186: Chapter 186 Guerrilla Maneuvering (Part 4)

Northwest, The Rift periphery, early morning.

Lu Mingyuan stood on a ridgeline, looking at the distant terrain. South of the ridge was a gentle slope, with farmland, villages, and roads upon it. North of the ridge was the Rift Zone, one fissure after another, like wounds torn open upon the earth. Devilish Qi surged from the fissures, dark gray, like smoke, like fog, like the breath of decay.

"Bai Ze, how many exits are there in this area?" Lu Mingyuan asked.

"Exits? What exits do you mean?"

"The channels through which the Devilish Qi spreads. The Rift is in the Northwest, but the Devilish Qi won't stay only in the Northwest. It will follow valleys, river courses, and wind corridors southward. There are people, villages, and towns to the south. When the Devilish Qi arrives, people die. When people die, new hatred, resentment, and enmity arise. New hatred, resentment, and enmity make the Gloom stronger. A stronger Gloom hastens the Dharma Ending Age. To stop the Devilish Qi, we must first block these channels."

Bai Ze unfurled the bai ze map. Golden light flickered, and a topographic map materialized in the air. Mountains, rivers, villages, and fissures were all clearly marked. Several red lines extended from the Rift Zone, winding their way southward, like snakes, like vines, like blood vessels.

"Three main channels," Bai Ze said. "One to the east, following the river valley south, passing three villages, leading to a small town. One in the middle, following the wind corridor south, passing two villages, leading to a plain. One to the west, following a mountain gully south, passing four villages, leading to an official road. Three channels, nine villages, one small town, one plain, one official road. If Devilish Qi spreads along these channels, at least a hundred thousand commoners will suffer."

"Then we block them."

"How? You alone can't block three channels."

"Not block completely, but set up defenses. Establish barriers at key points along the channels to stop the Devilish Qi, preventing it from spreading further south. The barriers don't need to be large, don't need to be strong, just enough to block the Devilish Qi. Devil soldiers and generals can go around, but the Devilish Qi cannot. Because Devilish Qi is Qi, and Qi flows to low places, to wind corridors, to river courses. Block the low places, the wind corridors, the river courses, and the Devilish Qi cannot pass."

Bai Ze thought for a moment. "Feasible. But barriers require True Qi to maintain. Can you, alone, maintain three barriers?"

"No. But I don't need to maintain them for long. One day, two days, three days. Wait until the Zhenyi Alliance people arrive, then hand them over for maintenance. I'll go set up the next one."

"The Zhenyi Alliance lacks manpower."

"Then recruit. Loose Cultivators, Martial Artists, monks, Taoists—any willing to come. We can't offer money, Medicinal Pills, or Cultivation Techniques. But we can offer hope. Hope is more valuable than anything."

Bai Ze looked at him, at this person who had transformed from a soldier into a healer. He wasn't just saving people anymore; he was starting to set up defenses. Not just treating symptoms, but starting to address the root cause. Not just mending fissures, but starting to block channels. He was growing, day by day. Very slowly, as slow as a snail's crawl. But he was growing, growing in the darkness, growing amidst resentment, growing within despair.

"Alright," Bai Ze said. "I'll accompany you."

---

Eastern Channel, River Valley.

The river valley was not wide, about two li across, with a small river flowing from north to south. The water was black, polluted by Devilish Qi, its surface covered with a layer of oily black substance, like blood, like ink, like tears. On both banks were farmlands; the wheat was nearly ripe, but the ears were black, not golden. That blackness was spreading, from north to south, advancing one li per day. In ten more days, it would reach the first village.

Lu Mingyuan stood at the narrowest point of the valley, where the banks were only half a li apart. He extended his hands, palms facing the river surface. Wanxiang True Qi surged forth, golden light, faint, gentle. That light was not an attack, but a barrier. A barrier, spanning the river surface, between north and south, between the Devilish Qi and the villages.

