Treasures Of Heaven And Earth

As Dàilán bolted across the roofs of the buildings on one side of the street, with the BloodWitch easily keeping pace at her side, the young heiress' mind was moving even faster.

The group of Heirs and Heiresses' sudden switch left their enemies scrambling to adjust; clearly the less capable individuals had stayed to the rear of the attacking group and the overall level of the the group was low - it seemed they had not expected a group of young 'silkpants' to put up such a fight - perhaps they had been completely unaware of the Bloodwitch's presence? It seemed that the First and Second Heirs had not communicated to the traitorous Elder about their brush with an 'expert' - or the two groups were not communicating?

It did seem strange that Second Uncle would send a group of assassins after his own daughter, to say nothing of the Heir to the Ji Merchant Family, while only sending a capture team after herself, when Dàilán had clearly been the main target of his schemes for some time now…

...no, that was not right. The mercenary had said she was part of the price he had paid to have the cult support his coup attempt - although knowing Grass' own motivations, Dàilán felt that Grass would have approached him, to get to the Heir to the Knife Enforcer Sect.

So - if the mercenaries were the traitor's play - evidently he sought to control the element that Grass wanted… Was Grass seeking to capture or hurt her Second Cousin so they had leverage on her Cousin's father?

All this raced through Dàilán's thoughts between one breath and the next, "Our enemies are divided and already scheming against each other," she shouted to the Bloodwitch who ran beside her, "clearly these are not their main forces - Gi Chian said his Clan informed him of fighting back at the Guan Compound - home must be a battle ground by now."

Dàilán's group leapt down from the roofs into the panicking, scrambling Grass Cultists to an enthusiastic cheer from the group of fighters wearing white items, even as the hammer strike of the Heirs and the Bloodwitch dropping from the buildings - while releasing overpowered Essence techniques - basically pulverised the previous 'rear' of the Grass cultists.

Black robes were sent flying in all directions as attacks from Ji, Gi and the Bloodwitch exploded among them, turning the surface of the street into stony shrapnel, a massive cloud of dust, dirt and bloody mess.

Dàilán's daggers flashed as she plunged into the group, picking off slow or wounded individuals as Cultivators and thugs scattered in all directions in a desperate attempt to avoid the techniques or die.

Within moments Dàilán and the others stood in a mostly cleared area of the narrow street as the surviving cultists recoiled up the street towards the open entrance to the Market - pursued by the white-wearing fighters who surged forward with roars of, "KILL!" to capitalise on the Grass' disorganised response.

"I cannot get a response from the Knife members at the compound," responded the BloodWitch crisply, "We must return to your Clan immediately."

Dàilán shot a disturbed glance at the Senior Enforcer, "have you contacted the Sect proper?", she asked, as a small group of men wearing jackets embroidered with White Lotuses on the back and shoulders approached their group.

The BloodWitch c.o.c.ked an eyebrow at Dàilán then frowned, "I… am unable to make contact…" her voice flattened as her voice trailed off and her expression grew deathly.

"My soul tablet has a repeating message," Dàilán responded quietly, eying the approaching group, "It requests reinforcement - the Sect is under attack."

The group of men approaching halted in their tracks as a heavy Essence pressure radiated out from the Senior Enforcer. It tapered off after a moment, but looking at the expression on the BloodWitch's face, they chose not to move.

"It appears Grass has made their play," the Enforcer enunciated slowly, as Dàilán turned to look at her, "clearly it is not a coincidence. I suppose we should be glad that they would have to deploy the bulk of their forces to the attack on the Sect. Under the circ.u.mstances… when their attack on the Sect fails, you would be the highest priority target."

"If it fails," Dàilán pointed out softly, "given recent events, it is by no means given that it will. This attack here seems an afterthought and almost a byproduct of the traitors and Grass not being able to trust each other, rather than being part of the main attack on the Sect." After a breath she deliberately flicked the blood from her blades and calmly nodded towards the group in front of them, speaking up deliberately so as to be heard by the rest of the group over the clangor from further up the street, "I think I recognise at least one of the men in that group - we should find out what they want."

