Esen's hut was no less tense with four occupants instead of forty. Tian hadn't moved from his spot, still sitting cross-legged. Across the firepit, Esen, his attendant, and the cavalry commander sat. With a scar across his face, Junchi was also a chieftain, from a sister tribe to Esen’s. Apparently, they had once been the same tribe a couple of generations ago when Esen’s half decided to settle down in this spot. Junchi’s tribe remained true to their nomadic ancestors and had come for their periodic visit as explained when he introduced himself to Tian. All three of them stared at him like he was a dragon. …which seemed to be the case in their culture? There had been a lot of shouting and at least one attempt at a blood sacrifice before the two chiefs had ordered a private meeting between them and ‘the Dragon of War’.

  Tian wasn't helping as tense as he was. With hunger and thirst satisfied, that left the war energy rampaging in his soul to battle his body's need for sleep. It was painfully similar to Angel’s incident with emotional transference. Lesser, but the internal fight strained Tian’s composure all the same. No outbursts had slipped past his control, however every twitch and tic was spotted and noted by his hosts, keeping them on edge. Junchi's fingers kept drifting to a scimitar before he pulled them back. Esen took deep breaths. The young woman openly trembled next to Esen.

  Normally, Tian would wait it out, to let them take the first move when they were ready. The wild energy threatened worse the longer he waited. He broke the silence. “I will not hurt anyone.” The trio stiffened. He tried again, keeping his voice level. “I was sent to protect people from evil, from monsters.”

  Confusion rolled through them. That might be a step up? Junchi replied, “The Yaoguai?”

  It was so weird. Tian heard the name and its translation - monster(s)- echo in his head. He nodded. “Yes, I was sent to stop the Yaoguai from destroying the Han Empire, and kill the one behind the Yaoguai: He Xiangu.”

  All three of them recoiled, and descended into panicked trembling. He wasn't sure why until Junchi fell forward into a kowtow. “Divine Ying Huo! I mean no disrespect when I ask: are you sure of these things? We are not Han, but we are told by Han and our ancestors that Immortal He is a divine woman of exceeding virtue. The ancestor of the Chinese people, wife of the Yellow Emperor.” Tian twitched. Junchi had not said the name ‘Chinese’, but that was how the name translated in Tian’s mind. “Even in our days, she is said to reside in Luoyang where she blesses the Mandate of Heaven upon the Han emperor.”

  Tian sucked in a deep breath as his hands gripped his knees. Esen and his attendant saw this and promptly joined Junchi in a kowtow. Tian took one more deep breath as he mentally clubbed the war energy back under control. Every hour under it strained his control more. When it aligned with his anger? It was a potent mix. “Please, rise. I will not harm anyone.” Three heads peeked up at him with blatant uncertainty. Given how he looked, he couldn’t blame them. There was a chance, a small chance, that they did speak the truth. That there were, in fact, two Xiangus. One was this immortal woman of virtue; the other was this demon dragon.

  Except East was able to inflict mind control on me with a couple of sentences. If this Xiangu is the same one in Luoyang, then the Han Emperor is probably under her control. Worse, if she really has been around since the beginning of the Chinese, her control could be very deep. I might have to treat the entire Empire as a hostile nation. Xiangu did mention something about slaves. This could be it. Am I really supposed to save an entire nation enslaved to a dragon?

  He felt the keen absence of his Vitalis all the more. He had enough to grant one more person immunity to East Xiangu. Sim had mentioned this Empire having millions of people. As powerful as Tian was, he couldn’t win against those odds. Do I have no choice but to embrace the Vitalis System to complete this mission? What about Silver? Does he have any idea we might be walking into an Empire of hostiles?

  It took him a moment to remember that three people were cowering in front of him. Cowering was the right word because he was willing to bet his expression was stormier after these last, black thoughts. “Rise,” he repeated, gesturing with a hand. He forced himself to look calmer. “Perhaps what you say is true. My mission requires me to go to Luoyang. I will figure things out there. In any case, I must speak with the Han emperor myself.”

