Chapter Text
Desolation.
Destruction.
Fear.
Starvation.
Desperation.
Bloodlust.
Such were all things that permeated the air, flowing along with the stench of iron. Bloody mist was thick everywhere those present looked, screams and cries of pain piercing everyone’s ears, but their charge continued, their work never ceased. Unending, just like those they currently opposed.
Jia Mu smiled to herself, breathing in the rife air.
Excellent.
Chaos had erupted before her as her Heishou laid waste to the Bloodfiends’ den. An amusement park was incredibly quaint for certain, and it was filled to the brim with the ravenous creatures. She knew not where it had come from or for how long the Bloodfiends had been trapped within it, but this was an opportunity she could not let pass her by.
Something powerful had created this place. Unlikely as it was that she would get her hands on the curator itself, one of its spawn would do just as well.
La Manchaland. Cute, don’t you think?
This little establishment had been making waves through District 16 for a few months now; appearing at seemingly random intervals for a few hours to disrupt the District’s way of life. A siren’s song would play through the air, drawing victims into its clutches to be preyed upon and quench the Thirst of its own denizens.
Where it had come from and why, why its seal had been undone after however long it had been vanquished from the world, was completely unknown. Those inside had thus far thwarted any attempts to find out, only desiring more blood for their terrible Thirst.
It was a powerhouse for certain, but as it was only affecting the Backstreets, no one cared to give it much attention. Surely, its reaches would eventually find the Nest, and then the real assault would begin.
Jia Mu, however, had always been an opportunist. The moment word of this mysterious park of Bloodfiends reached her desk, she began plotting.
After all, she still had that perfect Bolus to make. And, as well, other plots that could be furthered with the… ‘assistance’ of a Bloodfiend.
It was an opportunity she simply could not let pass her by. She was grateful that the months this amusement park had been in operation had managed to avoid any grand attention, leaving it ripe for her taking.
Her smile turned incredibly satisfied as the destruction before her continued. Countless Bloodfiends fell, killed by the unstoppable advance of the Heishou and their Adepts. Four branches was the correct assessment for this assignment, it seemed, these Bloodfiends were far too starved to persist as they should yet still had plenty of fight left in them. Another branch would desolate the place in its entirety, which would assure her victory, but she hadn’t any need of that.
She would claim her dues any which way. That was owed to her.
“Ma’am.” A Shen landed beside her, bowing deeply. “Area One is secured. Losses were steep, we cannot push any further.”
“Good.” Jia Mu praised his work. “What of the Overseer?”
A pyrrhic and unstable victory over the Area, but it was all she needed.
“Ornery, but equally as slippery.” The Monkey replied.
A tad disappointing, but no matter.
“Leave it. There is no need to expend extra effort to capture one as wily as that when there are bigger fish to fry.” She decided. “Pull back from the Area, your work is done. Do not allow the Bloodfiends to turn the tide against you.”
“Ma’am.” He bowed his obedience. “And the switch?”
“We’ve no need for the center,” she shook her head, “we will have what we came here for soon.”
“Of course, Ma’am…” The Shen disappeared to return to what remained of his kin.
Losses would be heavy, but they would find their triumph.
“Hierarch…” Another Heishou came to her, a You by the feathers. It was hard to make any of the Rooster out through the mess of blood and various littering wounds. “The You have near been wiped, but we have claimed Area Two.”
Such was the crutch of the You. So eager for battle yet lesser in ability. Their kamikaze nature made them excellent choices for large scale battles where sacrifice was no issue. Their numbers and hunger for blood made up for their refusal to take on strong opponents.
A stronger opponent meant only one battle, after all.
In the context of this here La Manchaland? The swath of Bloodfiends made for plenty of battle.
“What is the state of the Overseer?” Hongyuan’s Hierarch asked the same of the Rooster as she had the Monkey.
“Cowed and begging like a dog.” The Rooster cackled. “Laid on the floor crying that we take him and leave the rest.”
“Hm…” Jia Mu lightly rubbed her chin in thought. “Keep him in place for the moment. I’ve only need of one High Kindred Bloodfiend; he will serve as backup should the one above him prove too troublesome.”
A wide grin spread across the Rooster’s bloodied lips, showcasing gaping holes in his mouth where he’d lost teeth. “Of course, Ma’am.”
The Rooster rushed off, not caring for the switch to the center.
Jia Mu stared up at the entrance to the park of Bloodfiends, the gaudy colors and flashing lights juxtaposed to the horrors inside. A self-satisfied smile remained on her lips. This was going splendidly.
The Shen were greatly reduced and the You were near none, but the Bloodfiends’ losses were equally as great – many were turning to hiding to save themselves, others having lost themselves to the Thirst and jumping at any chance for blood like moths to a flame.
Of course, her aim was not to bring the park to complete ruin; she simply had contingencies. The Overseers of the first two areas were her contingencies should the greater Kindred prove particularly stubborn. One had slipped away, but the other eagerly presented himself.