By now, Chénli and the others had gathered watchfully around herself and the BloodWitch, outnumbering the small group of men as Dàilán walked toward them.

"Orchid," greeted the slim male she had previously recognised, "it seems we always meet due to a fight."

"Mountain," Dàilán replied cautiously, "I had not expected to see you here in person. I had heard the Lotus was having some small difficulties, but…"

The man laughed, "Once again, Princess, I find myself owing you. These… Grass… have moved into Hujian over the last month or so and despite our best efforts, have been systematically taking over all aspects normally managed by our society."

"They are my enemy as well," Dàilán replied cautiously, "I rather suspect they have entered the city for the express purpose of capturing me."

"Imagine my surprise when I learnt that the young noble who helped me solidify my position in the Society was the Heir to an Enforcer Sect," the White Lotus leader tapped his fingernails against the hilt of his sword, "or that your Grandmother was dealing with us to smuggle fleeing noblewomen out of the reach of their abusers."

Míng and Yue both tensed, "You have news from Dragon?" asked Míng quickly.

The White Lotus leader gestured, "Come, this is not the place to discuss such things - the Grass gathered all their forces that we were aware of in the city in an effort to capture you, so we have been able to take back the areas of the city they had wrested from us, but more may come."

The small group of White Lotus turned and began moving quickly down the street, deeper into the lower ring, Dàilán's group quickly rushing to follow them into the maze of streets and increasingly shabbier structures.

The BloodWitch spoke up from her left shoulder as they ran, "The local benevolent society has not been subject to an order from the Sect in over a year - by all accounts they have been working more like an orthodox cultivation Sect amongst the lower classes of the city than a criminal organisation."

Chénli spoke up from over Dàilán's right shoulder, "That would be right around the time you helped Bái Lián there take leadership. Which probably put him and the local White Lotus squarely on Grass' hit list - especially if he was cleaning out the mess left behind by his predecessors."

Dàilán hummed in agreement, "Want to bet the same people who opposed his takeover were probably working with Grass - once he went on a purge, Grass probably went overt."

"Wonders will never cease," interjected Ài from behind her mistress, "A White Lotus Leader who actually takes the 'benevolent' part of the society seriously. I did not realise he was Mountain though - word on the street was he was the General."

"Was," agreed Chénli, "but from what we gathered last time we met - apparently he did not agree with something that was happening inside the society and went up against the previous Mountain, Vice and Vanguard - he had the support of the soldiers and the Feet but not other higher ranks. He was on the verge of losing when Orchid and I stumbled into a street battle and inadvertently saved him. The fallout from those events somehow led to him managing to gain support from the Siken Fan and the Priest; he was able to oust the previous Mountain, Deputy, Vanguard and their supporters."

Chénli somehow managed to shrug while running as Dàilán looked curiously over her shoulder at her bodyguard and friend, "I kept tabs on what happened after that little adventure of ours."

"It appears you have been inconveniencing Grass for longer than you realised," snorted the Senior Enforcer from the other side, "any idea where they are leading us?" she asked warily as the group wound deep into the slums and the stench of mud and waterlogged wood started to overwhelm the stench of overcrowded habitation. The men in front trotted to a stop and pulled open a side door of a small warehouse.

"One of the benevolent society's smuggling docks, honoured enforcer," spoke the slim man from before, "one that has seen quite a bit of noble traffic over the past few years. Dragon has been most generous to the society for our assistance in helping a few unfortunates out of the city."

He paused and waved the group inside, "We control this area and our lookouts say we have given those foul cultists the slip; not that they were following, we are wrapping them up all over the lower and middle rings - the group that attacked you was the largest and most powerful; most of their force consists of more recent opportunists and thugs from the city who had thrown in with them. Normally the Cultivators from the Cult meant they could stifle us wherever we gathered in force - but you just took out the strongest and my men mopped up the remainder."

