Phoenix Rising

090

"Fire! Fire!"

Panicked shouts began to fill the air as the flames engulfing the palace dungeons lit up the once-peaceful night. Guards rushed out from the singular prison entrance, coughing and spluttering, eager to get to safety. Attendants rushed to fetch buckets of water to help put out the flames, while many more simply gathered around, watching in horror as thick plumes of smoke continued rising into the sky.

While everyone's attention was fixed upon the unexpected fire, four figures slipped away in the darkness, under the cover of thick, hooded cloaks, making their way toward the western city gate. A horse carriage was already waiting for them there.

Before she boarded the carriage, Zi-ning turned and took another look at the fiery glow peeking out from behind the palace walls. Would the dungeons–that place of nightmares where she had suffered the unimaginable, where she had lived out the final days of her previous life–be razed till there was nothing left but ash and soot? She sighed, unsure of what she was meant to feel. A little catharsis, but mostly numbness.

"Miss, we should hurry before someone notices," Lianxin said, reaching a hand out to help Zi-ning up the carriage.

Nodding, she quickly stepped on board. Zhenghuan was still waiting for her.

#

It was dusk when Zi-ning and her companions arrived at the little village of Nuoli, sitting on the Duan side of the Duan-Hua border. They had abandoned the carriage and horses in the forest a while back and opted to finish the journey on foot, in case they drew too much attention to themselves. According to Mingshen, who had only accompanied them halfway before having to return to Huangcheng, there were plenty of scouts from both Hua and Duan who were out searching for Zhenghuan, most of whom likely had ill intentions. It was of paramount importance for them to keep Zhenghuan's whereabouts a secret, until he was fully recovered and ready to make the next move.

Zi-ning was slightly surprised that Zhenghuan had chosen to settle in Nuoli. Nuoli was a small mining village, with most of its inhabitants working at the nearby iron mines. Iron was a highly valued commodity, since it was used in the manufacture of weapons and armour, hence military patrols were more frequent in the area. Stepping into the village, she could already spot several Duan soldiers seated at streetside food stalls, eating noodles or drinking a spot of wine on their break.

Following the guide that Mingshen had left them with, Zi-ning and the two other girls made their way cautiously down the village's winding dirt roads until they came to what looked to be a regular sundries store. They went in.

"How can I help you?" the store owner, a chubby middle-aged man with a large bald patch asked when he saw them enter.

"Two jin of goji, six jin of licorice and eight jin of shadow," their guide replied.

Eight jin of shadow.

That had to be a pass code.

The owner exchanged a knowing glance with their guide, then lifted the curtain hiding the passageway behind his counter, gesturing for them to follow him. "What took you so long? We were expecting you yesterday, according to the note from Commander Zhang."

"Had to take a slight detour to avoid some Hua scouts."

They came to a large rosewood altar, where incense for the Goddess of the Earth had been lit in front of her clay likeness. The store owner reached for one of the bronze candle holders sitting on the altar, rotating it clockwise, then anti-clockwise, then two rounds clockwise again. The entire altar slid sideways to reveal a hidden stairway leading downwards. They made their way down the stone steps, arriving in front of a rickety wooden door.