Chapter 26: Disappearance?

Wei Xin saw ashes, blackened corpses, ruined houses. It was bizarre to see a village so deep in the forest; however, after examining its inhabitants everything became clear. They had sharp and long teeth, and where the skin remained it was covered in fur.

Beast-men, a kind of intelligent beasts that resembled humans the most. They were walking with their two legs, and with that, the similarities ended. Generally, they had higher intelligence than normal spirit animals and preferred to live in tribes. Like that one.

"What happened?" Asked Xin, looking over the ruins while trying not to avert his eyes.

Several hours ago Ying Zheng abruptly said that he wished to check something, and left him and Maha alone. After an hour or something, he came back and ordered them to follow him.

"Looks like someone razed the place, poor Boar-men. I wanted to catch one and get some intelligence about the upcoming war, but it seems they were on the wrong side."

Said Ying Zhen, lifting some sort of an amulet covered in ash from the ground.

"Wrong side?" Were there sides in the conflict? Wasn't it's just beasts against humans?

"During the Colonization War, the Alliance of Intelligent Beasts was lead by a council of elders of the strongest tribes and rogue strong beasts, like Silver Flame Lion or a kind. The later had their positions set, for they were backed by their strength, while the first was often fighting each other for the right to make decisions. Still, there are too many corpses."

Xin nodded. Bones were indeed frequent.

"Normally they would just enslave them. Or eat. Not sure what was the point in killing them off. As if it was a statement of sorts."

"We'll spend the night here." He suddenly said.

"For what? It is a graveyard." At last Maha raised her voice. Previously she was just looking around while frowning.

"Cause I want to. Also, it's doubtful that any kind of beast will dare to get close to this place. I'm tired of protecting you at nights; a man should have a good sleep once in a while."

Xin couldn't answer anything to it. After two weeks of traveling the beasts, so rare at the beginning, now were bothering them several times a day. At this point he didn't even have to hunt, the prey was always coming at them first, and what he couldn't deal with was swiftly taken care of by Ying Zheng.

"Are you alright with it?" Asked Maha while looking at Xin. He quickly nodded to her, then thought about it. Spending the night in this kind of place… He restrained his gulp and forced himself to calm down. Everything here was already dead, nothing to fear.

"Don't worry; I'll put some smell-erasing formations. Now then, let's get to work."

His words were directed to Xin. The boy started looking for a clean place. He thought about using a still standing house at first, but after a short check, he found none fitting.

At last, near the forest at the edge of the village, he started drawing a formation. Since his hunt on the Three-Headed Wolf, he realized how useful they could be in everyday use. Martial Artists rarely study them in depth, for it takes time, and no matter how useful is useful, striking hard will always be more useful. Still, at least the bare minimum he could memorize.

He asked Ying Zheng to help him with that, and then they spend an entire day practicing. Ying Zheng even stated that they won't go anywhere until Xin will be able to combine Heating and Illuminating formations and freely adjust the frequency.

"If you want to be helpful, be helpful." Kept saying Ying Zheng while erasing hours of Xin's work.

Xin didn't really wish to be helpful. Still, the annoyed glare of Maha (obviously directed at Ying Zheng and not him) was enough of a motivation for the boy. He didn't want to hinder their journey, and after a night of practice, he finally fell to sleep in a field full of glowing warm red circles.

If it wasn't for the strength that was filling to him after cultivation, he would probably have collapsed before finishing work. This strange situation of his body should be investigated, but he wasn't capable of that as of now.

Since that day he was the one to do the formations.

After the ground lit up, he took the sitting position and started cultivating.

Still only two meridians.

He couldn't complain, though. It has been only a week and something after he entered the Second Stage of Qi Gathering. It surely felt longer than the month he spend in Azure Lake Village, but the time to cultivate was less. Especially with Demonic Light added.

Shooking off all useless thoughts he started gathering Qi.

…

After an hour Xin opened his eyes. He saw something strange, or rather a strange lack of something. Someone. The boy blinked, looked around and back into the dark depth of the forest. Then at the village and saw a stone, no, a black skull in the static light of the formation. His head started spinning; he wasn't sure where it was scarier. In the end, he gazed at the shining lines of the formation.

Where are they? Ying Zheng could be hunting still, or dealing with something, he had his peculiarities and Xin wasn't sure how long he had been cultivating. But where was Maha then?

He stood up and lifted his head. Just waiting is stupid; he has to do something. However, what? Maha is fragile but Ying Zheng is strong. He wouldn't be able to do much if there was a real problem.

Unless he really is still hunting and Maha was kidnapped by someone.

Suddenly, he heard a rustle from the forest. He looked there, unable to turn his eyes. Slowly, a silhouette emerged from the darkness of the trees.

It was a man with yellowish face and distinct facial features. He had brown, untidy, slightly long hair. Was wearing a grey robe that was hiding most of his body except for heavy leather boots.

"Hello there…" He said in an unexpectedly youthful voice.

"I didn't expect to meet a little kid, can you share the place? I'm freezing there."

It isn't cold, Xin wished to say, but stayed silent and made several steps back.

"Thanks."

Said the man and sit close to the formation. His body landed on the ground amazingly soundlessly, but Wei Xin had no time to make anything from that.

"Do you have some food, boy?"

Xin shook his head.

"So you are starving then? Sad, I can share with you, here." The man took a bag from under his robe. Xin tried to see what was inside when something landed into his hands. It was a green apple.

"Come on, boy. Try it." The man smiled or smirked. It could be either.

The apple was smooth, maybe too smooth. Xin wasn't planning to eat it, of course, but the situation was pressing.

Suddenly, the leaves rustled once more. Hope arose inside of him, only to crash even harder. A woman jumped between him and the man. Brown hair In a bun, loose sky-blue dress. Something like a bow, but too big on her back, unnaturally red lips. She had the style of a middle-aged woman while her face was rather youthful.

"Stop bullying kids!" She said, puffing her cheeks.

Xin saw man's eyes twitch. The girl walked to Xin. The apple left his hands and the woman, or rather girl showed her pearly teeth and bit.

"Shee? Itsh fine!" She was chewing, smiling, and speaking at once.

The situation and her face were so ridiculous that Xin suddenly felt corners of his lips rise. Then, just behind the duo of the man with a clearly unnatural expression on his face and the silly girl, he saw two golden lights shine. Several words appeared in his mind.

At once he calmed down.

Meanwhile, the man's voice sounded once more. Now he wasn't so playful and smooth. Rather, there was a hint of irritation.

"So, what are you doing here. It isn't a place for a kid."

"Ask his name first." Exclaimed the girl and gulped. Then she gave Xin the apple. The edges of the bite were red.

"I'm Xin."

He said and also bite.

Wait, that was a bad move. It is unwise to think that a poisoner won't be able to deal with his own poison.

His jaw froze.

"How did you get here, Xin? Are you okay?" The girls continued to ask.

"!"

"Wait!" She abruptly exclaimed and went pale. Then she took a little bottle of blue liquid from her dress and drank a half of it.

"Xin, spit it." Xin did, feeling relieved and sour in his mouth. At the same second the content of the bottle entered his throat. He coughed and stepped back.

The girl, meanwhile, wasn't paying any more attention to him. She turned to the man and corners of her lips went down. It was hard to say what kind of emotion she wished to portray with it.

"How dare you feed him truth serum! You made me lie, you are a horrible person."

…

A strange silence hung in the air. The girl was looking at the man; the man was looking at the girl. Xin was looking at the two lights on the tree behind them.

"I'm here… with my master. He's hunting now."

He said as if reading a script.

…

…

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