He grinned, then fell sober, the cheer slipping away, "Unfortunately, I must admit if they were not throwing their strongest at assaulting the Guan Compound, the Society would have had no chance."

"We have to go back," gasped Yue, "If Fatty and brother Gi can send their forces to assist, we can wipe out the attackers!"

The White Lotus leader looked grim in the flickering torch light, but he waved them towards the barely visible river docks at the open end of the warehouse, where a crowd of people were milling about in a confused mass in the lowering evening light; more noticeable were the audible cries and sobbing - most of it seeming to come from young or female voices.

"What…?" Dàilán started, but a brilliant flash of light, like a close lightning strike, suddenly blazed through the open warehouse and the gaps between the ill-fitting timbers that made it up, driving the falling darkness away like cobwebs burnt by flaring actinic white fire, prompting a chorus of screams and wails from the group by the river and curses and shouts from Dàilán's group and the White Lotus party.

Dàilán blinked away flashes and dots from her vision and drew in her breath, but her skin prickled in alarm even as her ears suddenly became aware of a distant roaring that seemed to be growing louder with every passing niàn as everyone looked around in confusion at each other.

A foul, bellowed curse from the previously genteel White Lotus leader, jerked the young Heiress's head around, "Earthquake! Out! Out now!"

Heir Gi's voice cut through the approaching roar and other shouts of alarm, even as everyone bolted for the empty air at the open end of the warehouse, "Worse! Major Formation Collapse! Quickly, before the shockwave hits!"

"Defensive tokens, Talismans, Techniques!" bellowed Fatty Ji, his voice clear over everything including the BloodWitch's bitter curses as Heir Gi's statement sunk in, "Everything you have - and into the river!"

The next niàn seemed to last a shi. Even as Dàilán dived into the roiling waters, with what seemed like hundreds of others, the ground bucked like an angry warhorse, the sounds of the shockwave rose to a thundering scream, then became too loud to comprehend as sound. She saw a wave of foaming earth and debris accompanied by what almost looked like a solid cloud of dust, crash into the warehouse from the side closest to the upper rings, blowing it apart like a straw hut. An enormous wave of water rose up from the river and slapped her aside mid-dive; she threw her Essence desperately into the River through the Mountains Technique as she was flung sideways; just in time, as solid objects blasted through her body. What felt like a pulse of solid Essence slammed into her even with the technique running and for a single heartstopping moment she thought she was going to lose it.

She hung onto the technique with a grim determination, fighting to keep her Essence flowing correctly even as that massive Essence pulse sought to tear it from her grasp.

The sudden cessation of anything to fight against left her gasping in relief and she collapsed onto the ground as she released the technique, her ears ringing.

After a moment she pushed herself up off the ground, shaking her head in confusion. Her eyes widened as she looked around unsteadily. The lower ring was… gone.

Oh, she could still see the outer city walls further down to the west and the middle ring walls further up to the East, but between them, where once there had been closely packed buildings, business, homes, shops and slums there was now just a flattened pile of rubble.

Against the last of the light from the Golden Crow as it slipped behind the mountains - which she could now see - she could see the occasional better constructed building, a few surrounded by flickering Formation Symbols - still standing, but all of them were further up ring, growing more common the closer they got to the middle ring wall. Everything for several blocks in every direction of where she stood and everything out to the outer walls was completely flattened.

Voices and cries started to call out around her and further away; she turned to look at the closest and choked in shock at the sight of an unexpectedly familiar figure pushing debris and wreckage aside in his rush to reach her.

"Father?"

---

After the initial rush of hugging, crying and thankful laughter, Dàilán pulled back, swiping furiously at her eyes, "Not that I am unhappy to see you, Father, but why are you here?"

A spasm of sadness clouded her father's face as he looked around, "I saw your Cousins with you during that mad dash towards clear space at the last niàn. Have you found them? They need to hear this too."

