On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor

“…Umi no shoujo!”

“Kanojo o hikinuku!”

Strange voices were filtering through the dark murk of her consciousness. She was cold, so terribly cold, as if her blood and been drained and replaced by frozen water. Even so, that cold was nothing compared to the gnawing, bitter feeling of hunger that clawed at her insides, and a savage thirst that had compelled her to drink the salty water that had surrounded her, driving her near to madness, only stoking the cruel twin demons of famine that wracked her body.

More unintelligible voices, speaking a language she didn’t understand. Unable to open her eyes, the lids gummed shut by salt and debris, she flailed weakly, a new pain burning through her body, that of Qi deprivation, her reserves burned to the dregs and beyond by her long drifting. That pain was then joined by yet more, her half-healed wounds, constantly bathed in stinging, caustic seawater, some inflamed and infected, others ripped and torn by the many creatures that dwelt within the water.

“Ah, how is it… I … still live.” She croaked weakly, eliciting another burst of words from her would-be rescuers.

“Kanojo wa ikite iru, isoide…”

Something coiled around her wrist, and her delicate body nearly shattered under the sudden strain, vertigo assailing her as she was lifted out of the chilled water, only to land heavily on some sort of wooden surface. Her exposed flesh burned, and she realised she was clad in only the bloody rags of her combat dress, before her consciousness started to sink once more, her head spinning, the last words she could hear unknown ones to her…

********

“Hidoi kega. Kanojo wa dono yō ni ikite imasu ka?”

Daiyu surged back to consciousness, the assault of pain dragging her from her sleep. She felt something pressed against her mouth, and opened her salty, cracked lips instinctively, skin tearing, the pain not even noticeable. It was then cool, blessed water entered her mouth, not the salty, brackish seawater that had been her only company for what seemed like forever to her.

She swallowed, choking, and suddenly someone was thumping her back. That sent new jolts of pain through her battered body, but even so, the sensations were welcome, proof that she was still alive. As her dry gums and throat were moistened, she worked her throat, gulping down the refreshing liquid. She could feel something around her, a blanket perhaps, the fabric scratchy but warm, and she tried to open her eyes, but they were gummed shut by salt and blood. With what faint trickles of Qi she had remaining, she let out her senses, meridians burning from the constant overuse during however many days she had been lost at sea.

It’s a boat? At her Foundation level, it was quite possible to get an image of the surrounding area with Qi, though reading text or seeing fine details would be impossible. Even so, she could see the aura of more than a dozen people, as well as make out the rough structure of the ship. There was a carcass on deck, rather large, still containing the faint remains of the Qi that was its life force, pools of blood on the deck radiating more energy that her Qi sensing picked up as plumes of mist. A whale, perhaps? Is this a fishing vessel?

More words were said to her in that unintelligible tongue, and she realised it was another Asian language, for while she only spoke Chinese, Daiyu could tell the difference between that and common Western languages like English, of which she knew a few words, much like everyone worldwide. Korean perhaps? Or Japanese? She frowned, finishing the last of the water, unable to respond. When she remained silent, someone spoke again, and then she flinched as something suddenly touched her face.

“Do not touch me so carelessly!” she snapped, her voice sounding strange to her, rusty and hoarse, as though it had not been used in days, maybe even weeks.

“Chūgokugo? Chinese?” a man said, and Daiyu recognised the English word.

“Yes, Chinese. Chinese.” She agreed, feeling the filth being wiped from her face. Her eyes finally opened, only for the sudden sunlight to pierce her weary black eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks from the unexpected glare. Biting down on a curse, she groaned, her limbs not willing to obey her as she tried to stand. That panicked the fishermen, and though they were but indistinct shadows in her dim vision, she could see them bustling about.

More words she couldn’t understand, though a few of them seemed familiar to her, making her sure that she was now on a Japanese vessel. Their pidgin English was scattered in too, and Daiyu managed to interpret a little.

