a post-cyberpunk xianxia epic
Jiling sat at her calligraphy desk with her brush hovering over the page when she heard Xue’s body echo into the ground, a sick thud that thundered through every tree root and weathered stone between the Great Overlook and the Priestess’ quiet enclave. The lights flickered as her concentration ruptured. To some degree, Xueyu’s pain […]
2 YEARS AGO. “I’m not going to go easy on you,” Chen said as he walked into the center of the sparring ring at Laike’s side, voice hushed like the disclosure was something of a secret shared between them. This would be one of the last matches in which the older disciple would partake—in a […]
Laike was conspicuously absent from breakfast. He refrained from attending Xueyu’s morning training exercises. This wasn’t in itself alarming—occasionally Xueyu’s lead disciple needed time to himself on specific exercises—however, Laike was also absent from his studies with the Heart of the Mountain, missing his daily dose of historical transcription, calligraphy, incantation, and prayer recitation. When […]
PRESENT DAY. The mist was heavy on Yunji the following morning, hanging like a milky specter over the jagged landscape. Craggy precipices too shallow for anything but birds were the only sight to break through from afar; the morning blanket rested plushly atop the heads of wind and elevation molded evergreens that thrived on weaving […]
Xueyu’s footsteps were loud as he passed through the inner corridors of Luanshi’s evening hallways, bustling with disciples running hither and thither in their rush to dinner, heard even over the excitement of new visitors. The sun was already gone but the gentle glow of mountain lights illuminated the strange building’s space with a warm […]
Tian Xiaoxu was the first to dismount when they came upon the two leaders of Luanshi’s hallowed halls. Immediately, he was on his knees before Jiling, hands held before him in deep respect, begging the Lady of the Mountain’s favor and aid in their deep trouble scenario. “Lady Jiling of the nascent swarm, Master Xueyu […]
Jiling barely noticed when the sun bid her farewell and sank below the horizon, only nodding a quiet greeting to the moon and stars that lovingly lit her graceful features in the silver night high above Luanshi’s compound. She took great pleasure in wandering the mist-streaked forest lining Yunji’s stone face. She climbed till she […]
Laike’s brisk return to Yunji before dawn saw him with no time to catch up on the sleep he’d lost to Tian Yuhui’s trap, so Laike went about his day without delay instead. When the sun rose and draped the mountain in mist, Xueyu found his favourite disciple practicing archery on wooden targets hidden in […]
“Oh, sad. I guess it’ll be good news for him that Laike’s not afraid of ghosts. I don’t think Laike’s afraid of anything.” Chongwei elbowed her pale-haired sister. “Have you ever seen Lai scared? I mean, if someone surprises him he will straight up murder them but that’s not really fear so much as it’s […]
Just as Xueyu was stepping away from the pair of doctors attending the wounded men to scan the alleyway for any sign of the missing prince and his prized pupil, it seemed he found what he was looking for. The swordmaster’s eyes immediately snapped to the boys suddenly materialized before him, wide and then impossibly […]