"They should all be here," the young teen answered, "unless they were extremely unlucky," she looked around at the nearest group pulling themselves out of the rubble, "but I had not had a chance to look for them before you found me."

"Right," he replied determinedly, "I need to find out if the people I brought here are all OK as well," he inclined his head towards a group of people helping another couple out from some rubble, "shall we get started?"

Dàilán nodded sharply, looking around for any sign of Chénli or her other personal retinue as she did so, "Yes."

---

It took almost a kè but eventually, everyone was accounted for, according to Dàilán's Father. In a disturbing turn Dàilán noted that with the exceptions of the Cultivators from the small Knife enclave she had been setting up inside Third House, all the people were young women or children.

In the process of locating everyone and assisting with the healing of various acc.u.mulated lumps, bumps, cuts, broken limbs and other various injuries, they gathered up Chénli, the BloodWitch, both her Cousins and their partners, as well as Dàilán's entourage - Ài, Chàng and Biyu.

Rescue and recovery was substantially assisted by the arrival of groups of guards and an Elder each from both the Ji and Gi Clans. Fatty Ji and Gi Chian quickly set both of the groups assisting with putting out fires and helping people out from the rubble in the immediate vicinity, although both the Elders understandably insist on remaining with their respective Heirs.

Dàilán's entourage were still circulating around the other people who are standing around in small groups looking shattered and largely crying or staring off into space - those who were not still searching themselves, but quickly enough, considering the circ.u.mstances, the entire group - including the two Elders from the Gi and Ji Clans and the White Lotus Leader - stood next to a pile of rubble to listen to the Guan Third Elder speak, a temporary formation maintaining Essence lights floating above their heads.

"Thank you for your help," he said wearily, "I am afraid, however, that under the circ.u.mstances it is unsafe for the remaining members of the Guan to stay in the city."

"What do you mean, 'remaining members'?" questioned Míng sharply and Dàilán's Father winced.

"First Heir," he replied formally and Míng s.u.c.k.e.d in a sharp breath, "The Matriarch and your Father instructed me to escape with the young women and children of the Clan. Despite my strongest objections - he ordered me to escape with the prize that our enemies sought - the children and females that…" He halted, seemingly unable to speak.

"The traitor had agreed to hand over the women and children to the Grass in return for supporting his coup," Dàilán finished grimly, remembering what the mercenary had said, "it is why he sent a capture team after me."

Yue made a sound that was an agonized cry of despair and anger more than anything coherent and Ji Chāng wrapped her in his arms, holding her upright as her legs buckled.

Dàilán's father sighed, his voice unutterably weary, "Second Heir, the last I saw of your father, he was attacking the Clan Head and his forces were doing their best to slaughter all the Guan loyalist Cultivators that were attempting to stop him."

Yue was shaking soundlessly in Ji's protective embrace as Dàilán's father turned back to Míng, "Your Father, the Matriarch and I attempted to confront my brother with evidence of his traitorous behaviour this morning. When the Clan Head ordered him stripped of his position as Second Elder and executed, all hells broke loose. Evidently his preparations were not complete, but he had suborned enough Guan Cultivators, including both the First and Second Heirs - your elder brothers - that battles immediately broke out."

Dàilán's father rubbed his arm across his eyes, looking utterly weary, "At some point someone let mercenaries in the traitor's employ into the compound; if it was not for the Knife Enforcers that Third House was hosting, he would have won then, but the loyal Guan were just getting on top of the traitors with the Knife Sect's help - when the Grass Cultists showed up and started assaulting the Compound. The traitor started boasting about how all the female Cultivators would be used by that Evil Cult for Cultivation and he would finally lead the Clan - he sounded completely unhinged."

Dàilán's father shrugged slowly as if he was having trouble remembering how to move, his words falling slowly into a silence broken only by the cries of the wounded, "at that point it was over. Mother ordered me to leave with the younger female Cultivators and the children - she had ordered the Knife Sect Cultivators and myself to start gathering them in the most defensive part of the Compound once it was clear the mercenaries were going after them specifically."

