Chapter 25: Her Name is Bai Ling
Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -
Su Ming was nervous. The Qi within the man standing before him felt stronger than Lei Chen's. He was probably around the fifth or sixth level of the Blood Solidification Realm.
Su Ming could not hope to win against such a person. If the man decided to attack him, Su Ming would have had a hard time dodging it. However, he needed a large number Cloud Gauze Grass, which would require a lot of stone coins.
Due to this, he had to take a risk. Besides, after he killed Yu Chi in the forest, he felt that his mindset had changed somewhat. The knowledge he obtained by reading the beast skin scrolls he got from the elder were now deeply ingrained in his mind.
Somewhere in his mind, he thought that if he could not overpower the other party with his Qi, he could at least make his opponent hesitate. Then, his opponent would not act rashly.
That was why he chose to disguise himself before going into the tent at first. Secondly, he brought the wild beast with him. All of it was to create shock at the right time.
It seemed that his actions produced pretty good results but Su Ming was still nervous. He did not dare let his guard down.
In truth, Su Ming was not the only nervous one in the tent. The man was possibly even more nervous than Su Ming. He would occasionally glance at the spot where the creature died. When he saw the pile of dust, his heart would race; not out of excitement, but out of fear.
In the man's sight, the person before him, covered entirely in hides gave off an enigmatic air. It put a lot of pressure on the man especially with the shocking scene that happened just moments ago. The anxiety and nervousness he felt towards Su Ming was far stronger than what Su Ming felt towards him.
'This man is very experienced. He speaks calmly but he is a ruthless man. He must be a Fallen Berserker who went into hiding in one of the mountains… but from his mannerisms, he seems to be someone reasonable… But I don't think this weird medicine will be very strong. '
As the man was drowning in his own fears, there were footsteps outside the tent. Then, the flaps of the tent were lifted and a man walked in.
The man's face was blank. When he walked into the tent, he did not say a word. He stood by the side waiting for the one-eyed man's orders.
When the other man came in, Su Ming only cast him a glance. The presence of his Qi was not thick. He was the same as Su Ming. They were both practitioners at the second level of the Blood Solidification Realm.
"Eat this and this as well!" The one-eyed man did not hesitate and handed the pill along with an herb to the other man who just came in.
The other man took the pill and the herb, his face still blank and swallowed it after a few bites. Then he sat down with his legs-crossed, circulating the Qi in his body. Very soon, his whole demeanor changed as if he was surprised. He opened his eyes before long and looked at the one-eyed man with uncertainty.
"There aren't really any major effects… I just felt the effects of the Prime Spirit Grass increase… maybe about one fold."
When the one-eyed man heard his words, he immediately narrowed his eyes as his heart hammered against his chest. He knew what the increase of effects for any herbal medicine by one fold would bring. If it was just a normal herb, the effects would not be obvious. However, if it was the sort of herb taken by Berserkers above the eighth level of the Blood Solidification Realm, the value of the pill would practically be immeasurable.
'For a normal herb worth 10 stone coins, this item would only be worth one stone coin. But if it were an herb that was worth 100 or 1,000 stone coins, the increased effect…'
The one-eyed man grew more excited as he thought of the possibilities but he could not be sure that the item would have the same effect for higher-leveled herbs.
'It's a pity I don't have a lot of stone coins on my person…'
He quelled his excitement and sent the other man away. Then he stood respectfully before Su Ming and forced a smile.
"Sir, this medicine of yours is really mysterious. I'll give you 30 stone coins in exchange for one, how does that sound?" The one-eyed man did not dare offend Su Ming. To him, Su Ming was a Fallen Berserker. If he could produce such a powerful medicine, he was definitely not a common Berserker Practitioner.
"Thirty coins?" The price offered made Su Ming's heart pound in excitement but he spoke with a colder voice instead.
"This… Sir, 30 coins is my final offer. I can't even be sure whether this medicine works the same for higher-leveled herbs." The one-eyed man immediately explained himself but before he could finish, Su Ming cut him off.
"If you consume this medicine, no matter what herb you take, the effects will increase by one-fold. If I didn't want to buy a Berserker Vessel, I wouldn't even sell this."
The one-eyed man struggled internally for a while before he gritted his teeth and nodded at Su Ming.
"How many do you have?"
"Besides the one you just ate, there's still one more!" As Su Ming spoke, he produced a small bottle from his chest. There was only one Scattering Dust pill in the bottle.
When the man heard this, he felt his heart twisting in pain at the loss of the first pill. As he hesitated, he saw Su Ming standing up and putting away the bottle. Then Su Ming lifted his hand which turned the small creature into red mist earlier. He was also glaring at him from behind the layers of hides that covered his face. The man immediately remembered that he wasted a pill as an experiment and quickly spoke up.
"Sir, sir! This… 50 coins! This is really all I can give you!"
Su Ming did not want to linger around for too long so, he spoke flatly, "Fine. Along with the pill you used just now, that'll be 100 stone coins!"
The one-eyed man only hesitated for a short while before producing a beast skin pouch from his chest. He handed it to Su Ming respectfully. There were two white stone coins inside.
The value of the stone coins were decided by their color. The gray ones were worth one each and one black coin was equivalent to 10 gray coins. As for the white coin, it was equivalent to 50 gray coins. If it was a purple coin, it was worth 100 gray coins.
"Give me black coins!" Su Ming only glanced at the two coins before he spoke all of a sudden.
The one-eyed man was taken aback but only for a moment. He did not ask any questions instead, he produced 10 black stone coins and gave them to Su Ming.
After placing the stone coins into his pouch, Su Ming threw the little bottle to the man. He picked up the basket on the ground and left the tent without another glance at the man. Once he left the tent, Su Ming did not act immediately. He chose to walk around the square. The moon and stars were shining brightly in the sky and there were torches lit everywhere. Yet, there were still a lot of people at the square. However, most of the people who were shopping at that moment were all dressed up like Su Ming.
He wandered around the square until he was sure no one was watching him. Then he went to the places selling Cloud Gauze Grass that he singled out in the morning. He bought more than 60 of them. After that, he went to a more secluded place to change his attire. He left quickly and went to the place he promised to meet up with Lei Chen. Lei Chen was already at their meeting place, yawning up at the sky. Su Ming did not speak but walked past Lei Chen.
Lei Chen was surprised but followed suit. Both of them disappeared into the forest soon and ran once they were in there. Su Ming even changed his path multiple times. He did not stop to rest until the sky started to darken the next day. Even then, his face was pale due to fear.
Lei Chen was panting hard. He did not understand it but he chose not to ask. He especially decided to keep his silence when Su Ming threw five stone coins in his direction. Once he caught them, he laughed excitedly.
They took a short break before Su Ming stood up once more. He ran with Lei Chen towards the direction of their tribe. He did not stop this time but ran at full speed. In fact, his speed seemed to increase with each step he took. His Qi might not have been as powerful as Lei Chen's, but in terms of speed, even Lei Chen struggled to keep up.
'I had a pretty good haul this time… I originally thought that if I could not sell the pills, I would experiment with five pieces of Cloud Gauze Grass first. I didn't expect things to go so smoothly.'
As Su Ming ran, he appeared to be deep in thought.
'The one-eyed man should be scared of me but I still can't let my guard down. I have to return to the tribe as soon as possible.'
Su Ming was careful all the way back to the tribe. They were far away from the square by then but they would still change their paths occasionally. Su Ming even used his experiences in the forest to erase their tracks.
The sun lit up the sky but there was still some time before noon. Su Ming and Lei Chen caught sight of their tribe some distance away. When he saw the tribe, Su Ming finally relaxed. There was even a smile on his face.
"We're finally back. Su Ming, you still haven't told me how you knew Bai Ling was a member of Dark Dragon Tribe." Lei Chen was gasping as he tried to catch his breath. As Su Ming slowed down, he grabbed the chance to ask him the one question that had been on his mind.
"Bai Ling?" The image of the tall and beautiful girl surfaced in Su Ming's head. He thought especially of the girl wrinkling her nose and looking at them with her bright eyes. She seemed feral but it was a wild sort of beauty.
"I didn't know that she was from Dark Dragon Tribe." Su Ming smiled. The girl named Bai Ling was the prettiest girl he had ever seen since he was young.
"No way. If you didn't know, how did you manage to get it right in one go?" Lei Chen had been thinking about it for a long time but he still could not get an answer. Now that Su Ming did not intend to tell him the answer, he became desperate.
Su Ming took one look at Lei Chen and laughed out loud.
"Lei Chen, you like her?"
"Nonsense!" Lei Chen shook his head fervently, then began mumbling under his breath.
"She's too thin for my liking. I like those who are a bit on the plump side…" Lei Chen scratched his head. He had always liked women who were a little more built since he was young. Even now, it was still the same.
Su Ming continued laughing and joking with Lei Chen as he ran back towards the tribe. The sounds of carefree laughter and camaraderie resounded in the cold winter.
"The tattoos of the Dark Dragon were on the three men behind Bai Ling. The only ones who like painting Dark Dragons on their body around this area are the people from Dark Dragon Tribe." As they were near their tribe, Su Ming told Lei Chen between laughs.
When Lei Chen heard the answer, he immediately laughed wryly. He did not expect the answer to be so simple.
Su Ming and Lei Chen returned to their houses safely. As Su Ming brought out the Cloud Gauze Grass he bought, his eyes were bright with anticipation.
'Mountain Spirit… I wonder what its effects are once I finish making it! The elder told me to not leave the tribe for the time being… I'll return as soon as possible. I don't think I'll be gone for long.'
Su Ming made his decision after he was deep in thought.
At the same time Su Ming made his decision, something big happened at the square far away from Dark Mountain Tribe!
The cause of it all was the round pill Su Ming created.
