Treasures Of Heaven And Earth

Dàilán moved up the street as fast as she could manage to - without causing further obvious signs of her passage; given the narrow streets and crowded structures in this part of the lower ring, even this close to Market Street, that meant only travelling a couple of times faster than a mortal sprint, otherwise she risked colliding with and destroying or damaging buildings or other structures - and thus sending up an obvious telltale to her current location - despite running the Veil technique at full strength.

Fortunately, the commotion had cleared the local streets of low level Cultivators and civilians - the instinctive response of lower ring dwellers to Cultivator fights and property destruction was to clear the area as fast as possible - otherwise she would have not been able to move half as quickly.

Unfortunately, the closer she came to Market Street the more likely it was she would run into normal traffic again; it was doubtful that the sound of a couple of poorly built structures collapsing would be noticed by the people in the Market, unless it happened to be a building immediately adjacent.

She tried to activate her communication jade and her soul tablet again, one after the other and cursed under her breath when she got no response to either - other than the same flat warning statement from her sect soul tablet. Whatever, was going on was serious - she could not have gotten that far from Chénli and the others, but already whatever was blocking their jades was affecting them - which was not simple.

More importantly, anyone prepared to attack a member of one of the city's Noble Clans was either foolish or had reason to believe they would not have to deal with the normal response from the City Lord; had Second Elder's recent highhandedness angered the Lord sufficiently to cause him to withdraw the peace that was usually enforced in the city - against Cultivator battles - from the Guan?

It seemed unlikely. The Elder's treason was purely an internal Clan issue… but the Knife Sect being under attack simultaneously was unlikely to be coincidence.

The young Heiress' thoughts were thrown away along with a desperate lunge, losing the Veil technique as she did, to avoid the pair of Cultivator mercenaries who crashed through the buildings on either side of her, one slightly ahead and the other slightly behind. She had a niàn to recognise the two she had evaded earlier, leaping desperately from the street for the nearest roof as blazing and icy energies flared from their techniques, blowing the building beside her apart even as she landed on sliding terracotta tiles - frantically transitioning her Essence into Mountain River as the building she landed on collapsed and fighting to hold the technique while enormous segments of rubble passed through her body - as she fell with the wreckage.

A flare of rage boosted her Essence momentarily and allowed her to redirect her fall through the collapsing building directly towards the closest mercenary, pushing her Essence to keep her aloft slightly longer than would normally be possible even with an Earth Level flight technique, fiercely glad that her recent breakthrough in Cultivation had pushed her into touching Sky Level, even if it was barely low rank - and thankful that she had hidden it - otherwise, she guessed these mercenaries would be more than just High Rank Earth Level Cultivators.

The massive cloud of debris and dust from the collapsing building completely obscured her as she crashed through the man - overpowering his Essence with her slightly higher level - as the River technique allowed her to pass through him like a ghost. Releasing her grip on her daggers as she passed through, his c.h.e.s.t instantly exploded into a bloody, boiling cloud of steam as the daggers became solid again and violently displaced his lungs, sternum and heart, their anti-tampering formations activating as they discharged a large quantity of Lightning Essence to attack the Cultivator that was attempting to 'wield' them.

Her Essence levels dropped precipitously even as the River Technique broke from the strain of powering through another Cultivator's Essence - and she crashed to the cobblestones of the side street, staggering with nausea and vertigo as even as she was showered in hot viscera and steaming blood.

"Lin, you turtle's-egg, did you get that noble vase?" The voice was nearby and Dàilán's sense pinpointed the other man's Essence less than a chǐ away. Only the still heavy cloud of dust obscured her from him. The adrenaline rush caused by hearing his voice nearly made her heart burst out of her c.h.e.s.t, pushing her nausea away as she lunged for her fallen daggers, sending rubble scattering across the ground.

The Cultivator spun - reacting to the noise; some type of technique sent the dust and debris flying away, hitting the young teen painfully and exposing her as she dove through the still warm mess of the body to grab her daggers. She spun and rolled as another technique slammed into the ground next to her with a burst of flame, but she managed to grasp both weapons and throw herself airborne in a spinning roll towards the other Cultivator in a classic Sky Level manoeuvre.

Her daggers struck sparks as the man swiftly brought up his Dao flickering with small flames along its blade to parry her weapons, the man hastily stepping back to soak up her momentum as she landed in a defensive crouch, just in front of what was left of the body of the other Cultivator. The Cultivator looked at her - and down at the body - then froze.

