Chapter 13: TURNING WAR GEARS

THE GLARE OF THE AFTERNOON sun beamed through the window in the room of an inn where Xin had been laid since his return from Liaodong Peninsula. He opened his eyes to a room bathed in golden sunlight and to the noise of a bustling nearby street. His body ached and he groaned with the soreness that coursed through his limbs; his abdomen still tender from Kurr's powerful blow.

"If I had not believed in the orchestrations of a higher power, I would say your stubbornness was what has sustained you through the past several hours," said a familiar voice in the room. Xin strained to focus his vision to a figure sitting in a shaded corner of the room.

"Master," said Xin. "What has happened? How is it that you are here?" He struggled to sit upright fighting the heavy weight of sluggishness that had come upon him.

"No, do not force yourself up just yet. Your body's strength was sapped from your battle. Your life force has yet to recover from the exhaustive effects of the Swordsman's Curse," said Master Lo.

"The Curse? I can barely remember. I thought I had tamed that price a long time ago, but it has been resurging of late," said Xin as he groaned in discomfort.

"It will always be there deep within the recesses of your soul, for a man you are, and in a man's heart darkness will always linger. You can never fully remove the Curse. But starve it, you certainly must," Master Lo replied. "It is a continual ordeal you will have to undertake for the rest of your life."

"How so, Master? I carry the Curse with a great pain and a high price."

"Only with the Way can you achieve this through the transformation and the renewing of your mind," said Master Lo simply.

"You speak so much like the teacher I had encountered from the far South... and he is here, in the capital. The capital, I must get back to the capital immediately!" exclaimed Xin.

"I know of whom it is you speak for I accompanied him all the way here from the Huangshan. I have received word from him. Your mission in Liaodong has severely crippled the enemy. All that you have discovered there has been reported to the emperor, and now he plans to maneuver to strike them down with full force before they can recover from the blow," Master Lo informed him. "Some Scholars from the palace are in the inn's lobby anticipating your presence at the court."

"You are acquainted with the hermit from the south? It is such a coincidence for I had met him not long ago. He had saved my life," said Xin. Master Lo nodded slightly and frowned.

"You did not tell me you were aligned with the League of Martial Scholars. I cannot say I fully approve of this alliance. They make many moral compromises and do not adhere to the teachings of the sages despite the 'good' they claim to enforce. Do not ask me how I know of them, but just know that not all of what they do is not in accordance to higher standards."

Sun Xin leaned his head back against the head rest and signed. "The League of Martial Scholars is a noble and honorable band of good men. They may not be perfect in their ways and dealings, but their cause is pure and just according to the standards of the law. That alone will suffice for me, Master," answered Sun Xin. Master Lo just sighed and gestured for him to meet with the Scholars and Academicians waiting on the ground floor. Xin mustered the strength to rise and get dressed. He needed to know the details of what the Scholars and the emperor were planning. Master Lo accompanied Xin in meeting with the Scholars below. Tian Qiu the polymath greeted him with relief and gladness.

"It is a relief to see you on your feet, comrade," he said to Xin. "If I am on my feet I do it with great discomfort. My encounter at Liaodong has left me exhausted. Never mind that. What of the activities in the palace?" Xin asked.

"The Academicians and the demolitions expert have reported the success of your mission to the emperor. I must say he was quite impressed. He did not believe that you all would have survived, calling 'suicidal'. In any case, the Scholars have received his majesty's approval of a major assault on two fronts through land and sea. The palace anticipates imminent the arrival of troops from several other garrisons. It must be quick; I am doubtful that the Dark Armies amassing in the central provinces will be giving us time for respite after this great battle is over," said Tian Qiu.

Together with Master Lo and the Scholars, Sun Xin reported back to the Forbidden City and received commendations from the emperor.

"Though I am slightly disturbed by your infamous reputation as a vigilante, your selfless actions on behalf of the Ming Empire has made you a hero, and a hero you will be in the eyes of the imperial law," said the emperor. Sun Xin bowed to the emperor and extended his gratitude for the commendation. "The second stage of our strategy is nigh. The garrisons to the west have arrived with many warriors; the industries have delivered many fresh armaments for land and sea, some of which were made with Fung's modifications," the emperor said. "He would be the one whom you all call 'Big Bang', by the way."