Once Su Ming left, the one-eyed man pondered for a long time in his tent and refused to accept any more clients who wanted to trade with him. As he was thinking, he gritted his teeth. He quickly took the bottle containing the pill to the owner of the square, who resided in the large purple tent.
Chapter 26: The Night of the Blood Red Moon
Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -
The one-eyed man waited for a long time before he was summoned. When he was called, he entered the tent respectfully. After an hour, he exited the tent with an ecstatic expression, his mannerisms still respectful as he left.
Within the purple tent, were two elderly men with completely white hair but their eyes still held a lot of life and vigor. Before them laid a very normal looking, empty small bottle.
One of the old men who wore a white robe held a pill between his fingers. He looked at it for a while. Then slowly, his gaze was filled with surprise and uncertainty.
He sank into deep thought for a moment after which, he brought the pill to his nose and took a sniff. He closed his eyes in concentration. After a long moment, he opened his eyes abruptly.
"It's just like he said. This pill has unbelievable effects! I've been in Wind Stream Tribe for many years but I've never seen such a thing in my life. By the looks of it, it doesn't seem to be a medicine made from a long time ago either. There isn't any sign of age on it so, it's clear that it has just been made recently!"
"Just what is this…?"
"It's a pity a long time has passed since the trade took place. The Fallen Berserker is not an easy person to deal with either or else we might get to know how this pill was made," the other old man spoke slowly.
"Don't be reckless. A person who can produce such an item is either a very powerful Berserker in the Blood Solidification Realm... or a Fallen Berserker at the Transcendence Realm who came from somewhere else. Brother Zhou, let me take this thing back to the tribe. Perhaps the Elder in Wind Stream Tribe can identify it." As the old man in white spoke, he carefully placed the pill back into the small bottle. Then he waved his right hand and the small bottle disappeared.
"You do that." The old man sitting before him nodded his head.
"This item is too important. I'll be taking my leave first. If I get any information, I'll tell you." The old man in white stood up. He then held his fist and palm together as a salute towards the old man called Zhou. He quickly left the purple tent. The moment he stepped out of the tent, the outline of his body became distorted. He turned into white mist and rose into the sky. Instantly, he disappeared.
Daylight had almost arrived. On the vast plains some distance away from the square, was a big tribe. The size of the tribe was almost equivalent to the size of a city. It was surrounded by six other tribes the size of Dark Mountain Tribe. In the very middle was a big city made of stone and dirt!
The city looked magnificent like a giant beast had arrived on the land. The citizens within the city alone numbered more than thousands. It was not something Dark Mountain Tribe could ever hope to overcome.
The six surrounding tribes were affiliated with the city. Some of them were conquered by Wind Stream Tribe while some sought protection when some sort of disaster befell them and they became part of Wind Stream Tribe.
Wind Stream Tribe was a medium sized tribe but it was still considered weak for a medium sized tribe. After all, Dark Mountain was located at a rather rural area in the world. However it was precisely because of that, Wind Stream Tribe could rule over the entire area and accept tributes offered by numerous smaller tribes. It was also the only tribe in Dark Mountain that was qualified to contact members of the Berserker Tribe belonging to the upper class.
As the sun began to light up the sky, a white mist flew across the sky. It gathered outside the city and transformed into the old man in white.
The old man looked solemn as he immediately walked into the city. On the way, he met other members of Wind Stream Tribe. All of them would stop and bow towards him respectfully.
At the center of the city was a completely dark altar. The altar was built in the shape of a pentagon and was 100 feet tall. There was a drawing of a bird on it. The altar looked as if it was left behind since ancient times.
The old man in white stood underneath the altar respectfully. After a moment, a gentle voice traveled from the top of the altar.
"Shi Hai, what is it?"
"Elder, I was at Zhou Ran's square and saw a medication I've never seen before. The effects of this herb are incredible…" The old man in white took a deep breath and spoke in a low voice.
"Oh? Let me see it," the gentle voice spoke slowly from atop the altar.
The old man in white lifted his right hand and bright light appeared from his palm. A small bottle materialized itself instantly. Then, as if there was some mysterious force attracting the small bottle, it floated upwards slowly towards the altar.
It was quiet around the area. The only sounds were that of the wind passing by. The wind caused the old man's robes to flutter. He stood there, as still as a statue and waited silently.
After a moment, the gentle voice spoke once again but this time, there was a tinge of surprise in it!
"There's only one?"
"Only one," the old man in white replied immediately.
"I've never seen a medication like this before… The makeup of this medication is something I don't understand… And it's clear this was made not too long ago… Who brought this to the square?" The gentle voice spoke solemnly.
"A Fallen Berserker," the old man in white spoke in a low tone.
"Find him. Use all the resources we have and find him! Tell him to join Wind Stream Tribe and I will treat him as a permanent guest here!" The gentle voice exclaimed almost immediately after the old man spoke the last syllable.
The old man in white took a deep breath and complied to the order respectfully. He could identify that the medicine was out of ordinary but he did not expect the Elder to invite the person to Wind Stream Tribe as a permanent guest. The status of a permanent guest was treated with extreme respect. Besides the tribe leader, the Elder and few other people, they were treated almost with the same importance as the other leaders of the tribe.
As the old man in white went away, he immediately had the entire Wind Stream Tribe carry out the Elder's orders. He had cast a huge net to search for the Fallen Berserker!
As for Su Ming, he had just made a decision at home in Dark Mountain Tribe. Hence in the morning of the second day, he left the tribe alone and went into the forest. Then, he ran towards Black Flame Mountain.
Su Ming traversed through the forest without any hesitation. After reaching the second level of the Blood Solidification Realm, his speed and agility had increased so much even Lei Chen had a hard time keeping up with him at full speed. As he ran through the forest, his speed increased even further due to his familiarity with the place. By noon, he had arrived at the foot of Black Flame Mountain.
He climbed up Black Flame Mountain and went to the cave which he used for the quenching of herbs. Su Ming placed the basket down on ground. There were a lot of herbs in there, all of which he prepared for the purpose of quenching.
Xiao Hong was not in the cave. It was most probably out playing. Su Ming cast a glance around the cave. Once he was certain there were no signs of abnormality around, he sat down cross-legged on the ground. He concentrated on circulating the blood in his body until the 10 blood veins shone brightly on his body and his body reached the best condition possible.
There were even vague signs of the 11th blood vein manifesting itself, which could allow Su Ming to reach the third level of the Blood Solidification Realm.
'The elder helped me to truly Awaken and he did say I was about to reach the third level… Not a lot of time passed since then but I feel that there's enough blood within me now… The ancient Berserker Art is truly amazing.'
Su Ming opened his eyes and the scene of the black substance oozing out of his body surfaced in his mind.
'I might as well put aside creating more pills for now and break through the second level!'
Su Ming only took a moment to make his decision and brought out the Sky Stone he pillaged the other day from his bosom. He took a look at the herb and swallowed a Scattering Dust before plucking a leaf from the herb and swallowing it as well.
He closed his eyes and meditated once again. After a moment, Su Ming's body was covered in sweat and surrounded by blood red light. The 11th blood vein showed signs of manifesting completely.
After a few hours, a muffled sound resounded throughout Su Ming's body and the 11th blood vein manifested itself completely. A much stronger presence of Qi immediately erupted from Su Ming's body.
Su Ming opened his eyes, which shone brilliantly.
'The third level of the Blood Solidification Realm!'
He stood up, his face bright with excitement. After he moved his body to remove the numbness in his limbs, he brought out the herbs. He began the process of creating Mountain Spirit according to the methods in his memory.
Su Ming was no longer as clueless as he was a few months ago. He was already familiar with the process of quenching herbs and even more so at controlling the fire in the cave. As the temperature within the cave increased, Su Ming took off his clothes and stood beside the stone cauldron half-naked. At times he would bring one of the herbs to his nose whereas other times, he would crush the herbs and throw them into the cauldron.
Time passed by. The sky gradually began to darken. Silence also fell upon the forest and mountains. Even the sounds of the birds and beasts became a muffled whisper.
As the sky darkened, the moon rose into the sky but, the moon that night was different from the other nights. It was in a shade so red like there was a blood red moon in the sky.
The strange sight immediately covered the land with a strange atmosphere. It was especially so for the area around Dark Mountain. The sounds from the birds and the beasts completely disappeared. There was not even the slightest whisper from them. It was as if they did not dare to make a sound.
A red shadow sped through the forest at the foot of Black Flame Mountain. It was the little monkey. At that moment, its gaze was solemn and alert. It would lift its gaze towards the red moon occasionally and distress would flicker across its features.
As it ran forward, it hesitated. It still did not know that Su Ming had returned. It changed its direction and no longer ran towards Black Flame Mountain. Instead, it hid itself somewhere in the forest.
As the sky grew darker, the moon shone a brighter shade of red. By the time midnight arrived, the entire Dark Mountain seemed to have been dyed in blood.
At that moment, a weak cry came from within Dark Mountain. The cry grew louder as time passed and eventually grew so loud it traveled past Dark Mountain.
The cry seemed to be filled with endless resentment. Those who heard it were filled with fear. It was a cry that seemed to shake the soul. If anyone listened to it for a prolonged amount of time, they would feel like their blood was boiling. It terrified them.
The cry echoed through the skies as if it reflected the blood red moon. It made Dark Mountain appear to be shrouded in mystery.
That night, the three tribes around Dark Mountain were filled with wariness. The normal members of the tribe in Dark Mountain Tribe all returned to their houses under the protection of the Berserkers within the tribe. They were told not to leave unless it was absolutely necessary. The tribe leader also personally took command of the Berserkers to protect the tribe.
The elder stood at the highest place in the tribe. It was a stage made of giant wood. In his hands was the black bone cane. As he looked afar, his eyes were tainted with a hint of worry.
He felt Su Ming leave the tribe earlier but he did not expect the blood moon which only occurred once every three years to happen that night. It was months earlier than the previous appearances of the blood red moon. The strange phenomenon made him surprised and fearful.
