Cultivating Chaos 4 -Ch19- (Patreon)

<This briefly appeared in Chapter 18. It's been deleted and moved here.>

Tan had apparently taken the news as a statement that he should be done with the boar.

Using his sword he completed a sloppy, terrible, and awkward looking thrust.

Except it went through one side of the boars head, into the eye socket, and slammed out the opposite side. The force of the blow was so great that the sword broke off at the hilt. Leaving the majority of the blade broken off in the head of the monster.

Throwing down the hilt Tan quickly moved behind Ash and did his best to make himself invisible. Thankfully, Tan was obviously smart enough to realize he wouldn’t be any help in anything that happened.

Ash opened up his Qi-Sea and cycled it roughly, jump starting it into gear. At the same time he ushered his Dao into motion. Letting it expand into the surrounding area and taking the momentum for it’s own.

Every single Bride seemed to reinforce the momentum of Ash’s Dao. Becoming a drum to beat the cadence he gave them. Without even a momentary hesitation, they all fell in line and hit his pace without error.

Siu, Moira, and Hui acted in a similar fashion, though with much stronger responses. Where the Brides were drums, Hui, Moira, and Siu, all felt like wind instruments. Picking up the melody and emphasizing it and reinforcing the beat of the drums.

“Siu,” Ash began, glancing over to the Bride.

“I understand,” Siu acknowledged before he could voice his request. She tapped the metal rectangle to her chin once. “Bride Lifen, bodyguard to Tan. We can’t let our new Knight perish.”

Lifen bounced out of position and went behind Ash. Her long club trailing along behind her like a kid with a stick. As if it weighed nothing at all to her.

“Dear, dear, dear, whatever shall we do,” whispered Siu, her head slowly tilting to one side as she gazed out into the distance. She tapped the rectangle her chin several times. “We’re outnumbered two to one. There’s only twenty five of us. With that said… let’s go with formation two. Be ready to switch if called. Look to yourself of course. Brides don’t die for the cause.”

“We live for our cause,” came the reply as the Brides began to move about and setting themselves up. Ash had no idea they’d already developed preset positions.

Cute.

“I liked it when I wrote the updated manual for it as well.

“Before I left I’d been working at changing Bride mentality away from where Yue had started it. Less… cult… more special forces. I made a lot of progress. Praise your house wife,”Locke demanded.

Thank you, Locke Sheng.

Team Loshley is the best team.

“Don’t let Jia or Mei hear that… but… thank you,” whispered Locke. “I can’t tell what’s going on by the way. Not really at least. I’m sorry. I’m not very helpful anymore.”

Do what you have been doing.

Before Ash could carry his thoughts any further, the opposing force arrived.

The first to arrive was the twenty cultivators that’d been mentioned. They were all dressed somewhat shabbily, their faces covered in rag masks. It felt if they only had half or less of their Qi-Sea filled and were rough looking in general. Every single one looked ragged to the point of coming from the Gutter of Wahst.

The problem was that they were all Mortal rank. Even the weakest was an Empowered Mortal. Ash was certain that there were even four Awakened Mortal’s in their number.

His Brides were strong, but there were only two, not including Siu, that were Awakened Mortals. The rest were Empowered and a few Enlightened.

“I’m the leader of this hunting party,” Ash called out to the new arrivals. Their presence began to shift the momentum. They were a counterpoint to his momentum and given the number and power of them, it was as if there were two symphonies being played at the same time. “I’m the Hand for the city of Wahst under Ghast. Can I help you?”

The cultivators all seemed surprised at his news, let alone the fact that they all seemed to be ready and waiting for them. One and all the eyes of the cultivators looked from the brides, to Ash, to what was likely Tan behind them, and back to Ash.

“Whast?” asked one of the cultivators.

“Whast,” confirmed Ash. “I personally killed the previous Hand and took his place. Something I can help you with?”

“We want the boar,” said one of the other cultviators, gesturing at the dead monster.

“Sure. I’m sure we could work something out. What’re you trading for it?” Ash asked. He wasn’t opposed to opening trade relations. It’d be good to get that out of the way sooner rather than later.

“Your lives,” said a third cultivator.

“That was a stupid answer,” Hui said with a laugh. She lifted her hands up and curled her fingers into claws. “Hui is excited. Hui is very excited. Hui is going to cultivate and then be rewarded for being a good weapon.”

Siu made a flick with her hand and the rectangle she’d been holding expanded into a large half circle. It was a metal-fan. Each fan-blade made out of what felt like Qi enhanced metal and sharpened while being strengthened.

“Oh me, oh my,” Siu pured in a warm voice that felt like a caress. He had the sudden desire to step closer to Siu. Thankfully he was able to resist it. “Why are you bad boys making such a terrible choice? You were given such a kind opening position.”

The cultivators were clearly affected by Siu. Most of them taking several involuntary steps toward Siu. A few managed only one or two. Only one person remained still.

