Runes • Rifles • Reincarnation
69. Crushing A Birdie

Jinshu started to rush into the fray alongside Yanjiang and his other sisters, but Bing grabbed his arm, holding him back. He looked up at her, startled and curious as to why she stopped him.

“You can't just charge in like that—you’re too weak,” she said bluntly, her tone leaving no room for argument.

“But…” Jinshu gestured toward Yanjiang, who was locked in an intense melee with the young roc, her fiery Qi clashing against the roc's sharp golden strikes. Nearby, Yuetu darted in and out of the fight, delivering quick, precise attacks whenever an opening appeared.

Before he could say more, Bing yanked him backward as a blade of golden Qi sliced through the air, narrowly missing them and carving through the trees behind them.

“We haven’t cultivated our bodies yet,” Bing said, her voice calm but firm. She raised a hand, gathering icy qi that formed into long, sharp icicles. “Stay back and attack from a distance. Or better yet, hide. Though I know you won’t.”

With that, she hurled the icicles toward the roc during a brief lull in the fight. The attack missed its mark but served as enough of a distraction for Yanjiang to capitalize. With a fierce strike, Yanjiang’s flaming claws slashed through the air, scorching the roc’s robes.

Jinshu clenched his fists, frustration bubbling within him. He hated standing by, but Bing was right. He was untrained, inexperienced. He hadn’t even learned how to form Qi into an attack yet. Only a few weeks had passed since he’d first begun cultivating—rushing in now would only get in their way.

So, for now, all he could do was watch.

Yanjiang fought with fiery determination, each swipe of her flaming claws forcing the roc back. The roc, faster and more agile, dodged her strikes with ease—until Yuetu and Bing stepped in. Yuetu dashed forward, landing a swift kick before retreating just as quickly. Meanwhile, Bing’s sharp icicles forced the roc to defend instead of counterattacking.

“Argh!” The roc roared in frustration, snapping his fan open and unleashing a barrage of sharp golden Qi. The lines of energy tore through the battlefield, infused with wind and metal Qi, forcing the sisters to retreat momentarily to avoid the wild onslaught.

“You little bitches! I’ll rav—!” The roc’s vile threat was cut short as Yanjiang’s fist slammed into his gut, driving the air from his lungs. Caught off guard, he stumbled back, his momentary distraction costing him dearly.

Yanjiang didn’t let up, following with a flaming claw aimed at his face. This time, the roc managed to dodge, his speed saving him at the last second.

Yuetu darted in from the side, delivering a sharp kick. Ding! The blow met his fan with a metallic clang, halting her attack.

Two icicles whizzed past the roc’s face, one slicing a bloody gash into his cheek.

“You’ll pay for that!” he roared, trembling with fury. With a piercing cry, his body shifted, feathers bursting from his skin as he reverted to his true form. A majestic yet menacing golden roc with massive wings now stood before them.

“Fight me in the sky, if you dare!” he screamed, launching himself into the air with a powerful flap of his wings.

“Hmph! I’m not afraid of you, chicken-shit!” Yanjiang roared, her defiant voice echoing across the battlefield. Flames surged around her as her body elongated, coiling into the sky in her true form—a fiery red dragon with scales that glowed like molten steel.

Yuetu transformed next, her rabbit-dragon hybrid form elegant yet fierce, with long ears and sleek scales glinting like polished jade. She followed Yanjiang into the sky without hesitation.

Jinshu started to take a step forward, determination etched on his face, but Bing’s hand shot out, stopping him once more.

“Don’t,” she said firmly. “You’ll just get in the way. Leave this to us.”

Before he could protest, Bing’s form shimmered as she shifted into her true shape—a smaller but no less imposing ice dragon with scales of pure white akin to fresh snow. She leapt into the air, joining their sisters.

Jinshu stood rooted to the spot, staring after them with a mix of worry and frustration. His first battle, and he was stuck on the sidelines.

“Damn it!” he growled, clenching his fists tightly.

He looked skyward, watching the fierce battle unfold. Yanjiang and Bing flanked the roc, breathing streams of fire and ice in tandem, while Yuetu stayed grounded on a nearby mountain. Her earth elemental qi swirled around her as she hurled massive boulders crafted from dirt and stone into the sky. It seemed she had switched roles with Bing, focusing on long-range support instead of melee combat.

Despite his frustration, Jinshu couldn’t help but marvel at his sisters’ teamwork. They moved as one, each attack complementing the other, slowly forcing the golden roc onto the defensive.

Ice crystallized over the roc’s wings, slowing its movements as it struggled to stay airborne. Yanjiang coiled her mighty form around its neck, her fiery scales glowing with heat as she squeezed, attempting to strangle the life out of the beast.

The roc screeched in desperation, shifting into his human form to escape her grip before quickly reverting to his true form.

A massive boulder hurled by Yuetu smashed into his chest, exploding into a cloud of dust and debris that swirled around his massive frame. The dust spread thickly, creating a smokescreen that obscured the roc from view.

From below, only Jinshu could see the truth. Through an opening in the dust, he glimpsed the roc gathering a bright, golden orb of qi in its beak, the energy growing brighter and more volatile with each passing second. It was a devastating attack in the making.