"Fire!" After a long while, the elder spoke. Immediately, the tribe members surrounding the giant wooden stage brought out torches and placed them underneath the stage,. The torches caused the stage to burn. The elder on the stage looked as if he was caught in a sea of fire but he was calm as he chanted in a strange language.
Dark Mountain Tribe was not the only one who did this. At the same time, in another direction from Dark Mountain Tribe, the same also happened in Dark Dragon Tribe. The elder of Dark Dragon Tribe wore a loose robe. The elder's hair was also down. There was no telling whether the elder was a man or a woman. In the elder's hands was the skull of a strange, one-horned beast. The elder lifted it up high and a piercing cry escaped the elder's lips.
Among the tribe members of Dark Dragon Tribe, stood a girl of extreme beauty. Her face was pale as she looked at the blood red moon in the sky.
Chapter 27: The Legend of the Fire Berserker!
Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -
The girl was Bai Ling. She was scared as she looked at the elder of the tribe on the altar and the other tribe members whose faces were also similarly pale with terror.
"The blood moon only appears once every three years and it appears only after all the snow has melted on Dark Mountain. There would then be enough wild beasts to be sacrificed so that we can prevent disasters… but now… it has appeared far too early… this…" Bai Ling bit her lip and looked around her, seemingly even more afraid
As for Su Ming, he was in the fire cave concentrating on creating and refining medication. He was covered in sweat as he watched the stone cauldron carefully and he adjusted the temperature of the fire as he saw fit.
Very soon, there was a muffled blast within the cauldron. Su Ming laughed bitterly and wiped the sweat off his forehead. He knew that he had failed once again.
'The Mountain Spirit is much harder to make compared to Scattering Dust…'
Su Ming shook his head and opened the cauldron. A puff of green smoke with a spicy scent emerged from within.
He sighed. Just as he was about to continue, he suddenly felt his Qi boiling in his body as though he had lost control of it. He frowned, surprised. He looked around him to see what could have possibly cause such a change but he found nothing.
'That's odd…'
Su Ming scratched his head. He only stopped for a while before he resuming his attempts to create Mountain Spirit.
At that moment on the other side of Dark Mountain, where Black Mountain Tribe was located, the tribe members were also looking at the moon. However their expressions were different from that of Dark Mountain Tribe and Dark Dragon Tribe. Unlike the other two tribes, their eyes were filled with fear and blood lust.
Roars escaped their lips. It was not just the Berserkers who roared. Even the normal members of the tribe did so. Their cries gradually became one and turned into a giant, roaring wave.
Within the center of the crowd was a small hill made up of numerous red stones. Sitting on the small hill was a willowy old man wearing a black robe. The old man's eyes were cold as he stared at the blood red moon. There was a cruel smile on his lips.
"Since ancient times, the Fire Berserker Tribe roamed the earth. The tribe had powers that shook the earth. They controlled all the fire on heaven and earth. If they were angered, they could even burn the heavens to ashes and become gods themselves! Their names spread through the lands so widely that even those who did not belong to the Berserker Tribe feared them."
"They were known as one of the eight great Berserker Tribes!" the willowy old man spoke with a hoarse voice. It was as if he was talking to all the people in the world.
"But because the tribe wanted to steal an artifact from heaven, they were punished by the God of Berserkers. After nine days and nine nights, the entire Fire Berserker Tribe was destroyed except for the Berserkers. Those who did not have the Berserker Body were all burned alive and their souls shattered!"
"Even when such a disaster befell the Fire Berserker Tribe, the Berserkers within the tribe did not die. They wanted to rebel against the God of Berserkers and become gods themselves! The God of Berserkers laid down his punishment. Just as he was about to use his powers and bring annihilation to the entire tribe, the Elder of the Fire Berserker Tribe fought against the God of Berserkers!"
"The battle shook the heavens. The Elder of the Fire Berserker Tribe died in battle but before his death, he cast a forbidden spell that made the God of Berserkers afraid. It allowed him to grant immortality to all the Fire Berserker tribe members who had not died!" Awe appeared in the willowy old man's eyes. He raised his right hand and immediately, black mist surrounded his wrinkled hand and transformed into a terrifying shape of a spirit.
"But he made a mistake. He may have allowed all the Berserkers in the Fire Berserker tribe to obtain immortality, but the God of Berserkers used the powers of creation and made them all lose their physical bodies. They became the Wings of the Blood Moon!"
"From then on, they became beings that could no longer see light. They lost their conscience and became the Wings of the Moon which lusted after blood! Their resentment, hate, anger and sadness have turned into a monstrous grudge that turns the moon red once every three years. When the moon is dyed in blood, they will return once more!"
"Tonight, I, Bi Tu Elder of Black Mountain Tribe will help you!" The willowy old man laughed darkly and bit his tongue. As he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, the blood red stones underneath his feet exploded and floated in midair.
The Elder of Dark Mountain Tribe, Bi Tu also levitated in the air. He spread his arms out. His eyes were filled with madness and excitement.
The red stones began rotating quickly in midair and formed a gigantic picture. The picture was spherical in shape and there was a crescent moon within it. The entire thing was colored a bloody red.
"Wings of the Moon, wake up! Awaken from your long slumber and come forth!" Bi Tu spat out another mouthful of fresh blood which instantly turned into bloody mist and fused into the giant picture in the sky. A roaring sound came from the picture and it exploded suddenly. It turned into a big patch of red mist which spread across its surroundings like rolling waves.
At that moment, the entirety of Dark Mountain shook. The trembling could be clearly felt as if the land was moving and the mountains were shaking. The tremors caused an uproar within Dark Mountain Tribe and Dark Dragon Tribe.
Su Ming, who was in the cave within Black Flame Mountain also felt the tremors. His expression changed. He even heard a faint roar from within the deeper parts of the cave as the mountain shook. He froze and immediately stopped all activity. He retreated a few steps and climbed through the exit. When he climbed out of the cave, he almost gasped in surprise. Right before his eyes, was the blood moon hanging in the sky!
"The blood moon!" Su Ming's face immediately turned pale.
At that moment, a thick stench of blood came from within Black Flame Mountain. Su Ming did not even hesitate. He understood the connotations of the blood moon and had even calculated the days before it appeared.
However, he did not expect it to appear earlier!
He immediately turned around and crawled back into the cave. He knew that he could not find a place to hide once he was outside. There was no time for him to return to the tribe either. Once he returned to the cave, he immediately took out his horn and quickly cut through the wall beside him. It was as if he was struck by madness. The roaring sound within the cave was becoming clearer and there were even signs of other sounds amid the roar.
Su Ming's eyes were bloodshot. Fortunately, he was used to the place and the horn was extremely sharp. Soon enough, he cut open a small hole and he crawled in immediately. Su Ming then blocked the entrance of the hole with the stones that fell out when he was cutting through the wall. He did not even mind the heat the hole emitted.
The very moment he crawled into the hole, a gust of red mist rushed out from within the cave. Once it filled up the entire cave, it escaped through the tunnel with a rumble. Su Ming heard the sound clearly.
Under the light of the blood moon, the five summits of Dark Mountain seemingly erupted like volcanoes. The rumbles shook the skies and a huge amount of red mist poured out from the summits.
It seemed like the mist had been inside the five summits of Dark Mountain since the beginning of time. As it erupted from the mountains, the mist immediately covered the sky. The mist from Dark Dragon Mountain leaked out of the mountain from its cracks. Some even poured out from the place Su Ming obtained the Dark Dragon's Saliva. If Su Ming looked closely, he would have noticed that the places the dark dragons avoided like the plague as they chased him around all those years, were the places where the red mist was the thickest!
The other mountains were the same as Dark Dragon Mountain, especially Black Flame Mountain. The amount of mist that erupted from the mountain was shocking. As the mist spread around the place, a humming sound echoed. There were sounds of many wings flapping mixed in with the humming, creating a rhapsody of death, which terrified all who heard it!
He saw red shadows coming out of the five summits along with the mist. There were also piercing roars echoing through the sky. The red shadows were strange beasts that had a pair of wings and red eyes each. They were the size of a palm and had six limbs. They also had human faces which were filled with madness and lust for blood.
They were the Wings of the Moon!
The number of the Wings of the Moon mounted to at least tens of thousands. They covered the skies until it was completely red. As they cried out, they rushed towards Black Mountain Tribe, Dark Mountain Tribe, Dark Dragon Tribe and all the places where wild beasts dwelt in the forest.
They did not have a conscience. They were only fueled by resentment and a thirst for blood. They only knew how to kill and drink fresh blood, especially blood of the members of the Berserker Tribe. It only further spurred their insanity. In fact, they sometimes skipped feasting on wild beasts and went straight for the Berserker Tribes.
There was an uproar within Dark Mountain Tribe. There were screams filled with terror echoing in the air. Chen Xin's face was pale as she held on tightly onto Bei Ling, who was beside her. Bei Ling's face too was pale.
Lei Chen was standing further ahead overcome by irritation. He wanted to find Su Ming but he did not see him among the people within the settlement. As he was filled with worry for his friend, he was further taken aback by the scene in the sky.
The terrified normal tribe members were silenced by the Berserkers in the tribe. Gradually, all the people of tribe focused their gazes on the burning wooden stage and on the person who was looking at the sky.
The elder's face was pale but they could not see it due to the fire. His pupils were contracted. He saw the red mist and heard the mad cries coming from afar.
'How could this be…? Not only did the blood moon appear earlier, even the Wings of the Moon have increased… There were only about thousands of them the last time…'
He took a sharp breath and shouted without hesitation.
"Normal members of the tribe, hide! Berserkers, take out all of the meat we have in store. Cut them open and wait for my orders!" The elder's body trembled slightly. He lowered his head. He looked at the members of his tribe and closed his eyes.
