Chapter 72: The Upstart
Yu Xiang whistled.
Blackrise came out of the trees at a hard gallop, cleared the ash tree in one bound, and settled beneath its master without breaking pace. Yu Xiang swung the halberd up and turned the horse to face us.
Hao stepped in front of me.
"Stay behind me and watch his angles. I will draw him to me."
I nodded and set my dagger low. I moved a pace behind his right shoulder and let the chain-belt swing loose at my hip.
Yu Xiang came at us.
Hao brought his hands up and a wall of fire rose out of the road at chest height, running from one shoulder to the other. Blackrise did not slow as it approached the wall of flame.
Then Blackrise left the ground.
The horse lifted itself off the road on nothing I could see. Its hooves ran on empty air. Its Qi surged under its belly and held it up the way water holds a leaf. It cleared the fire wall by a full body length and came down galloping on the far side, the halberd already swinging.