After a moment, he turned his head and spat, the flames on his weapon going out, "Peh, that penny-pinching turtlehead did not pay enough for this. You are no Earth Level empty vase noble."

Dàilán cautiously straightened up, sheathing a dagger, while leaving the other conspicuously at the ready, "Who paid?" she asked, pulling out a small bag of Essence Stones out of her waist pouch with her free hand and throwing it at the man's feet.

The man c.o.c.ked his head and blinked, then shrugged, sheathed his weapon and bent down to pick up the bag, his left eyebrow lifting as he weighed it, then snorted.

"Your youngest uncle. But you just paid more for that information than he did for the four of us to capture you, so he can consider our contract terminated - although," he looked resignedly at the body of his partner, "you have done enough of that already yourself."

"Just capture?" questioned Dàilán in confusion, hiding the stab of anguish she felt at hearing her Uncle's treachery confirmed by a third party that had no reason to lie.

"En. He has a deal with some death cult to hand over your clan's women, in return for their support for his takeover," he spat again, "I am not a righteous Cultivator, but those Unorthodox snakes are bad for business. All hells is about to break loose in this nowhere town," he advised, starting to move rapidly away, "I am leaving - I suggest you do the same."

Dàilán's brows drew down sharply and she jumped to the roof of the nearest intact building, sheathing the dagger she was still holding, then paused and hesitantly took one of the pills that she had purchased from the old peddler out of her pouch. Sighing, she reached down with the other hand and tried to use her Cousin's communication jade again - spat a curse when she still received no response - then decisively swallowed the pill in her other hand.

Her eyebrows shot up as the pill dissolved almost instantaneously in her mouth and waves of well-being rushed over her, wounds and scr.a.p.es vanishing as if they had never been while her Essence levels soared up from almost nothing to overfull within a niàn.

"Rules be damned," she muttered and pushed her Essence upward, propelling her into a headlong flight over the rooftops directly towards the Market Street.

---

The buildings flying below Dàilán's feet were just progressing into more permanent, well-maintained structures and she could hear the usual chaos of the Market in full swing when a sharp, familiar cry of exertion grabbed her attention.

Her head snapped around just in time to catch a glimpse of Chénli dodging a massive overhand smash from another large Cultivator, wielding something that looked more like a giant slab of metal than a weapon.

She moved without conscious thought and the big Cultivator's eyes - wide with shock - were suddenly in front of her as she slammed into the door-sized cleaver he hastily interposed between them, diverting the strike he had been about to make against her friend and sending them both flying into another building with a sound like thunder.

This building had obviously been reinforced with formations or Essence materials; rather than exploding the building into a cloud of debris from the force of their impact, they crashed through the wall, leaving a slightly larger than person shaped-hole behind them, but the building remained intact.

Shouts, screams and angry cries came from everywhere as tables, benches, plates, cups, bowls, spoons, food, drink and chopsticks flew in all directions and people scrambled to get out of their way - until the mercenary slammed into a main building support column. The formations on it flared slightly, but stopped the pair of them without further damage, although the man grunted painfully and gasped, obviously winded from the impact.

Still pushing against the ridiculous slab of metal her opponent held, Dàilán looked around at the room she was in - the two of them had evidently demolished their way inside an inn of some sort; around them she could feel Essences flaring as various Cultivators among the patrons got over their surprise and prepared to fight.

"Call the Guard!" came a shout from somewhere elsewhere in the building. The Cultivator she had bull-rushed looked around wildly from behind his shield-weapon at the surrounding angry Cultivators, the shouts for the patrol and swore, "Damn, he did not pay enough for this!"

"My Uncle has always been stingy," remarked Dàilán conversationally, still pressing on the mercenary, trapping him between his weapon and the column, "Your friend with the flame techniques said the same thing - he is leaving town, by the way - you might want to consider doing the same."The large mercenary grunted and pushed against her, but Dàilán flared her Essence - she could sense he was around a Rank seven or eight Earth Level Cultivator - and easily held him in place despite his muscles and bulk.He grunted again and his eyes narrowed, "You are stronger than the Assassin - she was supposed to be the dangerous one.""My Uncle is an idiot," she shrugged, "last chance. Surrender or you will not get away before the Guard get here - or you will wind up as worm food like the other two."His eyes traced the patterns of blood and damage on her robes - now added to by the scent of spilt drinks and food that stained both of them - and he sighed, relaxed slightly and nodded.

