Beware Of Chicken

Hey, you drunken old bastard.

It's been a while, Gramps. I thought you were dead, old man, but it's good to hear from you again. Lots of things have changed since we last saw each other. I don’t know if you heard about what happened, but, well, there was an incident with the Cloudy Sword Sect…

Fireworks sparked and banged. The smell of food filled the air. Laughter and shouts of joy were the overwhelming sounds as the soldiers of the army camp celebrated the new year.

Two particularly enterprising, if foolish, men had even managed to fashion a dragon puppet so big it could be worn by Jade Armors. The mortal-controlled golems, thrice the height of a man, leapt and bounded. It was technically a breach of protocol.

Shen Yu simply smiled at the antics of the men.

“It's been a while since we’ve done something like this.” Shen Yu mused to Xiao Ge. The men, who had both been disciples of the Cloudy Sword Sect, were sitting at a table together on top of a hill near the edge of the Imperial Army’s encampment. Both were powerful cultivators who stood at the top of this world. They could have sat within General Tou Le’s tent and been waited on by his staff, but that was contrary to what both men wished for.

“A very long time indeed. Why, I remember when that used to be us.” Ge pointed down into the camp, one soldier rubbing another's back as he vomited.

Shen Yu laughed. “Ah, just like old times, eh?”

“Indeed, just like old times. You’re nearly as spirited as you used to be, even.” Brother Ge ribbed.

Shen Yu simply took a drink at the statement. His hand absently rubbed his storage ring, where the source of his improved mood sat.

You told me that when a man makes a choice he has to follow that choice to the end. So I left the Sect. I could not bear to stay there any longer.

There were a couple of incidents on the way. I nearly got eaten by an Earth Crushing Devil Serpent…

Shen Yu’s smile widened and he turned his attention back to his brother.

“I am merely satisfied with the state of things.” Shen Yu returned, raising his cup. Brother Ge had a knowing smile on his face.

Shen Yu hadn’t exactly been secretive about how many times he had read Little Rou’s letter, looking over the handwriting that he had taught the boy. How much it had lifted his heart, seeing the irreverent little shit calling him an old bastard and throwing dung at him!

His temper had largely cooled after reading the letter. Little Rou had refused to be anybody’s stepping stone. And thus, he had set off from the place of his birth with determination in his heart.

He had abandoned the familiar and seized his destiny with his own two hands.

There was no possible way Shen Yu couldn’t be happy with the kind of drive Little Rou had shown, willingly walking away from the sect.

By Lu Ri’s account he had even gotten stronger for leaving, just like Shen Yu had!

Well, Shen Yu was technically still on the register. Brother Ge and Brother Ran had left him on as a courtesy, even if they had parted ways amicably.

There was one problem though.

Thank you for trying to look out for me. I appreciate it, even if how things ended weren’t the greatest. Thank you for all the time and effort you spent teaching me… But I will not be pursuing cultivation any longer.

If that is a betrayal of the care you gave me, or the lessons, then I can only apologize. The years I was in your care were some of the best in my life.

So thank you, Grandfather, for your time and consideration. This Jin Rou has nothing but gratitude in his heart for what you did for a poor orphan.

It was the only part of the letter that had concerned Shen Yu… and he didn’t fully understand them. They were nearly incomprehensible. He could tell through the letter that Rou still had conviction. He still had drive and passion. He had not broken.

Perhaps Rou thought he was no longer worth Shen Yu’s time? That had to be it. Little Rou was diligent, and maybe, like Brother Ge suggested, Shen Yu had laid it on a bit too thick with his talk of the boy being weak. It was meant only to inspire and motivate him, and it had… But after his crushing defeat had he come to finally believe that?

Shen Yu did not think so. He seemed… More sure of himself. His brush strokes were too confident.

The other option… well, he had written that he had found a woman. Perhaps that was the issue? Love made men do foolish things. Shen Yu understood that all too well.

Everything… Everything could still be fixed. Little Rou just needed some proper motivation. Shen Yu had once had dark thoughts of abandoning his path. Had he not lived like a mortal vagabond for a time? Yes, some proper motivation, and Little Rou would be back on his path!

Shen Yu, his grandfather, would be happy to give it!

When they had destroyed the demons and he had repid the Emperor's favour he would visit his grandson, recenter him, and all would be well.

And… it would be over soon.

Shen Yu and Brother Ge’s attacks had been successful. They had found the Demons’ main nest. The last lynchpin in their network.

It had been far larger than either of them anticipated. Far, far larger, and Shen Yu was glad he had decided to cut loose, and had found it before it finished whatever plan the demons were using it for.

But it was so large even Shen Yu and Xiao Ge could not approach lightly… and one that needed a General that would hold shut the gates and prevent any of the beasts from escaping.

He hadn’t exactly been expecting the extent of their reinforcements, however. The Emperor wasn’t giving much to chance with this one.

Shen Yu raised his eyes to the sky as a great prow broke through the light cloud cover and started to descend..

