Chapter 680 pt 2 unedited unmemed

Let's just say the schedule will be... inconsistent till the weekend probably. We'll see. I'll do what i can, but I ain't falling behind again, not after coming so close to getting back on track. You all enjoy this, and I'll see you in the next one :D

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I2yRFIIaapSZwPTPAFX86dzx18CJ3YE2vdmSoMyGiBY/edit?usp=sharing 

Cloaked in Concealment and awaiting the darkness of night, Hideo’s back itched to feel the sting of his lash, but circumstances dictated his penance would have to wait.

For today, he set out to inflict penance upon those who wronged him.

The Empire was at fault, but how was one supposed to punish an Empire? Overturning it would do, but this was an undertaking that would be measured in months, if not years of blood and effort, for the Imperial Clan would not fall without a fight. No matter though, for the Heavens themselves were upon Hideo’s side, and he would become a calamity upon the Empire itself. First though, he would have to progress along his Path, the path to the salvation he so desperately craved. Even after so many months of penance and reflection, it still pained him to remember Grand-Uncle Juichi’s broken expression when Hideo revealed himself on the field of battle. That was supposed to be his moment of glory, his first step towards righting the injustices of the Imperial Clan, a rallying cry for all like minded Warriors to break free from theirshackles and join him in his crusade against the Dog Emperor, but instead, it became one of his most painful memories.

Not more painful than watching his father die or when he ate Eri-hime alive, but not as far as one might think. All his life, Hideo wanted nothing more than to earn Mitsue Juichi’s approval, and he never realized how much that meant to him until after he lost it.

“Hold to the Razor’s edge,” Monk Eyebrows whispered, and Hideo reined in his grief and despair. “Reflect on your emotions and contain them, but do not let them affect you. Only then will they be ready for use when you require them at a moment’s notice.”

Though spoken in the softest of murmurs, Hideo knew others could hear and bear witness to his shame, but Monk Eyebrows would simply call it fuel for the flames of emotion. This was all a part of Hideo’s training, to strengthen his lacking will the same way the beatings strengthened his body, but unlike the wounds of his flesh which healed without scars, the damage to his mind was not so easily mended. Not because the Heavens refused to Heal him, but because he kept picking at his wounds and refusing to leave them be, when instead he should immerse himself in the pain without allowing himself to be influenced by it.

And yet despite knowing this, and striving to adhere to it, a small part of Hideo’s mind simply refused to let things lie.

“Emptiness is not Balance,” the voice told him, and Hideo could not help but agree. “This is a Path, but not your Path, not the right Path following the Right View. You know this, so why do you persist in following this Path?”

Because he had nothing else left to him. Only the Brotherhood would accept him now, for he was neither an Imperial Citizen or Defiled Chosen, but something neither side could accept. Taking a detour was better than ambling about without direction or guidance, so Hideo would follow this Path until he could see more of what lay before him. It was only pragmatic.

“Fear controls you,” the voice whispered, and again, Hideo agreed.

“Only a fool rushes in without information.”

A statement spoken by a different voice, one Hideo knew well, for it was Grand-Uncle Juichi who said it. It was in reference to military strategy and the significanceof scouting, but it applied to everything in life. Knowledge was power, and Hideo would be foolish to turn down the knowledge offered to him by the Brotherhood and Monk Eyebrows. That was why he was here pursuing his vengeance, because without indulging it, how could he ever understand the significance of letting it go? It was as laughable as a child moaning about hard work after playing in the courtyard all day, for the child knew nothing of hard work. If Hideo had never lost control and eaten Eri-Hime, he would never have known just how satisfying her tender flesh and shrill screams could be, so there would be no meaning in abstaining from the consumption of meat.

The thought sent a pang of hunger coursing through his body, a cold chill running down his spine as he yearned for the taste of hot blood, but he mentally chanted the Sutras and contained his desires as instructed. The voices all quieted as he teetered upon the Razor’s Edge and familiarized himself with this most unstable of Paths, but the greater the risk, the greater the reward, and Hideo was meant for great things.