He wanted to scream a warning to his sisters, who hovered cautiously, waiting for the dust to clear—but they wouldn’t hear him from the ground. Desperation clawed at him. With no other choice, Jinshu shifted into his true form. His silver-scaled body shot into the sky like a streak of light.

“Dodge!” he shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.

In an instant, he latched onto the roc’s talons, biting down hard to distract it just as it prepared to fire the golden orb.

The attack fired—a searing beam of energy that narrowly missed Yanjiang and Bing. Even the residual qi from the blast tore through their scales like a hot knife through butter, leaving shallow gashes that leaked crimson blood.

The roc screeched in agony as Jinshu’s teeth sank deeper into its leg. In retaliation, it lashed out with its free talon, grabbing Jinshu in an iron grip. Its claws pierced through his silver scales, blood spilling from the wounds.

“Ahh!!” Jinshu roared in pain, but he refused to let go. His jaws clamped tighter until they reached bone. With one final, vicious bite, he snapped the roc’s bone and tore off a talon in his teeth.

“CAAAW!!” The roc screeched in agony, thrashing violently in the air as blood gushed from the wound.

“Jinshu!!” His sisters’ cries echoed through the sky as the dust finally settled.

When they saw him in the roc’s grip, his silver scales streaked with his own deep crimson blood, their rage ignited. The sight of their younger brother’s blood drove them to madness.

With a roar of fury, all three sisters charged, claws bared and teeth gleaming. Yanjiang, Bing, and Yuetu tore into the roc with unmatched ferocity, their combined attacks rending flesh and feather.

Each strike was fueled by a primal need to protect their brother, and the air filled with the sound of claws ripping into the roc’s body and the creature’s anguished screams.

One of Yanjiang’s strikes tore through the roc’s wing, forcing it to lose balance. With a deafening screech, it plummeted into the forest below.

Boom!

The roc’s massive body crashed through trees like twigs, sending waves of dirt and debris rippling through the forest. Its fall left a colossal crater, and there it lay, dazed and barely moving.

The three sisters had been knocked aside by the impact, but Jinshu remained clutched in the roc’s talons. His silver-scaled body was slick with blood, his strength waning. Yet, even as his vision blurred, he refused to relent, tearing into the roc’s remaining talons with his razor-sharp teeth.

With a trio of desperate roars, his sisters launched themselves back onto the roc, their claws aimed for the kill.

Before they could strike again, the roc’s massive body shimmered, shrinking until it reverted to its human form. The once-proud figure now lay crumpled in the crater, his robes in tatters, his face pale and twisted with terror.

“S-Stop!” the roc stammered, raising trembling hands. “Y-You can’t kill me! I’m the cousin of the Golden Roc Clan’s young master's maid!” His voice cracked as he pleaded, his earlier arrogance replaced by desperation and fear.

The sisters ignored him completely, rushing to their brother’s side. Jinshu’s body shrank back into his human form as well, his wounds contracting with him. Though smaller, the injuries still oozed blood, leaving him pale and weak.

“Jinshu!” Yuetu was the first to reach him, crouching by his side. She grasped his hand tightly, her large, tear-filled eyes scanning his injuries.

“Little brother!” Yanjiang cried, throwing herself over him. “Don’t die! You can’t leave us!”

Jinshu wheezed, his voice weak as he croaked, “You… you’re crushing me…”

“Ah! Sorry!” Yanjiang scrambled off him, her cheeks streaked with tears. She managed a sheepish grin despite her worry.

“What about—?” Jinshu’s question was cut off by a sharp cry from the crater.

The three turned to see Bing standing over the screaming roc. Her foot pressed firmly between his legs, her icy expression devoid of mercy.

“You moved,” she said coldly, her voice detached. “I was only going to crush your dantian. Now look what you made me do.”

“I-I didn’t move!” the roc choked out, his voice breaking into a pitiful wail.

Jinshu winced at the sight, his sharp breath aggravating his wounds and sending a fresh wave of pain through his body.

“Here, take this,” Yuetu said softly, pulling out a glossy white pill. She recognized the worsening state of her brother and quickly held the pill to him.

Jinshu recognized it as a healing pill, though he'd never seen one quite like this one. He tried to lift his arm to take it, but his body refused to cooperate.

Noticing his struggle, Yuetu slipped the pill into his mouth. The medicine dissolved instantly, warmth spreading through his body as his flesh slowly began to mend. Though it dulled his pain, the pill did nothing to restore his lost blood. Weakness lingered, leaving him drained.

Bing continued her assault, her foot crashing down repeatedly onto the young roc’s lower body. Each strike elicited another agonized scream from the wretched man.

Finally, with one last devastating stomp, she shattered his dantian, leaving his cultivation crippled and his lower body ruined. The roc let out a final, strangled cry before passing out, the pain and the loss of his qi overwhelming him.

Bing turned to face her siblings, her icy blue eyes cold and detached. But as she noticed their wide-eyed stares, a faint blush crept across her cheeks. She lowered her gaze and quickly hid behind her snow-white hair, her earlier ferocity replaced by her normal bashful demeanor.

Yanjiang gulped audibly, leaning closer to Jinshu and Yuetu. “Remind me never to piss her off,” she muttered.

Both Jinshu and Yuetu nodded wordlessly, their expressions mirroring her unease.