The same also happened in Dark Dragon Tribe. Once Bai Ling and the other members of the tribe heard the elder's orders, the fear in their eyes increased.
She would never forget what happened nine years ago. When she was still a child, she saw her playmate being snatched away by numerous Wings of the Moon before her eyes. He disappeared into the mist as he cried and screamed. Once he was dragged into Dark Mountain, only a slow and painful death awaited him.
The blood red moon became a vague shadow in the sky as it was covered by the mist. However, the shadows that whistled through the mist were coming closer. The large number of Wings of the Moon split into three groups and sped towards the three tribes near them.
In Dark Mountain Tribe, the elder was staring at the sky. The moment the Wings of the Moon appeared, he swung the bone cane in his right hand. A lake of fire spread underneath him and covered the entire tribe but the lake of fire did not burn any of the houses. It looked like an illusion surrounded the tribe.
"Throw the meat!" The elder growled. Immediately the terrified Berserkers within the tribe's settlement threw a bleeding creature towards the sky.
Chapter 28: The Crying Sky
Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -
The very moment the elder of Dark Mountain Tribe growled, the red mist spread out and covered the blood red moon in the sky. A large number of Wings of the Moon screeched as they came and sped through the mist, covering the sky above Dark Mountain Tribe. Piercing roars drowned out all the sounds in the land. It was the only sound that could be heard that night.
Dozens of beasts drenched in blood were thrown into the air by the tribe members. Before they fell back to the ground, they were immediately swarmed by the Wings of the Moon that gathered upon them like bloody clouds. Amid the cries, the beasts' bodies were entirely covered by the Wings of the Moon and their flesh pierced through by sharp teeth. They turned into dried up carcasses in an instant. Their blood and living bodies were devoured by the Wings of the Moon.
All that was left were only skin and bones. They crashed onto the ground and twitched helplessly before they all died.
Some of the numerous Wings of the Moon in the sky even ignored the beasts tossed into the air. They plunged straight towards the tribe members. Their eyes were filled with ruthlessness and a thirst for blood. Their targets were the Berserkers within the tribe.
Screams, cries and roars collided with each other. They resonated with the screeches made by the Wings of the Moon on that strange night.
The lake of fire that surrounded the entire tribe was like a solid barrier. It caused the Wings of the Moon that approached the tribe to retreat with a cry. It seemed that the fire, which could not even burn the houses could actually cause them mortal damage.
"Again!" The elder stood within the lake of fire and looked at the sky gravely.
Immediately more tribe members tossed even more beasts into the air in the midst of their fear. It did look like they were feeding and offering sacrifices to the crazed Wings of the Moon in the sky.
Time passed by. All of the creatures stored for winter had become food for the Wings of the Moon and fell back onto the ground like mummies. Driven by madness caused by their lust for blood, they started diving downwards. It seemed like an attempt to break through the lake of fire and descend upon the tribe to feast on the blood of the Berserkers.
The elder waved his right hand and the lake of fire turned into a giant vortex that spun rapidly in the sky. He was going up against the Wings of the Moon in the sky by himself. At the same time, arrows upon arrows pierced through the lake of fire and into the sky from the tribe to fight against the Wings of the Moon.
To the Wings of the Moon that were pretty much immortal, this sort of injury was nothing to them. Their flapping wings and piercing cries made the people in Dark Mountain Tribe panic.
Before long, some Wings of the Moon broke through the lake of fire and flew into the tribe, causing chaos within Dark Mountain Tribe.
The same also happened in Dark Dragon Tribe.
However, a strange sight happened within Black Mountain Tribe. All of the members of the tribe prostrated on the ground and remained still. In the sky, the Elder of Black Mountain Tribe, Bi Tu stretched his arms wide open. His face looked crazy with fanaticism as he stared at the sky, chanting.
Numerous Wings of the Moon circled around him. There were also a large number of them on him. Their fangs sunk into his flesh and they drank his blood.
Yet Bi Tu appeared to have lost all sense of pain. He did not resist instead, the crazed fanaticism on his face grew even more. As his face became paler due to the loss of blood, the strange chant became louder.
"I sacrifice my blood to you, o ancient Fire Berserker Tribe! You have obtained immortality and have turned into Wings of the Moon. You feast upon the Berserker Blood and now I will take the Blood of the Fire Berserkers into my veins!"
"Di He, Hong La Dong!" Bi Tu bellowed facing the skies and immediately, a piercing black light erupted from his body. As the black light spread out from his body, the Wings of the Moon on his body screamed. Their bodies started shriveling and the light in their eyes started dimming. After a moment, they fell off Bi Tu's body as they lost all signs of life.
It drove more Wings of the Moon wild!
The process repeated itself. A large amount of blood from the Wings of the Moon was absorbed by Bi Tu. His body began to swell at an alarming speed and a thick presence of Qi erupted from his body.
The moment they sensed the presence of the Qi, not only did those Wings of the Moon become even more frantic, even the ones that went to Dark Mountain Tribe as well as Dark Dragon Tribe changed their direction and flew towards Black Mountain Tribe.
Not far away from Black Mountain Tribe, stood the figure of a person wrapped entirely in a black robe. He stood out among all the people of Black Mountain Tribe who lay prostrated on the ground. The black robe he wore was also not something that could be found in the small tribes around the area. As he stood there, he looked at the Elder of Black Mountain Tribe in the air, his lips curling up into a dark smile.
"I gave you the way to find the moon stones necessary to summon the Wings of the Moon made of the Fire Berserker. I also taught you the way to summon them. I told you the quickest way to arrive at the Transcendence Realm. Your success is up to you now…"
Compared to the chaos outside, Su Ming was relatively safe. He pushed away the stones that covered the hole in the cave and jumped out. There were several spots on his skin that had blistered due to the heat. His lips were dry and cracked as his heart pounded against his chest.
"This is… I can't believe this is one of the resting places of the Wings of the Moon!" Su Ming stared at the spot where the Wings of the Moon appeared in the cave. He heard many legends regarding the Wings of the Moon since he was young and knew just how terrifying they were. The legends about how they were almost immortal also made Su Ming narrow his eyes in fear.
After a moment of silence, he crawled out of the entrance of the cave slowly. As he was near the exit, he stuck out his head quickly and looked around. The sight made him gasp. The sky was covered by red mist and an uncountable amount of Wings of the Moon circled the sky, the sound of their roars echoing.
Su Ming immediately retreated into the cave.
'I wonder what happened to the tribe… I can't go back now. If I leave now, the Wings of the Moon will definitely find me.'
Su Ming frowned. He was feeling very agitated and worried about the tribe.
Even so, he knew that he had no way to solve the problem. He looked at the place within the cave, where the Wings of the Moon appeared. Slowly, a glint appeared in his eyes.
'The number of Wings of the Moon is obviously a lot of more than the previous times. By the looks of it, the deeper parts of the cave should be empty now…'
Su Ming hesitated for a moment before walking forward slowly. After he stepped over the place he used for quenching and observed the deeper parts of the cave, he decided.
'I might as well see what's in there that allowed the Wings of the Moon to stay here for so long. I might be able to find their secret and tell the elder. It might be of some help to him.'
Su Ming then ran towards the deeper parts of the cave that he had not explored before.
It was odd. The cave was usually hot. There were even times when Su Ming felt as if there were hot waves crashing onto him. However, as Su Ming went deeper into the cave, he no longer felt any heat. Instead, he felt a chill coming from within the cave.
As Su Ming continued walking deeper, there was another uproar amid the three tribes on Dark Mountain.
Several hundreds of the Wings of the Moon had already penetrated the lake of fire protecting Dark Mountain Tribe. They dived towards the tribe members and fought against the Berserkers. Bei Ling's eyes grew cold as he protected Chen Xin, who stood behind him. A cold wave spread out of his right hand, forming sharp icicles around them. There were a lot of wounds on his body and blood poured freely out of his body. Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes and focused on a point far away. He reached for the bow on his back with his right hand without any hesitation.
As Bei Ling took the bow, a strong killing intent came forth. He drew the bow with his left hand and the tip of the bow gleamed. Immediately, the snow around them gathered at the tip of the bow and he shot an ice arrow towards the direction he was looking at!
Some distance away, Lei Chen was overwhelmed by a lust for blood. There were numerous Wings of the Moon on his body but he did not care. Instead, he seemed to be taken over by madness as he grabbed one of them and tried to bite it.
"You want to suck my blood?! Fine, I'll suck yours too!"
Just as he was about to bite down on the Wings of the Moon in his grasp, he noticed there were dozens more flying towards him. With his current level, there was no way he could fight against so many of them.
At that moment though, a cold blast of air rushed towards him. As the cold wind appeared, an arrow made of snow and ice exploded on top of Lei Chen with a bang. It caused all the Wings of the Moon on top of Lei Chen to fall, saving him in the process.
Lei Chen was surprised. He turned and looked at Bei Ling, who was coolly putting aside his bow. An indescribable expression appeared across Lei Chen's eyes.
The Qi of Dark Mountain Tribe's leader was rolling off his body like waves. In his hands was a long silver spear. Every time he threw the spear, cries would echo throughout the sky as numerous Qi waves hit the air, causing the Wings of the Moon to spread out.
Even so, the number of Wings of the Moon that rushed down was too many. Some of the normal members of the tribe were even nearly captured by some of them.
That moment, the elder acted. He swung the bone cane in his hands and the entire tribe trembled. An illusion of a giant statue of the God of Berserkers formed in midair. The statue's eyes were filled with ruthlessness as if it was alive. The dragon in its hands even lifted its head and roared. Then it flew into the sky and swept through its surroundings.
As time passed, the night of the blood red moon slowly went by but the battle in the tribe became even more intense. Some Wings of the Moon captured a few members of the Berserker Tribe alive instead of sucking their blood near the end of the battle. They intended to bring the members back to their lair and suck out their blood.