That was why he was here in fact, surrounded by the one thousand Chosen Elites he’d hand-picked for the core of his retinue. It all started when Gen marched into the Brotherhood’s compound in ShiBei and said, “You will lead a raid across the Wall, and attack District Seventy-Eight.” Hideo’s first instinct was to refuse, and no doubt Monk Eyebrows would have as well, if Gen had not added, “There, you will capture and interrogate Imperial Consort Zheng Luo so that we might learn where Falling Rain is hiding.”

Now, there was no possible way for Hideo to refuse, for beauty Zheng Luo was the catalyst which sent him careening off of his previous Path. His infatuation with her was what brought him here, and unless he overcame it, he would never progress along his new Path, which meant it was vital he connected with her once more. Even he wasn’t sure what he would do once he had her in his hands, whether he would conquer her with force and power, win her over with kindness and sincerity, or sever all ties with her and dine upon her flesh. All three were equally possible, and there were many other scenarios which were only marginally less likely, but regardless of the outcome, he knew he had to find her.

Of course, Hideo was not so foolish as to run off at the mere mention of a woman, especially not at Gen’s bidding. “Just because your Wraiths cannot find him,” Hideo began, eyes still closed as to insult the rude, uninvited peasant with delusions of grandeur, “Does not mean Falling Rain is not in the Northern Citadel. That is his base of power where his strongest allies are situated, so if he is injured and recovering, he would be a fool to do so elsewhere.”

“And our foe is most certainly a fool,” Gen replied, his tone taking on a shade of displeasure, “Else he would have long since realized the folly of his ways and come to join this Sovereign’s cause. Little worm struggles to delay the inevitable, and talented though he might be, even the greatest of talents require time to grow, time we cannot allow.”

Hideo’s eyes snapped open at this declaration, for Gen’snervous unease was plain to hear. Why worry so much over Falling Rain, even if he was Legate of the Outer Provinces? How much sway could one slave have over the outcome of the war? Reading Hideo’s concerns as easily as a skilled diplomat might, Gen puffed up and sneered in disdain. “The worm is nothing and no one on his own, but a potent threat if properly harnessed, one this Sovereign means to have in hand before our foes realize his true value. Wherever he is, it is not in the Northern Citadel, else the Death Corps would never have allowed themselves to be spread across the Districts. They know their ward is beyond their reach, so they follow the Artist’s orders without question, and in doing so reveal the worm’s absence.” Taking a moment to study Hideo, Gen cocked his head at Monk Eyebrows and said, “He has yet to deal with the parasite, as you claimed he would.”

“And he will. In time.” Ignoring Hideo’s questioning gaze, Monk Eyebrows’ hands formedthe mudra of restraint as he conversed with Gen through Sending, no doubt irked that Hideo had even heard that much. What parasite, and how was he supposed to deal with it? There were no answers to be had, not from Gen or Monk Eyebrows, and after long, silent minutes of Sent debate, Gen grinned and clapped his metallic hands, which set them to ringing in dissonant chimes. “Let him make the decision then,” he said, and though Monk Eyebrows clearly disapproved, he didn’t stop Gen from approaching with a single outstretched hand. The dissonance grated harshly in Hideo’s ears, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from Gen’s upturned palm, his clawed talons stretched up and cupped around something without form, but with plenty of presence. “You feel this, yes?” he asked, his words taking on a hypnotic cant, one delivered by Chi and Aura. “Pure, unsullied Energy of the Heavens, severed and forfeited by our enemy’s own hand, processed by this Sovereign to do as he pleases. This is yours, if you so desire it, a taste of what awaits you should you keep to the razor’s edge.”

“Why do you seek strength?” Monk Eyebrows asked, his voice drawing Hideo’s stare away from the invisible energy pulsating in Gen’s hands. Impassive and unreadable was how he would describe the monk’s expression, but there was a gravity to his words which Hideo could not ignore, and he considered the question carefully as he always did.

One needed a goal in order to forge a Path, and this question lay at the basis of every Martial Warrior’s decision. The answer changed often as the individual discovered more about themselves and their path, but few as drastically as Hideo’s had. As a child, he sought strength for recognition, then later, for approval and renown. Then, he sought strength for vengeance, then absolution, and while he still hungered for both, he now knew the right answer to this question which had plagued him for so long. “I seek strength,” he began, his words resonating with faith and conviction, “So that none might stand above me.”

