Chapter 81: Horn Trees

Jao Cong, was getting ready for bed, a task slightly made strange by Zen intensely staring at him. He slid under the covers and tossed and turned for a while before looking at the source of his discomfort, Wag Zen’s unyielding gaze.

“Is there a problem?”

“We haven’t spoken about it,” Zen said. “Are we going to meet up with her?”

“I.. I don’t have a problem with it.”

Zen’s lips curled into a smile. “Great, we’ll be travelling with the most beautiful girl in the academy!”

“But that’s not the main thing, right?” Cong said. “We’re just adding more people to help us find the Snow Ram.”

“Yeah! Yeah! Sure!” Zen said as he fell on his bed on the hard, inn bed. However, he did not care. He just gazed at the ceiling, planning all the things he would speak about with Xue Shaonu .

The next morning, Zen and Cong were out and headed for the west part of the forest. As they got closer to the forest entrance, they saw to large trees jutting out of the perimeter of the forest, their white trunks curled up in the air before ending in white, leafless branches.

Although, Zen’s eyes were immediately drawn to the figure standing between the twin trees, looking straight ahead into the forest.

“Xue Shaonu !” Zen shouted, waving at her when she turned to look at them.

She waved back until they were standing before her.

“These look like weird trees,” Zen said, looking at the twin trees.

“The forest was actually named after these trees.” Cong said, avoiding eye contact by looking up at the trees. Their white bark and the way they curve in their growth makes them look like two horns growing from the ground, hence Horn Trees Forest.”

“Wow, you know a lot!” she smiled.

Zen felt a tinge of jealousy at being outshone by his cousin.

“Come, let’s move.” She said before walking between the two trees in excitement.

Zen smiled, eager to get started. At least I can shine in the forest, where I can navigate, unlike Jao Cong. “Yes!” Zen said walking into the forest after her.

“Hey, wait for me!” Jao Cong shouted after them as he followed.