Fate Unraveled

CHAPTER

15

TO ESCAPE

JIEYUAN

—∞—

Jieyuan was caught up trying to come up with both a reason why this was happening and a way out of it—and coming up awfully empty on both accounts—when Meiyao stepped forward, pointing her finesaber at the inner elder.

“I know you. I remember you. I’ve seen you before.” Meiyao’s tone was somewhere in a voice between incredulous and accusing. “You’re a Geshihan. Geshihan Weiming. That’s you, isn’t it?”

Geshihan. If Jieyuan wasn’t stumped before, he was now. The Geshihan Clan was one of the two noble clans of the Gleaming Stone Sect, putting it above all of the other adjunct clans of the sect besides the Liangshibai Clan, the royal clan. This woman was a noble. It was bad enough that an inner elder was trying to kill him, but one that was also a Heavens-taken noble? That she was just an inner elder and not a protector meant she probably wasn’t a high-ranking member of the Geshihan Clan—definitely not from the core bloodline, at least—but she’d still be ranked just below a prime elder in the sect hierarchy.

He tried to place the woman, see if he’d ever come across her before. No luck there. She was tall, slender, and he’d have probably found her rather attractive, if in a severe sort of way, if he hadn’t been spending so much time around Meiyao. And she was wholly unfamiliar to him. He also couldn’t recall getting involved with another Geshihan before. So whatever reason the woman—Weiming—had for going after him, it probably wasn’t personal.

Weiming remained silent, holding onto her gear-shrouded saber with only one hand, the weapon hanging down by her side carelessly, the shrouded blade brushing the gleamstone ground below.

Meiyao wasn’t having it. “Look, Weiming, I don’t know what your rotten issue with Jieyuan over there is, but you’re out of your rotten mind if you think you can just go and kill my teammate right in front of me.” She kept her finesaber pointed at Weiming the entire time.

Jieyuan licked his lips, thinking furiously. Meiyao… she had the wrong of it. If the inner elder meant to have only him killed, then she wouldn’t have revealed herself after her failed attempt just now. Not when that meant making witnesses of Daojue and Meiyao. Rather, she’d have just tried again—and given her soulsign, she’d have succeeded. The fact that she’d shown herself meant she planned on dealing with all three of them. That didn’t mean necessarily killing all three of them—the only one she wanted dead for sure was him—but she’d have something prepared to ensure Daojue’s and Meiyao’s silence.

Either way, Meiyao’s ongoing attempts at intimidation would have no effect.

Weiming had a frown on her face now as she regarded Meiyao. Then she let out such a weary, heavy sigh. “Know that I take no pleasure from this.” She gave Jieyuan a look that verged on regretful. “I’m only following orders.”

“Orders?” Meiyao demanded. “What orders? Whose orders?”

Orders… Jieyuan frowned. It came as no surprise that this wasn’t a personal matter, but orders? Just who had the power to order a noble inner elder around? He doubted even a prime elder or even your average protector would have that much pull. Not unless they were also a member of the Geshihan Clan. The Geshihan Clan itself was the most likely place for those orders to have come from. But he hadn’t had anything to do with the Geshihan Clan. As far as he knew, this was his first time so much as seeing a Geshihan.

And where was the elder that was supposed to have been watching them? The one Meiyao thought was a protector. Jieyuan looked past Weiming, glanced at the sky. Nothing and no one. Right now seemed like a pretty good time for them to make an appearance. As in, before the tenth-sign redsoul that was in the open and in front of them took action.

Unless, of course, Meiyao had been wrong and it wasn't a protector that had been assigned to shadow them, but the murderous inner elder in front of them. In which case they’d be well and truly beggared. Beggared blind.

Weiming shook her head, gently. “I’m afraid I’ve already said too much. Meiyao, I’m supposed to take you back alive. It’d be better—for both of us—if you didn’t resist. As for you…” Weiming looked past Meiyao, at him and Daojue. “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid this is it for the two of you. You chose a very unfortunate time to join the sect.”

“Take me back?” Meiyao lowered her saber at that. “What?”

Jieyuan glanced between Meiyao and Weiming. Based on Weiming’s words, the one she was mainly after wasn’t him, but rather Meiyao. But there was also the other thing Weiming had said, about them joining the sect at an unfortunate time. That hinted at something bigger. Bigger than Meiyao. Even more so considering that Meiyao was clearly close to the Liangshibai. What Weiming was doing here, if she was caught, could very well constitute treason.

And still no sign from their watcher. He’d been holding onto the admittedly very slim hope that whoever was watching them might simply be waiting for Weiming to incriminate herself further before stepping in, but what Weiming had just said should’ve been more than enough to summon their watcher if that had been the case.

They could forget about anyone coming to their rescue, then.