Dàilán stepped back, keeping her eyes up on him and her blades up as he dipped his head and stepped to one side, the crowd parting slightly to let him pass. Dàilán looked around at the now curious crowd - most of the Essence levels she could sense now had relaxed into a watchful stance.

"Clan Guan apologies for the disruption of your afternoon," she said clearly, pulling out a pouch of Essence stones, "Who is the Owner of this Establishment?"

The crowd shifted and a large, burly Cultivator at the mid-Earth level stepped clear of the others, holding a large club, as he cautiously ducked his head, "Lady, I own this inn, how may I serve?"

Dàilán nodded and handed the man the small pouch, "For the damage and disruption."

Crunching noises from behind her announced the arrival of Gi Chian as he walked over the mess and wreckage of her precipitous entry and stopped beside Dàilán, "The Gi Clan also adds their apologies for the damage," and handing the owner a second - larger - pouch, "to cover your customers' disrupted meals and a round of drinks."

"You do not wish to lodge a complaint with the Guard," surmised the owner, accepting the second pouch thoughtfully.

"They remain markedly absent since we were attacked," observed the Gi Heir matter-of-factly and the large man's eyebrows drew down as he nodded, "Politics," he muttered, then turned around and bellowed to the now curious and muttering crowd, "Nothing to see here, you lot! You do worse to this place on half-price wine night!"

The inn owner held up the large pouch, "The Gi and Guan have graciously paid for everyone's inconvenience," which started a wave of laughter and cheers from the observers, "find yourselves seats - anyone who had their meals and drinks smashed will have them replaced courtesy of the Clans tonight - and no - that does not mean you guys can smash your own meals! I am watching you, Buzu!" he bellowed meaningfully at a sly-faced man who was approaching one of the tables across the room with intent, then slumped sadly into a seat, conspicuously avoiding touching anything to the roar of laughter around him from the other patrons.

The crowd broke cheerfully, heading for seats and tables, loudly discussing the newest events and the owner turned back to them, "Your apologies are gratefully received," he muttered gruffly, "a lot of the Clans in this town would not bother." He dipped a respectful bow, then hesitated and straightened up to look carefully at Dàilán, "Lady, I would not presume - but as an inn owner, I hear things. I strongly suggest you return to the Guan Compound as quickly as possible - probably best you left the way you came," he suggested with a small grin, gesturing towards the hole in the wall, "the Guard will be coming in via the main entrance."

Dàilán nodded, "That was my intent, fellow Daoist," she dipped a hasty bow in farewell as Chian did the same beside her and the two of them turned and left swiftly out of the impromptu exit.

Chénli and Míng were waiting, both clearly on watch, just outside the hole. Dàilán ran an assessing eye over both of them but they appeared unhurt, although Chénli was clearly scuffed and disheveled from fighting the mercenary. Without words, they all started moving quickly back towards the main Market Street, towards the general direction of the teahouse.

"Any success with breaking that communication jade blocking formation?" questioned the youngest Heiress, using the Air technique that had come in so handy today already.

Míng grinned, "just as you came out of nowhere," she answered rapidly with the same technique, "Moon says they are fine, no attacks - they are heading back to the teahouse at best speed."

Chénli growled, "that attack was aimed at you mistress," her voice harsh, even via the technique, "I have informed the Senior Enforcer."

Chian clicked his tongue behind him, "Ineffectual. The mercenaries were too low-level. Not a serious threat - they have attacked the Heir of Gi and his intended. Foolish."

"It was Second Uncle," answered Dàilán grimly, "both of the mercenaries I spoke to admitted as much - he either was not willing to pay for higher level Cultivators to attack us or underestimated our Cultivation levels, which reminds me," she focused on re-establishing the Veil to draw a cloak over her Cultivation as they walked rapidly into the Market Street and started navigating through the crowds as fast as possible.

Míng's eyebrows rose, "that explains how your Cultivation was pushing Sky all of a sudden."

Chian grunted in approval, "Hidden tiles," he muttered, then fell silent as her Cousin frowned, "I am still unable to contact Dragon…" she warned, doing something with her communication jade, "we are not safe yet. I will ask Moon to try."

Dàilán quirked her lips mirthlessly then dropped back to speak to her bodyguard, "Have you been able to send a message to the Senior Enforcer?"

Chénli nodded her head, "Yes, she has ordered us to set up a defensive position at the teahouse and to prepare to return immediately back to the Clan Compound once they have rejoined us."

Dàilán snarled and her friend looked around at her in surprise, "What?"