Looking at Míng, he made a short gesture of respect for the dead and continued in a soft voice, "Your father handed me the Clan Chop and ordered me to get the women and children out before leading the remaining loyal Guan in an all out attack against the traitor - even as the Grass Cultists started getting through the Defense formations - my Mother did the same just after handing me the contents of the Guan Treasury, Family records and techniques. She warned me she would destroy the Compound rather than let enemies hold it."

"That explains what caused that Formation collapse - from the magnitude of that collapse there will be nothing but a crater now where the Guan Compound stood," spoke up the Gi Heir, standing close behind Míng, "but not how you ended up here."

"Something Mother did," answered Dàilán's father, "We were all sent here - the women and children - by some sort of formation she activated."

"While it has never been used on this scale before," spoke up the White Lotus leader, "the Dragon Matriarch occasionally sent noblewomen fleeing from adverse circ.u.mstances to us via some sort of transportation Formation she set up here. Normally we use it for our own needs - business enterprises and such - but part of our arrangement with her was to get out people she sent out of the city. Dragon… that is to say, your mother, sent us a brief message about a kè before you appeared - warning us that she would be sending some refugees to us via the normal means and asked us to find her granddaughters before someone else did - just about the same time we got wind of Grass gathering their forces in the lower ring."

The Gi Clan Elder looked around and snorted, "So that means this is all that left of Guan?" He turned and faced Gi Chian who was still acting as an unobtrusive support for Míng, "Heir, there seems little point involving our Clan with the Heiress of a destroyed Clan; you should return to the Gi Compound."

"The Guan still stands," ground out Dàilán's father, glaring at the Elder as the Guan Elder's Sky level Cultivation made the debris shift and lift slightly around him, "those that sought to destroy us are now dust; and you insult us to our face?"

Heir Gi straightened, "Elder - you forget your place!" he snaps coldly, his own robes fluttering under the pressure of his own Cultivation, "My betrothed is not a convenience I would choose to cast casually aside. She will return with me."

Dàilán spoke quietly, "She is also my Cousin. I was given to understand that your Clan agreed to this match in large part to forge closer ties with the Knife Sect, did you not?"

The Gi Elder's face smoothed out, and he made a small bow "I apologise… I spoke hastily."

The Ji Elder, on the other hand, beamed broadly, "None of that foolishness, the Ji are glad to welcome a new noble daughter into our house."

Dàilán's father stepped forward, "It is not safe for us to remain in the city. I will lead them towards my daughter's Sect for safety; the Knife has no love for Grass and Mother struck their enemies a mighty blow tonight."

After a pause, he pulled out a pair of large boxes from what Dàilán assumed was a spatial treasure and placed them in front of Yue and Míng, "Under the circ.u.mstances, it seems wise to distribute my niece's bridal prices now, rather than risk our enemies benefiting if we do not survive the trip. My nieces, these are the contents of the Guan Treasury, Family records and techniques - I only ask that the two of you girls divide them as best as you can - with an eye to strengthening the Guan Clan in the future."

Blinking as she thought furiously, Dàilán stepped forward, "I do not think we have much time… I do not have any suitable marriage gifts for you two, but," she pulled out the contents of the shopping trip from her spatial pouch and laid it down next to the boxes, with the exception of the Cultivation Essence stones, the healing pills and the peddler's map - making a point of looking pointedly at the Gi Elder as she pulled out the potted Essence herb and smiled coldly as his eyes widened in shock.

Smoothly, she declared, "We did have a number of contingency plans in place for situations similar to this - the Guan has long been known for the quality of its Essence Herbs, of course - but as Father said, it is better for you two to safeguard these for now."

Dàilán smirked as she saw the Gi's Elder's expression change to anguish as he presumably he drew the - incorrect - conclusion that the Guan remained more powerful and wealthy than he had assumed despite the night's events; his impolite words might cost him substantially once word of his behaviour got back to the Gi Clan, especially if the rest of the Gi Elders felt the Guan remained a Clan to be reckoned with.

