Chapter 85: More People

“There, we’ve arrived!” Jao Fuu said, stopping before the horned trees, with Deng Ai by her side. “Somewhere in the forest beyond is my brother… and that idiot Wang Zen.”

“You know it’s a big forest,” Deng Ai said, fixing his glasses on his face. “Do you really think we will be able to find them?”

“Of course!” Jao Fuu placed her hands on her hips. “If Wang Zen has dragged my dear brother on his crazy hunt for the Snow Ram, then to find them,” all we have to do is find the Snow Ram.”

“Oh, that makes sense.”

“My brother is one of the smartest people I know. With him by his side, even that idiot Wang Zen will be able to find the Snow Ram. That’s why I need someone who is also smart to help me.”

“You… You think I’m smart.” Deng Ai blushed as he tried to hide behind his glasses.

“Well, you’re not very powerful, so hopefully you’re half as smart as my brother,” Jao Fuu said.

Deng Ai straightened. He now had a goal, to prove he was half as smart as Jao Fuu’s brother.

“So, any ideas where we can look for this Snow Ram?”

Deng Ai took a moment to think. “Well, the Snow Ram is impartial to Blue Grass. So if we were to look for it, it would be a good idea to search in the western parts of the forest where it grows.”

“West? My favourite direction.” Fuu said. “Well, lead the way, Deng Ai.”

“Wait, I just had a thought. There may be dangerous beasts in there.”

“Don’t worry about that.” she said, slamming a fist into her palm. “You’re the brains, I’m the brawn, so if anything comes out, I’ll take the lead.”

Deng Ai nodded and walked into the forest with her following behind.

He dropped from the air and landed on the ground amongst the corpses on the forest floor. Two men and one woman, lay dead at his face. He stood up and clenched his fist in anger as he looked at the bodies. He could already tell that their possessions had been plundered.

Hui Yi looked around, his eyes, hidden behind dark circular-lensed glasses, taking in the area around him. He saw a collection of footprints, heading out away from the bodies deeper into the forest. Hastily, he followed the fading signs of the people who were there.

He eventually came upon a peculiar sight. A giant cylindrical boulder lay on its side, spikes coming out of one of the bases of the boulder and next to the boulder was a hole. The hole was empty but when he inspected the boulder, he found one of the spikes was stained in blood. Looking around, he found even more blood, leading a path even deeper into the forest.

Without hesitation, Hui Yi sprinted into the forest, following the trail of blood that marked the snowy floor.

A pair of eyes hidden in the multi-coloured dying shrubbery watched the three travellers as they made their way across the forest. The biggest male of the group, Wang Zen was walking slightly ahead of everyone while the other two, Xue Shaonu and Jao Cong, walked closely by.

For a moment the group was hidden behind a tree but then they emerged, first Wang Zen and then Jao Cong. They continued to make tread on in the snow, each step of the group causing… The eyes widened! Wang Zen and Jao Cong? Where was Xue Shaonu?

The spy heard the rustling, a warning of an oncoming threat. The now discovered figure dropped in time to see a pale hand thrust out of the leaves, its palm glowing in white ki as leaves around it were displaced.

The figure flipped in the air and landed on the ground below before running away but Xue Shaonu pursued. The spy looked back at Xue Shaonu who was catching up fast. The spy became aware of danger ahead and dodged a swipe from a short sword held by Zen, who pursued the spy against a tree, where Xue Shaonu rounded, cutting off the spy’s escape routes.

Zen was a little surprised by the spy’s appearance. She was a slightly chubby girl with pink cheeks and a long, braded pony tail that ended at her hips. She looked scared, nothing like the spy he had expected.

“Alright, who are you?” Zen said, raising the point of his sword to her neck. “And why are you trying to kill us?”

“I-I’m not trying to kill you!” she said in a squeaky voice.

“The why did you set that trap back there?”

“I did not set any trap!” she denied. “My name is Geyi Kun. I’m… I’m Xue Shaonu’s friend!”

Zen looked at Xue Shaonu.

She shrugged, “I don’t know this girl.”

“O-Okay, I’m not exactly a friend, I’m a classmate from Year 1 class A!” she hastily said. “I was looking for herbs when I saw you speed by with Xue Shaonu in your hands. Remembering how much of a pervert you are, I thought I would follow to make sure she is okay and report you if I needed.”

“That is ridiculous!” Zen said. “Why would you think I’m a pervert?”

“Everyone knows you peeked in on the girls’ bathhouse!” the girl pointed at Zen accusingly.

“That was a misunderstanding!” Zen wailed.

“Well, at least we know she is from the academy.” Xue Shaonu said. “She knows about the common gossip.”

“It’s gossip? Honestly, why won’t people just forget about that?” Zen cried.

Jao Cong caught up with them. “Guys, don’t leave me for too long like that. You know I’m not a good navigator and I can get lost.” Jao stopped when he saw the three. “Geyi Kun?”

“You know her?” Zen said.

“Yes, she is in our year. In our class, Xue Shaonu.”

“Oh,” Xue Shaonu said as she dropped her hands. “Seems you were talking the truth.”

Zen followed suite and dropped his short sword and Geyi Kun rewarded him by sticking out her tongue at him, which earned her a grunt from him.

“Yes,” the merchant said to the cloaked figure, who held up a paper to his face. “It looks like him but his nose is all wrong. It’s misshapen… crooked. To be honest, other than his nose, the boy was quiet unremarkable but I noticed him because he was talking to quiet the lovely young miss.”

“I’m only interested in the boy,” the feminine voice under the drawn hood said before digging out a few coins and handing them to the merchant. The figure began to move, the black hood slowly falling back to reveal a face hidden in a mask…