Esmeria

From a distance, a platoon of soldiers rode toward a fortified village bristling with barricades.

A soldier from the village ran towards the approaching platoon to greet Xiao Jie, the grand commandant of Luo Yang.

“General, the Fire Spears and the parameter defense are complete, now all we have to do is wait for Nian.”

Despite his hot-headed appearance, Xiao Jie always heeded the advice of Peng Xian, his long-time friend, and strategist. He found Nian’s behavior strange and unsettling.

“Do not let your guard down, soldiers!” Xiao Jie commanded, his voice firm.

“Equip Fire Spears to every squad leader and double the guard on every station!”

“Yes, General!” The soldier saluted and quickly ran off to relay Xiao Jie’s orders.

Xiao Jie then headed inside a house serving as their temporary war room, his mind racing with strategies and contingencies for the upcoming confrontation.

About an hour later, the ground started to tremble.

“Hmm…why would there be a tremor in this village…?” Xiao Jie wondered aloud, noting that this area had never experienced earthquakes before.

“Ah… again…” he heard a soldier mutter.

“When did these tremors first start?” Xiao Jie asked, overhearing the soldiers complaining.

“General, these tremors began about a month ago and occur two to five times daily,” a soldier replied.

“Why wasn’t this reported during the court meeting?!” Xiao Jie shouted, slamming his fist on the table in anger.

“General, the Magistrate of this town said it was of low importance, as the tremors did not significantly affect the village. Hence, it was not reported to the court,” the soldier explained.

“Who is the magistrate of this village?” Xiao Jie demanded.

“General, it is Magistrate Liang Wei,” the soldier responded.

“Bring me this person and all the information about him right now!” Xiao Jie ordered.

“Yes, General!” the soldier responded and quickly left to fulfill the command.

“What a fool. The significance of these tremors might be huge; they could be related to the abnormal behavior of Nian,” Xiao Jie mused.

“This person is either incompetent or has a motive. I must look into it as soon as possible. Either way, I will not let this go unpunished!”

About two hours later, in the evening, two soldiers dragged a man dressed in an official robe into a house, forcing him to kneel while they restrained him.

“Eek! G-greetings, G-grand Commandant, M-magistrate Liang Wei at y-your service!” Liang stammered, trembling with fear.

“Do you know the reason you are summoned?!” Xiao Jie demanded.

“Grand Commandant, I d-do not k-know!”

Liang Wei stuttered, clearly terrified.

“Why did you not report the tremors happening in this village?!” Xiao Jie’s voice thundered through the room.

“Grand Commandant, I f-f-figured that this w-was a s-small matter and—” Liang Wei began to explain.

“Enough!” Xiao Jie interrupted, his patience exhausted.

“Soldiers, remove his official robe and hat, and give him 50 lashes!”

The soldiers swiftly moved to strip Liang Wei of his official attire, a symbolic gesture signifying the removal of his authority and respect. Xiao Jie’s order was clear and decisive, reflecting his disdain for Liang Wei's negligence.

The magistrate's robe and hat represented the king, and it was customary to remove these symbols before punishing an official, to show that the punishment was not directed at the king himself but at the individual’s misconduct.

“Yes, General!” the soldier replied. He then removed Liang Wei’s robe and hat, pushed him onto the floor, and prepared a large wooden stick for lashing.

“P-please have mercy, Grand Commandant!” Liang Wei pleaded, his voice trembling.

“Tell me the truth or there will be worse punishment,” Xiao Jie warned.

“I-I-I don’t know a-anything, Grand Commandant!” Liang Wei stammered, clearly terrified.

“Start the punishment now!” Xiao Jie ordered.

“Argh!” Liang Wei screamed as the soldier lashed him with the wooden stick.

“Have mercy, Grand Commandant! Argh!” Liang Wei continued to scream and beg for mercy as his buttocks were relentlessly beaten.

Xiao Jie watched impassively, thinking to himself, Whether incompetent or with a motive, this punishment fits both cases. He did not stop the punishment.

“General, 50 lashes have been completed!” the soldier reported.

Liang Wei lay on the floor, whimpering in pain.

“Tell me again, why did you not report the tremors during the court meeting?” Xiao Jie demanded, his voice icy with controlled anger.