I see. You say not to stand up. Well, I have to agree. She gave up on her futile efforts to move her body. Collapsing back to the deck, ignoring the further shouts of the fishermen around her, she squeezed shut her eyes, the moisture running down her face now tears of grief, not merely a reaction to the harsh sunlight. I… I am alive? But how?

Biting her cracked, bleeding lips, tasting iron, she started to sob, her usual stoicism, her training as a Cultivator, all nothing in comparison to the emotions surging within her. Relief at survival, horror at the days and nights of torment, drifting in the ocean, dying slowly, and grief at the thought of her failure. The mission… well, the one who could trace those of us chosen by the Heavens and the Dao seemed to be dead already… and then… her whole body shuddered, her wounds blazing with fiery pain, as she remembered the catastrophic failure of their assassination mission, the troops from the new Ministry and that bitch from the Emerald Lotus, Sun Lisha… and the outcome. The twins were surely dead, and as for Brother Wei, he might have survived, but the odds were clearly against him, and that meant… My father. The Sect… I’ve been drifting for days. It’s too late to prevent the Ministry from finding out about our actions now… Father, honoured patriarch, your foolish daughter has failed you. I pray that the Incorruptible Jade remains unbroken, but I fear… I fear the worst…

Leaking a sob, Daiyu covered her face with one bloody and scabbed arm, before she started wailing, a dam bursting inside her. I survived, but if the Incorruptible Jade is gone… what worth is living anyway?

********

“I am sorry for my unseemly display.” Daiyu said, though the fisherman clearly didn’t understand her words. Even so, he passed her a mug of some sort of hot soup. Daiyu took it gingerly, thanking him, which the man seemed to understand, as he smiled at her. She was also wearing fresh clothes, though they were a set of male overalls, far too large for her, so she had to tie up the sleeves and hems. Even so, compared to the tattered rags that was her dress, which had barely covered anything, she felt much better, although…

The whaling vessel had little in the way of amenities, especially those that might prove dangerous in stormy waters, but there was a small mirror, a little cracked, but still serviceable, and Daiyu had inspected herself when she had changed, still amazed that she was alive, and what she had seen… Well, no wonder I feel so wretched. It is surely a miracle I still live. Perhaps the will of the Heavens, or the Dao itself. She was so terribly gaunt, barely skin and bone, and her once lustrous dark hair was tangled and starting to turn white from stress. Her body was littered with half-healed wounds where the bullets had broken her flesh, and raw, angry tissue was swollen where fish and other sea creatures had attacked her as she drifted, thinking her an easy meal. There were broken bones too, most likely. One of her legs wasn’t supporting her weight properly, sending needles of agony through her every time she tried to move it, and several ribs were surely cracked.

Cultivators are far hardier than mere humans, especially while one has an adequate supply of Qi. And I was made stronger still, by the blessings of the Heavens, my body tougher than even the old scriptures said of the realm above Foundation. Even so, to survive adrift for days, weeks… only the legendary Cultivators from Kunlun, those of the Golden Core or above, should have been able to endure. Though she had to admit such a powerful Cultivator would not be in her situation in the first place. That bitch Sun Lisha would have been vapourised by Qi strikes, or perhaps blasted by lightning, and the guns of the Ministry would have been useless against her. Qi cannot stop steel now, but back then… well, I dare say if one can stop the raging fury of a Qilin, then one can endure bullets.

Taking a sip of the warm soup she smiled wearily, eliciting a happy steam of words from the fisherman. She bowed to him, and then as he left she continued to drink the soup, lost in thought. Perhaps… perhaps the blessing of Chang’e, the immortal goddess of the moon, kept me alive beyond the brink of death. But immortal I am not… She considered her wounds. Even now, she was recovering a little Qi, but all of that was being spent to hasten the healing of her injuries, fighting infection. Still, the recovery, while slow, seemed far more efficient than it should.

