“That’s something different,” Sun Wukong said, shaking his head. “I feel it too.”
You? Cha Ming thought. You’re a ghost. You don’t have a heart.
“I have a spiritual one,” Sun Wukong said, glaring at him. “Anyway, I feel it more than you do, even in spirit form. This distress isn’t something humans should feel, only demons. The plane is in danger, and all of nature is feeling the pressure.”
“Is it the South?” Cha Ming asked.
Sun Wukong shook his head. “It’s the creature. Huxian warned you before we left for the South. Before, it was only them that felt it because they had local influence. Now, a sense of crisis pervades the entire continent.”
“That bad?” Cha Ming muttered. Well, nothing he could do about it down here.
Sun Wukong returned to the Clear Sky Brush, and they flew back toward the wall. The first group of miners he stumbled upon were early-core-formation cultivators trying out their luck in the peripheries.
“Fellow miners,” Cha Ming said, landing beside the trio, who frowned when they saw him. Their strong bodies crackled with power as they got into defensive stances. “Have you seen the five Bear brothers?”
A tall but thin man, their leader, scratched his head in confusion. “We’re new here,” he said. “We’ve never heard of these ‘Bear brothers’ of yours. Got a description of them?”
“Bear One is tall but bald, his eyes clear blue,” Cha Ming said. “Bear Five is particularly large, and he likes to fight with his fists. Bear Four is a swordsman, and he likes to carry a sword at his waist at all times.”
The man shook his head. “Can’t say we have, sorry.”
“Sorry for troubling you,” Cha Ming said. He flew away from them and back toward the barracks. The fact that they weren’t in the danger zone where they usually operated filled his heart with dread. Many heads turned as he flew past. Those who could fly freely in the Shattered Lands were few and far between.
Soon, he reached Bastion Wall. It seemed so tiny now that he’d seen the massive chamber that held the Leyline of Gold. Its walls, made of thick metal, wouldn’t last a second under the shifting grounds deep beneath the scurrying miners.
That, he thought, is likely why they built it here, where there are no quakes. He now realized it served a dual purpose. For one, it kept the demons out. For another, it kept that dreadful life-leaching aura that the Life-Leaching Monarch emanated at bay.
A few figures walked out of the guard shack when he arrived. He was relieved to see that one of them was a tall bald man with clear-blue eyes. The man broke into a grin when he saw Cha Ming, as did two of those who’d stepped out. It seemed that Bears One, Three, and Four at least had pulled through.
“I am glad that you have made it back,” Bear One said, clapping Cha Ming on the shoulder. “I thought you lost in that dreadful tunnel. So did everyone else. There is a betting pool, you see, and we have all lost spirit stones guessing how long it would take for you to come back, if at all.” He chuckled heartily. “Though it seems the Iron Lady will be winning a fortune. What a discerning eye she has.”
“Miss Ge?” Cha Ming asked, incredulous. She was the last person he’d expect to put money on a bet. Her cold pragmatism and cynicism was well known among the miners. She bent no rules, not for anyone.
“The very same,” Bear One said.
“The others?” Cha Ming asked, looking to Bear Three and Bear Four. He noticed that Bear Three had broken through to the peak of marrow refining since their escape. Bear Four had also obtained a new sword. Those were both promising signs.
“Safe,” Bear Four said. “Bear Two didn’t really need any more money. He was just here to top up his funds before closing himself up again. Something about wanting to increase his qi cultivation. As for Bear Five…” He shook his head. “That one came too close to death. With his ability, he’d never felt so sure he would die. He decided to go back to his home kingdom after cashing out.”
“I see,” Cha Ming said. “I don’t suppose you still have his contact information? In case I need to send him a message or package?”
Bear One smiled. “I’m sure he would appreciate hearing from you. There is also an agreed-upon gift that you must deliver, if you still possess it.” There was no way for them to verify if Cha Ming still had the metal they’d pilfered, but they trusted in their contract. The consequences for breaking it were severe and would hamper his cultivation. Perhaps they even trusted him personally, given their recent life-or-death experience.
“Don’t worry, his gift is still here, as is yours,” Cha Ming said. “I’ll be stopping in town to put it in safekeeping for all of you. Once I leave, that is. I’d imagine that will be shortly.” As he spoke, two guards ran over from the lift. “Here, I have something for you.” He fished through his storage and took five papers he’d crafted for each of the Bear brothers before arriving. They each bore a copy of the sign Cha Ming had left for the Life-Leaching Monarch.
“What is this thing you have made?” Bear One asked, fingering it curiously. “It looks somewhat like a Northern talisman, though it does not contain their usual power.”
“Think of it as a farewell present,” Cha Ming said. Then, mentally, he sent a different message. In the future, there will be trouble north of the wall. Should you see a massive rush of demonic spiders climbing up to the surface, escape as quickly as you can. But before you do so, put on these armbands. They might just save your life.
Bear One’s eyes widened. He took them and immediately placed them in his
