Jade Garden

On a concrete floor, grey and cold, a lone person sat, chained down and forced to his knees. His chains, held in place by tens, nay hundreds of swords. Varying colors and designs permeated the swords, each one carrying a pedigree of quality.

Splat

A drop of liquid fell on the head of the chained down person. The sound of water splashing resounded in the empty space.

“Bullseye! It landed right on his head. Pay up, men!”

“Tch! You bastard, you knew the direction of the wind already. That’s cheating.”

“Stop complaining. Don’t be a sore loser and pay up.”

Sounds echoed from the top. The voices came from the top. So far away was it, that eternal darkness covered the ceiling. Even if a torch was lit on the top, the distance was too large for the light to travel. This concrete sheet, with this lone man chained down to it, were on the bottom of the abyss. A place of eternal darkness.

“Let’s make a bet. If I hit his head with this coin, you return what I lost.”

“That’s no fun. Let’s change the amount a bit. If you win, I’ll give you the double of what you lost.”

“D-Double!”

Even through the echo and distance, the shakiness in the man’s voice was audible. His nervousness was altering his voice.

“W-What’s the catch?!”

“If you miss the head, you’ll give me a quarter of your salary this month.”

“A quarter!” a third voice jumped into the conversation. Offering his input on the bet. “Don’t do it. It isn’t worth it. You’ll have to live on scraps if you lose.”

“Shut up. I know. But I need to get back the money I lost. If my wife finds out I’ve been betting my money away, instead of saving up for our child, she’ll kill me.”

A clap reverberated to the bottom, and before the person chained up knew it, a small whizzing sound entered his ears. As if cutting through the air, this sound was getting louder and louder.

Impact struck his leg a moment later. A sudden pain accompanied the new silence, and a red mark appeared on his leg as the object bounced up, knocked up by his squishy skin.

“Fuck! I missed.”

“Hahaha, you need to pay up on your end of the bargain. What did we agree on? Half? A third?”

“A quarter you bastard. Don’t try to change the terms of the agreement.”

“Yes, it was a quarter. I’ll be looking forward to your generosity then. I’m open for a rematch anytime.”

“How could I let myself be taken advent age of like this? My wife is going to kill me when she finds out I lost a quarter of my income for the month. I’ll go days without food.”

The sound of someone hitting metal reached the bottom. The conversation of the two men slowly faded out, as one voice got quieter and quieter.

Silence once again controlled the bottom. Not even the sound of wind could be heard.

In silence, the chained-up man opened his mouth and extended his tongue. From it, a small light glistened. He spit it into his hands so that his fingers could grab it, and immediately began messing around with the cuff tying his hand to the chain.

Clack, Clack

He had to hurry, the sounds that were being made from the coin hitting the metal were being carried to the top. The guards would be able to hear it before he even knew it.

“Hmmm. What’s that sound?” one of the guards asked.

Click

At that moment, the man unlocked the chain on his left hand. The metal dropped to the ground and created a loud sound as it hit the concrete floor. The man looked at his hand, bloody where the handcuffs had been placed. The outskirts had even begun turning blue, his veins visible as they transferred blood through his wrist.

He looked at his ravaged hand in silence. Before the peace was unmistakably broken.

“T-The prisoner! H-He broke free!”

A scream came from the top, followed by the hurried footprints of the other men. Before he knew it, the man could hear their stressed shouting and arguing.

“What should we do?! This wasn’t supposed to happen!”

“How did he even break free?! He wasn’t able to do this until now!”

“The chains must’ve gone rusty.”

“Impossible. The blacksmith squad checks them weekly.”

“B-But then how?”

In that second, the coin the man had used to break free dropped to the ground. The guards likely realized the reason why he was able to escape, as silence took hold of them.

Alarms started ringing deafeningly loud noises, and a blinking red light started illuminating the area. The surroundings suddenly became visible to the man.

An iron bridge, hanging about 30 meters above him, decorated the roof. Above that, he could only see black. Even though it was illuminated because of the alarm, he could see no sight of the sky, or of an exit.

“Quickly! Get out of the way!”

He didn’t have time to think about an exit. As the shout drew his attention to the top, he saw the three men, unmistakably the ones that had dropped the coin, running away at full force. The next second the sky lit up.

Orange lights, quickly growing in size approached him. He squinted. And then realized.

They were lit arrows. As a storm of fire approached the man, he instinctively went into action. Lowering his hands and drawing a circle around him, the ground cut open a second later.

The man had cut a hole in the concrete floor and lifted it above his head. The arrows arrived. However, they struck the concrete block the men held above his head.