  Wary stares were their answer for a moment. He apparently managed to look calmer because Esen and his attendant started to rise. Junchi, however, asked, “Divine One, I beg your forgiveness, but was there some reason the Jade Dragon did not send you directly to Luoyang?”

  The other two froze.

  Tian wasn’t sure who the Jade Dragon was, but since he was now labelled the Dragon of War and Xiangu was a demon dragon, he was willing to bet the Jade Dragon was some other god. Perhaps their version of the head god. This is the second universe I’ve been to that has had gods for dragons. Is that more common than not? Is the Ancient-of-Days a dragon?

  It didn’t feel right to him, but he didn’t have any counter-evidence. The downside of his original memories sacrificed for power. As to the question at hand, it definitely felt like it was either the Ancient or Sim manipulating Tian’s arrival to meet his target and the Yaoguai. No way it was sheer coincidence he landed so far outside of the Han Empire only to immediately run into his enemies. “It was by design.” He paused and dropped any mention of Xiangu. “I needed to see the Yaoguai myself.”

  There was an uncomfortable pause as Esen turned his head toward Junchi. The latter scowled but pressed on. “Not that we doubt your word, Divine One, but you did see a Yaoguai?”

  The trio flinched when Tian's eye twitched. “Yes. I fought Taotie and these flying hairballs.”

  The young woman paled, while Esen trembled. Junchi looked more confused than dismayed. Esen spoke first, “Two generations free of the Yaoguai, if only it had lasted longer.”

  “Divine One,” Junchi began, cautious and slow. “The flying Yaoguai, did they have no faces?” Tian nodded. “The Hundun then. Not one of their kind has been spotted in four generations. I am… surprised you did not mention their name.”

  I'm botching this, Tian sighed. I just don't know enough about this land, this universe to not screw it up. I should come clean about who I am and where I’m from. …can they understand the concept of the Multiverse? “You know there are other lands, right? What if I told you there were other lands even farther away?”

  The scrunched faces of confusion weren’t a good sign. “We know that the trader's talk of lands at the edge of Tianxia,” Esen offered. “There's also the Endless Waters beyond Japan.”

  The name meant nothing to Tian. Japan, that is. His mind translated Tianxia as ‘All-Under-Heaven’. He had a sudden suspicion of his first name. Maybe I should stick to the Sentinel name. Anyway, is there nothing past Japan? Whatever. Focus on the edges part. “What if I told you that there were lands beyond the edges of the world?”

  More bewildered staring. “Divine One,” Esen said carefully. “We respect that your wisdom is beyond our mortal minds. For us on Tianxia, there are no other lands, or it would not be Tianxia. Unless you refer to Heaven, Divine One?”

  Ying didn't foresee this going anywhere. If I say no, then we're back to the last step. If I say yes, then I'm just mixing Heaven and the Multiverse as concepts. Maybe it's just the lack of education, maybe it's the time period, maybe the culture, maybe something else. Either way, I can't explain the truth in a way they can understand. What lie would be the most honest? They want to know why I don't know basic facts about this realm. How do I explain how I don't know things I should kno…

  In hindsight, the answer was obvious. “On my journey here, I had to sacrifice some of my memories.”

  Raw interest replaced the confusion as Junchi leaned forward. “Why did the Great Dragon require such a thing?”

  “The Ancient-of-Days,” Ying paused before launching himself on a guess. “That is, the Great Dragon did so to grant me the power to slay two disobedient dragons.”

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  The trio recoiled in shock. “Dragons can die?!” Junchi exclaimed.

  “Dragons can be corrupted?” Esen feared.

  Ying wasn't sure which reaction bothered him more. “All dragons, except the Great Dragon, are both mortal and corruptible. The dragons I slew threatened innocent people they had no place to judge.”