“Then you have your Path.” Nodding in acknowledgement, Monk Eyebrows offered no hint of approval or reproach as he sat in witness of Hideo’s decision. “A conquerors Path, one without no end in sight, but one you intend to walk nonetheless.”

A Path that would be much easier with the power Gen offered. Hideo would be foolish to turn it down, right?

“You would be a fool to accept,” a voice whispered, one Hideo tried his best to ignore, “Without first considering the price.”

The price was simple enough. Gen needed allies strong enough to stand against the Empire, and Hideo was a talent worth nurturing. This power was likely a gift from the Uniter, and the answer to how Gen progressed so quickly along the Martial Path, so of course Hideo would surpass the peasant if given the same resources. Reaching out with his Domain, he snatched up the power in Gen’s hand and felt it swell up inside him, filling him with both strength and Insight which he sat down to process. Even now, days later while seated at the border between West and Central, Hideo was still busy processing the Energy of the Heavens and basking in the strength it provided. Monk Eyebrows had guided him through it and hinted that there was more to be had, but Hideo was unable to understand just what the monk was talking about. The ‘parasite’, no doubt, but what parasite? There were no marks on Hideo’s body besides those left by his own flail, and he only had a rudimentary knowledge of human anatomy which left him unable to find any physical anomalies inside his flesh, blood, or bone.

No matter. He would deal with the parasite in time, once he finished processing the Uniter’s gift. A mysterious man, the leader of the Chosen, one Hideo had yet to met in person, but Wisdom Vyakhya spoke highly of him, in those rare moments the old fogey was around.

“Come.” At Monk Eyebrow’s signal, Hideo came out of his meditative trance and surged to his feet, for time was of the essence now. They only had a small window of opportunity to slip past the Wall unnoticed, though the details of how such a window had been arranged was beyond Hideo’s understanding. How a thousand troops and gajashia’s could gounnoticed, Hideo could not say, but he did not take for granted that they would. Even as his troops locked their ramps in place and led their mounts across, he kept a close watch on his surroundings using more than his eyes alone. One with the World, his senses informed him of every loose stone and crooked nail in his immediate area, flooding him with so much information he struggled to process it all. No, not just struggled, but failed to process, his mind overwhelmed by the multitude of facts surging through his thoughts.

A hand-print against the battlement. Someone stopped to lean there, leaving traces of sauce indicating they’d recently eaten barbecued pork.

Dust was gathering in one corner. No one checked it recently, making it the perfect hiding spot for a Concealed assailant.

A trail of cracked shells, left by an insubordinate soldier, snacking while out on patrol and likely paying no attention to his surroundings.

Ashes. More lacking discipline, this time stemming from the top, as only an Officer would be so bold as to openly smoke opiates on duty.

There was enough evidence to surmise that someone intended for this foolish officer to take the blame for Hideo’s attack, but who? Powerful and knowledgeable as he might be, there was no way the Uniter could have arranged this, and no one in power would believe that a single patrol, no matter how incompetently managed, could have possible allowed for a thousand enemy cavalry to slip by unnoticed. As Disciple to a Colonel General, he knew more than most of how Divinities fit into the Imperial Army’s plans, so he was certain there was at least one Divinity patrolling this stretch of the Wall and watching for Concealed crossings.

Which either meant the Empire had a traitor in their ranks, or a free-holding Divinity was willing to look the other way in return for some benefit.

Having himself benefited from the Uniter’s gift, Hideo knew full well how the Uniter would’ve tempted a Divinity, for who would crave pure Heavenly Energy more than those closest to wielding it? Having been given a small taste, Hideo already craved more, but he had no idea how to get it, while Divinities would at least have some notion of how to proceed. To them, the Uniter’s gift would be like a sip of water to a man dying of thirst beside an unreachable oasis, a tempting prospect few could refuse out of hand. Giving such a gift had its drawbacks, since it risked knowledge of the Uniter’s wealth getting out and spurring the Imperial Clan to direct action, as there were few treasures more tempting than Heavenly Energy itself. Hideo barely even knew how it benefited him, but he knew enough to rank it as a priceless treasure, and the Imperial Clan no doubt knew even more. No matter. This was something for the Uniter to consider, as Hideo intended to clash with the Imperial Clan eventually. Today, tomorrow, or ten years from now, their conflict was inevitable, so he welcomed the trials and tribulations ahead.

