“Really?” Mo Ling asked. He nodded. “If you recommend her, then I’d be happy to work for her.”
“She’s not the kindest lady, but she’s good at what she does,” Cha Ming said. “She’s also honest. You can trust her to keep her word.”
“All right,” Mo Ling said. “I’ll do as you say.”
Cha Ming nodded and wrote down an address on a piece of paper. “Go there this afternoon. She’ll have an employment contract waiting for you.”
“Thank you for everything,” Mo Ling said. She bowed in thanks to the man who’d taken her in shortly after a mysterious man rescued her from bandits years ago. Her family had died there, and she’d been alone and unemployed. Pai Xiao had taken a risk in sheltering her, so she’d worked hard to prove herself and earn her place in his shop.
“No need,” Cha Ming said, hiding away his pain. “Go ahead. She’s waiting.”
Mo Ling nodded and left. As the door closed and the last person left the building, Sun Wukong came out.
“You know she didn’t want to forget you,” Sun Wukong said. “You didn’t have to go through with this so thoroughly.”
Cha Ming’s eyes reddened, and a single tear fell. “I know that, you fool. But just like she didn’t want any harm to come to me because she knew too much, I didn’t want her to get caught up either. This way, she’s just a meaningless pawn in a game of cat and mouse. Not even worth pursuing.”
“Harsh, but true,” Sun Wukong said. “Are you sure you trust that woman, though? Will she treat her right?”
“She will,” Cha Ming said. Sun Wukong didn’t probe any further.
Cha Ming spent the rest of the afternoon tidying up the forge he’d spent six months in. He looked to the various benches filled with smiths that had become a part of his imaginary life. Would they ever meet again? Only time would tell, but he found it unlikely. If everything went according to plan, he’d disappear from the South in less than a year. The contract brand on his forearm was of little consequence.
“So what next?” Sun Wukong asked. They’d finished all the tidying up in the shop. Everything was ready for the smith they’d sold it to.
“Next?” Cha Ming asked. “Next, we make a bit of noise.”
They made their way to the commercial district under cover of darkness. There, a young lady had already taken up residence in the medium-sized shop and would start work the next day. Cha Ming ignored the young lady and proceeded to the office, where a middle-aged woman was reviewing sales contracts. He opened the windows with his transcendent force and flew inside.
“Who’s there?” the woman said. “Guards!” A few tense moments passed, and no one answered her call.
“Don’t worry,” Cha Ming said, not moving from the window. “I won’t stay long.” The woman tried to stand, but Cha Ming pressed her down using raw transcendent force. “You hired a young girl today.” It wasn’t a question.
The woman nodded but swallowed. “Her circumstances are special,” the woman said. “But if your lordship requires her, I’ll transfer her contract immediately.”
Cha Ming’s eyes narrowed. He summoned his qi and every ounce of fleshly body power he could muster. He summoned the might of his transcendent soul and pressed against her. The woman wasn’t a strong cultivator, but neither was she weak. But despite being a peak-foundation-establishment cultivator, she could only resist with all her might under the pressure. The slightest lapse would result in her destruction, body and soul.
“You misunderstood me,” Cha Ming said. “That girl. You’re to make sure she stays safe. Don’t coddle her, and don’t make things easy for her, but if I ever hear you’ve tried to give her away or sell her employment contract without her consent, if I ever hear she was mistreated, things won’t end well for you. Do you understand?”
The woman swallowed and nodded her head. Her body was drenched in sweat from head to toe. “Might I ask what she is to you, my lord?” she asked.
“No, you may not,” Cha Ming said. He then jumped out the window and closed it before flying off. After traveling a short distance, he walked to one of the many city gates and signed out of the city. He wasn’t sure how things would go for Mo Ling, but he was certain of two things: First, the woman, unless suicidal, would not dare test him. Second, she would never dare guess that the frightening man who’d threatened her was Pai Xiao, the kind and easygoing smith from Liaoning City.
Interlude: Threat
Boom. Boom.
Shivers ran down Feng Ming’s spine as he heard the dull, almost imperceptible pounding just outside Westvale Fortress.
Boom. Boom.
Such a sound shouldn’t be possible. In Feng Ming’s mind, anything strong enough to reverberate throughout the fortress ought to make crashing noises or cutting sounds. What he heard now sounded like a bundle of wet noodles crashing against a large gong.
Boom. Boom.
Something about it seemed wrong, almost unholy. He grabbed the Magma God’s Spear and flew through the corridors, rounding several corners before entering the control room. There, several generals were flipping through screens and assessing the situation. The former Sea God Emperor, Gong Xuandi, was already waiting for him.
It looks like I’m not the only one worried, Feng Ming thought, noticing his crossed arms and serious expression.
Boom. Boom.
“Custodian, what’s happening out there?” Feng Ming asked.
“I don’t know,” a voice answered as a middle-aged hologram of a man appeared before them. “Whatever it is, it’s not good for our energy reserves.” He pointed to the wall. The runes there had dimmed and grew dimmer with each sound.
Boom. Boom.
“What do you mean you don’t know?” Feng Ming asked. “Bring up the battle map.”
“As you command,” the custodian
