Rescue Me, My Love

The Warrior

Baohu had made a name for himself all over the mortal realm. He had indeed become a warrior traveling the realms to help where he could.  He traveled around from town to town looking for Xiyi and visiting temples.  When he arrived in a town, if they had a temple to the war god, he would visit it, make an offering and leave.  The temple would be repaired, have new weapons and plenty of food to eat when he left.  He would talk to the priest at every temple to judge their character and determine if they were worthy.  In every town, he sniffed for Xiyi.  He had killed many.  They now knew he was on to them.  He had heard talk of a town that was being terrorized by a monster.  He went there to assess the situation and help the people there.  When he arrived, he found a good inn to stay in and settled there.  He did not visit any flower houses.  He was learning to be celibate.  If he couldn't have his wife, then he would be a better man.  He wanted to show her that he could be the man in her life.  He was thinking of her when a man came and sat down at his table.  Baohu, being rather intriqued, waited for him to speak.  "So war god, you have come alone to destroy us.  Be warned.  We are many here.  Our queen has prepared us for you.  You have killed many of us, true enough, but here is where you die.  You cannot defeat us here.  This is just a warning.  Leave town or die.  It's up to you.  I take my leave."  He bowed when he left.  Baohu knew he smelled the stench of a queen when he entered town.  He admitted he needed help.  He needed Taiyang and Zhenzhu, Junjie and JinDe.  He didn't want his Fuqin to get involved unless he could come up with a better plan.  Against his better judgement, he sent a scroll to Bai Xue telling him to send them to him.  He ate his lunch, drank his tea and bought a bottle of wine.  He went to his room to take a nap and think out a strategy to attack the Xiyi there.  He slept until it was nearly dark.  He rose from the bed, washed his face and armed himself.  He was wearing his black robes.  He was about to open the door when he smelled a Xiyi.  In fact, he smelled a whole troop of them.  He sent out a feeler of his power.  At least twenty of them.  Hmmm.  He decided to depart through the window.  He gathered his belongings and left.  None too soon.  He had just barely gotten out the window when the Xiyi charged into his room.  He cloaked himself.  He knew he was using his power, but in this case, it couldn't be helped.  He summoned a scroll, magicked his message and sent it direct to his Fuqin.  Desperate times.  He was going to get his horse but he flew up to the roof to wait for an answer to his message.  He had been in the mortal realm for a years now.  As best as he could reckon, he had been gone nearly a year in the immortal realm.  His eyes grew soft as he thought of Shandian Li.  Her time was getting close to her shifting.  He wanted to be there to tend her and show her that he could tend to her and love her.  Yes, he was ready to come home. He pulled a meat bun out of his pack to eat while he waited.  He didn't wait long.  His Fuqin arrived with Taiyang, Zhenzhu, Junjie and JinDe.  "I have come, Baohu.  Tell us what is going on."  Seeing his Fuqin for the first time in a year overwhelmed him.  He launched himself into his arms and cried tears of sorrow and happiness.  He sat back and wiped his face with his sleeve.  "I'm sorry, Fuqin.  It's been so long since I looked upon your face.  I have run into a pile of trouble that I needed these here to help me resolve."

     "Tell me, xiao jin huli, what has happened?"  "Fuqin, I came into town this morning.  I have been traveling the realm here hunting Xiyi.  I have killed many pods of them, but today I ran into a colony of them.  I just escaped from a troop of twenty of them.  They attacked my room to kill me.  One approached me in the eatery here at the inn and threatened me.  He said they had a queen here.  I'm sure there is a hidden area where they are underground.  They must have a series of caves and tunnels like they had before.  I have not had a chance to look for it yet.  I sent for you straight away."  Mo Yuan looked Baohu over good.  He had brought elixers with him to combat over usage of powers.  He had to admit that Baohu looked healthy, strong and in control of his powers.  "I'm told you have created quite the legend for yourself.  Visiting temples and leaving the temple better off than you found it.  Killing thieves and Xiyi when you can and doing good for the people.  Yes you have become quite the hero to the people.  The warrior dressed in black is a real legend."  "Fuqin, I had to do it.  I needed purpose and I found it here.  The people needed me.  They had lost hope.  The Xiyi were getting a foothold here.  They know they have no place in the dark lands anymore.  They have come here and they are destroying the people.  We have to stop them."  "Very well.  We will do just that.  What's your plan?"  "Fuqin, we need to spread out and see if we can find that hive.  They can't be far from this town.  I have my mirror.  Do the rest of you have yours?"  "No.  We don't.  Next plan."  "Hmmm.  Communication will be hard.  We need a signal.  How about a display of fireflies where you find them?  We can all see that from the air.  I will be on the ground.  I'm sure that troop of Xiyi are trying to find me.  I will lead them on a merry chase and get them to lead me to their hive.  Fuqin, you lead Taiyang, Zhenzhu and Junjie in an air search.  JinDe and I will be on the ground.  Are we ready?"  Nods all around.  "Then let's depart.  If you don't find them, return here to this roof and we regroup.  Let's go!"  Baohu and JinDe slid down the roof and down by the window to Baohu's room.  It was ransacked, but there were no Xiyi there.  They went in the window and out the door.  They could smell them in the dining room.  "Er ge, I can see there are about twenty of them in the dining room.  Let's cloak, walk through the dining room and let them see us at the door.  They will come after me.  Stay hidden until you see me leaving, then join me.  Get ready!"