It would be no fun with one who surrendered so easily, but beggars cannot be choosers. She knew this very well.
Only very little information had been gathered about this park from the prior attempts to bring this place to its knees, but enough had been gathered for her purposes. Three Areas, Three Overseers. Two Third Kindred, one Second. Of course, the Second was preferable for her needs, but the Third would do as well.
In all of those Areas? A switch to open the center, the massive Ferris Wheel that towered over the entire park. There was no sign of a First Kindred, but Jia Mu would bet all of Daguanyuan that the First was behind the locked door that its Kindred so covetously guarded.
The First Kindred would be a magnificent boon, but Jia Mu knew better than to dabble in things above her. To take on a First and capture it alive would be an undertaking that may just as well require all of the Heishou packs. The Shen and You could barely handle starved Thirds and their lines of Kindred; it would be foolish to press the charge onto the First.
That did only leave the matter of the Second Kindred. Odd there was only the one; Bloodfiends could create two, but she’d sent her strongest packs to deal with that one.
It would only be a matter of time before the report reached her. Should it be positive, they would pack up and leave, freeing the rest of the park back to its own devices. Should it be negative, they would swiftly abscond with the Third Kindred and make their escape.
No need to overstay their welcome. No need to push their luck. Just the one Kindred would do.
Jia Mu was always skirting the edge of danger, and she did so each time with grace. This would be no different. Pushing for the Second Kindred with the Third ready for the taking was risky, but what was life without some risk? She planned this perfectly, as she did all things.
As with all things, patience was a virtue. All good things to those who wait. Aim high but have plans if low is what you achieve.
What she was owed, what she was due, she would be granted so long as she remained steady.
The Xianren, the elders of Hongyuan, the Hierarchs before her, were quite excited about this prospect. Imagine a Bloodfiend in their grasps, an undying beast that only needed a little blood to regenerate. Gained without needing to step upon the toes of the Elder of District 8.
What care did Bloodfiends have for their fellow families? No, they only cared about their own, did they not? Even should they do so, such a thing could be smoothed over should the First of District 8 decide it was his problem.
Entertainment for decades. Centuries. Millennia.
They were as eager for this as she was.
The advancements she could make… the delight they would get from her reports… she just needed a means so they might witness it along with her.
But that was a later step. Once things were beginning to be set into motion properly. This here was merely one step that, while not wholly necessary, would only vault her further along for various means.
“My Lady.” A short while later, one of the Chen approached her, similarly covered in blood as the Rooster. One of his horns was broken, shattered to pieces, and he was covered in deep lacerations and punctures as if he’d been ensnared in terrible thorny vines. He was limping yet still standing strong despite his grievous injuries.
“Report.” Jia Mu requested. The Chen had not been wiped out, so she expected good news.
Folding one arm over his chest, the dragon bowed. “The Chen and Chou have taken heavy losses, but the Second Kindred has been secured. We are extracting it now, but its Kindred have entered frenzy. It’s a stalemate at present between our forces; progress remains steady as they circle us like sharks.”
Jia Mu’s smile spread, splitting her lips darkly. “Excellent. Good work. Inform the remaining branches to converge together and ensure the retrieval of the Second, leave the rest. There is no need to spread ourselves any thinner.”
That was all that mattered: the Second. Whatever it took to get it out for her means, the rest of its ‘Family’ was no matter. By the Chen’s word, they seemed unwilling to try too much to retrieve the Second lest they risk further harm to it.
Perfect.
They would be out of here swiftly.
Losses were steep, but the plan anticipated that. Expected it, embraced it. Any loss was worthwhile to further her aims. A den of Bloodfiends was no trifling matter, no matter how starved they were.
Life Insurance was quite handy. They would only need to collect the corpses of their colleagues before they left.
“Yes, my Lady.” Another bow, and the Chen made his way to deliver her word.
Through the gates to the entrance of the park, Jia Mu could see the bustling, frantic activity within. The Bloodfiends were well and cowed, unable to do anything for their own dwindling numbers and weakened states. It was only their tenacity and the blood which was spilt that saw her Heishou took such heavy loss as well. She could have crafted a plan to lessen the losses, but why do that when swift and efficient would be more effective? Heishou could be replaced.
And through those gates, not long later, the forces of her Heishou returned to her. Their numbers were still strong even if lessened greatly. The Shen and You clearly took the worst damage of the groups, being the weakest of the four, but they still remained standing.
A few Bloodfiends made attempt to claim more blood, unlikely to be going after the Second, but were swiftly silenced by battering clubs or mystical orbs.
The Heishou approached her, leaving the park behind them with the gates closing at their departure. No more guests would enter this day, the park would close for the night shortly.
They parted around her, making way for the center of their group.
Two oxen thundered forward, carrying a figure bound in heavy chains between them.
