I walk through the hallways with my hand on the hilt of my sword, keeping The Movements of The Silent Monster active. The occasional creaking of floorboards alert me to the passing of mortals, and my qi brushes against the qi of cultivators more than once.

  Matu’s unique spirit leads me to a room with faint whispering coming from it.

  I knock once, before entering. A woman of the same age and with the same dark skin as Matu stands up, her silk dress flowing with her movement. A dagger appears in her hand as she stares at me in surprise and her qi fluctuates, revealing her as a cultivator.

  Matu turns around a second later, surprised by my entrance.

  “Jia? What are you doing here?”

  “Do you know where Tun’Lun is?” I ask, not wanting to waste any time. Someone from the caravan is still alive, I can’t leave them to whatever torture Doma might put them through.

  “Tun-” Matu stops, looking between the other woman and I before sighing. “Sia, this is the girl I found on my way here. Lin Jia, this is the first daughter of the Lantu family, Sia Lantu.”

  “So you are the girl seeking the protection of my family.” The woman says, her dagger disappearing into her dress.

  I put my fist to my palm and bow. “I am Lin Jia, core disciple of the Flowing River Sect.” I reply. Etiquette is never to be ignored. “I’m afraid I no longer desire your protection, seeing as it means so little.” I finish, standing up straight

  Sia Lantu frowns, “What do you mean by that?”

  “Someone tried to assassinate me in the room I was resting in.” I respond.

  Sia Lantu looks taken aback, pausing as she considers how to respond.

  “Matu.” I continue, not waiting for her response. “Do you know where Tun’Lun is?”

  Matu glances at Sia, before looking back at me. “It’s best if you don’t try to go there. It would only mean death for you.”

  My eyes narrow as I realize he isn’t going to tell me. Shia’s words come back to me and I wonder why he chose to help me.

  I bow to Matu. “Thank you for all the help you’ve given me. But I must leave now.”

  I turn around, walking to the door.

  “It's an old mining town, a three day ride on horseback back the way you came. It’s in the middle of Doma’s territory.” To my surprise, it’s Sia Lantu who speaks up “I’ll lend you a horse for the trip.”

  I turn back around to look at them.

  “Sia-” Matu starts, but Sia Lantu holds her hand up stopping him.

  “Don’t forget the kindness of the Lantu family when you return to your sect.”

  “I won’t.”

  Matu sighs, then stands up. “Follow me.”

  He guides me through the large palace, the servants nod to him in respect as he passes them by, and none of the cultivators move to question or stop him.

  A young man snoozing in front of the stables jumps as we approach. Matu walks up to him, and whispers something to him. The young man stands up and runs into the stables.

  “Doma’s men are not to be underestimated.”

  I nod.

  “He has men with magic far stronger than you.”

  I nod.

  “I don’t approve of sending you to your death.”

  “If I don’t leave to save my teacher,” I turn to look at Matu. He looks at me with genuine worry, and I can’t help but soften my next words. “I would suffer far more than death could ever make me suffer.”

  Matu closes his eyes as the young man returns with a saddled horse. Matu takes the reins and holds them out for me “Stay safe.”

  “I will.” I accept the reins and mount the horse.

  The suddenness of my last ride had caught me off guard. This time, I give myself a moment to remember all of my lessons as a child, from before I joined the sect. I remember my mother was quite the rider.

  I start off at a brisk pace, glancing back to see Matu watching me.

  The horse is a docile one, responding to my movements and understanding of the small mistakes I make.

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  “Are you sure about this?” Shia asks as we leave the gates of the city.

  I take a moment to respond to Shia, pretending to focus on the road. “I have to find them. I have nothing to offer the Lantu family for their help, and I know what happens when you put yourself into debt with a noble family.”

  “You go towards your own death, little one. You are not strong enough to go against the cultivators even your master lost to.”

  Shia’s words hit me hard, despite Matu’s same warning. I’d been able to put on a brave face in front of Matu, but for some reason I can’t do the same for Shia.

  “My illusions are convincing enough to fool Elder Qiu Tai. As long as they don’t recognize the illusions of death, they won’t escape them.” I speak with more confidence than I feel.

  We ride in silence as I ponder my choice, my thoughts in turmoil.

  The murderess’s words echo through my mind.

  “Do not fear death. Do not fear the sword that brings it. It’s the fear, not the sword, that will kill you in the end.”

  “If I turned back because I feared death. I would lose who I am. I have to continue on, because I can’t let my fear rule me.”

  Laughter echoes from Shia, strange in its tone. She slithers around my waist and up my chest. “Now you speak like a predator, and not like a prey.”

  Her words ignite a fire in my stomach and I can’t help the small smile that plays at my lips.

  The first day passes without incident. On the second day, we start passing the occasional patrol of Doma’s men.