The youngest Heiress shook her head, "Have you tried contacting the Sect? Or any of the others stationed back at the Clan."

Chénli blinked then gripped her soul tablet as the group power walked. After a moment, she shook her head, then looked back at Dàilán with concern, "Nothing. I cannot connect to anyone back at the Clan Compound... or my Master back at the Sect."

Dàilán gripped her own soul tablet again and received the same overriding pulse of anger and warning as before - along with the flat message that the Sect was under attack. She swore viciously, causing the others to turn their heads and gape at her in shock, "we have to move," she spat in response, her skin prickling with unease, "this is just the beginning."

The others broke into a run in response, shoving people aside and leaving a trail of angry shouts and complaints that abruptly silenced when people realised that the disturbance was caused by three Clan Heirs - one who looked like she had walked straight off a battlefield. Dàilán ignored that and tersely instructed Chénli, "Contact the BloodWitch and tell her to get everyone back as quickly as possible - I think Grandmother and Father's attempt to shut down the clan traitors has gone badly wrong and the City Lord appears to be colluding - or at least looking the other way."

Chénli's face twisted in anger and she nodded, her soul table flaring as she started communicating rapidly.

There was a hiss from Chian at Dàilán's words and he agreed in a clipped tone, "Highly likely. Lack of response from the City Guard, despite clear evidence of Cultivator combat, is indicative."

It was Míng's turn to swear as they continued to run, "I have just been cut off from Moon again, she managed to say something about being under attack before the transmission cut out."

"Same here," agreed Chénli, "Senior indicated they were approximately a lǐ to the south-east - they are still on the lower side of the Street."

Dàilán shook her head, "The teahouse is a bad idea," she declared, "this is organised - I would not be surprised if attackers are waiting for us there as well. I prefer to counter ambush," she turned around and flashed a resolved expression at the others, "if the rules are being ignored, then we stop following them too," she stated firmly in explanation, leapt to the top of a stall and then to the roof of one of the larger businesses that lined the Market Street, looking in the direction Chénli had indicated. Quiet thumps announced the arrival of the other three beside her.

"I have contacted the Gi Clan," announced Chian grimly from where he had landed behind her, "even if the City Lord complains at this point he will hesitate to make an open enemy of the Gi. They are sending a troop of Elite Clan Guards and a Battle Elder."

Dàilán looked over her shoulder to see Míng's head turn rapidly around at this to stare at her partner and Chian stepped up beside Míng and gripped her hand in support, "The First Ring is at high alert - there are sounds and evidence of heavy fighting in and around the Guan Compound. Large groups of unknown Cultivators have been spotted moving around the First Ring. The City Lord has declared a lockdown of the First Ring instead of sending out his forces to deal with it - all Clans have been instructed to remain in their compounds."

The Gi Heir pointed out over the Market, even as Dàilán started to notice that the normal sounds of the crowds below were starting to acquire an oddly tense feeling as the patterns of the conversations and noises changed subtly - reflecting a subconscious current of unease - at a pillar of smoke and bright flashes in the distance, "There," he directed.

The four of them moved rapidly towards the commotion and Dàilán dropped her daggers into her hands as they crossed the distance across the rooftops in a niàn, plunging off a roof into a side street and down into a pitched battle that was raging below.

As the four of them slammed into the flank of a large group of Cultivators wearing dark robes that were pressing the group of women, Second Cousin and the Ji Heir, Dàilán caught a glimpse of a large group of people, all of them with some white cloth wrapped around a prominent part of their body, pour out of the buildings behind the attackers and crash into their rear.

The next few shùnqǐng were a whirlwind of techniques, clashing weapons, screams, explosions, Essence flaring as killing blows were exchanged. The black robed Cultivators were mostly High Rank Mortal or Low Rank Earth levels, but there were a great many of them and they seemed to fight with no regard for their own lives, screaming familiar, idiotic battle cries about grass that Dàilán was rapidly learning to hate.

Nonetheless, they had been caught unprepared by Dàilán's group hitting them from the side and above like that a falling star. One flank of the Grass Cultists pressing her Cousin and Dàilán's maids shattered like a dropped wine glass on marble as the four in her group smashed through the Cult Cultivators with their most destructive techniques - combined with the momentum from leaping from higher ground at a full Essence Enhanced run.

All of this takes many words to describe; but barely half a fēn later Míng shouted in triumph as a formation activated around the whole group of ten fighters, pushing away the attackers in a burst of brilliant light on all sides as the two groups of Clan Heirs merged.