  “Why have we never heard or seen of this?”

  Ying hesitated. Then, he pointed up. “I slew both of them in the heavens.” He did his best to not cringe at the twice-over half-truth.

  For better or for worse, his words were accepted without question. “What a day of revelation this has been,” Esen murmured.

  Junchi eyed Ying's crossed legs. “Divine One, would it be impertinent of me to ask which of your memories you sacrificed?”

  “Most of them,” Ying growled. He cursed his momentary loss of control as the trio froze again. Another deep breath. “The two dragons, one of night and one of light, were far more powerful than me. The Great Dragon required a great cost of me for the power necessary to slay them. Now, I am here to slay another dragon. A four-, three-headed dragon that commands the Yaoguai.”

  The trio shifted uncomfortably across the fire pit. “The dragon that is masquerading as Immortal He?” Esen ventured.

  He shrank as Ying failed to contain a scowl. Ying dropped his face into his hand before wiping away his open displeasure. He looked back at Esen. “Yes, the dragon who claimed to be He Xiangu.”

  With words thick with supplication, Junchi asked, “Is there anything we can do to aid you, Divine One?”

  His answer was immediate. “What is this energy shaking my soul!?” And loud. His chest heaved as he disregarded control for a flicker of relief. He had been dealing with this for hours, and couldn't bring himself to care that the trio cowered before this sudden energy.

  As usual, Junchi, while bowing toward Ying, recovered his bravery first. “W-what energy do you speak of, Divine One?”

  “My battle with the Yaoguai! As I fought and killed them, a new energy of sorts flowed into me. It bounces around in me, constantly! How do I release it!”

  Ying wasn't too far gone to not recognize the flash of shock and befuddlement flash across Junchi's face. He bowed his head. “Divine One, I believe that is the most powerful ability of the Sentinels: Wuqi. It is said that they use it to win their battles.”

  That's not a power in the Last World. Which means I got that power from a side effect. Don't know whether I want to thank or strangle Sim. “How do I release it?”

  Junchi pressed himself as hard as he could against the ground. “I… I don’t know, Divine One. I can only suggest you find a Sentinel.”

  Ying's hands squeezed his knees as hard as he could. It took that and a few deep breaths before he trusted himself to speak. “Fine. Will I find one in Luoyang?” The following uncomfortable silence made it clear how stupid of a question it was. “Never mind.”

  After a moment, Junchi ventured. “Is there anything else we may do for you, Divine One?”

  It would be wise to ask them for all they knew about… Well, everything. There was so much he didn't know, and all intel would serve him well. Except living like this was edging into torture. If I can't get rid of this Wuqi now, then I can try to fix the other problem. “May I rest here for a few hours? Then I also request a meal when I wake up, please? Once I've eaten, I will leave for Luoyang.”

  Esen's head finally left the ground. “Of course, Divine One.” He gestured to a cot near where Ying sat. “Please, use my bedding. I give you my home to be yours, until your departure on your Heavenly mission.”

  Junchi was quick to add. “Divine One, my half of the tribe can travel with you to Luolan as your attendants, if you are pleased with us.”

  “Thank you, I accept your hospitality.” Ying nodded to Esen before turning to Junchi. “I thank you for the consideration. However, your horses can’t keep up my flight, and I intend to fly directly to Luoyang.”

  Both men paused before Esen asked. “Divine One, it is a trip of weeks to travel to Luoyang by the Merchants’ Path, even by horse. Can you truly fly all the way to the city in a single night?”

  Ying had no idea. His map had almost no markers. He knew he could fly faster than a B- of the Last World, but he still didn’t have a good idea of what kind of distances he was working with. He was willing to bet that it wouldn’t take him one week to reach his destination. He waved a hand. “Don’t trouble yourself over it. Is there anything that requires my attention?”

  The trio rose from the ground, hearing the subtle request. With one last bow, Esen said, “None, Divine One. We will ensure you awaken to a feast before your departure.”