There, in the Forbidden City palace complex, the emperor, the Martial Scholars, army officers, Sun Xin, and the company of Famin Jie, who were privileged guests, gathered to discuss the army's decisive strike against the enemy camped on the edges of Liaodong and Shandong Peninsulas. The Art of War and its commentaries have always emphasized knowledge of the enemy. Thus, the information gathered from the covert operation led by Sun Xin was decisive for their strategy. Imperial Commander He Feishen and the master strategist Shang Jian presented the strategy for the battle. A large map of the Northeast Ming Empire was laid out before them and moved the models accordingly.

"Our assault will focus on Liaodong. The armies on foot and horseback will coordinate with the border garrison along the Great Wall and navigate the terrain using old passes that cut around the Nuzhen plain. We may strike the peninsula from the north. Our refurbished navy now harbors at the coast near the evacuated city of Tianjin and is ready to strike from the Gulf of Beizhili. The battleships will initiate the battle and will bombard the enemy encampment with a barrage of missile and cannon fire from a safe distance before proceeding in formation against the enemy vessels blocking the entrance to the gulf. If all goes well, they will converge with the fleet coming from the harbors near Nanjing to attack the Terukk ships from both sides. The improved weapons systems provided by comrade Big Bang will be instrumental in our effectiveness for the assault from the sea. After the initial bombardment, artillery and cavalry units will push the mutants towards the sea. They have made a grave mistake placing their mutant forces in an isolated area. With coordination and a strong will, the battle can be won decisively in a day," said Shang Jian and He Feishen.

"Something does not feel right. It seems all too simple, as if it is a distraction for something greater," Xin thought aloud. "We have shifted so much of our focus on this area of the empire, I'm afraid we are not seeing the darkness rising elsewhere."

"I suspect that this is just a means to study our forces, our methods, and strategies. In this battle we would be revealing much of our capabilities," Lu Guanying said as he rubbed his chin.

"Fear not, Xin. The empire has many capable military commanders scattered throughout the provinces. Many citizens have been placed under special protection and the majority of our vast army moves actively on high alert in the provinces," assured Shang Jian.

"Besides, the 100,000 mutant warriors are a significant threat to the capital at the northern border. They must be neutralized immediately," added General He Jin. "The success of our mission depends heavily on the element of surprise. I doubt the Pale Barbarians have anticipated neither the impressive takeover of the Scholars nor the impressively expedient assembly of our resources and forces, as previously emphasized. They will not anticipate our maneuver on such a massive scale as this."

One of the Academicians entered the room with an urgent report saying that spies have been detected in the capital and have escaped capture.

"They have seen the hidden assembly of our forces and know our imminent attack, but luckily, our tactical teams posted on the rooftops have shot them down," the Academician reported.

"That is good news. However, it does not matter if they discover the plans of our assault. There is nothing they can do to provide an answer for our attack. The army and navy will prepare to depart immediately," said Imperial Commander Feishen. "There is one other important matter I must mention to the rest of you," he added. The congregation gave their full attention in anticipation of what he would say. "The mutant armies are led by figures that are likened to priests. In the heat of my recent battle they recite dark and powerful incantations to as a means to 'bless' their warriors. They must be a priority target lest the Ming forces have great difficulty achieving victory. They are Terukk that wear long black robes with red borders, headdresses of nails, and ominous masks. The Scholars must assemble strike teams to seek out these evil clerical Foreigners and eliminate them if the army is to be victorious."

"A cooperation of my personal commando units together with the skills of the Martial Academicians would suffice to complete this task," said General Jin.

"Sun Xin, are you willing and able to lead this aspect of the mission during the heat of battle? Are you fit to fight again so soon?" they asked.