"Truly, a starving camel is still larger than a horse," voiced the Ji Elder, smiling in satisfaction at having made one the Elders from the highest ranked Clan in the city look bad by merely being polite, "Please, if there is anything we can do to help?"

The BloodWitch spoke up from beside and slightly behind Dàilán, "Fortunately for the Guan, a large number of them escaped; unfortunately, the youngest children are simply not up to a sustained flight to the Sect," she twitched, obviously thinking about the news Dàilán had passed her about the Sect before the disaster less than a half shi ago, "I would prefer to bring only those without children with us - a number of our Enforcers fell in the battle in the Guan Compound - and I need every able bodied Cultivator to at least pull their weight if they come with us."

"That would be about half of the survivors," calculated Yue, her voice small and bleak, "and even then most of them will be - unused to strenuous activity."

"Like we were before training," agreed Míng, "but…"

"We cannot take them all in," pointed out Gi Chian quietly.

Yue straightened up and looked at Dàilán's father, "Third eld… no, Clan Head, I presume my mother and… her retinue stood with the Traitor."

Dàilán's father inclined his head and Yue shook her head resignedly, "they always reached beyond their station. It is not unexpected," she took a deep breath in and declared, "in that case, I will need a household of my own that I can depend on - with half of the resources of the Clan behind me I would be able to - and require - a suitable retinue."

Ji Chāng laughed and spoke proudly, "The wife of Ji requires nothing less; the Ji would be proud to support the women and children of our allies - no, my family." He looked down at Yue affectionately .

Gi Chian looked at Míng who was looking up and back at him intently and nodded in agreement, "The Gi cannot do any less, brother Ji."

Míng spoke, "I will take those my Cousin cannot. It will be refreshing to have a reliable retinue."

Dàilán spoke up, "unfortunately, I must leave Hujian. Even if Grandmother managed to kill all the traitors and Grass forces within the city, Grass will keep trying to attack me and would bring calamity to whomever allowed me shelter. I will attempt to lead the Cultivators without children and the remaining Knife Enforcers to the Sect."

Surprisingly, Ài spoke up from behind Dàilán, "Mistress, someone from your household should remain in the city and act as the liaison between your Cousin's houses and the White Lotus - I presume the Lotus would be able to get messages out to you? Chàng, Biyu and myself could represent Third House and track the movements of the Grass in Hujian - and start working out how to deal with them."

The White Lotus leader bowed, "Your handmaiden is well-respected among the lower ring, Princess. If she truly wishes to do this, she will find plenty of people who wish to support her," he looked around with a dark expression at the wreckage around them, "Especially after this."

The Guan Clan Head looked around in turn and shook his head, "I would not blame Hujian for blaming the Guan for this disaster."

"After the events of the past month or so," replied the White Lotus leader darkly, "the lower ring knows exactly who is to blame for this."

"I would agree," interjected the Ji Elder, "and the Ji clan will be very interested in anything Lady Ài and your other handmaidens discover. I extend an invitation for them to stay with the Ji tonight, we can discuss details tomorrow."

Dàilán looked at Ài and her other two maids, "I did not expect… but if you wish to do this..."

"With your permission, mistress," Ài bowed followed by Chàng and Biyu.

Fighting back emotions, Dàilán swallowed and nodded, "Of course."

"Forgive my brusqueness, Heir," interjected the Bloodwitch firmly, "but we need to start moving before the Grass collects itself - we do not how many of their assets survived your Clan's sacrifice; to not waste it we should move out of the city towards the Sect with everyone who is travelling with us as soon as possible."

Dàilán's father and the others nodded soberly as he agreed, "I will inform the Guan Clan members, First, Second - you should come with me so that you can pick out the people with children you wish to choose for your retinue. Daughter, if you could organise the Knife Sects members and everyone else for travel."

The group split up into the darkness, haste evident in their movements.