“A flower in a walled garden will never experience the hardships of the wild.” Yet another of Grand-Uncle Juichi’s favoured idioms, used to defend his neglect of Hideo’s training.

“Your Grand-Uncle loves you too much to neglect you,” the voice said, and Hideo hated hearing the ring of truth in its words. “You pride tells you it was talent which allowed you to become one of the Hwarang, but you know this is not true.”

Rage warred with regret within and he lost hold of Balance, and in his frustration, he unleashed his ire upon the world around him. It was no different from a child’s tantrum, only instead of clenching his hands and stomping his feet, he sent his Chi barrelling out into the world around him, infused with all his unwanted emotions.

And in doing so, he discovered the Concealed Divinity.

Aura overwhelmed him in an instant and squeezed the breath from his lungs, and for a moment, he saw his death, but then Monk Eyebrows stepped in and the pressure abated, if only enough for Hideo to breathe. Bowing towards the same dusty corner he’d noticed and ignored, Monk Eyebrows whispered, “Eh-Mi-Tuo-Fuo. This monk has no eyes or ears, and he sees and hears nothing. Same too with this monk’s Disciple, blind as a newborn and equally as ignorant.”

No response was forthcoming, but Monk Eyebrows straightened up and carried Hideo away with a Cloud-Step, leaving his retinue to recover from the ordeal and catch up on foot. For long minutes, the stood upon the fields of Central in utter silence as Hideo tried to come to terms with what he just experienced, reflecting on his memories and trying to understand how it all played out. Monk Eyebrows said nothing, but he offered silent encouragement as Hideo wrestled with his thoughts, right up until his retinue caught up and they set out towards their targeted district.

And then there was little time left for introspection, for Hideo had a job to do.

His scouts set out and returned with detailed information regarding the districts defences. Much of it was already known or expected, but the more information he had to work with, the less his foes could use to surprise him. There were two-hundred Death Corps Guards stationed in the district, but only forty were on active duty, split into eight groups of five as they patrolled the walls. Five shifts, with one on duty, one on reserve, and three resting at all times, an arrangement which stretched the small garrison to their utmost limits. There were commoners on patrol as well, but Hideo paid them no mind. They were effective when already in formation with their crossbows in hand, but in a surprise night raid, they would be as useful as chickens running underfoot and killed just as easily. That being said, there were more Death Corps guards than just the garrison, as well as a sizable contingent of Royal Guardians to boot, all to protect fair Zheng Luo, or more likely, keep her from fleeing from her unworthy husband.

Yes, that was probably it. Even though Falling Rain had now doubt sullied her fair flesh and ravaged her to his savage, hateful heart’s content, Hideo would offer her a chance at true freedom and even overlook her past indiscretions by taking her as his wife. No, that wouldn’t do, but she deserved to be more than a mere concubine, so Hideo decided she would do for a third... no, a fifth wife, which was admitted a low position, but still higher than a concubine’s lot. Besides, this was merely for the sake of face, as Hideo had no intention of loving any woman more than he loved Zheng Luo, and he would make it clear to her by periodically killing his first through fourth wives and replacing them whenever he grew bored.

A perfect solution.

“If one treated her as a prizeto display, but she is a real person, with real feelings,” the damnable voice said. “You ever see your father treat your mother like that? Why do you never think about her?”

Because she was still alive, and Hideo had yet to see her disappointment, which meant he still had hope. Perhaps she still loved him and was willing to forgive him, a prospect which hurt him more than any whip or lash ever could.