Xin nodded and was determined to complete the mission. In his heart, he felt that this was his calling, the very thing for which he was born. Buff Baby, Big Bang, Jirgal, and Zuo Shilong volunteered to join the Commandos and Academicians to aid Sun Xin with the operation. Master Lo volunteered to fight alongside his student whom he still saw as his son. He did not say however, that he was joining out of fear for Sun Xin's safety. He wanted to be there to protect him. Such was the fatherly instinct within him.

"I too will accompany you, Commander," said Famin Jie unexpectedly. "We must not forget that this war is but a manifestation of a greater spiritual conflict. I would like to personally oversee this operation to petition Heaven for victory over the spiritual warfare that transpires directly with the one we are about to undertake, for if we proceed without Heaven's blessing, we proceed to defeat."

Commander Feishen agreed to let Famin Jie accompany him as the spiritual leader of his forces. "I beseech you, comrade, to keep your distance from the fighting. If your presence is truly required as you believe, then you must stay away from the enemy's reach."

****

Though Sun Xin was greatly determined to succeed, his heart grew troubled. The task he would undertake was similar to the one he undertook against the pirate lord Mizushima and the new enemy he had just faced- this "Kurr". His inability to complete that task now clouded his judgment and impacted his confidence. He also grew worrisome over the Swordsman's Curs. It clouded his spirit in the heat of combat. His meditations in solitude no longer sufficed to calm his troubled mind. He sought the counsel of his master. He told him all his woes and troubles and the details of his nightmarish duel with Kurr.

"You and Kurr can be presented as good and evil, you obviously being the good and Kurr being the representation of the latter. The difference between you two is this. You, my student, like all other men, have both the light and the darkness within. The darkness however, most often dwarfs the light; such is the plight of all those who are not in harmony with the Way. The Curse that lives within you is merely that very same darkness residing inside the hearts of all men, nothing more. The catch is that it manifests itself more strongly in your swordsmanship. The more it grows the more you become like Kurr who by nature is pure darkness. Through the Way, light can dwarf the darkness and only then will you be able to stand your ground against Kurr. After all, what is darkness, but the mere absence of light? Kurr would not be able to comprehend it." Such were the words of wisdom Master Lo imparted upon his student and adopted son, Sun Xin.

"Show me, Master. Finish my training. I long to overcome the darkness within myself so that I my sword would be not be guided by my fury alone." He kowtowed before him and Master Lo took pity. "I have become lost and my judgment has become clouded by doubt and fear. I no longer confidence in my own discernment. I do not understand what it is that I am missing. I have spent ten long years of life in search of truth and justice, but all I have found beneath the sharp edge of my sword was more despair and an endless sea of questions to which I have no answer."

"Come, let us go outside. There is something I must impart unto you," said Master Lo. In one of the Forbidden City's larger gardens Master Lo took Xin for his final lessons in the Way of the Lo Family's sword art. He began with his introduction of the Way to Sun Xin. "The Way is the cause of all things that exist both physical and spiritual. To have been the originator of the immeasurably complex and balanced reality, it can only be the source of all truth, wisdom, and knowledge. It is Heaven's revelation to us. This is the lesson I wish to impart to you: When a warrior is in the will of Heaven and is in accord with the Way he begins to understand these truths and achieves gifts far more precious than weapons and armor, gold and riches. They are peace, clarity, and effortless action- the Wu Wei of the swordsman. It is by far more effective than sheer force and brute strength fueled by fury with which you have grown accustomed. This is why the sword art of my family rests upon this truth. Without those gifts granted to a swordsman of the Way, victory against the darkness is impossible. Heaven's favor is not upon him. Peace, clarity, and effortless action –are these not the very things that would put your mind and heart to rest, Xin?" Xin pondered deeply upon the words his master had spoken. He did not even know where to begin.

"You said I could achieve this through the transformation of my mind," recalled Xin.

"Indeed. Only Heaven can do that now. If you truly desire to live in accordance to the Way, you must completely humble yourself. Be still and admit your weakness and emptiness outside of the Will of Heaven. Ask with absolute sincerity, and Heaven's favor will be upon you. Do this right, and the light within you will soon dwarf the darkness. Peace, clarity, and effortless action would be your greatest weapons and with the training of the heart, spirit, and body, you can develop them fully. As part of the consequence, you will notice a drastic difference in your swordsmanship, Xin. It would be effortless, free-flowing, and far above your best techniques being that it would emulate the nature of the Way."