As light started to brighten up the sky, a piercing cry sliced through the air from Dark Dragon Tribe. Among the numerous Wings of the Moon was a white figure. Her beautiful face was pale and filled with despair as she was captured along with her other tribe members by the Wings of the Moon. They were flying back towards Dark Mountain.
Behind them, an old woman wearing sackcloth chased after them desperately.
As their cries of terror continued traveling away from Dark Dragon Tribe, the old woman's eyes became bloodshot and were filled with despair before long. She turned around and gave up on the chase. She chose instead to go back and defend her tribe.
When the person in white saw this, tears escaped her eyes…
As her tears fell, they disappeared without anyone noticing.
As daylight arrived and the blood red moon disappeared, the tens of thousands of Wings of the Moon let out a huge cry and flew back towards Dark Mountain from all directions. Some of them carried the girl in white and her other tribe members towards Black Flame Mountain. They entered through the cracks.
Chapter 29: The Ancient Tribe
Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -
Su Ming walked forward into the deeper parts slowly and carefully. He remained alert on the way and regularly made sure the coast was clear before he moved further. As he moved, he also held onto the horn and activated the Qi in his body. He prepared himself to fight with the power of all 11 blood veins at all times.
He also searched for possible hiding places along the way so that he could hide himself when there was any danger or when the Wings of the Moon suddenly returned.
Su Ming was filled with curiosity towards the unknown but his cautiousness kept his curiosity in check. It was especially so in such a dangerous place.
As he moved forward, the cave colder. As the crossroads increased, Su Ming's speed also increased.
It was completely dark around him. There were also a lot of cracks on the walls. By the looks of it, they were caused by years of heating. However, Su Ming noticed that some cracks were just recently formed. The color on those walls were different from the others.
'That's odd, these cracks must have just been formed recently… Just what kind of energy could have caused the walls to form new cracks..?'
An answer began to form in Su Ming's head.
'Could it be because of the sudden cooling of the strong heat, causing an unimaginable force of energy to explode..?'
Su Ming scratched his head. He did not think too deeply into it but he remembered it.
He did not know how long he walked but it felt like a long time. Suddenly, he stopped. The cave before him had obviously become much bigger. In fact, the deeper he went, the wider it became.
'Have I arrived at the deeper parts of the cave?!'
Su Ming scrutinized his surroundings and walked forward slowly. Before long, the cave before him grew wider. When he arrived at the end, Su Ming took a deep breath and started thinking as he absorbed the sights before him.
Before him was a cave the size of his tribe. There were dozens of other small holes around the cave. The hole Su Ming exited from was one of them.
In his silence, Su Ming went forward, his eyes bright. He looked at the other small holes in the cave. Then he narrowed his eyes and leapt forward, stopping at the entrance of each hole in the cave to take a sniff.
Once he went through all the small holes, Su Ming stared at one of them. Without any hesitation, he crawled in. Among the small caves, only this one had a faint stench of blood.
It was obvious that the Wings of the Moon flew out from this hole.
As he ran, Su Ming stopped at times to think. As he did so, he would slice off a big chunk of rock from the walls around him using the horn. The rock was about as tall as the tunnel.
It was bothersome but Su Ming insisted on doing it. Su Ming cut out a few rocks of the same size as he moved forward.
Each time he sliced them out, he would place them aside once he positioned them properly.
Gradually, Su Ming's speed increased. He still kept his guard up. He could tell that he was going towards the bottom of the mountain. That was why the area was becoming bigger. Su Ming continued running downwards. It was not until he felt that he had run a long distance before he gradually saw a red light before him.
The red light was like fire but he could not determine what it was.
When he saw the fire-like red light, Su Ming slowed down. His heart pounded against his chest. Somewhere in his mind, he felt that he was near the end. As he drew near, he had a hunch that the blood in his body was going to boil. It was not a feeling he was unfamiliar with…
The rocks on the walls had numerous scratches. There were also some bite marks on the rocks. It created a strange atmosphere that made Su Ming nervous. Nonetheless, he did not stop. Alternatively, he walked towards the red light.
It was indeed the end of the tunnel. Instead of a road ahead, there was a giant fire cave in its place. Su Ming remained alert. He stood at the exit and looked downwards.
As he did, he stood there stunned as if he was struck by lightning. Then he instinctively took a few steps back, drawing a sharp breath.
There was a giant basin in the cave. Within the basin were numerous stalagmites as sharp as thorns. They were shaped like hills. The thorny structures were entirely gray but they constantly emitted a chilly wind which surrounded the area. The temperature in the cave dropped to freezing cold.
That did not really affect Su Ming. No, what astonished Su Ming was what he found covered by the cold thorns within the basin!
It was a tribe!
There were numerous houses made of stone, a barricade and a watchtower made of stone. Su Ming even saw stone pots used to cook rice scattered everywhere in the tribe.
On the walls outside of each house, was a picture of what looked like a blazing fire!
All of the houses made of stone were huge and built in an orderly manner. They looked much more luxurious compared to the houses in Dark Mountain Tribe.
Su Ming even saw roads made of stone. There were a large number of protruding stones on some of the smaller paths as well. Su Ming took a long time observing them but he still had no clue what the small pavements were for.
It was not a normal tribe or a complete tribe.
Su Ming's gaze fell upon some of the houses at the edge of the tribe's settlement. Those houses seemed to be split apart by a mysterious force. Only half of them remained within the basin.
As for the other half, no one knew where they went…
It was especially so on the tribal grounds. Besides the stone pavements, the other parts looked like dirt, forming a clear difference between the stones in the mountain.
Su Ming's breathing quickened. As he marveled at the sight before him, he remembered what the elder once said – The legend of the Fire Berserker Tribe… Gradually, a picture began forming in his head. In this picture, he saw a gigantic tribe which seemed to span endlessly across the land.
All the houses in the tribe were made of stone and on their walls were the emblems of a blazing fire. The emblem represented the name of the tribe!
However one day, a change occurred within the tribe. It was split apart by an unknown force like it was shattered. The unknown force also scattered the tribe and its members along with the land it was built upon. They were all forced apart.
A small part of the tribe and the land shifted into Dark Mountain…
'That wasn't a legend…'
Su Ming looked at the bizarre and incredible sight before him.
He swept his gaze across the tribe and when he looked at the center of the tribe, he narrowed his eyes.
There was an even stranger thing in the middle!
It was a giant tree or more accurately, it looked like a giant tree! The entire thing was blazing red and it emitted a light which looked like fire. The light Su Ming saw from the tunnel was from this giant tree.
The tree was as thick as dozens of grown men. Its roots had penetrated the ground and looked as if they went deep into the ground. No one knew how deeply they went.
Only the tree trunk was visible. The top of the tree had already penetrated the top of the cave. Only part of the tree was visible.
'A tree growing within Black Flame Mountain…'
Su Ming stared at the tree. Over there, he saw some familiar red flowers displaying their enchanting beauty.
As he looked at the red flowers, Su Ming remembered the strange sights he saw at the swamp in the forest.
Su Ming averted his gaze in his silence and looked at the ruins of the tribe that had been buried within the passages of time. A sudden sadness formed in his chest. He sighed and jumped down to stand amid the ruins of one of the eight great Berserker Tribes. The Fire Berserker Tribe had fought against the God of Berserkers.
'Then, the Wings of the Moon must also be as depicted in the legends. They are the changed form of the Fire Berserker Tribe that had been granted immortality by the Fire Berserker Elder's Berserker Art… But… This is unbelievable. How could such an Art truly exist..? Just how strong was the Fire Elder of the Fire Berserker Tribe..?
'It's mentioned in the beast skin scroll that after the Blood Solidification Realm is the Transcendence Realm, and after the Transcendence Realm is the Bone Sacrifice Realm. There was no mention of what comes after the Bone Sacrifice Realm though, the practitioners are only known as Berserker Masters.'
As Su Ming looked at the ruins of the tribe before his eyes in silence, he began walking forward.
The tribe was empty. Besides the houses and some stuff scattered around, Su Ming did not even see any bones lying around. The silence was suffocating.
He stepped quietly onto the small pavement, filled with protruding stones. When he stepped on them, he felt them pricking his feet. He lowered his head and looked at the pavement but he still could not figure out their use. He walked forward slowly but stopped suddenly as he caught a glimpse of something from the corner of his eyes. He turned his head towards the direction and saw a corpse hanging on the wall. It was at the border where the tribe had been cut away!
The corpse was hidden by some of the houses, which was why Su Ming did not see it initially. However as he stood there, he could see it clearly then.
The moment he saw the skeleton, Su Ming narrowed his eyes. This was the only corpse he saw at the place. He walked towards the corpse quickly. When he looked at it closely, Su Ming shivered.
The corpse was very strange. Its top half was that of a person but it was shriveled up. The lower half of the corpse was even stranger. It looked as if it had melted away and mutated. It was different from the skeletal frame of a normal person. The frame of a pair of wings also seemed to materialize on its back. Looking at the corpse, it even looked similar to the Wings of the Moon!
It was as though the person experienced a change in his form before his death! He imagined the pain of a person changing into Wings of the Moon but there was no shred of pain in the corpse's face. Instead there was only mockery and pride on his face!
It was unknown who he was mocking…
The index finger on his right hand had pierced into the stone wall by his side. Su Ming lifted his head to look at the stone wall by the corpse's side and he saw a clear string of words on the wall!
They were the words of the Berserker Tribe!
The moment Su Ming looked at them, the sound of wings flapping traveled through the entrance of the tunnel. There were bone-chilling roars mixed in between. Su Ming could even vaguely hear cries of despair among the sounds of flapping and roaring!
The Wings of the Moon have returned!
Su Ming's expression immediately changed.
