The instant Commander Zhang was sent flying, the entire courtyard seemed to freeze.
The soldiers’ weapons fell to the ground with a
clang. Their pupils widened in sheer horror, and more than a few
unconsciously stepped back. Ankles struck against the bamboo fence, producing
faint rattling sounds, yet no one dared lower their heads to look.
Li Juntang’s longsword gave a sharp hum.
He gripped the hilt with all his strength to keep it from slipping free, his
fingertips scraping a red line across the cold scabbard.
The child’s punch had been so fast it was like
a lingering afterimage. That plump little fist carried no trace of force in the
air, yet when it landed on Commander Zhang’s chest, it was like a falling
meteor. Li Juntang had seen with his own eyes the breastplate crumpling like
paper, the brittle snap of breaking ribs mixing with the grinding scrape of
bone piercing his ears.
“Commander Zhang…” One of his guards,
trembling, tried to step forward to help, but froze after only two steps.
Curled beneath the fence, Commander Zhang’s
throat kept gushing black blood. Each wheezing breath came with foam, and the
caved-in chest writhed faintly, as though something were crawling beneath the
skin.
Most terrifying were his eyes --- bulging as if
ready to burst out, fixed unblinkingly on the child upon the swing, pupils
frozen with fear even in death.
The child swung higher and higher, bare feet
dangling, the hem of his short tunic lifting in the wind to reveal an arm like
a segment of lotus root.
He cast a casual glance at the corpse on the
ground. In his black eyes, the morning glories on the fence were reflected.
Suddenly, he pointed to a half-wilted bud among them and said, “That one’s
about to wither.”
The words were light as air, yet they struck
like a heavy hammer upon every heart.
Cold sweat instantly soaked through Li
Juntang’s back. His damp battle robe clung to his wounds, bringing sharp pain.
Only then did he realize the magnitude of his
folly. On this island where immortals and demons could not be told apart, how
could a child freely wandering in and out of a secluded bamboo courtyard be
ordinary?
That punch, seemingly casual, contained the power
to overturn seas. It was more fearsome even than the octopus demon they had
faced before.
“Your servant was ignorant and disturbed the
Immortal Child. I beg forgiveness.” Li Juntang dropped to one knee, his voice
trembling uncontrollably. “We are but mere mortals, who stumbled into this
fairyland. There was never a trace of disrespect intended.”
The soldiers behind him finally awoke from
their daze, crashing to their knees in a wave. The clattering of armor striking
together was unbearably harsh in the still courtyard.
Commander Zhang was one of the finest warriors
in the army, yet he could not withstand even a single punch. Just what manner
of being was this island’s child?
The swing creaked as it soared higher, the
bamboo branches groaning softly.
The child seemed not to hear Li Juntang’s
apology, or perhaps he simply disdained to answer. He only tilted his head
toward the drifting clouds in the sky, humming again that tuneless song.
Strange though the melody was, it carried a soothing charm, and many of those
on the ground felt drowsy.
“Immortal Child…” Li Juntang clenched his
teeth, lifting his head, about to speak again --- when the child suddenly
raised his small hand and casually waved toward the courtyard gate.
In an instant, a gale roared out from the
depths of the bamboo forest.
Countless leaves swirled within it, slashing
faces like knives. Li Juntang felt a tremendous force crash into his chest,
hurling him backward into his own men.
“Ahhh --- !” Screams echoed as though an
invisible broom had swept them all away, flinging them out of the bamboo fence.
Some smashed against the golden-hued bamboo,
blood spurting from their heads. Others tripped over vines and rolled down into
the shrubs below.
Li Juntang landed at the very edge, his
forehead striking a green stone. Darkness swallowed his vision.
Struggling to lift his head, he saw the bamboo
gate creak shut. Inside, the swing still swayed gently, but the child’s figure
had already vanished into the shadows of the grove, as though he had never been
there.
The gale ended as suddenly as it had come,
leaving only wreckage in its wake.
The soldiers staggered up, supporting one
another, all covered in dirt and leaves.
Some clutched broken ribs, groaning; others
glared at the closed gate with gritted teeth. But not a single one dared take
even half a step forward. The oppressive force hidden within that gust of wind
had been more dreadful than a charging army.
“Your Highness, this…” A guard, bleeding from
his forehead, began to speak --- only to be silenced by Li Juntang’s glare.
Using his sword for support, Li Juntang pushed
himself upright, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and stared at
the tranquil bamboo grove with a complex expression.
The child’s strength was unfathomable, clearly
beyond their ability to contend with. Yet this only confirmed that the island
concealed a true master.
That wisp of smoke, that simple swing, even the
odd little song --- all seemed deliberately mundane, more like a test.
“Silence, all of you.” Li Juntang’s voice was
low, eyes sweeping across his men. “From this day forth, we make camp outside
this courtyard. Not one of you is to set a single foot closer.”
He paused, his gaze fixed on the curling thread
of smoke rising from the bamboo forest, a stubborn glint flashing in his eyes.
“We wait!” - Ton
For AUD discussions, to read novel from
the start and get automatically notified of updates, we invite you all to
join our Discord. Also, for those wanting to keep us awake while waiting
for updates, you can buy us some Kofi. Links on upper right of our Blog
Home page. Thanks and see you!
Also, even without update posts on FB, readers
can check for updates thru the Blog's Table of Contents.
Comments