"What in the…"
Li Zhao could not help but exclaim as he hid himself further within the trees. He watched as a golden-haired boy drag a struggling disciple by his feet out from the woods.
There was no mistaking it, this was Viel.
Li Zhao was confused. Wasn't this brat just in the city? He was so sure Viel was beside Charlotte when he left. And yet, Viel was now here. Sure, he took his time in finding answers from the Guard Leader so Viel might have taken that time to follow some of them. But still, that doesn't answer the question as to why he was here in the first place.
"Keep it up, mister Hornman!"
Viel smiled as he approached the disciple that was blowing the horn. It was as if he was not even bothered by the struggles of the man he was dragging.
"But how many of you are there?", Viel sighed as he gently patted his back, as if he was tired from doing farm work. "You people are like… insects, aren't you?", he then chuckled as he threw the man he was holding to the front of him.
"Let's make a deal, okay mister? And don't try to run away again."
The man was about to run away, but he could not do so, as he felt a heavy force pulling him and planting him back in place. "You will dig-"
But before Viel can finish his words, the disciple that was blowing the horn ran away. Seeing this, Viel put on a confused and baffled expression. But he did not chase after him, instead, he once again spoke to the other disciple that was trembling on the ground.
"Eehh, do you know how to use the horn?"
The disciple was confused, but in fear for his life, he could not help but answer, even though hesitantly, "Y-yes?"
As soon as he said that, Viel instantly disappeared from his sight, only to appear again in just a few moments, this time holding the horn that the other disciple was using.
"It is a little dirty with the other mister's saliva, but you can just wipe it. You call yourselves brothers so this should be okay?", Viel said as he handed the horn to the confused disciple. Viel then wiped his hands on his robes, seemingly disgusted by it.
"Let's do a different deal, mister. You will be hornman number two!", Viel raised two of his fingers as he smiled towards the disciple. "I wanted you to dig at first, but taadaah! Congratulations on your promotion".
Viel clapped. As if he was truly happy for the disciple that was still lying on the ground. The disciple, however, shivered even heavier with each of Viel's clap.
Just a few minutes ago, he and his group were trying to find and rendezvous with the main group. They grew relief in their hearts when they heard the Azure Fist horn honking from the distance. They quickly rushed towards the direction of the horn.
And there, they saw one of their brothers blowing the horn, alongside a small child that was standing beside him.
They then approached their brother, but as soon the little child turned to their direction, he disappeared. And then, 4 of them dropped to the ground. Leaving only him standing up.
He was confused at first as to why his brothers dropped to the ground, but as soon as he looked at his fallen brothers, he instantly knew why. He saw that their heads were no longer attached to their heads. Fear immediately overwhelmed him as he used all of his strength to run away. He did not care why, he just ran.
But sadly for him, before he can even get far, he felt a tiny hand grabbed his leg and drag him back to the clearing. He tried to struggle, but each time he did so, the grip on his ankles grew tighter, threatening to break it off.
"As long as you blow the horn, I will not hurt you, okay mister?", Viel smiled as he awkwardly helped the man to stand up.
"W-why are you doing this!? What kind of creature are you!?", the disciple stuttered.
"Eehh. That's rude", Viel said as he furrowed his brows, "And this is punishment…
…punishment for the sins of your brother"
Li Zhao, who was hiding in the bushes could not help but widen his eyes. What kind of child was capable of doing something like this? Granted, he knew that the boy was strong, abnormally so as he experienced it personally beforehand. But to exhibit this kind of behavior? The intelligence, the cruelty- This was not something a child would do.
A demon, yes. That was the only thing that Li Zhao could think of. This little boy is the child of demons. Li Zhao himself was cruel, sure. But he did not develop those kinds of urges until he was all grown up, but to the little child, it seemed to come naturally. At least that was what Li Zhao was thinking.
Li Zhao continued to watch on as the newly arrived disciple blew the horn instead. He watched as the little boy stood beside the disciple, smiling.
To show this much excitement in the sight of bloodshed. Li Zhao was right, this little child really is the child of demons. Li Zhao has seen enough, he should find the main group, and warn them of this little demon. Maybe even kill him right here and now. They will be hailed as heroes if they killed a demon from the west, he thought.
But as he was about to back away, he noticed that Viel's expression changed. The boy now showed an expression of lament, as he closed his eyes and shake his head slightly, showing regret.