Shenfeng, the Divine Wind, an ancient flying ship the size of a small town, was a behemoth of Heaven-steel, Floatstone, and Skywood. The pride of Soaring Heaven’s Isle, and some would say the entire Crimson Phoenix Empire. The reason why the Soaring Heaven’s Isle Sect, one of the few all female sects of the Empire, was mentioned in the same breath as the Cloudy Sword Sect.

On the deck of the great ship he could see the Outer Sect members pulling on the rigging and adjusting the aim of the weapons. Its escorts flitted around the ship, Inner Sect Members soaring in the heavens on aetheric wings.

It always was an impressive sight. As impressive as yesterday when Brother Ge had put out a call for travelling members of the Cloudy Sword Sect.

They had received only five of them, but Shen Yu would give Brother Ge good odds to take on the Divine Wind with them. Their intent was sharp and their minds focused. They had all been away from the sect for years… but Shen Yu supposed that would have been a benefit.

And on the tallest mast stood Tianzhe Minyan, the Second Lady of the Soaring Heaven’s Isle Sect. Her snow white hair was immaculately tied into a braid and her skin was nearly the same pale colour. She was a woman carved from the finest jade. She still had her veil on, for men could be driven mad by her beauty, but Shen Yu knew her face very well.

As he knew the rest of her body. He locked eyes with the woman, whose eyes narrowed as she saw him.

Brother Ge rolled his eyes at the smile on Shen Yu’s face.

“Brother, the last time we met she swore that she was going to rend you limb from limb.”

“She's sworn that the last three times, yet my limbs remain unrended. For such a cold-looking woman, she hides a great fire within. Is her passion not wonderful?” Shen Yu replied, waggling his eyebrows.

Brother Ge just laughed.

Just like old times he thought.

Shen Yu contented himself with watching as the ship continued to descend, before looking out once more at the encampment that stretched for hundreds of Li in every direction. Serried gleaming ranks of Jade Armors stood, sect banners waved in the wind and a million mortal soldiers stood prepared to stop the lesser demons from escaping the wrath to come.

For now, they were enjoying themselves. But in two days they would be on the march, ready to finally end things.

Shen Yu closed his eyes. It had been far, far too long.

If I never see you again, then this is goodbye. If you’re just being a lazy shit… then I’ll see you at some time, old man.

I humbly pay my respects to my grandfather, though he is a bastard.

Rou.

Shen Yu took a sip from his wine as the soldiers roared and cheered the arrival of the ship, launching more fireworks into the air.

Minyan landed in front of himself and Brother Ge, her piercing eyes boring into him and her fingers tapping on the hilt of her blade.

He would finish everything up here… and then go and see his boy.

That was a promise.

===============

The world seemed to shift as three figures appeared within a dark cave. They appeared to be made of shadow.

The dark figures seemed to be assessing each other for a moment before, as one, they turned to a spot in the room that was just slightly darker than the others and sank to their knees.

“We pay our respects to the Demonic Master.” They intoned as they clasped their fists in front of them.

“Greetings, my disciples.” An ancient voice replied. “How goes thy endeavours?”

There was a brief silence, before a male voice spoke. His voice was refined, but sounded slightly strained.

“Shenhe of the Shrouded Mountain Sect is moving more swiftly than anticipated. We did not manage to shut down one of our operations in time, and she has found and destroyed every outpost we installed south of the Frost Spine. She has prisoners… but they are not of any real rank and will be largely useless to her. Of more concern is just how tenacious this assault is. Lu Ban…” The voice trailed off.

“Speak your mind, child.”

The male shadow paused, before his voice became rougher and less refined. More natural. “He fucked things up, Master. We’ve lost an entire technique branch.”

There was a croaking chuckle from the shadow. “That he did! That he did! I never imagined that the Shrouded Mountain Sect would be so swift to move, nor Lu Ban found so easily! Such bad luck, eh? Ah, that child. If he wasn’t dead, I would be visiting a hundred thousand tortures upon him right now.”

The words were casual and spoken like a grandfather speaking of a rowdy boy despite their grim contents. “Well, there is nothing for it. Keep evacuating the cells. Destroy what you must. Shenhe may get a few more before it's done, but that is simply the price I shall have to pay. Though, do see if you can arrange something for this Shenhe, if you can?”

“Yes, Master. Your will be done, Master.”

“Excellent! Excellent! Now, my little butterfly?”

A female voice echoed next. “My apologies, Master. I haven’t been able to get into the mountain again. Security is too tight.”

“That was anticipated, my little butterfly. The other project?”

“Yes, Master. I made contact with him in the brothel… though it goes slowly. Zhang Zeng did not care overly for his son. It's difficult to stoke fatherly rage within him, but his pride is proving a more available target.”

“Excellent. Excellent, my dear. With any luck he’ll cause a mess of things and all will be well.”

Intent turned to the last shadow.

“Everything is proceeding apace, Master. No changes.” The voice was cold, hard, and difficult to tell if it was male or female.

“Good, good. Well, this has been a most interesting year.” The patch of darkness sighed, and undulated for a moment, before within it, an old man became visible. He was wizened and wrinkled, looking positively ancient. The old man smiled a gumless smile. “Let's see what fortune brings us in the next one, no?”