The barrier was very thin, thin as a sheet of paper. But it was very stable, steady as a mountain. Devilish Qi surged forward, crashed against the barrier, golden light flashed, and the Devilish Qi was blocked. It went left—left had a barrier. Went right—right had a barrier. Went up—up also had a barrier. It couldn't pass, could only turn back, could only retreat to The Rift, could only stay in the north.

Lu Mingyuan stood for a quarter of an hour, confirming the barrier's stability, before withdrawing his hands. His Dantian was still full, his True Qi still sufficient. One barrier didn't consume much. But he knew this was only the beginning. The barrier needed maintenance, for one day, two days, three days. He couldn't stand here forever; he still had to go set up the next one.

"Bai Ze, where is the nearest Zhenyi Alliance outpost?"

"Thirty li to the south, there's a small town with a Zhenyi Alliance branch. The branch has five Cultivators, led by a Nascent Soul Stage."

"Is that enough to maintain this barrier?"

"No. The True Qi of a Nascent Soul Stage can maintain this barrier for at most half a day."

"Then have them take turns. Five Cultivators, each half a day, can maintain it for two and a half days. Two and a half days is enough."

"Enough for what?"

"Enough for me to think of a way. In two and a half days, I can find more people to help."

Bai Ze asked no more. It knew that when this person said "think of a way," he already had a plan. Not a foolproof plan, but a plan to try. If it succeeded, it succeeded. If it didn't, he would think of another. There was no hurry.

---

Middle Channel, Wind Corridor.

The wind corridor lay between two mountains, less than a hundred zhang wide. Wind blew from the north, carrying Devilish Qi, a bloody stench, and despair. The wind was strong, making it hard to stand, rolling stones, bending trees. Once past the mountain pass, the wind spread southward, dispersing onto the plain, into the villages, into people's hearts.

Lu Mingyuan stood at the narrowest point of the wind corridor, facing the north wind. That wind struck his face, cold as a knife's edge. The wind contained Devilish Qi, and within the Devilish Qi was hatred—hatred bearing the resentment of the Witch-Demon Calamity, the enmity of the Investiture of the Gods Calamity, the pain of the Journey to the West Great Tribulation. That hatred was eroding him, devouring him, assimilating him. Wanting him to also become part of the Gloom, part of the hatred, part of the resentment.

Lu Mingyuan did not retreat. He extended his hands, palms facing the north wind. Wanxiang True Qi surged forth, golden light, bright, fierce, intense. That light was not confrontation, but a barrier. A barrier, spanning the wind corridor, between north and south, between the Devilish Qi and the plain.

The north wind crashed against the barrier with a *boom*, shaking the earth. The barrier did not break, the golden light did not extinguish, Lu Mingyuan did not retreat. But his hands trembled, his body trembled, his heart trembled. This barrier was larger, thicker, and consumed more than the one in the river valley. His True Qi was draining rapidly, his Dantian emptying, his body weakening.

But he could not retreat. If he retreated, the Devilish Qi would pass the mountain pass, reach the plain, reach the villages, reach people's hearts. Once Devilish Qi entered people's hearts, they would hate, resent, bear enmity. More hatred, resentment, and enmity would make the Gloom stronger. A stronger Gloom would hasten the Dharma Ending Age. Hastened, more people would die. More deaths, more hatred, resentment, enmity. A vicious cycle. He could not let this cycle continue.

He stood for half a shichen, until the barrier stabilized. Lu Mingyuan withdrew his hands, gasping for breath in great gulps. His Dantian was half empty, his body weak, his face pale. But he smiled. Because he knew this barrier could hold. At least for a day, at least for two days, at least until he returned.

"Bai Ze, where is the nearest village?"

"Five li to the south, there's a village. The village has over a dozen hunters who hunt in these mountains year-round. They don't fear Devilish Qi because they have experience; they know how to hide, how to run, how to survive."

"Go call them here."

"Call them here for what?"

