- Qing Youya -
I was embraced inside Ren Xiu's arms when the voice introduced itself. It was a voice i unexpectedly missed, the husky and playful, yet bloodthirsty and filled with sarcasm, it's Xie Hei's voice.
The moment Xie Hei materialize his massive figure and displayed his hazy amber eyes, it triggered some nostalgic sense inside me. I was also overjoyed, because if he's here, then there's no mistake that the artifact should also be here.
"Guardian man eating wolf?" Baili Haoyue furrowed his brows in contemplation, eyeing Xie Hei's towering 5 meter figure from head to toe, "... We are sorry if we happen to disturb you or trespass your territory, however we didn't take anything from this place, which means we didn't take anything you're supposed to guard here," his voice was firm, showing no slightest form of fear in front of an intimidating massive black growling wolf.
Still with his smirk, Xie Hei replied, "And so i should let you all go safely while waving my paws in melancholy like a mom seeing off her son on his journey?"
Xie Hei have never been an easy opponent to deal with as he loves making fun of people. Fortunately it was the quite loose Baili Haoyue who negotiate with him. Because despite provoking people to their limits, Xie Hei never actually started a fight himself as he always waited for the other side to attack first, it have always been a battle of patience with him. If it was brother Rui who faced him, he definitely would snap in 3 seconds and things would get troublesome and awry.
"Well if you don't mind we would love you to do so," Baili Haoyue plastered a slightly faltered smile, presumably not expecting Xie Hei's demeaning personality.
Chuckling lowly, Xie Hei sat down and began to lick his paw like a cat, "Unfortunately i'm not a human, nor am i ugly, nor am i fucking with three of my neighbor or the house's security, hence i am not cut out to be your mother! I am a guardian wolf, it's my job, once you trespass here i can't afford to slack right? Don't blame me or your insufficient chicken level strength please."
The corner of Baili Haoyue's smiling lips twitched, "If being a guardian wolf is your job, then you surely can change it right?"
"Well it kind of have some contract system which i cannot defy till the original agreement is met, i can change my job after this thing is done but it's definitely not now unfortunately, sorry to give you slight hope only to crush it like that girl you used to like young man," Xie Hei drooped his eyes, acting depressed while enjoying his goading wordplay.
Unexpectedly Baili Haoyue flinched at those words,"... The girls i like all likes me as well," and he finally got goaded. I couldn't believe how Baili Haoyue was shallow enough to actually place his pride on such a frivolous thing.
"Pfft, even that girl you were holding just now didn't skip the slightest beat, and you are still unfazed enough to declare how no girls dislikes you because you are the self proclaimed oh-so-charming that could overthrow countries with your excessive hard gained beauty? Young man if overconfidence could be traded for gold then even a quarter of yours could buy me seven palaces," Xie Hei chuckled in joy.
The arms that were wrapped around me slightly trembled, i shifted a glance towards Ren Xiu's face to check if she was scared. However contrary to my expectation, her face was evidently saying how she barely managed to restrain her laughter. Previously she was definitely apprehensive as she shielded me right away after the voice sounded, however she is currently clearly far more calmer. I was impressed at how fast such a frail woman regained her original composure in front of a giant wolf. Maybe this madman simply underestimated Xie Hei due to her inability to feel nor gauge out Xie Hei's amount of spiritual power, because even Baili Haoyue couldn't afford to start a fight recklessly and be left unscathed.
"Look young man! Even that girl over there was trying her hardest not to laugh and crush your fragile glass pride!" Xie Hei pointed his nose towards Ren Xiu.
Still glancing towards Ren Xiu, i was astonished at how her gritted teeth and puffed red cheeks swiftly turned into a serious glare filled with superficial fear the moment Baili Haoyue looked at her.
"That is not true general Baili, i believe your pride is at least as hard as the wooden chair in my room! Well it was an old chair though, " she teasingly shouted.
