Chapter 5: When you are too beautiful
In Hundun, chi is the energy present in all things. It draws its origin from the heavens and has infiltrated the earth, the water, the air and everything that composes the world. Thus, humans, by living in this environment, have been imbued with this energy since their birth and naturally possess a Chi Core.
To progress, each Chi User must meditate and cultivate their Chi Core, in order to cross the five stages of chi awakening, known under the name of Primary Senses: Sight, Smell, Hearing, Taste, then Touch.
Chi can be used for martial or mystical purposes via a set of techniques transmitted from master to disciple for generations: the Ancestral Senses. They bear this name because they represent an evolution of human senses, and constitute the specific manifestation of each Primary Sense. Thus, the First sense: sight, can take completely different forms according to the Ancestral Sense specific to each clan.
Each clan thus perpetuates its own Ancestral Senses through the generations. However, certain clans possess particular lineages. The four great families of the Sword Clan, for example, enjoy a genetic predisposition allowing them to excel in the art of the sword more than anyone else. Conversely, the Sorcery Clan possesses an innate affinity with chi, giving them access to impressive mystical powers.
...
A chi User having reached the Fourth Sense was officially recognized as a Master, because he could easily seal the chi core of a weaker practitioner at will. At this very moment, such a Master was slipping between the narrow alleys of the Thirteenth District.
Obviously, it was the assassin who had managed to escape earlier. Blood Moon sank into a dark alley. She cast a quick glance around her to check that she was alone, then she stripped off her blood-stained black clothes.
She grabbed a port worker who was passing near the entrance of the alley, knocked him out with a blow behind the nape of the neck, and took his clothes. It was a simple tunic and pants, but that would suffice to blend into the crowd.
She also took care to hide her short sword under a plank, against the wall of the alley. No one would find it there for several days.
She came out of the alley like a perfectly normal person, hands in her pockets and nonchalant gait. The few passers-by who crossed her path gave her no particular look, except for her beauty which naturally attracted a sustained gaze.
She had long white hair, tied in a ponytail with ruby eyes. Her juvenile appearance, she must not be more than sixteen even though she was already twenty two, made it difficult to believe that she had reached the Fourth Sense. Yet it was the case.
She had barely taken a few steps on the main street when she spat blood.
" Are you okay, miss? " asked a vegetable merchant who was passing with his cart.
" Yes, thank you, it’s fine. " She straightened up with a quick movement and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
The merchant looked at her with concern. " You are all pale. You should see a doctor. "
She nodded politely, then she continued on her way. Since she was pretty, she naturally attracted the sympathy of people. Several people stopped to ask her if she needed help, so much did her pale face inspire concern.
’ This is what is called the privilege of beauty,’ she thought with bitterness. If she had had an ordinary face, she would have been left to die in the street without a glance.
She sighed while clenching her fists. The pain in her chest was throbbing.
’ Every second that passes, I lose a little more of my chi. My core has been severely damaged by Dorian’s blow. At the rate at which the leak is accelerating, I am afraid that in one hour, I will be nothing more than a normal human.’
She gritted her teeth. The idea of becoming a simple mortal, vulnerable and weak, was unbearable to her. Looking to the left and right, she spotted a wooden sign representing an inn. She decided to head there.
" I must first know exactly where I am, " she said to herself while pushing the door.
To know where the guards were posted, which streets were under surveillance, and especially, what the rumors were about her own hunt. In her current state, the slightest information could make the difference between life and death.
The interior of the inn was smoky and noisy. Men in work clothes were drinking around long wooden tables, and a waitress carrying a tray loaded with mugs circulated between the customers. She approached the counter and ordered a beer in a neutral voice. The tavern keeper served her a mug.
She drank a small sip while listening carefully. At the table behind her, two guards were discussing loudly.
" They say that Blood Moon was wounded by the Patriarch himself. " said one of them while biting into a piece of bread.
" Good, that bastard has massacred enough of our men. " replied the other. " It seems that he has the chi core damaged. Even if he survives, he will never be a threat again. "
" Do you believe this story? Blood Moon has always managed to get away. "
" This time, it’s different. The Patriarch was present, I doubt that a vulgar assassin will recover from that. "
Blood Moon lowered her head over her mug. She was listening to the other customers talk about the killing from the day before. Everyone knew that she had almost been neutralized.
’ At least no one suspects that I am a woman...’
Two weeks ago, She had received a mission from her master: eliminate the chief of the Twelfth District. It was a delicate task, but she had already accomplished much more difficult in the past. Yet, strangely, she had fallen into an ambush. And the reinforcements from the organization that she should have received never arrived.
’ Have I been abandoned by the boss?’
She bit her lower lip. It was not an illogical hypothesis. Her master was a ruthless person. He had always said that members who became too popular became a risk for the organization. And she, Blood Moon, had become far too famous in recent years. People were talking about her throughout Hundun. So the organization would not hesitate to eliminate her so as not to be exposed to the world.
’ I have lost everything again.’ She drank another sip.
" If only I had known. " she murmured between her teeth. " I would have prepared a backup plan."
She was fuming to herself, her fingers clenched around her mug. Suddenly, the door of the inn opened noisily. Three guards entered and began to go around the tables.
Blood Moon lowered her head, hiding her face behind her white hair. With her appearance, it was difficult not to get noticed. Her commoner clothes helped her go unnoticed, but her face was too beautiful.
One of the guards approached her table. " Hey, you! Are you a tourist here? "
’ The downside of the medal when you are too beautiful,’ she rolled her eyes with a feeling of narcissism.
Blood Moon raised her head, taking an innocent look. " Ah, yes. I just arrived. "
" You know that the district is under constant surveillance right now? " The guard placed a hand on the pommel of his sword. " We will need you to identify yourself. "