It was then that Xin took into full account all that his master had said though yet without full understanding. His heart yearned to know and his genuine desire to follow his master's counsel helped put his mind at ease.

Throughout the eve of the Ming Armies' departure, he meditated in complete solitude in stillness and in quiet. With humility and sincerity within his heart he did plead his case before Heaven. He did not eat and did not drink and he did not sleep. By dawn he felt no exhaustion, no hunger, and no thirst. He cast aside his pride and all his anger and hatred for just one evening so that he could receive, but a quick taste of the enlightenment his Master Lo and Famin Jie had already discovered.

"If you are indeed, Heaven, I desire to see the truth. I beseech you to reveal to me the meaning of peace in the imminent battles. Grant me a sign that I cannot deny." When his meditation had come to a close, his countenance emulated a mysterious newfound peace that did not go unnoticed by Famin Jie.

"You are different today, my dear friend. Heaven goes before us, there is little to fear," he said. Xin nodded, the gaze of his steely eyes oozed with newfound determination and focus. He proceeded to join the assembly that accompanied General He Jin and the Scholars. He did realize it yet, but the words Master Lo had imparted to him would forever change how he understood the meaning of battle.

As Sun Xin was meditating in solitude, Famin Jie conversed with Buff Baby under the night sky. Buff Baby was pensive and much quieter than his usual self.

"What is on your mind, friend?" asked Famin Jie. Buff Baby opened up to Famin Jie and shared his story. "I never would have thought I would ever find myself in the Forbidden City. I could not help but think of how my path had just changed drastically in the course of mere days. Before I had resorted to small-time banditry my name was 'Bao' and I was a famous prize fighter and brawler," he said proudly. "I was gifted with incredible strength that had made me both admired and shunned since my youth. I had built my body to the maximum. Of this I was completely proud. Time came when another fighter challenged me in front of my followers. Not only did I lose the fight, I had lost my honor as well. I had lost everything else soon after that. Anger and resentment consumed me and I ran to a different province where I was unknown. After defeating many small-time fighters in other underground tournaments I had gained a small following. It wasn't long before I started stealing from the rich give to the poor whom I saw were oppressed. In the back of my mind I always knew that it would be just a matter of time until misfortune would catch up with me. That's when I had lost all my men, and the lot of you found me barely alive." He tried hard to keep himself from shedding tears. Mourning the loss of his brothers was something he had not yet had the chance to do. "I will avenge their deaths. I swear it."

For all his size and great strength, Bao, now known by his bandit name Buff Baby, was in reality, a kind spirit. Though loud and boastful at times, he was loyal and shone a heart of gold. Famin Jie realized this immediately and did not judge him.

"I can sympathize with your story, Sir Bao, for I too have lost much in life. But the mercy and grace of Heaven has restored much more than what I had lost with things that cannot be measured by earthly standards," said Famin Jie.

"You too can achieve this gift of restoration. I can also assure you that the deaths of your friends were not in vain. What may seem to be a disaster in one day may turn out to be an unexpected blessing in the next."

Upon the arrival of dawn, one hundred thousand soldiers and convoys of supply wagons and artillery carts poured out of the gates of the Great Wall and proceeded to circle around the Gulf of Beizhili to attack the mutant forces of the Terukk from the North. A dozen bands of cavalry forces followed close behind. Not long after the soldiers departed to the north, scores of ships from the Ming Imperial Navy sailed west from the harbor near Tianjin to meet in synchronization with the invading forces at Liaodong Peninsula. A military maneuver of this scale in short time was unprecedented in the history of the Middle Kingdom. Never before has a campaign such as this ever been done. But it was after all, a more desperate time, one where the very survival of the empire hung in the balance and hung most heavily on the commanders –the few chosen to lead the attack on the Terukk priests upon whom the power of the mutant forces depended greatly.

