Molting the Mortal Coil

Chapter 757: Closing In

Chapter 757: Closing In

The aesthetic of the Fu Clan Headquarters turned out to be far different than what Sage had come to recognize as their style. In the past every time hed seen a Fu Clan member they were dressed up all in black with masks over their faces. Every single one of them followed this convention but the actual style of their clothing and masks were highly individual. To Sage they all looked like shinobi wannabes, but their capital city was entirely different. From the information they gathered, each of the members of the Fu Clan had two different identities. The first was when they were covered with a mask and dark outfit and operating outside the borders of their Clan territory. The second identity was their true identity, when they werent wearing a mask and governing the Lucky Star Province.

Contrary to their usual dark and intimidating appearance, the capital of the Lucky Star Province, Good Fortune City was a bright and beautiful place. Good Fortune City was built at the entrance to a large subterranean cave complex, and it was surrounded by a peach grove that extended dozens of miles in every direction. They were famous for growing a hundred different varieties of peach, many of which were items that assisted in cultivation. In addition, they were quite famous for their many peach related products. Peach sauces, peach kabobs, pickled peaches, a thousand types of peach wine, and that was before including all the products created out of peach wood. The city always carried the wonderful scent of ripe peaches even when they were out of season and even the most dirty and poor streets still carried a pleasant scent. It really was so very different from the dark and wicked appearance of the Fu Clansmen in other places.

The word Fu means bat, but with a different tone it also means happiness. It is a common symbol used to represent good fortune and happiness. In ancient times, bats were also responsible for spreading the seeds of peach trees. Peaches are a symbol of longevity, due to the legendary Peaches of Immortality, that when consumed are said to directly transform a person into an immortal. They are also associated with female fertility, and due to their association with the bat, the bat is associated with male fertility. Additionally, bats also carry a similar motif of longevity since they live in caves just like Immortals are said to. Especially since they actually live much longer than other mammals of similar size. Sage remembered this interesting bit of trivia because it always made him think of vampires.

The motif of bats and peaches were very common ways to wish people good fortune, health and a long life. Good Fortune City seemed to take this to the extreme. The Fu Clan really played into this setup, the bat clan living in the peach grove. It was definitely a very good way to get the common people on your side and probably a very good foundation to use for spreading propaganda. This was especially true because they seemed to always act honorably when they werent wearing masks. They wore flashy Clan outfits and put on a good show for the people. They only did their dirty work when their identities were hidden and from the information hed gathered they rarely operated on their own territory in this fashion.

Thats a lot of effort spent making yourselves look good. That sort of narcissism definitely cant be good, right?

The Fu Clan always seemed to talk as if they were virtuous heroes. From the rumors Sage had heard, the Fu Clan conducted themselves in an upright and fair manner. Unfortunately, every time hed run into them they were busy trying to kill the Lang or Chong Clan so he really doubted the validity of those rumors. Were they really good at their own propaganda, or was the Chong Clan, and the Lang Clan by extension, actually an outlier? It wasnt as if Sage had the opportunity to see them interacting with other groups, they were pretty mysterious after all.

Whether they were good or evil didnt matter at this point as the Fu Clan were rivals with the Chong Clan and they were here to settle the score once and for all.

As they closed in towards Good Fortune City, the attack upon the Fu Clan began with a bang. Around the outer border of the massive peach grove were a series of defensive fortresses. They appeared as nothing more than small hills, but when the Chong Clan approached close enough the hill faded away and revealed a fifty foot tall pagoda. Each of these pagodas were made of some sort of strange black stone and covered with array symbols. When these armies approached the illusionary hill disappeared and powerful Formation Arrays sprang to life.

At this point the main Chong Family held their position and the Branch Clans were sent forward to fulfill their part in this war. These five Branch Clans sent forward their armies of cultivators, showing off their unique methods of combat. Ci, the Sting, Clan released clouds of hornets, wasps, and bees of various types by the thousands. Yi, the Ant, Clan rode on a carpet of skittering creatures that crashed against the defensive array like a living wave. Jie, the Beetle, Clan was more varied in their approach. Some of them were housed in small metal shacks that were mounted on giant beetles backs like a howdah, while others had swarms of many tiny beetles like the Ci or Yi Clans. Min, the Frog, Clan were quite different from the other three as there were no bugs or beasts in sight. Instead they rushed forward and attacked with an almost uncountable number of hidden and secret weapons. Throwing knives, darts, needles, stars, spikes, crossbows, slings, ballista, and all manner of other unusual contraptions were brought out and fired at the barrier. Everywhere those weapons struck the barrier a bright green glow spread, damaging the barrier with their impact force as well as some sort of unusual corrosive energy. The stings of the many wasps, hornets and bees from the Ci Clan had a similar effect, wearing the barrier down with some sort of unusual power.

Sage recognized both Clans were using some sort of poison, which was fitting considering their Clans. The fifth Branch was his own Clan, and at this point the Lang were fighting quite conservatively. Thousands of Dragoons were using their Formation Armor to create a giant energy spear and stabbing it at the barrier they were responsible for. The Fu Clan had eight of these small fortresses and the five Branch Clans of the Chong Clan were each targeting a different one of them. From their prior analysis of these defensive formations they had come to the conclusion that the eight fortresses were linked together. That meant if they wished to destroy one theyd have to overcome the combined power of all eight. It also meant that if they attacked multiple fortresses at the same time, it would mean they couldnt concentrate their power into one of them.

Of course, the Fu Clan wasnt just going to sit on its laurels while the Chong Clan Branches were making their attacks. The barrier around Good Fortune City flickered a pattern of bright colors and a loud horn sound came from the center of the city. Thousands of cultivators with black outfits and masks seemed to appear from all over the city. They leapt out of wells, jumped out of windows, stepped out of doorways, climbed down from the branches of the trees and even hopped out of bales of hay or truckloads of vegetables.

Well, you dont see that everyday. Where did they all come from? What sort of weird movement technique or secret tunnels are those?