“So, what to do?” she croaked, her throat loosening, the cold water and sugary drinks, coupled with food in her belly for the first time in a while, combining to bring her back to some semblance of normality. The first issue was her situation. Her rescuers, despite being Japanese, foreign enemies, were treating her with surprising care. If the situation was reversed, and some foreigner washed up on the shores of her Sect, she doubted the reception would have been so kind. Perhaps my poor condition saved me. Perhaps I am not in a fit state to be enjoyed. Her expression was bitter. Beauty was not important to her, Cultivation and the Dao was, but even so, it was impossible not to feel pride at her looks, even if she hated her nickname. So while she was obviously extremely grateful she had not been abused or molested when rescued by the passing boat, it did sting her pride a little.

She snorted sourly, realising her mind was still clouded, and she was hardly thinking clearly. “No, firstly I have to find a way out of this predicament.” She had no idea where she was. On a whaling vessel, obviously. But that did not help much. As she didn’t speak the language, getting any appreciable information would be impossible. There is little chance of them dropping me off into a port in China. A lone girl, on a boat with dozens of burly fishermen, well, the situation would normally be quite tense, but now that she was able to eat and drink again and marshal her Qi, soon she would be more than capable of defending herself. Though I will have to get by on little sleep, I am afraid.

“No…” she finished the soup, even going so far as to lick the inside of the mug until not a drop remained, causing her to flush with embarrassment. Glad nobody was watching, she rummaged around through the room and came up with a packet of hard biscuits. Crunching one satisfyingly, she winced as her teeth rattled, a little loose in her gums. Swallowing, she reached for a bottle of water, washing it down. “… assuming I do make it back to China, what then? While it is likely I am believed dead, if the Sect has been destroyed… no, no. I cannot give in to despair! Anger is the emotion I need now.”

Assuming the worst case scenario, that both her Sect and the Mountain Fang Sect had been destroyed by the Party and the traitorous Great Sects that threw their lot in with them, in defiance of all history and tradition, then all that she could do was to seek due redress, vengeance. While there were doubtless other sects that were opposed to the Party and their new Ministry and the rapacious plundering of Sect secrets and powerbase, such as Golden Starfall, with the likely destruction of her own Sect… once more she swallowed nervously, trying to remain calm… her enemies, such as Unquenchable Sun, led by that bastard Chong Gui, and that bitch from the Emerald Lotus, who she hated even more than ever, Xiao Xia, would be on the ascendant. Is there anything I can do? How can I turn this around?

As she thought about that, there was a knock on the door to the small cabin she was in. “Enter.” She called out, knowing they didn’t understand. After a moment, an older man entered anyway, carrying a strange brick-like object. He offered it to her and she looked at it, puzzled. Seeing that, the man tried to make her understand.

“Eisei Denwa! Phone! Take. Uketotte kudasai!” It was a mix of broken English and Japanese, but Daiyu finally understood. A phone. I see. While I do not know much about technology, I do know it should not have any signal out here on the open ocean?

Seeing the look of confusion on his face he pressed the phone into her hands, smiling. “Daijōbu. All good.” He then mimed making a call, while pointing up towards the sky. Daiyu shook her head, but the man was insistent.

“Well, assuming it does work, who do I even call? Our Sect does not make use of such things. Wait…” an image came back to her, of an unlikely ally, one who was confused and lost at the new situation she found herself in. Remembering the woman, who reminded her of a frightened rabbit, despite her nice suit and rather austere hairstyle, she thought back to when she had handed her a business card. I remember. There was a phone number on it. Still, do I call her? Getting her involved in this when there is not much she can do sits ill with me…

Seeing her hand hovering over the buttons, the fisherman urged her to call with gestures, so with a sigh she decided. I might as well. Even if she cannot help, I can at least find out if there is any news of the Sect, my honoured Patriarch…

Pressing the buttons in order, the phone started making a ringing noise. It rang, and rang, and Daiyu was about to give up when the phone clicked, and a diffident voice came over the line, one she recognised. “Hello, who would this be? I don’t receive many international calls.”

On hearing the familiar voice, still reminding her of a small, frightened animal, Daiyu felt her body go limp, the tension released. Not even realising she was smiling, she spoke. “Jang Huifen, it is me.”