Chapter 30: Cries of Sadness
Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -
The sound of the wings flapping seemed about ready to cause a storm in the otherwise silent cave, housing the ruins of the tribe. Su Ming's eyes were bright with trepidation but he did not move.
Sounds of flapping wings and piercing shrieks echoed in his ears but Su Ming knew just how long the tunnels were. Even if the sounds arrived first, there was supposedly some time left before the Wings of the Moon actually returned.
There might not have been a lot of time left, but it was still enough for him to make his escape.
Su Ming did not hesitate. He cast his gaze on the words carved into the wall that the strange corpse was leaning against.
"Wherefore doth thou wail, o blue sky?"
These were the very first words carved into the wall. The handwriting was filled with strength and masculinity, revealing a shred of insolence and truculence. Su Ming narrowed his eyes the moment he saw those words.
Su Ming did not truly understand their meaning and could only grasp the basic gist of it. Despite that, he could still feel the sadness and aloofness in the words.
"Wherefore doth thou cry, o blue sky…" Su Ming mumbled. Then he looked at the other lines on the wall.
"The desire to obtain Berserk spreads to all corners of the earth. Let fire burn in mine blood, let mine thoughts burn the skies, let fire burn heaven into ashes… If 't be true the moon of fire appears from the clouds on the endless earth … I wilt sink into deep bethought as the fire in mine blood burns, the nine is the utmost of all, and the one is the law. Light up the Berserker Fires and worship the nine, did let us all becometh the authorities of Fire!
"Thou who control the heavens, only thou art capable of persecuting me!" The words underneath were obviously carved by the same person but, it was no longer a lament. They were words that were difficult to understand.
"Light up the Berserker Fires and worship the nine… did let us all becometh the authorities of Fire…" Su Ming frowned. These particular lines were hard to fathom. Su Ming read them again but even so, he still only got the basic gist of it.
As he was thinking, the piercing roars and sound of flapping wings became louder in his ears as they echoed through the tunnel not far away. Su Ming did not linger any longer but ran towards the tunnel quickly.
He was already in the tunnel, in the blink of an eye. As he stood there, the piercing roars became even clearer. Su Ming turned back and looked at the desolate tribe once more, then ran into the tunnel swiftly.
As he ran, he paid attention to the volume of the roars. When he was dozens of feet into the tunnel, Su Ming stopped and crawled into the crack on the wall next to him.
The crack was not big but Su Ming was tiny to begin with so, he had no problems getting in there. Once he crawled in, he immediately squatted down and stilled his breathing. Using the wall as a hiding spot, Su Ming peeked out of the crack and waited silently as his heart pounded against his chest.
Su Ming counted the time by his breaths. After 10 breaths, he felt goosebumps covering his entire body. He saw thick red mist rolling into the tunnel like an explosion. Within the mist were red shadows flying pass as it let out thunderous roars.
The red shadows were Wings of the Moon!
Looking at the Wings of the Moon at such a close distance made Su Ming's heart beat even faster,but he did not move an inch. He even narrowed his eyes to a slit to avoid any light reflecting off his eyes.
A huge number of Wings of the Moon kept swarming into the tunnel. One of them even crashed into the edges of the crack and it was just about half a feet away from where Su Ming squatted down.
Su Ming held onto the horn so tightly with his right hand that his knuckles turned white. At that moment, he could not even feel his own heartbeat. It was as if he had calmed down completely despite the extremely stressful situation he was in.
He stared at the Wings of the Moon that crashed into the wall. As he looked at its horrifying face and flapping wings, it flew out of the crack. Su Ming did not let his guard down. If anything, it made him even more wary.
At that moment, he heard cries filled with despair. Su Ming peeked out of the crack and saw the silhouette of a few people captured by the Wings of the Moon in the mist, being brought back to the tribe.
There were nine of them…
Su Ming could not see all nine of them clearly but, as he swept his gaze across them, he saw a person in white; her beautiful face filled with despair and desolation.
'It's her!'
Su Ming narrowed his eyes. The person in white was the girl from Dark Dragon Tribe he and Lei Chen met at the square – Bai Ling!
Su Ming fell silent.
Time trickled by slowly. Before long, the sounds in the tunnel gradually dispersed. Even the mist had largely dissipated. It was as though all the Wings of the Moon had returned to their nests as the blood red moon left the sky, as though they were all about to return to slumber.
A hot wave of heat immediately spread throughout the tunnel, replacing the cold. Even the crack in the wall was beginning to heat up swiftly. Su Ming heard crackling sounds and right before his eyes he saw new cracks forming on the walls of the mountain cave.
'So this is how the cracks are formed…'
Su Ming stood up quickly and approached the cracks. As he stood in the tunnel, he could feel the mist becoming thinner. Waves of heat crashed into him from where the tribe was, causing him to be covered in sweat.
The stones on the ground also grew hotter. Su Ming could even feel the ground burning the soles of his feet as he stood there. He clearly knew that very soon, he was not going to be able to withstand the heat in the place!
He contemplated on leaving or staying.
There was a hint of hesitation on Su Ming's face. Wretched moans traveled through the tunnel. Anyone who heard them would have trembled in their shoes.
'I already lied to her at the square with Lei Chen. My consciousness won't allow me to leave just like that…'
Su Ming was still an honest child deep down. He took a deep breath of hot air and ran towards the end of the tunnel.
'If I can save her, I will! If I can't, then at least I won't regret it.'
Su Ming's eyes were resolute as he held onto his horn. The closer he got to the end of the tunnel, the more he felt the heat in the place increasing at maddening speed.
Fortunately, the distance was close. Before long, Su Ming arrived at the end of the tunnel. Without bothering about the heat on the walls of the cave, he pressed his body against it and peeped into the cave.
His eyes immediately shone with a dim light. Su Ming saw seven people who were still alive, struggling on the sharp stalagmites situated on top the ruins of the tribe in the gigantic basin. Their stomachs were pierced through by seven sharp stalagmites, and their blood flowed down the stakes. They were still not dead and were letting out cries of agony as they felt the life seeping out of their bodies. All seven people were men.
Su Ming looked at them closely and let out a sigh of relief. He knew none of the seven so, it was clear that they were not people from Dark Mountain Tribe.
The other sharp stalagmites around them were melting. As they melted, a huge amount of red magma covered the land like a river…
As he saw that, Su Ming inhaled deeply. He finally understood the purpose of the sharp stalagmites!
'This place is really strange. Perhaps the Wings of the Moon's awakening and departure are related to the sharp stalagmites!' Su Ming thought.
The sharp stalagmites were probably formed from the magma for some unknown reason occasionally but not for long. After the Wings of the Moon returned, they would melt and return to magma.
'With the amount of stalagmites I saw just now, when they melt completely the basin will be completely filled. The tribe will be hidden once more underneath the magma…'
Su Ming lifted his head and looked at small red trunk which looked like a big tree located at the center of the tribe.
The tree also showed signs of melting under the extreme heat in the basin. It was moving around oddly. If Su Ming had looked closely, he would have seen that there were red lines surrounding the tree. Sometimes, a part of it would fall off. It was clear that it was a Wings of the Moon!
However, the Wings of the Moon that returned to the tree no longer had ferocious looks on their faces. As a replacement, were looks of pain, desolation and sadness. They did not continue screaming but they looked as if they were crying silently. Some Wings of the Moon were even gesticulating weirdly. They kept lifting their claws and biting them to draw blood in the midst of their sorrow. They wiped their claws on their eyes but there was no blood in the bitten claws.
'Those Wings of the Moon crawled into the tree! What… are they doing..?'
Su Ming stared at the tree. As he was thinking, he felt the heat climbing up even more. He could not stay there any longer.
'I can't find her… too bad…'
Su Ming shook his head. He tried his best. Just as he was about to leave, he stopped.
His gaze fell upon the red tree branch situated at the center of the basin. Two faces appeared on the tree. One of them, he did not know but the other was Bai Ling.
Bai Ling's eyes were empty and void of life as if she had already given up. At that moment, she looked like a mournful beauty.
Su Ming looked at her face, then at the magma gathering slowly downwards. Most of the stalagmites had already melted into magma and had risen about half the height of the houses in the tribe.
The only things visible within the basin were the roofs of the houses. Even the roofs were turning into a hot shade of red.
'The Wings of the Moon appear when the blood red moon is in the sky. But judging by the situation here, they should also be connected with the heat in this place. They're really afraid of heat… that's why they will only go out and hunt when this place becomes cold…
'When they come back, they will all crawl into the tree. None of them will be outside. All of this is proof of my theory.'
Su Ming did not act recklessly but he stood there as his eyes flashed brilliantly.
'I should be able to save her… but I still need to wait a bit longer…'
Su Ming stared at the tree and occasionally looked at the height of the magma down in the basin.
After a while, the heat in the place increased once more. It caused Su Ming to sweat continuously. His skin also showed signs of crying and cracking. The Qi in his entire body boiled as he manifested all 11 blood veins. Su Ming jumped down.
In the blink of an eye, Su Ming landed on one of the roofs in the basin. The moment he landed, he heard a sizzling sound. White smoke immediately came out underneath his feet. Su Ming did not stop. He jumped again and landed on another rood. After a few leaps, he was near the strange red tree.
Just as he was about to reach the tree, Su Ming saw the unknown girl beside Bai Ling shriveling as she let out an agonizing scream. Instantly, she became a pile of bones!
It was like she became one with the tree. Her life and all her flesh were absorbed by some mysterious force.
Chapter 31: Wherefore Doth Thou Cry, O Blue Sky?
Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -
The sudden sight stunned Su Ming but he did not stop. Instead, he ran even faster. Su Ming's personality was like that. Either he would stay away from something, or he would finish what he had started.
The very moment he went near the tree, Bai Ling's eyes which had previously been void of life, focused on him. She stared at Su Ming dumb-founded. As she stared, tears escaped her eyes.
