Maiden Of The Splitting Moon

"Name?" 

Zi Jing looked at Ming Yue with a confused face but quickly shook it off. 

"I didn't take you to be interested in the name of this place but if you want to know, we haven't decided yet", he answered. 

"Oh really? I was just curious as the other bases all had their own names. I just thought this place would have one already." 

She backed off, trying to show that she wasn't interested but more so, curious. The commander laughed as he reached for a chair and sat down, resting his injured body. 

"In any case, a name doesn't matter too much right now. We just have to build it and make sure that it is well defended. There's no reason to get attached to this place if it's not going to last."

Yu Zhen nodded before stepping away from the war table and walking up to Ming Yue. 

"Yes, for now, we should focus on securing this place first. You should rest and focus on your recovery first. Right now, we're in a very vulnerable position with Commander Zi Jing still injured. It would take at least another week for him to fully recover. Though..."

She paused here and thought about her next few words. 

"I remember that you are skilled in medicine. This might be a bit much to ask of right now but we would surely need those skills as soon as possible."

Ming Yue didn't hesitate to accept this. 

"That's fine. There's no reason for me to not accept." 

This commander smiled and went so far as to cup her hands and bow. 

"Thank you, knowing that we have you to help is a relief."

Ming Yue did the same, bowing and cupping her fists. 

"Then, I will be going now", she said. 

The two commanders gestured for her to leave, looking towards the tent flaps.

As she left, the two looked at each other. 

"So, now that you've met here, what do you think?" Yu Zhen asked. 

Zi Jing looked away, showing a frown on his face. 

"What is there to think? Just the fact that she spoke with the serpent already proves her worth. Add in her contributions to this war in the past year or so and she could probably become the youngest commander if she wanted to. Having her here certainly makes things much more manageable, she has high combat power and is skilled in healing."

"And yet, you do not seem so happy?"

Yu Zhen had long noticed the frown he had. Her fellow commander just shook his head. 

"I am happy that she is here and helping but... it's a strange feeling to see the younger generation so close to overtaking you in achievement. I'm the youngest among the five commanders and am still the greatest genius of the Bright Star Kingdom. I managed to invent new techniques and inventions from when I was a child. I had hastened the research and knowledge by two decades. All of these accolades and soon someone greater than me will come. It's a bit disheartening", he replied. 

She looked at him and chuckled, trying to soothe him. 

"Then that means you are maturing. To us, save for Gao Ri, you are the generation after us and that girl is the one after that. To understand that glory and fame don't last is something everyone is bound to realize. Besides why does that even matter, she is a swordswoman and you are a crafter. Your paths don't align."

"Still, what is her history? To have been able to speak with some legend like the Cerulean Serpent." 

He rubbed his chin before resting it on the handle of his cane. 

"Hmph, you didn't even bother to read her file like the rest of us, always busy tinkering away. If you did read, you'd understand why. All you really need to know is that she was sent here by the Grand Elder of Heaven's Gate", she answered. 

Zi Jing scoffed.

"I know that already, my subordinate told me. I'm talking about any other tidbits about her", he said. 

She chuckled at him before looking back at the war table. 

"In any case, we managed to find a leftover crate of those bombs the Tide King planted on the boats. Have you managed to find their origin yet?" she asked him. 

Zi Jing was silent before sighing. 

"As far as I and my men could find out, those bombs are unique. Most likely a creation of the Tide King himself, made from the same ores and metals in the lake. By no means would it be difficult to make but it is no simple invention. For him to have been able to activate so many at once requires an enormous amount of energy or some sort of technique. I had hoped to find clues about that but there is nothing. Most likely, it is a part of his bloodline powers."

He held one of those bombs in his palm before calling out one of his five swords. It flew towards him before swiftly cutting the bomb in half, revealing the contents inside. It was just a bag of dust and a blackish powder.*

"As for the contents inside well, you can see it for yourself. The only way to activate it is to shake it enough for this black powder to ignite. And the dust will create the explosion itself."

He handed it to Yu Zhen, who examined it as he spoke. 

"Either he created it or he obtained it from somewhere. That is the gist of it."

"I see. Then I suppose we wait for this castle to be done. After that, we have to have a plan for later. There will be a meeting with all commanders soon so do come. Injured or not, you still have to attend."

Yu Zhen grabbed her saber and moved towards the tent flaps before stopping to glance at her fellow commander.

"You know, you could just ask her to treat you. It would make the process much quicker for you or does your title as "genius" of the Bright Star Kingdom not allow you?" 

ZI Jing scoffed as he stood back up, leaning slightly on his cane. 

"Nonsense, this will heal in another day or so. If she had woken up earlier then I would have asked but now it's too late!" he retorted with a frown. 

"Fine then, suit yourself."

She smirked at him and left after saying these last few words. 

Zi Jing stood back down before looking at the opened bomb in his hands, fiddling with it. 

"I wonder what sort of techniques they use? Is it only limited to the bloodlines? Is there perhaps a way to emulate it?" he wondered. 

Being the "greatest genius" of the Bright Star Kingdom, he was still young and still so very curious. This creation of the Tide King had interested him greatly, it puzzled him, and that only made him want to know more, understand how it works, and recreate it. He was a craftsman at heart and right now, it was burning with curiosity. 

Meanwhile, Ming Yue walked around the camp, exploring it once more, and seeing all of these people hard at work. Lumber and stone were being moved constantly, scaffolding had been set up, and the foundations of a great castle were beginning to form. 

And then she happened upon a large tent off to the side, one that seemed to have little activity. However, the scent of blood was present. 

"What's happening here?" she thought. 

As she walked inside, she saw over a dozen men covered in bandages and injuries. Several doctors around, moving constantly to change the cloth for fresh ones and check on their patients' state. And her entrance was quickly noticed. 

One of the doctors walked up, a young woman slightly older than her. 

"You, you're the one that defended the keep, right?"