Maiden Of The Splitting Moon

Di Yu looked at the commander and shook his head. 

"No, no, I'll leave you two to it then. We can finish our business later, Commander Zi Jing."

This messenger quietly left, giving Ming Yue another look before closing the doors.

Nie Xia sighed before chuckling. 

"So you know him..." 

He spoke with a face of slight disbelief. 

Ming Yue nodded and replied. 

"He was known as the Lord of Azure Souls, who terrorized my home country in order to stop us from entering the war. Because of his actions, a cult of believers formed although, I believe that they have been quelled."

"Hah, yes, the Thirteen Messengers, they're a strange bunch."

She then looked at him. 

"Have they been here the entire time?" she asked. 

"In the Iron Citadel? No, not really. They made their own little camp of sorts outside and make their presence as scarce as possible. The soldiers tend to get a bit too high- strung knowing that the Thirteen Messengers are here."

"Really now? The Thirteen Messengers, is that what they're called?"

"Yes, the Thirteen Messengers, a group of monstrous cultivators who only answer to the High Council. Not to mention, they are personally chosen and taught by the High Council. They might not be Heaven Realm Experts but their strength could almost rival one. The one that just left is Di Yu, one of the stranger messengers and also one of the strongest."

Nie Xia paused for a moment before explaining, wondering if it was a good idea to tell her about his identity. 

"He practices the Soul Dao which I'm sure you realized earlier. With a thought, he could attack the soul, break a person's fighting spirit, and if the gap in strength is wide enough, he could extinguish the soul, killing someone without lifting a finger. But like any other expert, he is eccentric, focusing on what he deems the most effective path, not in terms of difficulty but on impact. He will do anything so long as he believes that the result will be tremendous, that includes fear tactics and murder."

His face turned solemn as he leaned back on his chair, recalling a past memory.

"In one of the previous battles, when the war had just begun, the High Council had sent out the Messengers to help the war and search for Kong Zhi's whereabouts when he was hiding. Di Yu made a grand entrance, killing a dozen demons by destroying their souls. However, he kept one alive and grabbed him by the throat."

He stopped, reliving the memory in his mind. His voice was soft, quiet even but it was sad. 

"In front of both sides, he went and killed the poor demon, slowly burning his soul away. Blue flames erupted from within as the body was destroyed, all to bring fear and repel the demons but to be truthful, it worked. However, the scene was gruesome for any soldier to see, no one dared to approach him nor did he want to be approached."

He looked at her afterward, giving her a warning. 

"Try not to associate with them too much. They only listen to the High Council, commanders such as I have no power over them."

Ming Yue nodded in understanding. Even if he didn't warn her, she would not make contact with them unless she absolutely had to.

"So then, enough of that, you must be here to tell me that you're leaving", said the commander.

"I'm heading to the south, where the Cerulean Serpent's Lake is."

"Ah the Southern Tower then, that is where Commander Yu Zhen resides. Her forces of mostly scouts and assassins, they're skilled in hit and run tactics as well as assassinations and infiltration."

He took out his own map, beckoning her to come and look. 

"That's the Southern Tower here, created close to the lakeshore. It's about three months on foot at our quickest speed. It might be quicker for you, considering yours", he said. 

Pointing at the map, his finger fell upon two drawings of a cylindrical tower and a gate, placed side by side. 

"They're in charge of protecting and watching over the lake itself. Further behind the tower would be Guardian's Keep, headed by Commander Zi Jing. His forces are more defense- oriented if not siege tactics, his forces are mainly ranged and uses massive weapons like cannons and catapults. And if you're wondering about Demon's Gate, that's between the North Fort and the Iron Citadel up north."

Ming Yue listened carefully before asking a few questions.

"I hear that the Cerulean Serpent's lake is where you can find Deepwater Steel as well as hundreds of other minerals and metals. If so, do you employ miners and craftsmen?" 

Commander Nie Xia nodded. 

"Yes, but it is more complicated than that. You see, in order to mine it, you must be underwater and that requires special equipment and people that have an affinity for the Water Dao. Thus, trips to mine are by heavily guarded boats. That is why we have both the Southern Tower and the Guardian's Keep near each other. The former acquires it while the latter processes it."

"Why not just attack the demons then? Keep them away from the lake."

He chuckled. 

"We call it a lake but it's enormous, it might as well be a sea on its own. The manpower needed to protect the entirety of the lake is just as costly. Doing it would weaken the other fronts and we could not spare that."

Folding up the map, Commander Nie Xia put it away and looked at her. 

"The two commanders are quite serious. Yu Zhen has seen you fight before and you two will probably be on good terms. However, Zi Jing is a different case."

"Is there something wrong?"

"He's the youngest out of all of us, probably no more than a decade older than you. He is the most ingenious out of all of us, using tools and machines. Unlike the other commanders, he prefers to battle through innovation and ingenuity, often working with the craftsmen to devise new weapons and whatnot. With that said, he's a little bit like Di Yu, pragmatic and insensitive at times. Although he joins in our meetings, he mostly keeps to himself. It can be difficult to know what he's thinking."

He sighed before leaning back on his chair. 

'When you get there, do not mind his eccentricity. If you have any requests for him, just ask. Though, I believe that he might come to you first."

Gesturing towards her sword, Nie Xia smiled warmly. 

"Alright then, thank you for helping me all this time and for letting me stay here."

She cupped her fists and bowed only for Nie Xia to laugh out in a relaxed manner. 

"Please, there is no need to thank me! It is the duty of the older generation to help the younger generation after all. If you'd like, I would have sparred with you but certainly not within these walls."

Ming Yue couldn't help but chuckle at his happy demeanor. 

"Thank you."

She spoke those words once more, with a sincere tone. In those six months, the young woman seemed to have found a new goal. 

Turning around to go, she left the commander's quarters, heading out with her two beasts and quietly left the Iron Citadel. Passing through the walls, she took another looked before walking heading south, traveling through a dirt road. 

Thinking about what Li Wenhai and Nie Xia said, she decided on her course. 

"First the Southern Tower then the Guardian's Keep, but I should at least look at the Cerulean Serpent's Lake. I wonder what it looks like underwater."

She couldn't help but feel some sort of excitement for this new destination.. Her fingers crackled with sparks of lightning, moving about excitedly.