The battle had been long and hard, by the looks of it, but it was only natural the Heishou would prevail.
This was what they were bred for.
The oxen halted before her and threw the Bloodfiend to the ground, hitting it hard with the clanging of chains yet not eliciting a peep from the Fiend itself.
The Second Kindred of the park was a woman, slender in frame and with long, flowing platinum blonde hair. It was dressed in an incredibly elegant ball gown, likely in charge of something grand within the park. A princess brought low by its own instincts and nature.
Jia Mu crouched before its fallen form and slid her slender fingers under its chin to lift its head to face her. It wore a white mask like that of a butterfly over the upper half of its face, but the shine of its blood-red eyes bore into her from behind the holes.
“My, girl, you haven’t much spirit left in you, do you?” But there was still some. There was a deep-seated bitterness and spite in those eyes, hollowness and nihilism rife in them, but something in there still burned and shone.
Hatred, in some sense. Hatred for Mu herself, and likely others.
Its lip curled, though it could do nothing about its current situation. A sneer even in its lowly state. “Unhand me.”
“Now, now, girl, you are in no position to make such demands.” Hongyuan’s Hierarch motioned to one of the Chou that had carried this thing here. “Remove the mask.”
He stepped forward, meaty fingers finding an edge and ripping the mask off the Bloodfiend’s face in one, powerful motion.
The Bloodfiend’s head was wrenched out of Mu’s grasp with a sharp hiss of pain, threads snapping and pulling out from its face. It crumpled back to the ground.
Patiently, Mu waited a moment for the Fiend to settle from the sudden jolt of pain, shifting against the chains that held it captive but too weak to break through them.
It must be humiliating. Jia Mu knew that feeling quite well.
At her signal, the Ox threw the mask aside, letting it clatter to the ground.
The Bloodfiend would need to be properly subjugated and brought to heel, though it did appear that its will was already dwindling. Good, that did make her job far easier.
She grabbed its chin again and brought it back up to face her.
Jia Mu chuckled as she gazed upon the downed Bloodfiend whose life she held in her hands. “Such a pretty face for a hideous monster. Was your human life as such? Or did you abuse your blood for your vanity? What a shame it has turned on you.”
It was clear that the woman was a stunning beauty beyond any other, even through the severe withering around its eyes and bloodied holes where the mask had been sewn in place.
Such a shame.
Hatred burned in those blood-red eyes, though she could see a hint of pink swimming in the pools of red. Interesting. It seemed she had much to learn about Bloodfiends.
This experimentation and research would be delightful.
“What… do you want?” The Bloodfiend hissed at her, anger underlying its tone. It was incensed and humiliated, sneering at the Hierarch with vitriol.
Staring down a being far more ancient and physically powerful than she and holding every card against it was cathartic in many ways.
She cannot wait to feel such a thing once more when everything fell into place for the Kong family’s comeuppance, but that was something that would have to wait for some time more.
A chuckle left the Hierarch, bubbling up from the depths of her chest. “Your blood, girl. You are in no place to be making demands; one, wrong move, and we will tear down the rest of this place brick by brick.”
Something crossed through the woman’s eyes – a mix of indignation as that was precisely what it wanted but also a sense of responsibility and fear for it did not wish death and destruction upon its own family. With the forces she had left and what the Bloodfiends had left, she was confident they could take the rest of the place down, even if not the First Kindred. Worse comes to worst: she brings in more packs.
With that done, the weight of the situation imposed on the Bloodfiend with too much already on its shoulders that it had long caved to, Jia Mu let it go to let its head hit the ground once more.
It would have done something more, she was sure, had it the strength to, but centuries of starvation and a fierce, long battle had drained what strength it had left, rendering it helpless.
“Pick it up and gather your dead – ensure their heads are preserved. Let’s head back home.” Hongyuan’s Hierarch ordered, turning on her heel to head to her palanquin to bring the journey back to Hongyuan.
Behind her, she could hear the grinding of sharp teeth and clanking of chains as the Bloodfiend was picked back up to be carted to Hongyuan like a trophy.
Pleased with herself, Jia Mu relaxed back in her seat as she ordered the return home. Victory was sweet, and there was much to look forward to. She was very eager to cut into such a high profile Bloodfiend.
It wasn’t any key to immortality, no, but the Kong family would still seek to use it for such. A gift to them from their beloved Hierarch, trust earned to spread her roots even deeper into their midst, and trust easily abused. The perfect cover for her to continue to lay her machinations day by day; the Kong would be delighted for her to lead the research efforts for how they might utilize something so grand for their Boluses.
How arrogant of them.
The Xianren would be pleased as well.
In some years to come, the Kong family would fall, and it would be all the sweeter.
But until then, she had a Bloodfiend to dissect, and the birth of her grandson to oversee.
The Precious Jade of the Family required a delicate hand to ensure he would be as perfect as could be, after all.