  I hum, working an illusion to hide myself from their sight. The small suggestion seems to work even on the occasional cultivator passing with the patrols, although none of them are at the level of the Elders, or even the Masters of the sect.

  By the third day, the patrols get too common and I decide to leave the horse. It saunters back down the road towards the city where Matu and the Lantu family are.

  I continue on foot. Shia is able to give me some warning before I meet the patrols of men and The Movements of The Silent Monster combined with the small illusion created by my humming keep them from noticing the lone girl walking towards their camp.

  On the evening of the third day, I crest over a hill and look out on a military outpost surrounding a mining village. Wooden palisades surround the village, with sentries stationed along their length. A ten meter length of forest has been cleared around the palisades to allow the sentries a view of anyone approaching. A rider gallops out of the village, leaving through a wooden gate opened specifically for him.

  I study it for a moment longer, noticing the strange spirit coming from the village.

  I step forward.

  “Wait.” Shia stops me in my tracks as I hold still, my body tense.

  She slithers down my arm, lifting her head above my hand to study the village.

  “An array surrounds the town, meant to detect cultivators not attuned to it. Match your qi to mine so we can pass through.”

  “How did you see it?” I ask, as I feel the change in her qi and match mine to it.

  “There’s a reason no one we’ve met has been able to sense me, little one.”

  I realize she avoided the question, but let it go in favor of walking forward towards the village.

  The sensation of the barrier passing over me is strange, almost like a liquid flowing over my skin.

  I shiver once I reach the other side.

  “I realized something, Shia.” I say as I approach the village, the world getting darker with the end of the day. “I have no idea what I should do next.”

  “Hmm. Took you long enough to realize it.”

  “Maybe a distraction would work. I could sneak through the gate while they’re distracted with an illusion.” I say, stopping just before the ten meters of cleared area in front of the palisades.

  “As soon as they realize you use illusions, you lose your advantage.”

  A man travels along the edges of the palisade, lighting torches.

  I pull my flute from its pocket in my robe. “If- if I let them capture me, could you rescue me?”

  A snake tail flies out, hitting me on the head. I touch the spot, more from annoyance than pain.

  “Of course not. We have no idea what kind of cultivators are protecting their prisoners. Trust in your abilities, little one. Use illusions in such a way they never even realize they were tricked.”

  I take a deep breath as I stare out at the distance separating myself from the gate and the palisade.

  I put the flute to my mouth, hoping something will come to me. An idea sprouts in my mind, and I pray it will work.

  Soft music escapes the flute. As I play, a man in red appears in front of me, and soldiers surround me. The men I killed with the sixth requiem and the cultivator in red.

  To my surprise, the cultivator in red’s appearance changes, taking on the form of the warrior from the First Requiem.

  I nearly stop my music at the sight of him. Instead I just put my flute back into my robe and hum to hold the illusion together. Notes come to me as I hum, the song taking on a life of its own as the warrior of the First Requiem smiles and the illusionary soldiers tie my wrists with rope.

  We walk out of the forest towards the gate, the warrior of the First Requiem walking seamlessly in his red robes to the gate of the village as I hum as softly as I can, trying to hide the qi I am using for the illusion.

  “Who goes there?” The sentry calls out to our group.

  “I have urgent business.” The First Requiem warrior’s voice is rough and filled with irritation. He leaks an aura that makes me pale with the qi it takes from me to hold it together. Thankfully, he only leaks the illusionary aura for a moment. “Don’t irritate me right now.”

  I didn’t make him do any of those things. He spoke on his own and used my qi on his own. I have the ability to stop him if I want to, but doing that now would be the death of me.

  “O-of course.” The sentries voice stutters with fear. The gate opens and we enter.

  We walk through, and are greeted by the lone sentry. “I-I can get the commander, sir cultivator-”

  “That won’t be needed. Return to your post.” The First Requiem warrior’s voice allows no argument.

  The sentry hurries back to his spot looking over the gate.

  The soldiers and the Requiem warrior lead me towards the village. As soon as we’re out of sight of the sentry I stop the illusion. The warrior lingers for a moment, smiling at me before he disappears.

  I hurry behind a building, sliding against a wall as I focus on regaining my qi.

  “Shia.” I call to her as she leaves my robes to slither across the ground. “Can you find whoever it is they are keeping here? You’ll be able to search the camp easier than I can.”

  “I will search. Keep in mind, little one, we only have so long before the man questions where the strange cultivator and his men went. “

  I nod. “Hurry, please.”

  I watch Shia for as long as I can before she disappears from sight.

  It seems all the men and women of my illusions are more than they seem. When all of this is over, I’ll have to speak to Zhu Teng about it.

  I close my eyes, meditating, settling my qi and cultivation in preparation for whatever is coming next.