There was no hint of hesitation when Su Ming approached the tree. He lifted the horn in his right hand and stabbed the red tree. When half of the horn sank into the tree, a dark red liquid that looked like blood flowed out. A muffled scream also came out from within.
It was a scream filled with rage. It was so powerful, it shook the entire basin.
Su Ming's face was pale but his eyes were cold. When the horn pierced the tree, he pulled it downwards abruptly. A giant crack appeared on the tree. A cold gust of air immediately gushed forth from the crack.
The crack practically appeared beside Bai Ling. Once the crack opened up, Su Ming saw Bai Ling's body inside. He did not hesitate and pushed his hand into the tree to grab Bai Ling's arm inside. Then with a low growl, he yanked her out.
With just a yank, he managed to bring Bai Ling's body out of the tree.
Bai Ling was shocked. She looked at Su Ming with a dumbfounded expression and allowed Su Ming to pull her. More tears escaped her eyes. At that moment, Su Ming's face was deeply ingrained in her mind.
With Bai Ling in his grasp, Su Ming immediately jumped backwards. His heart was pounding against his chest. Just as he was about to leave, the screams grew much stronger and filled the entire basin. From the crack on the tree, dozens of Wings of the Moon appeared. The sadness and desolation on their faces were replaced with madness and blood lust as they flew out of the crack.
Su Ming felt his skin crawl. He immediately retreated. There were just too many Wings of the Moon. They were lined up so densely. Su Ming guessed that there were about thousands of them coming right at him and Bai Ling. There were even more Wings of the Moon within the tree.
However, just as the Wings of the Moon were about to chase after them, Su Ming saw the waves of heat crashing into them. Their faces were filled with terror. Some of them even froze and fell into the magma. They broke apart and shattered into pieces like stones. There was neither blood nor flesh. Only a gust of cold air rose from where they shattered.
'The legend of the immortal Fire Berserker Tribe who were turned into Wings of the Moon is true! They originally did not fear fire but once they changed into Wings of the Moon, they experienced a mysterious mutation and became afraid of fire…
'By the looks of it, they're bodies are as cold as ice…'
Su Ming narrowed his eyes. As he retreated, he threw Bai Ling towards the entrance of the nearby tunnel with his left hand.
"Why are you still daydreaming?! Run!" Su Ming growled at her. Bai Ling snapped out of her stupor as if she just woke up from a nightmare. The moment her body landed at the entrance of the tunnel, she turned around and looked at Su Ming. Just as she was about to speak…
"Run!" Su Ming ran towards the entrance of the tunnel. The magma in the basin had already covered all of the houses in the tribe. There were only a handful of roofs left.
Bai Ling's face was pale. She hesitated no longer. She turned and ran into the tunnel. Her legs were in pain but she ignored it. The only thought in her mind right then was to escape from the place.
Su Ming jumped on the few rooftops left and headed straight for the tunnel. Behind him, a large number of Wings of the Moon screamed but they did not dare give chase. The muffled cries and roars from the tree made the Wings of the Moon even more hysterical. A few dozen of them even went straight for Su Ming with no regard of the heat.
The Qi in Su Ming's body was boiling. The 11 blood veins spread across his body. When the Wings of the Moon came, he swung the horn in his hand and rushed towards the tunnel. All of this happened within a short period of time. Nonetheless, when Su Ming arrived at the tunnel, some of the Wings of the Moon that had chased after him fell and shattered on the magma.
Su Ming's heart was pounding quickly but he was calm. Everything was going according to plan. If he had decided to wait a bit longer and the magma grew even thicker before he acted, things would not have been so easy. More Wings of the Moon would have in fact chased after him.
As he stepped into the tunnel, Su Ming's feet were giving off a stench of burnt flesh. Despite that, he did not stop. He ran even quicker instead.
Behind him, all the Wings of the Moon in the basin roared but they did not pursue. Still, there were some who managed to charge into the tunnel in spite of the deaths of their many comrades. They rushed at Su Ming.
'The Wings of the Moon are afraid of heat… that's why they do not dare to come out from the tree. But the closer we are outside, the more the heat will also decrease…'
As Su Ming ran, the screeches behind him grew clearer.
'I have to kill all the Wings of the Moon that come after us. They must not remain!'
Su Ming looked at the big stone he previously cut out when he came in. He immediately ran towards it. With horn in hand, he turned and saw four Wings of the Moon rushing towards him with savage looks on their faces. The sound of their flapping wings becoming louder.
Su Ming's face was pale but his eyes were calm. Just as the four Wings of the Moon were about to reach him, Su Ming kicked the big stone.
He measured the size of the stone previously. It was approximately the same size as the tunnel. As he kicked the stone by focusing all of the power of his Qi to his leg, the stone flew up and blocked the tunnel like a door!
Su Ming always had impeccable timing. According to his calculations, the stone door could hold back three Wings of the Moon temporarily. As for the remaining one, he would kill it with the horn in his hands using the heat in the tunnel to his advantage.
However, the Wings of the Moon were simply too fast. The stone barricade Su Ming made only managed to stop two of them. The other two made it past the barricade and rushed towards him.
Su Ming frowned and immediately ran forward. Even if he could kill the two Wings of the Moon, he would be injured. Besides, he still had a better plan.
As he ran, the speed of the Wings of the Moon's pursuit increased. Less than 100 feet away from him was another stone of the same size.
As he ran past the stone, Su Ming used his previous experience and kicked the stone. With a loud crash, the stone flew up and blocked the tunnel. It held back one of them while the other escaped.
Just as the other one rushed towards Su Ming, the cold glare in Su Ming's eyes thickened. He did not retreat any longer but chose to charge forward with the horn in his hand.
The man and abomination immediately battled in the tunnel. If Su Ming did not walk in the Ways of the Berserker, he would not have been able to resist, much less fight. However, he had already manifested 11 blood veins. He was also equipped with an extremely sharp horn. He had a complete upper hand in the battle against the Wings of the Moon.
Su Ming stabbed the Wings of the Moon and he immediately jumped away. Nevertheless, the wound left on its body recovered quickly. The Wings of the Moon only looked slightly sluggish but showed no signs of being anywhere near death.
Su Ming narrowed his eyes and quickly cut a few more wounds on the creature so, it was unable to recover within a short period of time. He quickly turned and ran away. As he ran, he would kick the stones he had placed in the tunnel earlier whenever he saw them. They became obstructions in the tunnel for the Wings of the Moon.
While he did stop to kick the stones, Su Ming took pride in his speed. In the span of just a few breaths, he sped through the tunnel and reached the area of the cave surrounded by many other small holes.
"I… I'm here!" The moment he arrived, Su Ming heard Bai Ling calling out to him weakly.
He saw Bai Ling hiding in one of the small holes with a pale and terrified face. She was shaking. Bai Ling arrived a long time ago but she did not know where the exit was. She did not dare move around recklessly, afraid that she would run into the Wings of the Moon again.
The Bai Ling before Su Ming's eyes was not the proud and witty girl in the square. She was like a frightened little animal. When he saw the anxiety in her eyes, Su Ming laughed.
"You… How can you still laugh?!" Bai Ling was very nervous. She was about to continue speaking when Su Ming approached her quickly and grabbed her arm, running towards one of the many holes nearby.
"This is the exit?" she whispered softly to him. For some reason, after Bai Ling looked at Su Ming her fears decreased.
Su Ming nodded his head. He did not speak instead, he grabbed Bai Ling's arm and ran towards the tunnel at full speed. He could hear Bai Ling panting. The sound was very pleasant to the ears. Su Ming's heartbeat quickened. He did not know whether it was due to the running or the soft skin he was touching in his hand.
Bai Ling did not speak again. She let Su Ming hold her hand as they ran through the dangerous tunnels. Her heart pounded against her chest and gradually, she felt the same way as Su Ming. The emotion allowed her fears and despair to dissipate.
However, the silence did not last long. Soon, Su Ming brought Bai Ling back to the place he used for the quenching of herbs. When they arrived, Su Ming released her hand and he cut through the tiny holes on the ground using the horn. They seemed to be lighting up with fire. In the middle of it, he would sometimes frown as if he was thinking about something.
There was also fire burning underneath the cauldron not far ahead.
Bai Ling watched Su Ming's actions with increasing anxiety.
Even then, she felt like it was all a dream. She had fallen into despair when she was captured by the Wings of the Moon. Yet the things that happened when Su Ming arrived made her think she was dreaming.
At that moment, ear-splitting shrieks traveled from the deep within the cave and became stronger as time passed by. They were approaching at an extremely quick speed. Bai Ling shivered and moved closer to Su Ming instinctively. Before she could get any closer, Su Ming grabbed her hand and immediately went past the small holes as he looked back at the cave.
Not long after, the volume of the shrieks increased exponentially and three Wings of the Moon flew towards them ferociously. Bai Ling quivered. She was about to retreat when Su Ming brought his horn out. He cracked open the ground where the fire flowed towards the cauldron, connecting the crack with another ravine.
A fire curtain immediately rose from the ground. Its strength was akin to a sea of fire. The three Wings of the Moon who were rushing towards them were enveloped by the sea of fire. Mournful cries rang through the air. They crashed onto the ground and shattered. A cold gust of wind gushed out from their remains and mixed with the fire. Su Ming's face was somber under the fire's illumination. Bai Ling, who stood behind him became even more terrified.
"They… They're afraid of fire?" Bai Ling asked softly after a while.
"They worshiped fire when they were still human. Fire was their glory. But when they were turned into Wings of the Moon, not only did they lose their conscience and their bodies, they also lost their glory…"
"They were not afraid of fire after they lost their glory. No, they felt guilty towards it… They lived by fire and they died by fire…" Su Ming muttered. He remembered the one line he saw when he stood in the ruins of the Fire Berserker Tribe.
'Wherefore doth thou cry, o blue sky?'