For a moment there was silence, and then she spoke up. “Zhao Daiyu, is that you? I… I thought you were… dead.” Her words were whispered, but even so they sent a chill through her.

“It is safe for you to speak now?” She asked, and Huifen responded, clearly shaken.

“Yes, yes. I’m in my office right now, there’s no-one else around.” Daiyu could hear her swallowing nervously over the phone. “Just what happened? The Ministry has been going crazy. People are being hauled away one after another, and… not everyone comes back. Everyone has been assigned Party Liaisons too, but they are surely just informers and spies. Luckily mine decided to go drinking tonight, or else…” she took a deep breath, composing herself. “I don’t know what’s going on. I’m not versed in all these strange matters like you are, or Wei Feng. I’m just doing the best I can. But… but Tang Bai, he says there has been a purge of the Cultivators. That’s… that’s you, right?”

She felt a cold chill creeping up her spine. Sometimes the Heavens would give an omen, and this clearly was one, a grim one. “Did… did Bai say anything about my Sect?”

“It… well, the Incorruptible Jade was declared an enemy of the People. You… you assassinated the Vice-Minister?” she phrased it as a question, and Daiyu felt a pain that had nothing to do with her many wounds.

“No, he was dead before we arrived. It was a setup, it seems like, or someone else found out and used us as scapegoats for their own plans. We were but foolish snakes trying to snatch what a dragon had already taken.” She was enraged at the thought, but nothing else made sense. “And now the monkeys swarm, beating us out of hiding. So, my Sect?” she pressed.

“It… the Ministry published a list of proscribed organisations. The Incorruptible Jade is on it and refused to surrender. The People’s Liberation Army, supported by the Ministry and several other of these Sects… they wiped it out, so Tang Bai says. It’s… barbaric. I don’t want to be a part of this, but what choice do I have?”

So the truth is known. The winds aren’t always favourable, soldiers don’t always triumph. Even so… the Incorruptible Jade lives on as long as I do. And I cry for vengeance. As Daiyu pondered that, not aware she was shedding tears, the fisherman looking at her sympathetically, Huifen spoke again.

“But… your father might have escaped. Tang Bai says that the Minister was very angry after the attack, and that they lost men and Cultivators. So don’t give up, please!”

“I see.” Honoured Patriarch, no, father… I pray you are safe. Even if we have to flee like dogs, a dog can still bite out the throat of a careless tiger. “Thank you for telling me, Huifen. You… keep your head down, stay safe. There is no point joining the dead. The Party, the Army, the Ministry, and those Sects that betrayed us, betrayed China… in the end, they will all pay.”

“So, where… where are you?” she asked diffidently. “This call is from a satellite phone right? International?”

“I am on a ship.” She admitted, chagrined. “I was nearly killed and left adrift in the ocean, until someone rescued me.”

“Seriously? But it’s been ten days or so since everything went crazy. It should be impossible to survive that! Are you all right?” she asked, concerned.

Jang Huifen is a good woman. It seems even those who do not Cultivate can be honourable. I am touched by her concern. “Well, I am rather durable, it seems. Though to call me all right is far from the truth. I look like a jiāngshī, all gaunt and grey. Still, I am a Cultivator, in the Foundation realm. Given time, I can heal.” Especially with the blessing of Chang’e, it seems.

“Is that right?” She muttered. “I suppose I have noticed I’m stronger too now. So… what do you plan to do?”

“A good question. Even a dragon cannot suppress a local snake, so rushing back to my death would be foolish. And I need to recover before anything else. Wait, Huifen, do you speak Japanese?” she asked.

“Japanese? No. Some English is all.”

“I have no idea why I expected anything else.” Daiyu sighed. A shame. I need to know where I am and where we are headed. Once I’ve found a place to rest and recover I can make my plans, and see if I can get in touch with my father, if he does indeed still live.

“Sorry.” Huifen said in a small voice. “But… my phone has a translation app. I can use that?”

“I see…?” Daiyu said, a little puzzled.

“Put them on, and I’ll use it.”