The eastern wall would be Hideo’s best bet, as it was closest to Zheng Luo’s borrowed manor, but this meant he would either have to retreat east and give up positioning around the district to his foes, or fight his way out towards the west. Neither prospect was enticing, but the western gate was filled with traps aplenty and he had no desire to throw himself into his enemy’s net, so east it was. Circling around the district under the cover of darkness, he kept three kilometres between himself and the walls so as to avoid even the slim chance of being spotted, and he made his approach slowly. A calculated risk, but one worth taking, especially as the enemy would not be expecting an attack from this direction. The distance closed metre by metre until he only a stone’s throw away, at which point he gave the order to charge.

The thunder of hooves and shouts of alarm filled his ears as he tread the Razor’s edge once more, his Domain billowing out into the night air. The same ramps his troops used to traverse over the Western Wall served them just as well here, and his retinue swarmed into the district and cut down all who stood in their path. Howling in unrestrained glee as he smashedhis armoured foe into an unrecognizable mass, Hideo directed his focus towards his prize and charged into the district proper.Unchallenged as he rode upon the manor which was little more than a hovel in his eyes, he stopped short as he sensed the Warriors waiting within and the trap they had readied to spring.

No matter, for he was Mitsue Hideo, Chosen of Heaven, and he was here to claim his bride.

Gathering all his pent up rage and frustration, he hefted his right mace and unleashed a Mountain Collapsing strike on the iron-reinforced gates. A few days ago, this would have shattered the door and opened up a hole large enough for him to squeeze through, but the Uniter’s gift had given him the Insight needed to utilize his Domain in more creative ways. Rather than focus the strength of his strike on where his mace impacted, he spread his Domain out to cover the entirety of the gate so that the impact was distributed evenly along it. Thus, instead of shattering into splinters, the entire gate flew off its hinges and into the ranks of waiting Royal Guardian. None were injured by the projectile, but dodging it disrupted their formation, and Hideo took full advantage of their disorder to charge in and lay waste to their ranks.

Laying into the courtyard with a righteous fury, he delivered death to his foes with Resonating blows that pulped their organs on contact. It didn’t matter if they blocked or took the blow on armour, for Hideo’s attacks were more than just physical might or Chi-infused power, but imbued with the power of the Heavens themselves. The Royal Guardians, Warriors of renown who protected the Emperor Himself, threw themselves at Hideo in an attempt to kill him, but none of them were a match for hisoverwhelming prowess. None could stop him, not here, not tonight, for this was his Path, his fate, his destiny at work, one that would see him with his true love, Zheng Luo.

A shrill whistling jingle was all the warning he had, and he barely got his maces in place to block the blow. Though weak in appearance, the impact left him rattled and shaking as the subtle Resonance travelled down his weapons and penetrated down to his bones. One strike was nothing, but he sensed that repeated blows would leave him unable to even hold his weapons, meaning this was a Warrior he could not afford to leave unchecked.

Except how could be bear to raise his hand against his beautiful, beloved wife?

Clad in a light shift that clung to her curvaceous frame, Zheng Luo stood behind her Royal Guardians with her chain whip in hand, already gathering for a second strike aimed at Hideo himself. As he blocked the second strike, his patience slipped and he growled at his future wife. How dare she treat her husband this way? Just because he loved her did not mean he would tolerate her disrespect, so he would be sure to teach her a proper lesson.

“The Razor’s Edge,” Monk Eyebrows Sent.

“Balance,” the hateful voice insisted.

Hideo ignored them both and gave into his lust and desire, howling as he launched himself at his woman. He saw the fear and alarm in her eyes, and it only stoked the flames of his passion. He would taste her tonight, in every way possible, but he would keep her alive, for it would be a waste to be done with her so quickly. That was truly his greatest regret, killing Eri-Hime after a single night of passion. She would have so loved Zheng Luo, but the rice was cooked, and Hideo would have to be more careful this time around. He intended to keep Zheng Luo by his side until their hair turned white with old age, which meant he could not be too rough with her on their first night, not if he wanted to enjoy her more than once. Such was life, trials and tribulations, but he was more than confident he had the discipline to keep her alive.

And if not? Well, she was merely a prize to be had, so nothing of value would really be lost.