Li Zhao furrowed his brows with the sudden change, but his curiosity easily disappeared and he continued to slowly back away. But once again he stopped, as the boy's expression once again changed. This time, even if Li Zhao wanted to move, he could not do so. It was as if the surrounding air got heavier, stopping him in his tracks.
He once again focused on Viel, who was now just scratching his head without any expression on his face. No, he was wrong. Viel was expressing an emotion.
Boredom.
This was what stopped Li Zhao in his tracks. When taking a life, one can either experience pleasure or guilt. One may be able to hide it, but the feeling will always be present.
Li Zhao threw every plan he had away. Finding the main group and hunting Viel? If Viel was a demon, then that would have been possible. But the boy he was seeing now was definitely not a demon. A demon would at the very least take pleasure. But this? a 5-year old child expressing boredom in taking lives?
Li Zhao did not know what kind of creature Viel was, but whatever he was, he is definitely worse than a demon.
Once again Li Zhao mustered up the strength to back away. But before he could even take two steps back, he heard a voice from behind him.
"Why are you just standing there, inner disciple Li Zhao?"
Li Zhao quickly looked back, only to see the sect master along with hundreds of disciples behind him. The sect master had a huge gash on his face that was still slightly bleeding.
"Were you the one that blew the horn? Where are the others?", Sect Master Lu Meng asked with a confused expression on his face. But his answer came quickly when the sound of a horn once again reverberated in the air.
Sect Master Lu Meng quickly looked towards the direction of sound, only to find a single disciple.
"There's just the two of you? And who is that little girl?", Sect Master Lu Meng walked towards the disciple that was blowing the horn, with the rest of the members following him. Li Zhao was about to say something. But with the torrent of disciples walking past him, Li Zhao could not help but be dragged outside the trees.
Sect Master Lu Meng did not know why, but there seemed to be something in his mind that was bothering him.
As soon as the disciple blowing the horn saw Sect Master Lu Meng coming out of the trees, he immediately stopped blowing the horn and quickly ran towards them with a smile on his face.
"H-help me!", the disciple shouted. He knew how fast the little monster was, after all. He looked back towards the little child with a nervous expression, but to his delight, the little child seemed to have no interest in pursuing him.
"What is going on, brother?", Sect Master Lu Meng quickly grabbed the panicked disciple on his shoulders.
"T-that little child. It… is a monster", the disciple stuttered as his trembling hand pointed at the golden haired child that was standing in the middle of the clearing.
"What are you even sayin-", Sect Master Lu Meng stopped what he was about to say mid-way as his eyes glanced at the 3 decapitated bodies that were near where the child was. Seeing this, Sect Master Lu Meng finally knew what the thing that was bothering him was.
The scent of blood. Sect Master Lu Meng disregarded it at first, as they just came from a battle. But the scent of blood in the clearing was fresh.
"It's a trap!", Sect Master Lu Meng shouted. As soon as the disciples heard this, they quickly turned into a formation. But without the elders guiding them, their formation was, in a word, messy.
Sect Master Lu Meng clicked his tongue. If it was not for that Golden Pavilion Elder, their defeat would not have happened. Sect Master Lu Meng quickly shook his head, this was not the time to think about that. He scanned his surroundings, anticipating the enemy that was about to ambush them.
But even so, he did not let his guard down.
But then, he heard a tiny voice laugh from the distance. Sect Master furrowed his brows, there could only be one source from where this tiny voice was coming from.
He then looked at the little golden-haired child, only to see him laughing at them.
"W-what's with that!?", the child was laughing so hard that he was almost kneeling on the ground.
"It's a trap! He says!", the child continued to laugh as he imitated Sect Master Lu Meng. Copying his stance and panicked expression. His laugh reverberating throughout the forest, and along with his laugh, it was as if the trees were laughing with him, swaying with every chuckle that comes out from his mouth.
Sect Master Lu Meng furrowed his eyebrows as he continued to stare at the wheezing child. A sweat then came out of his forehead as he gulped. He looked at his dead disciples that were decapitated on the ground and the panicked disciple that was blowing the horn.
A small beautiful laughing child, a mysterious aura that filled the air, and now the ominous swaying trees. A certain chill creeped through Sect Master Lu Meng's body as he opened his mouth to speak.
"A…are you..."
Li Zhao widened his eyes as soon as he heard these words. Could Sect Master Lu Meng actually know of Viel's true identity!?
"...the spirit of this forest?".
"...."