With that, Daiyu handed the fisherman the phone. He spoke, and after a minute oddly accented Japanese, narrated in a robotic tone, came back. He brightened and replied, and after some back and forth, he handed the phone back to the impatient Daiyu.

“So, well… I found out what you wanted to know.” She said hesitantly.

“Excellent. I thank you, I will not forget your help, Huifen.” She praised.

“Well, don’t thank me yet. They say you are in the Pacific ocean, on a whaling vessel.”

“I knew that. I saw the whale.” Daiyu sighed.

“Yes, and… apparently they are not due to return to Japan for another three weeks…” she said quietly, and Daiyu wondered if she had misheard.

“What did you say? Three weeks?” That cannot be right…

“I am afraid so. They usually stay out for three months, and were starting to head back to Japan. I suppose… though don’t worry, they say they can call in an emergency medical evacuation to the Japanese Navy. Though…”

“Though what?” Daiyu said, having a bad feeling.

“Though they are quite far out to sea, and so rescue might not be immediate. They have some medical facilities on the ship, and can treat you for now, but they say that with the condition you were pulled out of the ocean, it’s a miracle you are still alive. They are delighted you are up and eating, but they fear you could drop dead at any time.”

“Well, I am quite tough, as you know.” Daiyu sighed. “I do not need their assistance, with my Qi and the blessing of Chang’e, I can heal.”

“Yes, but they don’t know that, do they?” Huifen said reasonably. “In any case, they are only prepared to call the Japanese Navy or Coastguard, not the Chinese, as… well, whaling vessels are not well-regarded, are they? So…”

“I do not speak Japanese and I do not care for them. That would be a problem.” Daiyu reasoned. “But then, if I return to China, I fear…” her mind worked, not as clear as usual, as her injuries, while slowly healing, were severe, and she had only just replenished her fluids and eaten, her energy levels low.

“You can call me in an emergency, and I can use the application to translate.” Huifen said. “But… I have some fears. If I get a lot of international calls… I worry that my phone might be tapped. If they find out I’m helping you…” she trailed off, afraid, and Daiyu felt a little bad for her.

“Do not worry. I will try to get by, somehow. Tell them to call in my rescue. I cannot bear to be trapped on the ocean for three weeks, nor do I have the time for it.” She handed the phone over, leaving it to Huifen, before slumping down, mentally and physically exhausted. Cradling her weary head in her hands, she ruminated on her options. Three weeks? Trapped in the middle of the ocean, with a crew whose language I do not speak? There is no way I can endure that, but my alternative is ending up in Japan, in the care of an enemy country. No, even if I wait on the boat, it will just make port in Japan anyway. Right now her heart ached more than her wounds, which burned fiercely enough. By the Dao, how can I start my revenge while I am stuck in another country? It will be a miracle if they do not detain me as a spy, or torture me for information. The only small mercy was she would have time to heal her body with Qi, and hopefully eat and drink enough to regain her former vigour, before rescue arrived, as she did not wish to reveal Sect secrets to outsiders, least of all foreigners.

As the fisherman finished speaking to Huifen and hung up the phone, giving her a thumbs-up, to indicate everything was okay, she held in a sigh. I cannot complain, after all, they pulled me from the ocean. If I drifted there much longer, perhaps even the vitality of Chang’e would have failed me. They saved my life, and I, a proud Cultivator, always honour my debts. Even so… to be forced to enter an enemy country! Well, I guess enduring ever deepening pain is one path to the Dao. Suffering breeds strength after all. And how we have suffered at the hands of fools who seek to ruin China and betray the ancient mysteries of Kunlun…

Gesturing to the fisherman for more food, he smiled and left the room. Maybe if I eat all their supplies, they will make my rescuers hurry? If they do not simply try and toss me overboard again, of course… she thought, bitter self-mockery all she had to cling to now, that and thoughts of finishing the job on that bitch Sun Lisha that brother Wei had failed at, and burning down the Emerald Lotus Sect, Xiao Xia along with it… Japan. Just what am I going to do? I have no money, no identification, I do not speak their language… The Dao is a hard path indeed…