Immortal Connections - Chapter 58 preview

Chapter 58 - Wu Ying

"Wake up, boy." Mother Ong growled, poking Wu Ying with the cane she had brought along. When he failed to stir immediately, she prodded his body again even as the cock that had entered along with her let out a long, loud crow.

Wu Ying rolled away from the second blow, wincing as the creature let out its raucous call to morning. Except, from the lack of sunlight streaming in from the windows, it was not morning. In fact, his senses that had spread out across the surroundings informed him that outside of the denizens of the compound, the city was quiet and the majority asleep in these early hours, like any sensible individual would be.

"What is it?" he snapped, a hand reaching sideways to allow Ren to slap into his hand.

"Your pursuers are here.” Mother Ong glared at Wu Ying, causing him to duck his head a little. “You should have told me you were wanted.”

Wu Ying was on his feet in seconds, not even bothering to stand up normally but instead dispersing and reforming himself. Slowly, some of his old skills were returning as he learned and understood the winds of heaven. Though he might no longer walk the path of the winds, he would always have a wind body; he would always be connected to it. 

Even now, they whispered to him, of the guardian at the door, magnificent flying steed beside him and the rest of the guards he had sent around the compound to ensure Wu Ying did not run. He could sense each of the guards at the compass corners slow down as they reached the exact center of the compass directions, extracting formation flags from their storage rings to begin creating the barrier to block his fleeing.

“How did you know they were here already?” he asked, curiously.

“You think we only monitor our grounds?” Mother Ong scoffed. “I had my companions watching everything. Not that the lieutenant is particularly good at hiding his aura.”

“I don’t think he has much use for those skills as a Palace Guardian.” 

“So, you did anger the Jade Emperor.”

“I had things to do, beyond waiting to be presented to him,” Wu Ying growled. “At the rate he was going, my companion would be dead.”

“Yes.” She watched as Wu Ying finished his packing, slipping everything into his storage ring. “What do you intend to do?”

“Flee.” He answered the unasked portion of her question. “I have no intention of killing guards who are but doing their jobs.”

“You might have to, if you continue to pursue your goals in this manner.”

“I know.” Wu Ying felt the weight of his words, the condemnation of an innocent bystander to this. He weighed his own desires, his understanding of Yang Mu’s standing and cultivation progress to what he would do. Knew, in the end, that she was unlikely to progress without further aid.  Felt his resolve harden upon that realization. “I am willing to pay the price.”

“Then, take this.” A hand pressed towards him, and he found a scroll within. He moved to open it, only for his hand to be struck.

“Not right now. You want to bring trouble to me?” she groused. “You should leave.” A head turned, a gesture to the monkey that had been standing silently beside them. “Follow him. There is a secret way out that you can use.”

Wu Ying hesitated for a moment, glanced back to the child who had come with him. Yet, from what she had described of where he had to go, it was too difficult; too dangerous to drag along another. As though reading his mind, Mother Ong waved him off.

“Go. I’ll deal with the boy. He made some bad decisions, but perhaps we can put him on the right path.”

Irascible old woman or not, she seemed to have a heart of gold beneath all that. Bowing in thanks to her, he hurried after the monkey that had already left, heading to where the showers were kept. The creature slipped inside, moved aside some of the tiles and wooden flooring where the water drained and then hopped into the revealed hole. It was large enough for Wu Ying to enter, though it was dirty and stunk of old body waste, scum and clotted hair. 

Wrapping himself in his aura and reinforcing it twice, to not just hide his presence but also to protect against the filth, Wu Ying dropped within. He could not help but wrinkle his nose, the cloying, slightly sweet smell of decay rising up to greet his nostrils. It was made all the worse with the Thousand Miseries sensory enhancement to his sense of smell, but he had many decades to learn how to suffer through this.

Quietly, the pair hurried along the massive outflow tunnel. Wu Ying was forced to hunch over and scrabble forwards with his knees bent, not nearly a crawl but close enough. It was a struggle to do so, and kept in this stance long enough, Wu Ying knew his thighs would burn. However, for a short period; this was viable.

More interesting to Wu Ying was how the passage they were taking was passing nearly underneath the main entrance itself. His expanded wind senses, entirely quiet and passive now, gave him a sense of the world above; his own spiritual sight drawn in such that he might not alert others.

Instead, it was the wind that alerted him of the knocking, the all too quick answer. He wondered if Mother Ong had managed to close the gap, if there was someone designated to the job. Which animal? He could still sense the rooster high above, glaring down at the group below, the swirling chi of the sun and wind in its form.

“Guardian Chu Xin Gang of the Lesser Harmonious Palace.. We have reason to believe a rogue Ascended has come by here. Have you seen him?” A rustle of paper followed, interrupting the jingle of armour as the man moved.

“Ugly fellow. And no, I have seen no Ascended here. I keep to myself and my animals,” Mother Ong murmured, stamping on her feet. “I was sleeping till you woke me, Guardian Chu. If that is all?”

“No. We will be entering your abode to search it.”

“I would not do that, Guardian.” At the unhappy noise the man made, she added hastily. “Not that I wish to stop you, great Guardian. I would not dare, not against someone of such prestige. However, I have many animal companions here, many who are being raised to higher levels of cultivation. Some, well, they are agitated due to the experiments conducted. I would not wish harm on them or you.”

“We will come in.”

“Of course. But if you could wait here, while I calm them down, you could do what you need.”

“While our prey escapes? I think not.”

“Honored Guardian~!”  A sharp cry, even as the stomp of boots carried them in. Further information was lost, as Wu Ying had to turn his attention forwards, as the pair clambered not outwards but into the main sewer system that the shower system connected towards. 

Emerging into the much, the smell assaulting Wu Ying’s senses further, the monkey glared at the wind cultivator. It chittered at him for a time, before the creature threw itself at a nearby entrance, heading upwards. Leaving Wu Ying to navigate the sewers himself and flee the city.

He could only hope that his presence did not cause Mother Ong too much trouble. However, he no longer had time to concern himself with such things as he glared back and forth at the flow. To follow it upwards? Or to follow the flow where it must exit into the river.