Lifting her fan to cover her face partly, Siu peered at them over the top of it. She lightly fluttered it, causing her bangs and hair to shift.

Moira spread her wings out wide and he noted that they each held a sheen to them. As if the edges had been given a polished glow.

The sword of Qi in her hand came up and in a defensive posture.

“Try to keep a few alive,” Ash requested. “It’d be nice to question who they are. Don’t let anyone escape.

“Unless… they want to back down from here and apologize for their words? Maybe offer a present to me to show how apologetic they are for the misunderstanding?”

Ash needed have bothered. The cultivators rushed forward at them.

Siu snapped her hand out and her fan shot out toward the oncoming group of three men. Her free hand had dipped into her armor and came out with a second fan. She spread it wide even as the first carved into the cultivators. Cutting the arm off one completely and burying itself in the chest of a second.

Moira tucked herself inward, her wings dipping inward, then she shot forward. As she closed on the closest cultivator to her, she spread her wings wide. The tips of them sliced through the man and tore him apart. Each of the feathers having been turned into blades themselves.

Holy shit.

Ash felt someone new approach even as his forces engaged the enemy. Someone who had been hanging back from the group.

They put a hard and ugly flat note into the momentum of Ash’s world. Distorting everything around that belonged in Ash’s circle.

Realizing that this was a person no one here could handle but him, Ash darted forward. Slipping past two Brides who hand quickly come together to bring down an Enlightened Mortal. As they recovered from their attack Ash zipped by.

He slid through the battle and arrived on the other side, coming to a stop in front of his target.

It was a large man who was easily six-foot six. His shoulders were broad, his muscled body visible, and his weapon a massive two handed sword. He wore only a pair of pants and nothing else.

His dark black hair was cropped short and his beard wild and untidy.

“Ha, came to your death?” asked the man, his sword coming up as fast as if it were a one handed blade.

“Come to give you death,” Ash corrected, his Butterfly-swords appearing in his hands as he readied himself. “I can’t let you bother my people, after all. They’re busy killing your own. Then everyone else you brought along.”

The man snorted then slashed out with his weapon. The big blade coming out in a horizontal slash that was quick as a viper.

Except Ash had felt the attack coming. Even if his opponent were stronger than he was, and absolutely resisted his momentum, the simple act of that gave him information.

Told Ash when something was coming.

Rather than blocking the attack, or even dodging it, Ash did as he always did. He deflected it, redirecting the momentum of it. Knocking it high and away.

There was a loud and high pitched pinging noise from the contact of the blades.

Before Ash could lay an attack on the man he’d dashed backward. Putting distance between himself and Ash. The look on his face had quickly shifted from confidence and amusement, to concern and concentration.

Ash smiled at the man and idly attached the weak chain to himself that he’d gotten off him. It wasn’t much, but Qi was Qi.

“What… what’d you do? What was that?” asked the man suddenly. Staring at Ash.

“I gave your weapon a poke? Why? Starting to get a bit envious? Mine are a good size, easy to handle, and they can really make my Brides excited,” Ash said and gave tapped the hilts of his Butterfly-swords together. “Yours looks… awkward. Exaggerated. As if you’re compensating for something. Do you often find yourself feeling inferior? Like… maybe you just… don’t… measure… up?”

The man’s eyes flew open and he moved forward toward Ash again. He didn’t throw out an attack immediately and seemed to be trying to find the right distance to engage Ash.

Smiling, Ash merely slid deeper into the momentum. He could feel his Qi-Sea, Dantian, and Dao, all working in concert. Each and every beat of his momentum was slamming at this man. Attempting to dislodge him from his path and bring him into Ash’s tempo.

Pushing out with a sudden lung the man surprised Ash. The response from his sense of momentum had dulled. The attack had come as fast as thought.

Ash had only noticed it because he didn’t rely entirely on his Qi abilities. He was constantly watching, evaluating, and trying to figure out what was happening.

Squirming around, Ash managed to get his body sideways to the attack. Letting the flat of the sword strike him but move past him as well.

Ash took the opportunity to strike the sword with both of his own. The sword of metal on metal ringing loudly once again.

Moving away in a low position, Ash maneuvered himself to a range he felt comfortable at. It was close enough that the man couldn’t do a massive swing that was wound up, nor could he step away to get the distance.

Tapping his wrists to his arms, he attached the two new chains.

“There it is again. You… you’re… draining me. You’re draining me!” called the man, staring at Ash in shock and now fear. He dropped his big weapon in the next instant and snatched out a longsword from somewhere. The man apparently had a storage device that worked here, just as Ash did.

His new weapon was far more suitable for the battle then his big weapon.

“Am I? I never would have guessed,” Ash chortled while shifting closer again. His swords came out fast as a whip-crack. The right, then the left.

Each empowered by a generous dose of Spring-Step to propel the attack.

The big man managed to deflect the first attack surprisingly, knocking Ash’s arm wide, but not the second. It’d been made assuming the man would dodge or deflect. As fast as Ash was, this individual felt as if he were nearly in the Immortal stage.