  Ying’s eye twitched. He didn’t know if the village could handle such an expense. He wasn’t sure if it was true zealotry or if they were trying to fish for a blessing before he left. But he was too exhausted to stop it. He nodded to Esen, and they took that for the dismissal it was. Not a second after they stepped out, he stepped over to the cot as he undressed. And promptly got stuck on his new breastplate. No easy velcro like his last set of armor. He found shoulder straps beneath his pauldrons, which were also secured by straps. Soon, armor bounced off the ground as he dumped them. Thanks to the temperature, his clothes soon followed. He pulled a worn, silk blanket over his lower half before laying his head down on a pile of his own clothes for a thin pillow.

  Three hours, and I at least will feel physically better was his last thought before willing himself to sleep…

  …hours later, as the daylight slackened above,

  NOT ONE WINK! His mind howled as he flipped sides for the sixteenth time. As tired as he was, it wasn't enough to overcome the Wuqi hammering him on the inside. He had come close. Oh, so close! Twice, thrice, maybe more? In brief moments where his weariness had nearly climbed above the incessant rattling of Wuqi to give him some rest. He had tried counting goats. He had tried emptying his mind. He had tried listening to the tribe going about its day.

  NOTHING WORKED!

  If I can’t sleep, then I need to fly straight to Luoyang. I’ve got a week before I’m going to start hallucinating. The mere possibility he might die from sleep denial threatened a fit. He had survived three dragons only to die from something this stupid!?

  He sat up heaving and quickly made plans to leave quickly and without causing any collateral damage on his way out. Last time his control over his temper had been this weak, he had almost killed someone. Granted, that woman was a menace, but-

  He shook his head, trying to fling off the thought. No, no! I’m not going to think about her. She’s back at the Last World, and I’m safe from that- no, just stop! He grabbed his trousers as he stood up.

  And paused when he heard shouting outside.

  The village had been relatively quiet up to this point. He wasn’t sure if that was because they were trying to avoid the heat of the day, tiptoeing around his sleeping place, or something else. Regardless, it had never been this loud. The sounds weren’t happy either. Distress, anger, and fear. He turned his head eastward. Yes, that was where the noises concentrated. A dozen people, maybe.

  A deep breath before he hurried with his clothes. Something was happening, and the mystery and danger granted him focus. He had finished lacing his boots when Esen’s female attendant rushed into the hut. She froze when she saw him shirtless.

  Had he been more balanced, he might have been embarrassed by his state of dress, but the veteran in him took over. “Report, what’s going on outside?”

  That shook her out of it as she immediately kowtowed to him. “Please, forgive me, Divine One! But they are taking our men, our money, our foo-!”

  He didn’t let her finish as he grabbed his war-scythe. She scrambled out of his way before he stormed out of the hut. A little voice at the back of his mind suggested asking more questions before rushing in, but the mere possibility of relieving the Wuqi drove him toward whatever confrontation this was.

  It wasn’t a large village.

  It took maybe five strides to round the hut toward the commotion. Eight strides to see the gathering. On the thirteenth, one of the villagers spotted his thunderous approach. He pointed and shouted, “It’s the Dragon of War!”

  It was like a grenade went off. Some villagers scattered to a safer distance. Some dropped into bows. Others froze as they watched him.

  Ying ignored the annoying title and simply took advantage of his clearing line of sight. Esen was also on his knees, but it was an act of fearful deference instead of religious obligation, pointed away from Ying. Junchi was on the ground, bleeding out of his side with a couple of his men trying to both drag him away and stop the bleeding.

  In front of the gathering were three women.

  Three winged women.

  Naturally, his eyes started with the woman in the lead, standing in front of a small pile of valuables and foodstuffs. The woman with a mane of black hair wore a cocky grin as her red eyes met his steel orbs.

  Their souls heaved.