Chapter 32: Those Beautiful Days…
Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -
Su Ming closed his eyes. The scenes he saw that night weighed heavy against his chest and tightened around his heart. It was a desolate and sad kind of feeling.
'Just who was that corpse in Fire Berserker Tribe..? Why was he the only one who managed to end his own life before he turned into a Wings of the Moon..? Perhaps he was… one of the stronger Berserkers in Fire Berserker Tribe…'
As Su Ming recalled the strange corpse in his head, he sighed. The thing he thought about even more were the complicated words he saw.
'The desire to obtain Berserk spreads to all corners of the earth. Let fire burn in mine blood, let mine thoughts burn the skies, let fire burn heaven into ashes… If 't be true the moon of fire appears from the clouds on the endless earth… I wilt sink into deep bethought as the fire in mine blood burns, the nine is the utmost of all, and the one is the law. Light up the Berserker Fires and worship the nine, did let us all becometh the authorities of Fire!'
Su Ming did not understand what the words meant. While he was thinking about them, he saw Bai Ling standing by his side. She was looking at her surroundings. Her gaze was curious. It was clear that she was unaware of the place's purpose.
"Let's go, Miss Bai Ling." Su Ming smiled slightly and crawled out of the cave through the entrance.
Bai Ling quickly followed him. She had wanted to leave a long time ago. Every breath she spent at the place made her feel uncomfortable.
The moment they got out of the tunnel, a gust of wind immediately brushed against their skins. They felt like they were about to be blown away by the storm. Bai Ling's face was pale as she held onto a rock next to her.
She had been pampered as she grew up in the tribe and practically never climbed such a mountain before. Even if she gritted her teeth to endure it, her increasingly ashen face exposed her fears.
Su Ming looked at Bai Ling. He had never seen a girl of her beauty before. Her pale face especially made her look delicate.
"It's fine, I'll carry you." Su Ming scratched his head but his heart was starting beat quicker.
"You…" Bai Ling hesitated for a moment then looked at the bottom of the mountain. It looked like an endless abyss. Finally, she nodded her head.
Su Ming's spirits were lifted and he squatted down in front of Bai Ling. Bai Ling blushed as she climbed onto Su Ming's back silently. Her arms found their way around Su Ming's neck instinctively.
Su Ming blinked. She felt soft on his back. He could also clearly smell a nice fragrance wafting into his nostrils. He took a deep breath as an indescribable feeling blossomed in his chest.
"Hey… Hold on tight. If you fall, don't blame me," Su Ming said instinctively. However, he did not hear any sound coming from his back. After a moment of hesitation, he shifted his focus on climbing down the mountain.
With his agility and familiarity with the mountain, carrying someone would not have affected his speed too much. Yet, for some reason today, Su Ming only took the steep paths. Sometimes, he would even jump down, making the person on his back scream. Then he would grab onto some rocks or vines as he fell.
When he felt the delicate person on his back holding onto him tighter, a pleased expression appeared on Su Ming's face.
The time required to descend from the top to the foot of Black Flame Mountain was actually quite short but Su Ming spent an entire two hours to climb down. When Bai Ling got off his back, her face was entirely red and her eyes were filled will fear, Su Ming felt a slight hint of pity that it had ended. He coughed into his hand and looked at Bai Ling.
"We're in the forest now. The snow is very thick here. There are also quite a lot of traps placed here. There's also some distance left before you can reach Dark Dragon Tribe. It'll be dangerous for you go back alone. How about this? I'll escort you to Dark Dragon Tribe first, then I'll go back home," Su Ming spoke slowly and kept an eye on Bai Ling's expression. When he saw that Bai Ling hesitated, joy blossomed in his chest and he quickly spoke again.
"But the road back to your place is rather difficult to travel. Look, I don't mind carrying you on my back again. This way, we can save time and I can go back home faster too." Su Ming frowned and spoke once he looked at the sky.
"Then…" Bai Ling bit her lip as her cheeks flushed red again. She could tell he did everything earlier on purpose when they were descending from Black Flame Mountain. If it continued… Her eyes flashed with anger due to the embarrassment she felt.
"Hey, I saved you, you know?" Su Ming widened his eyes. He saw the anger in Bai Ling's eyes and felt a little guilty. Nonetheless, when he remembered that had he saved her, he felt his actions were justified.
"You don't want to? Fine, you're a Berserker anyway. There may be a lot of wild beasts and traps here, maybe even some Wings of the Moon. But, if you're careful, you should be fine… Alright, I'll be taking my leave." Su Ming yawned and turned towards the direction of his tribe. However before he could even take a few steps forward, he heard a gentle voice speaking anxiously.
"Then… thank you… I don't know the way, please send me back to my tribe…"
Su Ming's spirits immediately lifted but he kept a straight face. He even frowned a little, looking as if he was extremely reluctant to escort her back. He cast a glance at Bai Ling, then squatted down and spoke impatiently.
"Hurry up. We'll see whether we can get back before night falls. If we can't, we'll have to find a place to spend the night."
Bai Ling widened her eyes and stared at Su Ming. She was beginning to somewhat understand the person before her. When she thought of the incident that happened at the square, she did not know what to say to him.
More importantly, he appeared when she had given up all hope. She would never forget the resolution and determination in his eyes when he appeared in the cave.
Blushing, Bai Ling gently walked to Su Ming's side and climbed onto that frail back of his once more. She could hear her heart beating rapidly against her chest but she could not identify the emotion she was experiencing at that moment.
Su Ming ran through the forest like a monkey with Bai Ling on his back. He really liked the sweet smell she exuded. As he ran, he changed his path and circled around the forest.
After a while, Bai Ling's eyes glinted with an odd expression . She started to wrap her arms tighter around Su Ming's neck.
"We've walked through this place three times…" she spoke softly as she looked at a withered tree not far from their location.
"What? Really? Am I lost? Wait, I'll go check." Su Ming faltered in his footsteps. He looked surprised and scrutinized his surroundings before he nodded his head gravely.
"You're right. I've never come to this place before." There was no hint of awkwardness on his face as he changed direction and started running once again.
Time passed by slowly. They only managed to cover about half the distance to Dark Mountain Tribe by sunset, a destination they should have arrived at by twilight. However, Su Ming brought Bai Ling to Dark Mountain Tribe on the way back. He looked at his tribe from afar. When he saw no signs of abnormality from within the tribe, he felt at ease and left.
When Bai Ling saw the sky darkening, the expression in her eyes became even odder.
Once the sky became completely dark, Su Ming stopped at a part of the forest and looked at Bai Ling helplessly.
"Looks like we'll have to spend the night here… The forest is dangerous at night. We can only move ahead tomorrow morning."
The cunning look Su Ming saw, the first time he met Bai Ling had returned. She watched Su Ming quietly and did not speak. Under her gaze, Su Ming felt increasingly guilty.
"Alright then, let's spend the night here." After a while, Bai Ling smiled. Her smile was really beautiful and her wild vibe resurfaced.
Su Ming touched his nose and smiled as well. He got up and built a temporary resting place on a big tree. Then he sat there with Bai Ling.
Both of them fell silent. It was as though they did not know what to say to each other.
"I still don't know your name." After some time, Bai Ling looked at Su Ming. Her eyes were even brighter under the moonlight.
"I'm Su Ming. I know your name is Bai Ling," Su Ming said as he looked at Bai Ling and smiled.
"You lied to me at the square, right? Hmph, I thought it was odd when I went back to the tribe," said Bai Ling as she blinked and wrinkled her nose. It was really adorable.
"That is…"
"You're also not the Young Lord of Dark Mountain Tribe, right?" Bai Ling looked around with her bright eyes and spoke while chuckling softly.
Su Ming scratched his head, not knowing what to say. At that moment, snow started falling from the sky. The entire sky was decorated with white flakes of snow.
"Oh, it's snowing." Su Ming changed the subject by immediately lifting his head and looking at the snow.
Bai Ling smiled through her eyes. She did not continue with the topic and chose to look at the sky as well. She looked at the snow. Some of them fell on her face. It felt cool and comfortable.
The snow became heavier and the two individuals in the forest seemed entranced by its beauty. They were silent.
"Su Ming, thank you…" The sky was already dark to begin with. However as the moonlight reflected off the surface of the snow, their surroundings appeared to be illuminated by a silvery light. As such, the forest was not as dark as it was previously.
"Thank you for saving me… Can you tell me about yourself? Why were you there?" Bai Ling looked at Su Ming and spoke softly.
"I usually go to the mountains to pick herbs. That was a place I found accidentally and I use it as a shelter to avoid the cold. I just didn't expect to see Wings of the Moon yesterday…" Su Ming did not talk about using the place for quenching herbs. Instead , he told her a different story.
Time passed by slowly. During the snowy night, Su Ming and Bai Ling talked with each other more and gradually got to know each other… Their voices were carried away by the winds blowing in the winter.
"The elder of Dark Dragon Tribe is my grandma… My dad and mom left Dark Dragon Tribe a long time ago. I heard from my grandma that they went to a tribe bigger than Wind Stream. They haven't been back for a long time…" Bai Ling hugged herself and spoke about her past in a low tone under the snow.
"I don't even know who my dad and mom are… I was brought back to the tribe by the elder…" Su Ming mumbled.
"Ah, so that's how it is. That's why I thought you looked much frailer compared to the others. You're not even as tall as I am. Your elder must have been mistreating you." Bai Ling widened her eyes.
"No way, the elder is very good to me. Besides, you may be tall but I heard from the elder that in a few years, I'll also be as tall as you. Also, you're not as big as the other girls in your tribe," Su Ming laughed and said.
"That's because my elder taught me a Berserker Art. I heard that my mom asked my grandma to teach me the Art when I grow up." Bai Ling looked at Su Ming's hair, now dyed white with snow. She smiled teasingly as she spoke.