Nine Paths of Asura-Original Wuxia

Chapter 2- A Nobody Becomes a Somebody But Nobody Knows Him

The sight of Lineir and the massive undead clinging onto his back would be almost comical if it wasn't for the horde behind him. Like an adult chasing after a small child, a three meter-high skeleton was holding out its tattered hand onto Lineir's shirt. The fleeing boy was slowly gaining distance by taking three steps for every one of the giant skeleton's, but he was hampered by his shirt when it refused to stretch any further. Slowly, he was being dragged back. Just as it seemed like he would be unable to escape the undead's grasp, finally, the cheap cloth gave out and ripped completely off! Lineir was free!

Twang! Thunk!

He immediately dived for the floor as arrow after arrow whistled overhead. The guards hadn't bothered to wait for Lineir to be clear of the line of fire. If his clothes hadn't been so worn out then he definitely would be spikier than a porcupine right now! Fortunately, as it was, instead the skeleton towering over him was hit by arrow after arrow, each tip etched with enchanted steel which burned into undead flesh and turned it to dust.

Lineir could not help but breath a sigh of relief. However, the hulking figure behind him, though filled with horrifying holes, began to slowly lumber forward despite its wounds. It was an undead of such a high level, that even weakened by runic arrows, it would continue to march onwards. Lineir hastily scrambled to his feet and ran to put distance between himself and the terrifying juggernaut behind him. The city gates had shut out the horde. A great undead host was beating on the runic-wrought walls, but they couldn't break through. Unfortunately, the original high-level skeleton was already through the gates! The guards panicked and continued to fire arrows,

"Undead in the city!"

They cried over and over. Knowing that he did not qualify to participate in this battle, Lineir made his escape, leaving the situation behind him to the guards and whoever else heard their cries. As he hurried to the small apartment he shared with his sister, which was conveniently close to the outskirts of the city, he saw three white-robed figures flying above. With a start he realized that these were experts of the White Horizon Sect who were rarely seen outside the inner districts where they meditated in seclusion. The greatest experts in the city had actually roused themselves for a situation that he had caused!

Lineir immediately ducked into an alleyway. If he was discovered to be responsible for such a troubling matter, it would be a disaster! A nobody like Lineir would pay for his transgressions with his life! Whether he meant to do such a thing or not didn't matter. After they passed overhead, Lineir quickly darted out from hiding, taking random turns so that anyone watching could not possibly know which direction he came from. Quickly, he was absorbed into the confused crowd as just another bystander. Like a drop of water in the wide ocean, he was impossible to find in so many people, and none of the bigger fish or sharks would take notice of him. Successfully having escaped from disaster, he realized that he had forgotten something important! The ripped clothing on his back!

An intrepid observer might note that the skeleton at the gate had torn the back of his clothes and be able to trace his steps in the city. With a quick yank, the shirt in question was quickly removed and balled up into his pocket.

"That should cover my tracks for now. I'd better be careful. Nobody can know that it was I who caused such a ruckus, not even my sister, or a nobody like me with no status will be done for!"

At his run-down house, whose whole expanse couldn't even compare to the lowliest of inn rooms, Lineir stashed away his ruined shirt and changed into a new one to await his sister's return from the bar. At exactly three hours after sunset, she arrived, exhausted and haggard, but with the beautiful smile that she always had for her brother.

Lineir was used to this late arrival, what with her status as an unmarried and uncultivated girl, she was unable to argue with any of the conditions at her workplace. To be frank, it was already quite generous that she got home before the moon reached its peak. As a serving girl at a bar, the owners of the inn didn't want her skin to be bad. If her eyes were like a raccoon's, who would want to be served by her? So they let her home early. Otherwise, it would likely be the case that Lineir wouldn't see her at all before he slept.

"Little brother, have you heard the news? Something exciting is happening in our Brackenrock City!" Lineir sighed inwardly as he heard his sister's exclamation. He already knew what the news was going to be about, and he was feeling distinctly uncomfortable thinking about the ants nest he had kicked. With a suppressed shudder, he faced his one and only sister and smiled,

"Big sister, Yiu, I have heard the news, but only rumors. I suspect that as a maid, you'd know more." His sister's pretty face, which was as attractive as some of the nobles smiled back at him.

"Little brother, let me tell you a story I heard repeated many times today. Some young man wandered deep into the Deadzone and actually pulled out a higher-level undead! It had a whole horde of undead following it, though fortunately they were locked outside the city walls. But one of the undead actually got into the city! It was so powerful that three White Horizon Sect members were sent to suppress it when the runed arrows failed to bring it down!" At this moment, Lineir's face was developing into a distinctly red tone like an overripe peach. His sister mistook that for excitement though, "Amazing right?!" Lineir could do nothing but nod helplessly.

"What about this young man who led the undead here, is there anything about him?" His sister frowned slightly, annoyed that Lineir didn't appear to be as excited as she was.

"No, who cares about him, they say he almost got eaten alive, but nobody knows where he disappeared to, when it was over, he was nowhere to be seen." Lineir grew more and more queasy with every sentence, his guilty mind losing control of his stomach. His sister paused for a moment to take a breath, but then continued, "Do you know what's even crazier?"

Not waiting for an answer she continued out in one breath,

"The three White Horizon Sect members were actually killed by that higher undead at the gates! Afterwards, the entire sect went out and forcefully exterminated the enemy, even the elders came out! This is why I always told you to stay away from the Deadzone and old city! Nothing good comes from that place. I wouldn't want to be the perpetrator of all this when he is found out. At the very least he will be hung, and most likely his whole clan exterminated as well!" With a chopping motion mimed at her neck, Yiu illustrated the point before gasping for breath and bringing out dinner, a few rolls of bread from the inn. Turning pale, Lineir pretended to chew a few bites before excusing himself and soundlessly concealing his retches outside.

"I'm so screwed and to make matters worse, I may have dragged my one and only sister into this as well! What in the nine Hells do I do?!!!"