightly as she looked at Wanderer. She couldn't move her weapon. Or to be more exact, she couldn't move it forward. She felt like she was pushing against a mountain, it was futile no matter how much effort she put in. At the same time, she hadn't even been able to see him move. He hadn't been there when she raised her sword, nor when she started to swing it, she was sure of that. But then, suddenly, he was there, blocking her with his spear.
"Please, Miss Yi Sao... We're here for Bao, not to waste lives."
He implored again, reminding Yi Sao of why they had come here. There was a life they had to save, a poisoned companion they needed to heal. Yi Sao's narrowed eye continued to sweep over Wanderer, inspecting him. But his face was devoid of ulterior motives, his eyes clean. He simply didn't believe that this man's life was so light that it deserved to end here, not for this. She drew in a sharp breath but then pulled back her weapon as she spat the breath out, glaring sharply at the downed man.
"Remember this, Zin Yu. Your life was just saved by a kiddo who hasn't even grown hair on his crotch yet. Think about that every day, remember that humiliation. Let's go, we need to report to Cap."
She spat a few vicious words at the downed man, Zin Yu, before she turned around and put away her weapon. She strode through the path she had cleared as she charged at him, none of the others in the tavern making a move. Wanderer followed her after heaving a light breath, it was good that things had ended calmly.
But as they walked away, Wanderer a bit to Yi Sao's side, Zin Yu's eye gleamed darkly, like a predator that finally saw its chance. His brown eye twisted and changed, giving way to a compound pupil that resembled a fly's, a pupil that wouldn't miss anything.
His legs morphed into those of a cheetah and he shot up from the ground, rushing forward like a blur. His arms were the next to change, skin and flesh molting as they morphed into the blades of a mantis, gleaming with a sharp and deadly light. He crossed the distance in no time and swung his arms, aiming for Yi Sao's neck without a shred of hesitation.
But as he swung his weapons, his drastically strengthened eye saw Wanderer turn his head slightly, his golden pupils piercing straight through him. They hadn't shown much emotion when his group first entered the tavern, but now Zin Yu saw a well-hidden but unmistakable trace of anger in them.
His heart thumped in his chest, each thud felt like the blow of a hammer. But he didn't stop his arms, it was for this exact moment that he had agreed to the deal, to the surgery, it was for this moment that he had struggled through and survived that surgery. So he swung his arms, faster than any attack he had delivered in his life. All he had to hope for was that he would be faster than the youth that had turned his head.
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