Chapter 241: Grotesque

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    This is ridiculous! cries Lei Cheng as he frantically stabs his caged foe with a spear.ander! Hes right! shouts a newly-promoted Quan. This things too fierce!

    Dont let it frighten you! Liu Jin shouts while watching from the sidelines. Cloak your bodies in Qi! It will not be able to infect you if you do! Dont let it get out of that cage!

    Liu Jins words make the men fight harder, but it does not make them more successful. The twenty men gathered around the cage viciously stab the creature trapped there, but it does not seem to do anything other than make it grow more vicious. It howls and screeches while slamming itself against the cage. The metal bars rattle worryingly with each impact, and the barrier talismans glow from the strain.

    As expected of one of the creatures of the Death Fashioning Scripture.

    The monsters emerged near the end of the assault on Fort Anvil. Murong Bangs men got quite the surprise when some of the corpses turned out to not be wholly incapacitated, and odd monsters began rising from the ground. Within moments, it was Murong Bangs men whose screams could be heard from outside the fort.

    While they eventually prevailed, Murong Bang lost over a hundred men during the battle. Then, about two hundred more due to the soldiers infected during the fight. It could have been less had Murong Bang allowed Liu Jin to inspect each soldier personally, but the general preferred a more absolute method to deal with potential infections.

    Kill them all, Murong Bang had said after rounding up everyone wounded during the battle.

    It said a lot about the quality of Murong Bangs men that neither Liu Jin nor Big Sister Bai objected to this.

    The incident confirmed the presence of the Death Fashioning Scripture within General He Bins army beyond a shadow of a doubt. To worrying degrees even. If random soldiers in such an essential fortress are infected, then who else in General He Bins army is infected?

    The creature Liu Jins men are trying to keep caged is one of the few left wandering Fort Anvil after the battle. Liu Jin managed to convince Murong Bang to let him study it.

    Keeping it contained, however, is proving to be a difficult matter.

    Commander! Its going to get out!

    Hold on a little longer! Liu Jin shouts as he hurriedly tries to create a barrier talisman before the ones on the cage burn out. Unfortunately, while Liu Jin has plenty of practice making talismans to safeguard his privacy, talismans that make physical barriers are a little outside his area of expertise. Do not let it get out! That thing is priceless!

    I am really not sure how to feel about this, Lady Bai says, watching the sidelines. Arts like these are not meant to be studied.

    Beside her, Lu Mei sighs and shakes her head.

    Just ignore it. Please. All great men have flaws. His fascination with the grotesque is his.

    Liu Jin pretends not to hear them.

    The potential within the arts of the Death Fashioning Scripture is simply too great to ignore. Foul and corrupted, they might be, but their ability to manipulate organic matter is something Liu Jin envies. If he could manipulate a living body with such ease, healing even the worst physical ailments would be as simple as snapping his fingers.

    In the Dead Plains, Liu Jin took control of the Fleshcrafters creatures, but he still does not know how to start the process from scratch.

    He intends to change that.

    Commander! Its not gonna hold! Quan cries as the talismans burn out and the cage breaks. His hardened soldiers let out high-pitched screams as the fleshy abomination leaps out and opens all five of its mouths.

    It never touches them.

    Liu Jin appears in front of the creature in the time it takes for a hummingbird to beat its wings. One of his Qi snakes slams it into the ground, wrapping tightly around it to prevent it from burrowing away. Another snake joins, and then a third one. Each one wraps its body around the monster until they have trapped it in a cocoon of snakes.

    It rattles once, twice, and thrice before going still as the beast is fully immobilized.

    You could have done that the entire time?! Lei Cheng yells at him. The young man of the Lei Clan somehow manages to be both pale and red-faced at the same time. Why did we have to do all that then?!

    Liu Jin looks at him, and Lei Cheng immediately silences himself.

    One, you volunteered, quite vehemently at that, to come here. You do not get to complain about having a job assigned to you. Liu Jin says as he lifts a finger. A second one joins it. Two, none of you were in danger. I was always going to do this if it proved too strong for you to capture. Three, I did not wish to do this because it is not ideal.

    The dog barks. The soldiers nearby jump in fright.

    What in the world is that thing?!

    Liu Jin sighs as a man comes stomping into the yard. Tall and powerfully built, his armor denotes him as one of Murong Bangs raiders. His Qi makes it clear he is at least a captain. Liu Jin believes he has overheard his name once or twice, Ko.

    Right now, an experiment, Liu Jin replies.

    The raider glares at him and walks until hes less than a foot away from Liu Jin, trying to intimidate him with his size.

    Do you think I cant tell what it is?! Ko asks him. That Qi cannot be hidden! The general wants all those things destroyed!

    The raider swings his arm in the creatures direction and releases a wave of force that would surely crush the dog.

    Liu Jin slaps it aside.

    The attack noisily craters into the ground. The soldiers around the two wisely back away a few more steps.

    Are you trying to defy the generals orders? Ko asks him.

    The general gave me permission to deal with this one as I please, Liu Jin says, not looking away from the mans gaze. The air becomes charged with static.

    Those things are monsters and should be put down.

    Liu Jin raises an eyebrow. As I understand it, so is everyone else here. Very proudly at that. Are you saying you should be put down as well?

    Some of his men chuckle. Kos face grows darker.

    Do you think you can speak to me like that just because youre the Generals latest pet? Ko asks him, raising his Qi menacingly.

    Liu Jin matches him with ease.

    Many of the men around them suddenly go light-headed.

    You are trying to save face after starting a fight you cannot win, Liu Jin tells him bluntly. I understand. I sympathize. Walk away, or you will only lose more of it.

    The mans face goes red. His Qi spikes.

    A single drop of venom enters Liu Jins Qi.

    The raiders Qi quiets down at once.

    Bah! I dont have time for this! Ko says as he stomps away. The general wants everyone ready! Were leaving this place!

    You heard him, men, Liu Jin says once Ko is further away. Get your things ready.

    As the soldiers leave to follow his orders, Big Sister Bai approaches him.

    As much as it pains me to agree with violent oafs, are you really sure of what you are doing? she asks him. The arts of those who play with death are not things that should be studied. The feel of them alone should be enough of a deterrent. Willingly delving into their mysteries is unwise.

    I understand Big Sister Bais perspective, Liu Jin says respectfully. However, how can we combat their arts if we do not understand them? I ask that Big Sister Bai give me a chance.

    Big Sister Bai frowns at him behind her veil for several moments.

    Very well.

    The for now goes unsaid.

    ~~~