“Y-You missed! What are you doing?! Fire again!” a scream came from the top.

Before they would have a chance to draw and light new arrows, however, the man would escape from this abyss and secure a better location.

Having already freed his entire body from the chains, the swords which served as a further reinforcement were unnecessarily stuck to the ground.

“I’ll make do with this.” he said before he started kicking the swords stuck to the ground. Some he kicked, some he threw. All swords were aimed at the sides of this vast area.

Separating the platform he stood on and the walls of this circular prison, was a drop. A hole that encircled the entire round platform. The distance between this platform and the wall was about 10 meters. Which meant, in all directions, he would have to jump ten meters from his small platform to make it over to the wall. And if he didn’t make it, who knows how far down he’d fall.

But the man wasn’t fazed at all. He continued kicking the swords into the walls, each one further up than the next. By the time he was finished, a staircase-like structure had been made using the swords.

“Shoot him down, before he can get up here!” a shout much louder than anything that came before reached the bottom of the tower. Using it as his start signal, the man rushed towards the edge of his platform and leaped.

He soured through the sky. This was the first time he had used his muscles in the last ten years, but he could still recognize them as his own. They reacted as he wanted them to and were mostly capable of whatever he wanted to do. His legs touched down on the first sword without making a sound.

It was as if the sword wasn’t carrying any weight whatsoever. As if a feather had landed on it.

Without hesitation, the man jumped up to the next sword, and then the next, and hurried upwards. Climbing up the circular staircase he had constructed for himself.

Then a light appeared.

After it, a dozen. The man raised his eyes and saw. The orange lights. The same ones he had blocked earlier. We’re once again approaching him. Only this time, in a much larger amount.

The orange hues got closer and closer. The man climbed higher and higher. Only a single jump separated him and the metal bridge, as the arrows seemed seconds away from hitting him.

He only needed one jump to cover from the arrows. And this jump he took. As light as a feather, he soared through the sky. Cutting the air as he approached the bottom of the bridge.

A second later, the volley of arrows descended, some hitting the bridge, whilst others flying by it and Heading towards the bottom.

Silence

For a split second, the atmosphere tightened, and nobody had the courage to make a move. Was the man dead? Had they hit him? Those were the thoughts likely swirling around the mind of the men on top.

But he knew. He was still alive and had avoided the brunt of their onslaught. The man had dug his nails into steel and was holding his body upright.

“... I’m a bit rusty.” he said to himself as he pulled out an arrow that was stuck into his shoulder.

The arrow had been on fire, and as such, closed the wound somewhat. But that didn’t mean his bleeding had stopped entirely. Only that it was better than it would’ve been if he had been hit with a normal arrow.

Swinging his body back and forth, the man kicked upwards and broke the metal sheet used as a plank. Using his momentum, he jumped up the opening and landed on the bridge.

Raising his head, finally, he was able to see who was shooting at him. With his head raised, he saw the numerous archers stationed on a metal bridge above him. One man lead them.

With a metal cone-like hat, he stood there, menacingly. His body upright, his brown eyes stared down at him. Likewise, he stared back at him.

“Prepare the next volley! The escapee is still alive! He must not be permitted to leave this prison alive.”

“Damn you, Uesuxin. Trapping me in this hole for ten years, you’ll pay for it. With your life.”

Uesuxin raised his hand into the air, his fingers formed into a fist. That instant, the archers began lighting new arrows and preparing.

This was his last chance to escape. Now that they knew he survived, he wouldn’t be able to surprise and catch them off guard again. He had to act now before it was too late.

But there was nothing around him. Nothing that he could use to ascend higher. That was when...

Tsch!!!

A squelching sound came from above. He looked in the direction of the sound. He saw a glimmer of hope that kept ascending higher. Towards the next iron bridge.

What he saw was an elevator, with three people riding it. All of them looked at him, their faces dragging as they did so.

Without waiting a second longer, the man rushed towards the elevator. He picked up the metal sheet he had removed from the bridge and threw it at the wall. Adding a spin to it to make it more powerful.

Its rotation increasing the power and speed, the iron sheet penetrated the concrete wall, as if sticking a knife into butter. Using it as his foothold, the man leaped at the elevator, grabbing the edge.

“Eeek! He’s here!”

“He’s going to kill us all! It wasn’t my idea. I said we shouldn’t spit on you. It was their idea. I tried to hold them back.”

“Stop pretending like you’re innocent. You bet money too.”

“Don’t listen to them. They’re just trying to save their skin. He was the one that spit on you. I tried to hold him back.”