“P-please have m-mercy…" Liang Wei whimpered, his buttocks bleeding and swollen from the lashes.

“Soldiers! Prepare the finger clamp!” Xiao Jie ordered.

“Yes, General!” The soldiers brought out a tool with small wooden boards tied together, gaps between each for fingers to be inserted.

As the soldiers began to insert Liang Wei’s fingers into the clamp, he finally broke.

“W-wait, Grand Commandant! It was t-the R-right…ugh…” Before he could finish, an arrow pierced his heart, killing him instantly.

“Intruder alert!” The soldiers shouted as the village was plunged into chaos, everyone on high alert, searching for the assassin.

“Right…? He must have meant the Right Minister Gilles! Unforgivable!” Xiao Jie slammed the table in fury, enraged at losing their only witness.

The soldiers scoured the village throughout the night but found no trace of the intruder.

“Apologies, General, we could not find the assassin,” a soldier reported.

“Forget it! Just focus on the incoming attack from Nian. I shall deal with this matter another day,” Xiao Jie commanded, frustration evident in his voice.

“Yes, General!” The soldiers returned to their posts, bracing for the impending battle.

“Damned Gilles, just you wait. I will not let this matter slide!”

Xiao Jie clenched his fists tightly, vowing to expose Gilles’s evil deeds.

“General, Nian spotted in the forest three kilometers away!” a scout reported, breathless from the urgency.

“Very well! Get into crane formation!” Xiao Jie commanded.

“Yes, General!” The soldiers moved swiftly, spreading out horizontally to form a line perpendicular to Nian’s approach. The formation's ends curved slightly forward, resembling a crane’s wings. The front row bore huge shields, while the second row armed themselves with Fire Spears.

"Remember," Xiao Jie addressed his troops,

"Nian’s weakness is loud noise and fire. These Fire Spears are designed specifically to counter Nian’s threat."

From the forest emerged a monstrous beast, three meters tall, with jagged teeth and a flat-faced lion's head on a dog-like body. Its red fur bristled as it stomped forward, its eyes locked on the soldiers.

“Incoming!” the brigade captain shouted.

Nian picked up speed, charging directly at the formation. The ground shook with its powerful strides, and the soldiers braced themselves for the impact.

“Hold the line!” Xiao Jie yelled.

“Prepare the Fire Spears!”

As Nian closed in, the front row anchored their shields into the ground, creating an impenetrable wall. The second row raised their Fire Spears, ready to unleash their fiery payloads.

“Ahhhhhhhhh!” Several soldiers, overcome by Nian’s [Panic Aura], broke ranks and started to flee.

"I have to end this fast before more soldiers get influenced by its skill," he thought, his eyes narrowing with determination.

A loud 'clang' resonated as Nian clashed with the middle section of the formation. The beast’s terrifying presence and [Panic Aura] caused more soldiers to scatter.

“Fire!” Xiao Jie commanded. The second row’s soldiers activated their Fire Spears, shooting fire pellets at Nian, forcing the beast to recoil.

“Surround Nian!” he shouted. Both flanks of the formation began to curve around, trapping Nian inside a tightening ring.

“Fire at will!” The soldiers unleashed a continuous barrage of fire pellets, their Fire Spears lighting up the night.

Nian roared in agony, charging toward the front. As it smashed into the shield bearers, the [Panic Aura] again took its toll, and more soldiers fled, opening a gap in the middle.

With a ferocious leap, Nian broke through the formation and charged into the village, smashing past the barricades.

“No!” Xiao Jie yelled, sprinting after the beast. He caught up with Nian and threw himself at it, managing to hold it off and push it back. It became a fierce contest of strength, man against beast.

“Amazing…the general is matching Nian in strength…” The soldiers were in awe, staring in disbelief.

With a final surge of power, Xiao Jie managed to push Nian back, taking advantage of its injuries. He slammed the beast to the ground.

Drawing Zhan Lu from his back, Xiao Jie executed an overhead strike, killing Nian in one blow.

“Hooray! General defeated Nian!” Cheers erupted from the soldiers.

“Huh? There’s more than one Nian?!” As the soldiers celebrated, another, smaller Nian emerged from the forest, catching them off guard.