Famin Jie and company rode alongside Sun Xin and General He Jin. They have been outfitted with custom lamellar armor designed by Shen Zhu the armorer of the Scholars. Jirgal was apparently uncomfortable and unaccustomed to armor and he constantly fidgeted.

"I have a terrible itch in my upper back and this blasted armor is keeping me from reaching it for a good scratch," Jirgal complained. Buff Baby let out a hearty laugh and handed him a rough old chopstick which he quickly used as a backscratcher. His eyes came to a near cross as he relieved the horrid itching. Xin has had his eye on Zuo Shilong since their departure and remembered what the abbot of Shaolin Monastery had requested of him. He pulled in close to the monk.

"When I made my way to Beijing from the central provinces I made a brief visit to a certain monastery," said Xin. Zuo Shilong's narrow eyes widened and turned to face Xin.

"The benevolent abbot wishes you well and hopes you are in good health. He has worried about you." Zuo Shilong was not sure how to react, but found himself unexpectedly delighted at the news. He too wished for the safety for the monastery and his fellow monks. For a fleeting moment, he actually missed them and the simple life he once lived in safety and seclusion in the temple.

The sea of soldiers navigated across the wilderness with good pace, and the sound of their thundering footfalls resounded across the land. They were entering the territory of the Nuzhen nation, a minority peoples that have established a rival state at the northern edges of the Middle Kingdom throughout different dynasties. They paid tribute to the Ming Empire nonetheless. They have been at odds with their cousins the Menggu warrior horsemen who had once occupied the Middle Kingdom for one hundred years before the Great Ming Empire was established.

The Nuzhen as well did not take the Terukk into liking and have made efforts to distance themselves and keep them at bay. Commander He Feishen sent teams of envoys ahead of the marching army to notify the Nuzhen chieftains of the passage of the Ming Imperial Army. They had been previously been given notice, though due to cultural rivalries, have declined to aid the Ming in battle. To the south, the Imperial Navy of thirty war vessels of various specialties and sizes cruised westward, led by the Scholars' warship the Phoenix Spirit and was heavily armed with two dozen cannon and two shielded rocket platforms. At the ship's helm stood Admiral Han Bin –an old ally of the Scholars. Even the Hongzhi Emperor had wished to board, but stayed at the palace under the advisement of Lu Guanying and Chancellor Wu Chan.

At the ship's stern, Tian Qiu studied Big Bang's update on a hand book of the Ming Empire's latest developments on weapons technology. It was a manual poetically named The Fire Dragon Manual. He couldn't help but marvel at the innovation behind the 'fire and thunder' weapons. They were so simple yet very effective at improving the range, accuracy, and reliability of the Ming Dynasty's trademark weapons. It was also not unusual to Tian Qiu that Big Bang signed his name as "Big Bang" on the book. It was a good day to field test the new weaponry. Towards the north where nearly an eighth of the Ming Empire's forces currently marched, the sun had begun to set once again. They set up camp in a large green field sparsely populated with trees, surrounded by hills and small mountains.

By nightfall scouts reported clear passage for another day's march. Commander Feishen could rest with less anxiety as he ordered rotating patrols to keep a lookout on the outer perimeters of the encampment. Sitting around a fire, the company of Famin Jie and Master Lo ate in silence and pondered what the coming days would bring for them. Famin Jie pulled out an antique classical instrument. It was called Guqin- a zither of seven strings commonly associated with artists, poets, and philosophers. He began to pluck and strum the melancholy notes. It produced a resonating melody that spoke to the company. "A great responsibility has been entrusted to you, my brothers, but know that Heaven has already prepared the outcome of the battle. Steady your heart to discern the promptings of Heaven and keep your eyes set towards righteousness," he recited melodiously. After Famin Jie had finished playing his piece, Xin reached under his garment and produced a bamboo flute and began to play just as he always had during his journeys through the provinces. The message of the music was clear though it had no words. Under the vast expanse of the night sky the flute spoke to all who were near enough to hear it. "From pain, anguish, and hardship we are made strong. Suffering is necessary to find strength."