“Hold on,” Jieyuan said. “Is there really no other way this can go? Can’t we come to some sort of agreement?” Weiming looked over at him. She didn’t look particularly interested, but Jieyuan didn’t need her to be. “I’m not sure why it is you have to get rid of us—and capture Meiyao—but you must know what our heavenly affinities are. And what they mean. All three of us are future greensouls. We’re only a couple of decades away from it, if even that. If you let us go here, we’d remember that. We’d owe you a favor. A greensoul’s favor. Three greensouls’ favors.”

Not for a moment did he entertain the idea that Weiming would buy that. The only one doing any buying here was him, and what he was buying was time. Time for himself, to think. Problem was, he probably could’ve had all the time in the world and then some more and it might not be enough. He was all for beating tough odds, for facing adversity and coming out on top, but there was no way—absolutely none—that the three of them stood a chance against an inner elder. Not even if they had a thousand other third-sign redsouls with them. Not even if they had a thousand other Daojues with them.

It came down to a matter of chromal weight. Weiming’s, as a tenth-sign redsoul, was well over double theirs and that of their weapons. She could pretty much tear them to shreds with a passing glance, whereas they wouldn't be able to so much as scratch her, no matter what they did. She’d also be completely immune to Absolute Will Command and whatever realmskills Daojue and Meiyao were hiding. There was nothing they could do to her. They were literally harmless, as far as she was concerned.

Not without a weapon at least at sixth-sign redsoul.

Jieyuan eyed Weiming’s saber, still dangling from her hand in a careless hold. That was the only thing around that could do the woman any damage. If they could somehow get it off her… Right. Sure. Stealing the weapon of a cultivator who could soul-still with a time-warp more than thrice theirs. What a plan.

But still. There had to be something they could do. Jieyuan refused to accept that he’d just die here, like this.

“You’re stalling,” Weiming said. It wasn’t an accusation. Just a statement. She gave him a look that was almost sad, pitying, and Jieyuan felt a flare of irrational anger. “It’s useless. There’s nothing you can do.” She sighed, then began lifting her finesaber.

“Wait!” Jieyuan called. To his surprise, Weiming stopped and looked at him questioningly. He let the silence stretch for as long as he could—he’d squeeze each instant for all it was worth, thoughts racing—before he continued. “Can’t… Can’t you at least tell us why?” He uttered the words as slowly as he could, an idea coming to him.

He eyed the distance between them and Weiming. He’d say it was a little over sixty feet, putting them right outside Weiming’s soulsense. It was worth risking it. Tapping into his soulforce, he pulled some chroma out of his soul and channeled it into his mind-link ring. He got an impression of its cipher roster, and he mentally selected Meiyao’s cipher.

Immediately he felt a presence in the back of his mind, similar to what he felt when he was Communing, except it was more solid, more tangible. Jieyuan? Meiyao’s voice sounded inside his head. Outside, she showed no reaction, only kept looking at Weiming. He likewise made sure not to give anything away.

Weiming sighed again. “Why? It’s as I already said. You joined the sect at the wrong time. There’s nothing more to it.”

Jieyuan made a scowl. “I…” he trailed off, drawing it out. Have you already contacted someone? he sent through the link, focusing on Meiyao’s presence in his mind. “Daojue and I—we’re Stream-bound anyway, aren’t we? And it’s not like we’d be able to share your plans, whatever they are, with anyone else from the Silver Stream, is it? I can see you’re not exactly… pleased about this whole situation. Can’t you at least us know what we’re being killed for? I don’t think that’s too much to ask. Is it?”

I haven’t, Meiyao sent back through the mind-link. I can’t. I only have your and Daojue’s ciphers.

It took all of Jieyuan’s willpower to keep his eyes on Weiming and not level a glare at Meiyao. You were telling Yunzhu the truth? You actually left your old mind-link artifact at home?

There was no immediate response from Meiyao, and Weiming ended up speaking first. “I have my orders,” she said, simply. “And even if you and Daojue won’t live, Meiyao will. And I’m afraid that I don’t…” Weiming frowned. “No. There’s no point to this. You’re still stalling. Enough.” And she made to raise her saber again.

“Is it Qingshi?” Jieyuan immediately asked.

Again Weiming paused. “What?”

“Qingshi. Is he the one behind this?” Jieyuan was grasping at straws now.

Meiyao’s answer came, I didn’t think I’d need it.

Jieyuan had barely registered Meiyao’s words when Weiming said, “Qingshi? Dajinzhi Qingshi? The prime disciple?” She looked genuinely surprised. “What does he have to do with anything?”

Well, Jieyuan had been expecting a denial, but not one so incredulous. It was true that Qingshi was a disciple, so the idea that he could order an elder was indeed ridiculous. But Jieyuan had been hoping that maybe Qingshi was involved in this mess in some other way, following orders from above like Weiming. “He sent an assassin after us, before. In the Fatebloom Woods.”

As Jieyuan spoke, he tried to come up with a response to Meiyao’s last linked thought besides the string of curses that had come to mind, but Meiyao sent another thought his way before he could figure something out. Keep distracting her. And prepare to run.