"To see this barrier. Tell them this barrier is blocking the Devilish Qi for them. If the barrier breaks, the Devilish Qi will come. They will die. If they want to live, they must guard this barrier. Not with cultivation, but with their eyes. Watch it, keep an eye on it, guard it. If they find a crack, tell me immediately. I will come to mend it."

Bai Ze looked at him. "You think hunters can guard it?"

"Yes. Because they want to live. Those who want to live are stronger than anything."

---

Western Channel, Mountain Gully.

The mountain gully was deep, the mountains on either side tall. At the bottom ran a small path, winding its way south. On both sides of the path were four villages. The villagers lived off farming, and also relied on this path to transport grain out for sale. The path existed, so a way to live existed. If the path was cut off, the way to live was cut off.

Lu Mingyuan stood at the narrowest point of the gully, where the cliff walls were only ten zhang apart. He extended his hands, palms facing the gully bottom. Wanxiang True Qi surged forth, golden light, very weak, very faint, very light. His True Qi was nearly depleted, his Dantian almost empty, his body almost unable to hold on. But he could not retreat. If he retreated, the Devilish Qi would follow the gully southward, to the villages, to people's hearts.

Gritting his teeth, he poured the last shred of True Qi into the barrier. The barrier was very thin, thin as a cicada's wing. But the barrier existed, upon the gully bottom, between north and south, between the Devilish Qi and the villages. Devilish Qi surged forward, crashed against the barrier, golden light flashed, and the Devilish Qi was blocked. It couldn't pass, could only turn back, could only retreat to The Rift.

The barrier was complete. But Lu Mingyuan also collapsed. He slumped to the ground, face deathly pale, whole body trembling, Dantian utterly empty like a well drained dry. In his heart, the small tree swayed, swaying violently, like a sapling in a storm. But it did not fall; its roots were still in the soil, its trunk still upright, its leaves still reaching for the light.

"Bai Ze." His voice was very weak, weak as a mosquito's hum.

"Here."

"Go find the Zhenyi Alliance people, find the hunters, find those who want to live. Tell them the three barriers are set. If they want to live, they must guard them. Guard for one day, that's one day; guard for one year, that's one year. If they guard them, the Devilish Qi cannot pass. If it cannot pass, people live. If people live, hope exists. Where hope exists, the sky will brighten."

"And you?"

"I'll rest here a while. Once rested, I'll go to the next place."

Bai Ze looked at him, at this person who had transformed from a soldier into a healer. His face had no color, but his eyes held light. That light was very weak, weak as a firefly's glow. But that light did not extinguish, no matter how strong the wind, no matter how deep the darkness, no matter how heavy the despair.

"Alright," Bai Ze said. "I'm going. You rest well."

Bai Ze flew away, flying southward, flying towards the villages, flying towards those who wanted to live. Lu Mingyuan sat in the mountain gully, leaning against a rock, eyes closed. He was resting, recuperating, waiting. Once rested, he would go to the next place. The next place still had fissures, still had Devilish Qi, still had people who wanted to live.

His Dantian was slowly recovering, very slowly, as slow as a snail's crawl. But it was recovering, thread by thread, bit by bit, inch by inch. Recovering and recovering, until it was full. Full, then he could set up the next barrier. Set it up, then he could block the Devilish Qi. Block it, then people could live. People lived, then hope existed. Where hope existed, the sky would brighten.

The sky of the Northwest was still gray and hazy, still had fissures, still had Devilish Qi, still had hatred. But Lu Mingyuan was not afraid. Because he knew, set up one barrier a day, in a year set up three hundred and sixty-five. Setting them up and setting them up, they would become many. Many, then they could block. Block, then people could live. People lived, then hope existed. Where hope existed, the sky would brighten.

In his heart, the small tree was still growing. One zhang nine, two zhang. Very slowly, as slow as a snail's crawl. But it was growing, growing in the darkness, growing amidst resentment, growing within despair. It was growing, so it would grow big. Grown big, then it could set up more. Set up more, then it could block more. Block more, then more could live. More lived, then there would be more light. More light, then the night could recede.