Thankfully, in bumping Ash’s right arm out of position, it just made it easier for him to truly thrust forward with his left.

The tip connected with a clang to the man’s chest. Coming to a complete stop.

A small amount of blood trickled down from where the sword had hit flesh.

Drawing his sword to the left, Ash ducked and rolled away. He was nervous that the man would try to catch him on a return stroke. He couldn’t completely rely on his sense of momentum since it wasn’t responding as accurately as he wanted it to.

There was a wicked swishing noise that chased Ash as he moved. As well as a faint brush of air reaching the back of his neck. He assumed without knowing that the man truly had indeed attacked on the backswing.

Stamping his foot down Ash used Spring-Step again, spinning and bringing his weapons up in front of himself.

A cultivator was there, charging in at him with a club held in both hands raised over their head. He was practically on top of Ash.

Throwing both arms out, Ash buried his swords into the man’s chest.

At the same time a black-claw slash clearly from Hui scooped the top of the man’s head off. Even if Ash hadn’t defended himself, the man would’ve died to Hui.

Jerking his weapons out he he looked to find the man he’d been fighting.

Except he was gone.

He could see the chains he’d gotten from him leading off into the grass they’d come from. Even the one he’d gotten from stabbing the man.

Tapping the chain to his arm, Ash frowned. He was draining him of Qi, but it wasn’t a large amount. It would at least tell him where the man was.

Turning, Ash put his weapons up and readied himself to fly back into the fight.

He found the Brides were standing, all their enemies weren’t. Dead, dying, or unconscious, they were one and all laid out on the grass.

Cultivators and citizens alike were all downed. Blood was splattered around liberally and there were also a number of limbs strewn about.

There was a Bride that was laid out on the ground with two others gathered over her.

Rushing forward Ash sent his swords back into the storage hall. Without even asking, or thinking it, the status for the Bride flickered up in front of his eyes.

She had a punctured lung and was bleeding into it.

Ash knelt down next to her. He pulled apart her armor and found he was staring at her bare chest. Above one breast was a nasty stab wound. Something had penetrated her armor and her alike.

The green hands he was expecting appeared. They were set to each side of the wound. Then a small tube was stuck into the gash.

Ash did so, summoning the tube from the Hall. Such things were stored with all the medicine in case he needed them.

Pushing the tube into her Ash waited.

The hands didn’t move for half of an entire minute. All around him he could feel Brides crowding around him.

Beneath him the Bride was groaning. Both of her hands were resting on Ash’s thighs. Holding to him, but not gripping at him.

Suddenly the tube was pushed to one side and his hand replaced the area. It dropped in some type of medical pill.

Ash wanted to know what it was and where it was and was prompted with a screen.

Retrieving, it he dropped it into the wound and put his hands back over her chest. Partially covering her breast as well.

“I didn’t think-my first time to-be caressed by-you my-husband-would be to-fix me after-failing to dodge,” wheezed the Bride with a laugh.

The Brides around them laughed as well. Even Ash laughed at it.

“Well. If I’d known you’d go to such lengths, I’d have suggested an easier alternative,” Ash murmured. The hands came away from the wound and pulled out the tube. When he did the same, he then saw the hands begin sewing her up quickly with neat and small stitches.

Besides that was a small picture of Rou’s face and a green arrow.

Right.

This’ll hold her until we can get her to Rou. Got it.

That’s good.

Finishing quickly since he was following the hands, Ash got the Bride sewn back up and then smeared restorative medicine over the angry red gash. He didn’t see the hands do it, but he saw no reason not to treat this as best as he could.

The Bride moved her hands to hold his own, her veiled hat obscuring her face.

“Thank you, Husband. We always assume you’ll be the first one to our aid, but it’s another thing to have it happen,” she whispered. She didn’t sound pained or even out of breath this time. She just sounded tired.

“I’d never let a Bride die if I didn’t have to,” Ash answered honestly. “You’re not allowed to die for me. You’re supposed to live for the cause, aren’t you? So make sure of that. Live for the cause. Live for me. Live for each other. You’re all worth more than a death.”

There was a communal nodding of heads at that.

Ash squeezed the Brides hands and then begin to carefully pull her armor back into place. Adjusting it so it covered her decently. He took a moment to look at the strike that’d gone through the armor and actually hit her.

It looked as if it was an ability rather than a weapon. The edges of the armor had been perfectly slit open. Without a rip or tear to the fabric on either side, but as if it were perfectly cut at a molecular level.

“Whatever did this was dangerous. Did you manage to kill who wounded you?” Ash asked.

The Bride nodded her head, her veil shimmering. She gestured with one hand at a corpse nearby.

“I slew him. It was a bright light that hit me. It had no heat but cut me badly,” she said. “I think it was an ability.”

“Good. One less person to possibly harm my Brides,” Ash finished with a nod of his head.

“I need to go check the other group,” Moira stated and then jumped back into the air. Flying off.

Fuck, I forgot about them.