The three men quickly started bickering with one another. Blaming each other and trying to push the fault to someone else. As soon as the man pulled himself up and looked at them, they all went quiet. None of the guards would even move their mouths.

He stared at them, his glare likely scaring them. They shivered, and dropped down to their knees, their mouths agape.

“Cut the ropes! Don’t let the prisoner get up here!” with a voice containing a shout, Uesuxin urged his guards.

“Tch! Annoying bastard.”

The man approached the three guards on the floor. The closer he got, the stronger their bodies shivered. He reached down his hand, the guards closed their eyes and stopped breathing, the next second-

Clinch

As the guards opened their eyes, there was no one present. The man that had seconds prior stood in front of them, was no longer there. Still, none of them dared stand up and stayed in their covered-up state.

The escapee stood on the roof of the elevator. Using the footing it provided him, he looked up at his enemies staring down at him. The leader, Uesuxin still held his hand up. But when he saw him, it changed.

An army of arrows descended on the man. Estimated time of impact was only a couple of seconds. Staring this overwhelming danger in the face, the man drew a sword.

“Who let him get a sword?! How could you be so foolish!” Uesuxin shouted.

The orange-colored, blazing arrows flew towards the man. In turn, he readies his stance and calmed his nerves. Taking a few deep breaths, his concentration grew. The moment the arrows hit, he was ready.

Swinging his sword all around, the cold steel blade cut the arrows that would have otherwise pierced his skin. The blade was swung, rotated around in circles, and used in slashing motions. All were intended and precisely executed.

The barrage lasted only seconds, and the ungodly amount of arrows that rained down on him seemed endless. Wounds sprang up on his arms, legs, and torso. But he couldn’t stop. If he did, he would die.

“Aargh!”

He continued pushing his body to its limits, going faster and getting more accurate. When the arrows suddenly stopped.

The onslaught that had threatened to devour him moments prior came to an end.

With bloody wounds all over his body, the man lifted his gaze to look upon his enemies. With a triumphant smile, their leader looked down on him and spoke the next lines, laced with pride and accomplishment.

“Cut the rope.”

In that instant, the man could no longer feel the ground beneath his feet. The solid footing he had stood on was no longer solid. And the visage of his enemies was growing further and further away.

At this rate, he would never be able to escape. If he missed his chance now, who knows whether he would ever get another one. The revenge he dreamt of. The patience he accumulated whilst waiting for years. None of it would matter if he couldn’t leave the prison.

Leaving his body to its animalistic instincts, the man ceased to think. He entered a state of instinctualism, as that was the only thing he had left to do. His plan had been foiled. Only raw strength could get him out now.

With one leap, he jumped from the elevator and onto the wall, digging his nails into the concrete. Without a second thought, he began escalating the wall with his bare hands, using his nails as hooks that kept him in place.

A sword in mouth, he climbed. He accelerated. And finally, he began running upwards on all fours, just like a predator would do. With the stolen sword clenched between his teeth, the man rushed upwards.

Escaping the darkness once more, the man didn’t peek at his enemies. His mind was focused only on one task. Reaching the top.

But his enemies didn’t share his thought process. Panic broke out between them the moment they laid eyes upon the escapee running up the wall on all fours. Sweat rushing down their faces, the man didn’t know what to do. Even their leader, Uesuxin, seemed shaken.

“The bastard ain’t dead yet. Just go and die like the little rat you are, Xufei!” Uesuxin shouted. “Quick, prepare to shoot again. If he gets up here all of us are dead.”

The men scrambled to prepare their bows and arrows. Some lit the arrows, but due to stress and fear dropped them on the ground, extinguishing the flame.

“What are you doing idiots! Calm your nerves and ready your shots!”

The ones that managed to prepare themselves stepped forward and drew their bows back. The strings were pulled back, the sounds of nigh ripping coursing through the row.

Uesuxin lifted his hand into the air, his fist closed.

“This is our last chance. Make sure you shoot him down!”

However, that was easier said than done. The prisoner rushed up the wall at incredible speeds. The chances of hitting him accurately were low. And they were getting lower by the second.

“Fire!”

The man dropped his fist, and the barrage of arrows was released. They flew towards the escapee at incredible speeds, cutting through the air. At that moment, there were as many shrieks as there were arrows.

Xufei, the escapee, continued his upward advance.

As the arrows rained down on him, he danced between them, using the gaps left between each shot to dodge and avoid the flaming tips of the projectiles. Twisting his body, he avoided the deadly shots, only suffering small cuts over his body.

The burning tips of the arrows burned his skin and lessened the bleeding that left the small wounds left all over his body.