Meiyao’s presence disappeared from his mind. She’d severed the mind-link without further explanation. Jieyuan didn’t mind it much, too taken up with her last words. Keep distracting her. Prepare to run. Well, all right. He could do both of those, though he’d have an easier time with the latter than the former. More important, though, was that to have said that, Meiyao must’ve had some sort of plan. He felt a flicker of hope at that. A plan. He’d have traded all the gold in the world for one of those right now.

“Qingshi… sent an assassin after you? That’s… odd.” Again, Weiming seemed genuinely baffled. But then she shook it off. “No. Qingshi has nothing to do with this. But now—”

“And Yunzhu? Is she involved?” Jieyuan cut in. “And what about Elder Taishou? Did your orders come from him?”

Weiming’s frown deepened. “No, they… This is ridiculous. You—”

“Well, good thing they aren’t, because Meiyao just contacted Elder Taishou, and he’s coming over,” Jieyuan said. Whatever Meiyao was doing, he hoped to the Heavens she’d hurry up, because he was really pushing it now. “Or did you not know she had his cipher—”

“I’m well aware she does.” Weiming narrowed her eyes at him. She didn’t seem wary, though, or even suspicious. Rather, all he got from her was irritation. He reckoned it wasn’t often that someone of her station got cut off so often, if at all. It was a good thing she hadn’t looked over at Meiyao, though, because the entire point of this had been keeping Weiming’s attention off her. “And I have little doubt that she’s tried contacting him. But Taishou is currently busy at the moment with another mind-link. And so is everyone else Meiyao might be able to reach out to. And enough. This little—”

“All right,” Meiyao said, slamming her saber into its sheathe. Weiming turned to face her, looking distinctly put-upon. Meiyao began making her way over to the other woman, her fists clenched by her side. She glanced back at him. “Jieyuan, just… stop. Weiming is right. There’s nothing we can do that’ll change this situation. These… delaying attempts of yours are, honestly, pathetic. I know you’re a mundane-born, but you’re a cultivator now. Sometimes you just can’t avoid death, and when that happens you might as well go down proudly.” Meiyao kept drawing closer to Weiming as she spoke.

Weiming let out another sigh. A tired one. “You as well, Meiyao? Do I seem chipped to you? This is clearly a farce. Consider taking your own advice.”

Meiyao was now only ten paces or so away from Weiming. Jieyuan had absolutely no idea what she had in mind. Had no idea what kind of plan could possibly involve getting closer to the tenth-sign redsoul.

White light shone out from one of Meiyao’s clenched fists. Weiming moved so fast that Jieyuan barely saw her, lunging at Meiyao, but a shimmering, translucent dome appeared between them before she could reach Meiyao. It seemed to be made of light itself, solidified. Slightly yellowish.

Meiyao didn’t waste a moment as she turned around and set off running in his and Daojue’s direction. Behind her, Weiming was slamming her saber into the dome as she glared at Meiyao’s retreating back, wide-eyed. Jieyuan couldn’t hear any sounds—not from the saber striking the dome, not from Weiming’s open mouth.

“Go,” Meiyao snapped as she reached him, and he didn’t hesitate to kick off after her, both of them soulstilling.

As for Daojue… Jieyuan glanced back without breaking his run and saw that Daojue was still staring at Weiming’s imprisoned form. But before Jieyuan could call him, Daojue turned around on his own and made to follow them.

Soon they were lost among the crystal trees, Weiming far behind them, headed deeper into the Fifth Ring. Meiyao was at the lead.

“So, what’s the plan?” he asked as he kept running.

“We lose her,” Meiyao said without glancing back at him.

Well, that didn’t seem too promising. Weiming had already found them once. And once she got free, she’d be able to cover ground much faster than them. How much time did they have, anyway? “That was a talisman, right? What’s its soulsign? How long will it hold?”

“Tenth-sign,” Meiyao said. She veered a little to the right as a massive tree came up ahead, and they ran past it. “But it’s a protective talisman. The dome was meant to take hits from the outside, not from the inside. We have anywhere from a few minutes to an hour or so.”

Well, that seemed even less promising. “Then we have to think of something else,” Jieyuan said. “Just running around won’t—”

“Follow,” Daojue suddenly said before swerving off to the right.

Jieyuan immediately turned after him, not thinking about it. Meiyao was right behind him. They glanced at each other, then back at Daojue—who was now just blitzing through the trees, running with purpose in a direction that looked the same as all the other ones. All that lay ahead were more glowing gleamstone trees.

“You got a plan?” Jieyuan called as he pushed his legs to the limit, trying to reach Daojue’s side. He didn’t quite manage it. Just keeping pace with Daojue was already taking all he had.

In typical Daojue fashion, Daojue didn’t say a word, just kept on running.

Meiyao kept calling after Daojue as they ran after him, demanding answers, but Jieyuan quieted down. As he saw it, following Daojue or Meiyao made no difference if they weren’t headed anywhere specific. And if Daojue did have some destination in mind? It was already better than nothing.