The new Nian charged into the village, bypassing the barricades as the soldiers scrambled to reform their ranks.

“A second Nian?!” Xiao Jie exclaimed. As the beast ran toward him, he cleaved it in half with a diagonal upward swing of Zhan Lu.

“This smaller Nian must be the first Nian’s child…” Xiao Jie thought, feeling a pang of sorrow.

“I pray for your safe passage to heaven…” This was the first time a second Nian had appeared, and the situation weighed heavily on him.

“A-apologies, General, we failed to stop the second Nian due to our incompetence!” The soldiers ran towards Xiao Jie and began genuflecting, one palm covering a fist.

“Learn from your mistakes. A moment’s blunder can mean life or death,” Xiao Jie admonished, though his tone was not harsh.

“I will let this matter go this time. There is no next time. You are dismissed for now.”

“Y-yes, General!” The soldiers responded in unison, grateful for his leniency.

As they dispersed, Xiao Jie sheathed Zhan Lu, his mind already working on strategies to prevent such an oversight from happening again.

The next day, Xiao Jie gathered the soldiers and briefed them on their new mission.

“Soldiers, these tremors are not ordinary. Nian's abnormal behavior must be linked to them! I want you all to investigate every area around Zhou Village within five kilometers. Leave no stone unturned!”

“Yes, General!” the soldiers responded, dispersing to begin their search.

As they scoured the forest, they discovered an unknown cave and promptly reported it to Xiao Jie.

“Hmm…the dirt around the cave entrance seems to have been disturbed,” Xiao Jie noted, suspecting that whatever had dug this cave might be connected to Nian's abnormal behavior.

“Soldiers, be on high alert. There must be something significant in this underground cave.” With that, Xiao Jie led his men inside.

Rotten crops littered the dark cave, and the tremors grew louder as they ventured deeper. At the end of the cave, they entered a large chamber about ten meters tall, with a river streaming along one side.

“General, i-it’s a dragon!” a soldier shouted in surprise upon spotting the sleeping beast. Its yellow scales were dull, and it lacked wings. Its front limbs and shoulders were muscular and large, and the tip of its tail resembled a giant boulder. Nearby, two smaller Nian corpses lay motionless.

“Silence!” Xiao Jie hissed, stopping his soldiers from making any noise that might wake the dragon.

“Why would there be a dragon here?! It must have encroached on Nian's territory, causing all this chaos. And being this close to the capital, I need to defeat or chase it away before it becomes a problem."

As Xiao Jie pondered his next move, the dragon stirred and woke up.

“First, it was the dogs, and now it’s the humans. Can’t I sleep in peace?” The dragon's voice rumbled as it stood, the ground trembling from the force of its tail slamming down.

“I am the Earth Dragon, Terrathorn. Since you have found me, you will not leave this place alive.”

The dragon woke up as Xiao Jie was contemplating on how to deal with it.

"Spikes? Is it going to use a long-range attack?" Xiao Jie thought, noticing spikes growing on Terrathorn's body.

“Turtle Formation!” Xiao Jie commanded, seeing the danger. The soldiers quickly braced together, raising their shields in a protective formation.

Terrathorn smirked and slammed the ground, casting [Earth Spears] to send spikes shooting up from the ground, piercing the soldiers in the front row.

“Tsk, those spikes on its body were a feint. What dirty trickery!” Xiao Jie realized they were outmatched.

"They can't defend against this dragon's attacks; they will just get killed easily."

“Fall back!” Xiao Jie ordered, understanding the dire situation. The soldiers quickly retreated, regrouping at a safer distance.

As the spike hurled towards Xiao Jie, he reacted swiftly, punching it with a powerful blow that shattered it.

“Fall back! Get out of the cave, I will handle this dragon alone!” Xiao Jie ordered decisively, knowing the soldiers would be at risk if they stayed.

“Y-yes, General!” The soldiers obeyed without hesitation, running out of the cave in an orderly retreat. It wasn’t abandonment; they had unwavering faith in their general's strength and strategy.

Xiao Jie intercepted Terrathorn’s [Tail Strike], aimed at the escaping soldiers, parrying it skillfully with Zhan Lu.

“Such arrogance coming from a tiny species. Do you think you alone can stop me?” Terrathorn mocked, its voice reverberating through the cavern.

