Journey to Wubang 01 - Earth to Hell by Kylie Chan

five moves of the highest-level Wudang sword kata as fast as I could. The chi made the sword trail a golden image as it sang through the air. I stopped and saluted the dragon with the sword, then pulled the chi out and lowered it. He watched, eyes wide, as condensation dripped from the end of the cold, dark blade.
    ‘Lady Emma is the finest human student the Dark Lord has ever seen,’ Simone said as if from a million miles away. ‘She can take down any level of demon with the sword known as the Destroyer, which was a gift from the Demon King himself.’
    Before resheathing the sword I held it over the back of my wrist. Red , I willed, please be red , and then lightly ran the blade crosswise over my wrist. Red blood welled where the impossibly sharp blade touched me. I raised the blade a few centimetres above the wound and the blood spun up from my arm and disappeared into the dark metal. I returned the blade to its scabbard on my back, then concentrated and healed the wound.
    Oh God, Emma, I’m sorry , Simone said into my head. I completely forgot.
    Tell her, not a problem , I said to the stone.
    Yes, a problem! she retorted. What if it had been black?
    I shrugged imperceptibly.
    The dragon had watched me feed the blade with wide eyes. He pulled himself together and turned back to Simone, defiant again. ‘What else, Princess?’
    ‘Next you must defeat me in battle,’ Simone said, perfectly calm. She raised Seven Stars to the side. ‘Again, not to the death, as I also am not Immortal.’
    ‘And?’ the dragon said.
    ‘Then, after defeating Lady Emma, and defeating me,the suitor must embrace me.’ She summoned yin over her raised arms so that it floated around her pale hands and the blade of the sword. ‘Embrace me, and my nature. Embrace my yin.’
    The dragon gasped and took a step back. ‘Touch the yin?’
    ‘Embrace the yin,’ Simone said, her voice still echoing eerily. ‘Embrace my true nature.’
    The hall filled with complete silence as the dragon watched the yin writhe over Simone’s arms and the enormous blade.
    He fell to one knee and bowed his head. ‘I withdraw my challenge.’
    Phew , Simone said. He’s a good fighter too .
    ‘Go with honour, Dragon Lord,’ Simone said out loud. ‘I am honoured by your attention.’ She raised her head. ‘Those are the conditions for any who wishes to have my hand. Defeat Lady Emma. Defeat me. And then embrace my yin.’
    She dismissed Seven Stars, changed back to human form, and nodded to the Jade Emperor. ‘Celestial Majesty. By your leave, Lady Emma and I must prepare for a journey to Hell.’
    ‘Dismissed,’ the Jade Emperor said. His eyes were full of amusement. Excellent job. Well done. Bai Hu is going to shout at you for a long time, Simone, but don’t worry, it will work out.
    I held my hand out and the Tiger passed the ruyi back to me. Simone and I fell to one knee and saluted the Jade Emperor as senior Retainers, then turned and walked out of the hall together, with the Tiger and Kwan Yin following.
    General Qin appeared in the doorway. ‘Holy Bodhisattva Kwan Yin. Lady Emma Donahoe, Confirmed Regent of the Dark Northern Heavens, First Heavenly General. Lord Bai Hu, Emperor of theWestern Heavens. Princess Simone, only human daughter of the Dark Lord of the Northern Heavens.’ Great job, ladies.
    Oh. You didn’t have the precedence until you were off probation , Simone said. Way to go, Emma. First Heavenly General! Way cool!
    ‘You say cool far too much,’ I growled under my breath.
    A litany followed me down the stairs back to the preparation room. Cool cool cool cool cool!
    Bai Hu leaned his elbows on the dining table and held his head in his hands. He rubbed his hands over his face and looked at us, despairing. ‘I really don’t know what the fuck I’m going to do with you two. That was beyond stupid.’
    ‘I thought we handled it okay, Uncle Bai,’ Simone said. ‘At least we won’t have all these Celestials trying to marry