"Cousins!" shouted Yue happily as she spun in place - flinging out tiny seeds, out over the heads of the defending group and through Míng's Formation, that sprouted into tangling bushes and thorny vines that grasped and attacked the Grass cultists - even as the Bloodwitch and Dàilán's maids stabbed, bludgeoned, and whipped at their attackers. Fatty Ji was rapidly moving between each woman, his expanded golden body acting as a mobile defense, with weapons and technique attacks deflected off his buddha-like shape even as his hands, arms, feet and legs slapped out heavily with martial fist and leg arts, repeatedly smashing or crushing the attackers outside the circle away from the other defenders.

"What took you so long, Brother?" the normally jovial Ji Heir bellowed as he pounded around the perimeter, throwing himself into the thickest clumps of attackers each time.

"Similar issues of our own," replied the Gi Heir loudly as he took up a position at his blood brother's side, a sword appearing in his hands, which began to effortlessly slide into c.h.e.s.ts and lop off limbs, "it has been difficult on you, brother. Hold fast, reinforcements are on their way."

"Small flies like this are not a bother," shouted the Ji Heir, laughing uproariously as he brought his golden hands together, "Double Golden Buddha Palms!"

The unfortunate cultist whose head was caught between his hands had his skull crushed like a gr.a.p.e and as the body fell to the ground, Fatty Ji reared up and punched the surface of the cobbled side street s- ending out a wave of force that blasted the surrounding Cultists back.

The attackers recoiled, their flanks retracting as the ones trying to encircle around the group were wiped out with the arrival of reinforcements on one side, letting Yue's group concentrate on the other flank and push them back - and then Míng's formation sealed the street all the way across - leaving the side street leading in the direction away from the Market the only attacking front remaining.

Dàilán looked back down the side street towards the Market Street and saw that it had been completely vacated by bystanders, stall owners and the crowds, leaving them a clear line of retreat, even as their attackers seemed to pause and take a step back - as a clamour rose from behind them.

She frowned and shouted to the others, "long range attacks! Press them - give me a moment!"

Dàilán leapt back onto the roof of the building beside her even as she heard the Bloodwitch start cackling; the prickle of heavy Essence attacks washed over her as the street was rocked with explosions - and screams - in response to her order.

Quickly she swept her eyes and senses out around her; still no city guards, or signs of the Gi Clan reinforcements, which was definitely not good, but on the other hand she could not see anyone behind them at all - their retreat was clear. But down the side street, behind the - now much smaller - mass of Grass Cult low level Cultivators, she could see and hear another battle happening.

The group of people wearing white items on heads, arms or as sashes around waists that she had glimpsed out of the corner of her eyes as they had attacked earlier, was fighting a pitched battle against the back ranks of the Grass Cultivators. However, she could see or sense only a very few Mortal Cultivators in the group. With the element of surprise no longer in their favour, the only thing keeping them from being overwhelmed was the fact that the BloodWitch and the others were still attacking and diverting the majority of the Cultists attention - well that, and the fact that the Grass Cultivators were mostly only Mortal level Cultivators themselves.

She swept her sense back out behind them to Market Street, which remained suspiciously clear, given the racket that was being made.

Decision made, she used the Air technique to give another order, "Above - with me! On the roofs, hit them hard!" Suiting action to her words she pushed her Essence through the Mountain Winds technique and blasted the concentrated air pressure at the group of Grass Cultivators from above, smashing the entire group of cultists flying - at body crushing speeds into the ground or surrounding buildings - even as she bolted towards the battle further up the street behind the Grass cultists.

The Bloodwitch landed beside her, massive flashes of sword intent from her oversized weapon threshing their way through the grass cultivators below them as they scrambled to avoid the group's attacks from both sides of the street - Dàilán and the others all had much higher cultivations than the cultists which left them able to soar easily from rooftop to rooftop where their attackers hand to try and climb to reach them or just evade the attacks.

Biyu and Chàng had followed the BloodWitch up to follow their Mistress, sending attacks downward as they did so; Dàilán could see the others, including Ài, her Cousins, their Partners and Chénli racing along the roofs on the other side of the street doing the same.

"I take it we are avoiding the obvious trap," remarked the BloodWitch with sarcastic approval as she threw some sort of lightning technique downward, hitting the low level cultivators attempting to scale the buildings to attack them, eliciting painful screams.

"And hopefully assisting an ally," agreed the young Heiress, "I think we will need one."