“I am the Grand Commandant of Luo Yang, Wang Xiao Jie. I shall defeat you here at all costs!” Xiao Jie proclaimed with unwavering determination.

Both combatants charged at each other, but just before they clashed, Xiao Jie blocked Terrathorn’s body spike with one arm and swiftly slashed with Zhan Lu held in the other.

Terrathorn recoiled in pain, astonished to find Xiao Jie's blade cutting through its tough scales, akin to steel.

“How could this puny human breach my defenses?!” Terrathorn roared in disbelief, leaping back and countering with a powerful [Tail Strike].

Xiao Jie anticipated the attack, leaping agilely to evade the [Tail Strike], then immediately retaliated with swift strikes.

“I will not give you an opening!” Xiao Jie unleashed a flurry of attacks—[Two Fold Slash], [Three Fold Slash]—pressing his advantage relentlessly.

“What an annoying pest!” Terrathorn growled, frustrated by Xiao Jie’s relentless assault. It slammed its massive hand down, aiming to crush him beneath its weight.

Xiao Jie swung Zhan Lu upward with precision, slashing Terrathorn’s attacking arm before swiftly evading to the side.

The cave trembled as Terrathorn’s colossal arm slammed onto the ground. Taking advantage of the moment, it unleashed [Earth Spears], hurling spikes towards Xiao Jie to create distance.

Jumping back, Xiao Jie narrowly avoided most spikes, but one managed to pierce his lower leg as he leapt.

“I must eliminate these humans, or Lord Shinal will have my head…” Terrathorn bellowed, its resolve hardened as it summoned another round of [Earth Spears]. The cave shook violently again, this time sending countless spikes raining down from the ceiling.

Parrying the spikes from above, Xiao Jie braced himself as Terrathorn charged forward, its dragon scales deflecting the falling spikes harmlessly.

“Kah!” Xiao Jie was slammed against the cave wall, ribs cracking from the impact. The excruciating pain threatened to overwhelm him, but he clenched his teeth and countered, landing a fierce punch on Terrathorn’s snout with his injured arm, forcing it to release its grip.

“I commend you, human. Not many can stand against us dragons on equal footing,” Terrathorn spoke, its breath heavy and labored.

“For my kingdom, Luo Yang, I will defeat you!” Xiao Jie retorted, though he too was weary and panting, his body riddled with wounds and bleeding profusely.

“I have to end this quickly before I succumb to my injuries…” Xiao Jie muttered to himself, his determination unwavering despite the pain.

“Terrathorn, I will put my everything into this final strike of mine!”

“Let us end this then!” Terrathorn replied resolutely, its body sprouting new spikes to replace those damaged by Xiao Jie’s onslaught.

Xiao Jie gathered all his remaining strength, channeling it into Zhan Lu, an aura enveloping the blade with an intensity that matched his resolve.

Terrathorn charged, aiming to impale Xiao Jie with its formidable body spikes.

“[Four-fold slash]!” Xiao Jie roared, unleashing a devastating series of strikes that cut through Terrathorn’s defenses and brought the dragon crashing down before it could hit him.

“Lord Shinal…” Terrathorn uttered weakly, then fell silent and motionless.

Seeing his opponent defeated and no longer a threat, Xiao Jie exhaled deeply, relief washing over him amidst the lingering pain.

“What a troublesome opponent…” Xiao Jie murmured, offering a silent prayer for Terrathorn’s spirit.

“I pray for your safe passage to heaven…”

Emerging from the cave, Xiao Jie was greeted with thunderous cheers from his soldiers.

“Hooray! General defeated the dragon! Hooray!” They cheered, their voices echoing through the forest.

“Enough celebration. We still have unfinished business in the capital,” Xiao Jie said, his tone firm and commanding.

“Casualties?” he inquired, his concern evident.

“Twenty-five injured, three dead, General!” came the reply.

“Carry the injured back to base. Today, we rest,” Xiao Jie ordered solemnly.

“Yes, General!” The soldiers responded in unison, respecting their leader’s decision.

Together, Xiao Jie and his soldiers marched back to Zhou Village, knowing they had averted a grave crisis for now, but aware that their duties were far from over.