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Chapter 13 Part 1 Moonlit Tension
Moon God knelt quietly beside the Elder, watching his towering profile.
"Elder, what are you looking at?"
"The imperial star is wavering Ying Zheng likely doesn't have long to live," the Elder said to Moon God.
Moon God was stunned, incredulous Ying Zheng's health had always been strong.
"But my divination shows otherwise." The Elder handed the hexagram to Moon God.
"Our Yin-Yang mission is to find an unchanging fate in the ever-shifting currents," he continued. "We have never found such a fate, yet Ying Zheng's destiny still puzzles me."
Moon God gazed at the unfathomable Elder Taiyi, waiting for more, but he instead asked after Yanfei.
"Dongjun still refuses to return?"
"Perhaps she blames us for Yan Dan's death she cannot let go."
"Yan Dan should have died in Xianyang; years ago, she begged me personally to change that fate. On that point alone, she has no cause to blame us."
"Moon God, I've noticed your destiny entangled with hers be careful. As for the rest, let her be; all have their fates compulsion is needless."
"Go tell His Majesty: his opportunity for longevity has appeared."
"Elder, does true immortality exist?"
"All under heaven have different lifespans some last millennia, others a moment. Yet among heaven and earth are birds and beasts of strange count, able to absorb sun and moon essence to transcend lifespan if beasts can, how much more people."
Moon God pondered, then bowed and withdrew. "Also tell His Majesty: in one month, an event will occur in Dongjun that could sway the Empire's fate."
Little Sage Manor was annihilated under Meng Tian's army; the Confucians suffered grievous losses. In Xianyang, all who supported them were purged; in Sanghai, any who stood with them were exterminated.
Luckier than the Mohists, Little Sage Manor had planned ahead; though heavily damaged, their essential stores had been moved their foundation survived.
Now the Confucian leaders were saying farewell. Quicksand, the Mohists, and the Xiang clan had aided them; without them, the Confucians' losses would have been even greater.
Their base in Qi was deep; hiding places were plentiful.
They had broken with Ying Zheng and joined the anti-Qin forces; they would persuade other factions in Qi, parting ways with the rest to prepare.
"Ying Zheng destroyed our Little Sage Manor, slew our disciples, severed our lineage this hatred cannot coexist beneath the same heaven; we Confucians now pledge alliance with you, to strike Qin together."
The three parties dispersed. Wei Zhuang said to Chi Lian, "Among the Hundred Schools with strength, all have chosen sides only the Peasant School remains. They have 100,000 disciples, entrenched in Dongjun; with their aid, we gain another wing."
"Lord Wei must have a stratagem," Chi Lian said.
"Years ago, the Peasant chieftain Tian Guang disappeared; the six halls are in factional strife. The Shennong Hall's Zhu clan and the Lieshan Hall's Tian Meng each rally men to vie for chieftainship. Opportunities abound; the Peasant School will be ours."
In the Mohist quarters.
"Everyone, we must decide where to go next."
Present were six Mohist leaders: Master Ban, Mr. Xu, Xiao Gao, Daozhi, Da Tiechui, Xue Nu, and Duanmu Rong.
Shaoyu, Stone Orchid, Longche, and Master Fan.
Ge Nie and Xiaoyaozi.
Yanfei, Tianming, Yue'er, and Wushuang.
Shaoyu had already lifted the Same-Life Curse with Chi Lian, who then told him Longche's whereabouts; Raiding near Sanghai, Longche was easily recovered.
Ge Nie, Xiaoyaozi, and Yanfei were indifferent on destination but Yanfei would not leave Tianming and Yue'er.
Of Shaoyu's four, they represented Chu nobles and Shu forces; the Shu contingent, having met their goal, withdrew from Central Plains affairs, but Stone Orchid chose to remain with Shaoyu.
Tianming was Juzi, but too young to dictate Mohist affairs he listened to the elders.
With Yanfei's arrival, the dynamic shifted; she didn't intervene in Mohist affairs but was firm about Tianming, and the Mohists had in effect lost control over him.
In this meeting, the Mohists and Shaoyu were the leads.
"Meng Tian has just razed the Confucians; Qi is in turmoil. Qin has marshaled a great army into Qi we cannot remain in Sanghai," Gao Jianli said (as Daozhi shunned such talk and Da Tiechui knew his limits).
"I suggest coming to Chu with us," Shaoyu said. "Our Xiang clan has power there enough to provide safe, stable homes."
"Chu is a good choice," Gao Jianli added. "As the saying goes, 'Though Chu may have but three households, Qin will fall to Chu.' The Mohists can regroup there mine ore, forge weapons."
With no objections, the Mohists packed and left Sanghai.
Daozhi slipped away to the Taigong Shrine to leave the "Miss Lin" a message: he had left Sanghai, take care. Since Xue Nu found Xiao Gao, she'd never again sought Daozhi; he still didn't know the "Miss Lin" he'd slept with was Xue Nu.
After Yanfei's talk with Tianming that night, Tianming spoke openly with Shaoyu since Yue'er didn't want it, he would not take advantage of Shaoyu.
Though Shaoyu said he didn't mind and Stone Orchid, that lewd minx, loved their double use Tianming steeled himself not to touch Stone Orchid again.
After long travel, they settled in Chu.
Without the Confucians, Tianming's studies didn't slacken he now had a mother-in-law to teach him.
In both martial arts and literacy he improved greatly no way would the mother-in-law let her son-in-law be a dunce.
Tianming's routine: mornings training and writing with Yanfei; afternoons, device arts with Master Ban; the rest free.
Yue'er the same part Yin-Yang arts, part medicine with Duanmu Rong.
One day, Yue'er finished her Yin-Yang practice and went to greet her mother, who was supervising Tianming's training.
Gifted, diligent, with a top-tier teacher, Yue'er's Yin-Yang progress was rapid.
Yanfei mostly let Yue'er cultivate herself; her focus was Tianming, whose foundation was weak.
She reclined lazily on a long chair, snacking and casually sparring Tianming using the Lesser Moon Command's Ten Thousand Leaves style, wielding leaves as whips to attack him.
After watching, Yue'er beamed. "Mother, Tianming's skills are getting better and better."
"Acceptable," Yanfei said mildly. "Tianming is fidgety making him focus is hard; must keep pressure on him."
Yue'er pouted and snuggled into her arms. "Mother, Tianming tries hard don't always pressure him. Reward and punishment shouldn't he get more encouragement?"
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