“Tch, that bastard is still as fast as I remember…”

In no time, Xufei reached the top, and with a jump, he landed on the bridge. Xufei and Uesuxin glared at each other in silence. Not a word was spoken. The men around them could feel the intensity in their eyes. Even without any words being spoken, the situation was clearly understood by everyone.

Some men charged at Xufei, either from fear or duty, but all of them were cut down. Using the sword he had taken from that guard back on the elevator, he cut them down. If they still stood, he cut their throats. Like this, he advanced through the mass of men. Advancing towards Uesuxin.

Men started running away from him, their fear taking a hold of their bodies and forcing their legs to carry them away from their enemy.

Yet, all this time, Xufei could only look at a single man. Only a single presence was important enough for him to look at him.

Uesuxin, was the only man in here that Xufei cared about. Nobody else even mattered for a second. In his eyes, they were no more than some ants that stood between him and his enemy. They were all dressed the same and looked the same to him. Heck, their power was comparable to ants in his eyes.

Uesuxin knew this, and he as well drew his sword. He advanced towards him. As his troops were falling back and running away, Uesuxin moved forward. His blade was drawn. He knew what he had to do. His men were far too weak to enter combat with one such as Xufei. He had to be the one to take him down.

In no time, the two men stood across from one another. There were no more distractions between them. The guards that were left alive were all hiding behind Uesuxin, covering in fear and shaking. They wouldn’t be any use anymore. It was only Xufei and Uesuxin now.

“There won’t be a repeat of last time. I’ve trained 10 years for this fight, whilst you’ve been rotting away at the bottom, chained up. You have no chance to win against me.” Uesuxin said.

“…”

“The crimson-soaked blade. That name still carries fear amongst the soldiers of the army. But I will bury it here. I will go down in history as the man that defeated the legendary crimson-soaked blade. I will not be humiliated again.”

“…No, humiliation is a fate too merciful. Only death awaits you.”

There wasn’t any necessity to say anything else. Uesuxin lifted his blade and readied his stance. Xufei, the crimson-soaked blade, did the same, and both of them were ready to start any second. Using the creaking of the bridge as their signal, the two men dashed towards one another.

Both of them kicked up from the ground and flew towards one another, lifting their blades and readying their strike.

Slash

In a single strike, the battle was over. The victor had been decided in an instant. No more than a single attack was necessary to determine who was stronger. The difference in strength was visible even before their attacks had connected.

A head fell to the ground and rolled over towards the covering men. With eyes containing no life whatsoever, the head leaked blood from multiple openings. Most of it coming from where it had been attached to the neck.

It was the head of Uesuxin. The man that had faced Xufei. Xufei walked over to the severed head, lifted it, and looked into its rotten eyes. There was no longer any life contained within them, and after he noticed it, he dropped the head.

“You have received punishment for your sins of the past. Even though it might have been too merciful.”

Those were his parting words to the man he had just cut down. There was nothing more to be said to him. No words of the past. No words of anything else. Xufei didn’t have any interest in telling him anything else.

He turned towards the covering men. Shaking and covering in fear, they looked at him with eyes full of tears.

“Please, I have a family.”

“I swear, I won’t do anything else. Please let me go.”

Some men tried to beg for their lives, whilst others couldn’t speak. Their mouths opened, but no voice left their throats.

“If I let you go now, you’ll just join a bigger force to fight me in the future. I would rather not have to face more enemies.” Xufei said.

“No, I swear I wouldn’t dare-“

Interrupting him in the middle of his speech, Xufei cut the man’s throat. There was nothing more to be said. His previous words were not some kind of question they could argue with. It was his decision, and he would follow through with it.

He massacred the men that were left on the bridge. Sparing no one in the process. Some tried to escape, but there was nowhere they could go. All faced Xufei’s blade and fell swiftly, their life extinguished. Be it young or old, man or woman, Xufei made no distinction and killed all of them the same.

It was a one-sided massacre. One that painted the blade Xufei used a deep red color.

Standing at the top of the prison, Xufei had climbed out after his business was finished. There was no longer any need to stay around. However, the orange-hued sunset that he found himself staring at made him stop for a second.

When was the last time he saw a setting sun? When did he last breathe fresh air? Xufei asked himself these questions. A feeling of nostalgia sprang up within him, carrying a sudden burst of sadness as well as longing. His eyes wettened, only for a second, before he regained his control over his emotions.

“I’ve finally made it out, Guifei. It’s been ten years, so it’s long past time to fulfill your last request. I swear on my life, I won’t fail again. I will save Cixi.”

Turning his back from the setting sun, Xufei headed down from the giant, tower-like prison he was standing on top off.