I have no idea of her aim by humiliating Baili Haoyue even more, but she successfully made his face beet red, "T-that is not true your highness! My pride is as hard as a boulder!" even his firm voice began to slightly falter and his argument became childish, Baili Haoyue really do have a frail pride.
"Ahahhahahaha! I was wrong! It's not as fragile as a glass, turns out it's as mushy as your grand dad's boobies! Young man just don't start crying on me it would be plain annoying! Even your slut of a mommy would also find you annoying and cut your salon's allowance once she knows!" Xie Hei was laughing his stomach out, the distasteful laughter and sarcasm which reverberates through the forest gave terror to anyone besides Baili Haoyue and Ren Xiu.
An Xiao clearly trembled as she made an effort to shield the equally frightened Wu Chen. Jian Yu whom was also protecting us was shedding massive cold sweat with a stiff grip on his sword, he was anything but relaxed.
I heaved a barely audible sigh and whispered with a very small voice, "Xie Hei that's enough, cut it out."
The echoes of laughter halted abruptly as Xie Hei suddenly stood back on his four feet and plastered a solemn cold mien.
Baili Haoyue and Ren Xiu were startled and flinched at his sudden movement. Although he was bullied a second ago, Baili Haoyue immediately went firm and straight once again when anticipating an attack, "Anything wrong sir Wolf?"
However Xie Hei entirely ignored him and instead sent a telepathy straight to my head, "Master, is that you?"
I widened my eyes in surprise, i called out to Xie Hei with a plan in mind, preparing to argue to invite and convince him in. However i was taken aback instead by the discovery then quickly regained my composure. I whispered back, "... Xie Hei, so you remember me," it saves me the trouble.
"... I do, i am not senile enough to forget you in a mere 3 months. Anyway master, are we being sent back to 14 years ago?"
".. If it was only happening to me, i might still have a theory of me predicting and simulating the 14 years ahead of the future inside my head or a theory of being sent to a parallel universe. However now that you turns out to remember the future as well, then there's no mistake that we are really being sent back."
".. I see.. Well, i don't really care. Now master, are you here for the artifact?"
"I am."
"Hmm.. I understand, i would love to swear my loyalty to you once again, however well... we have quite a problem right now.."
"Someone currently uses it?"
"Unfortunately yes.. But anyway master, i heard how that woman hugging you actually planning to do something earlier, what shall i do about it?"
"I am not your master yet, do as you please, i'll just go with the flow this time.. I also would like to witness this person's plan."
"Understood.. Hehe" Xie Hei ended his telepathy then continued to taunt on Baili Haoyue, "Hey fuckface, how about a deal? I will let four of you go for exchange of three staying," turns out Xie Hei intended to cooperate with their plan as he winked his right eye. However the few people that does not get it was feeling dreadful at the idea.
Baili Haoyue was puzzled by the wink, however i knew the equally playful Ren Xiu got the signal as she smiled.
Plastering a devilish smile, Ren Xiu chuckled and stood up, "Fine by me! The one who will stay are those three traitors!" ruthless words came out from her gnashed teeth as she pointed her long finger towards Baili Haoyue.
Being pointed at and sacrificed ruthlessly, Baili Haoyue widened his eyes in shock, a thought of Ren Xiu actually betraying him seemed to flash in his eyes. Until he saw a brief moment of atmosphere change on Ren Xiu's smirking face, that atmosphere revealed a playful yet firm air, convincing Baili Haoyue about how it was her plan and also denying her betrayal. However even so, Baili Haoyue couldn't afford to take the risk this time, because when a pinch came he couldn't guarantee whether he could make it out safely or not, afterall he is bringing brother Rui's pampered lover. Even if he sacrificed himself for her, there's a big possibility of Ren Xiu's head being sent flying, and his family being defamed.
As everyone was still dumbstruck, Ren Xiu continued with a smug face, "Goodbye general Baili, i am sure the gods will allow us to meet again ALIVE haha, i swear i will place a bouquet here to honor your service!" her smirk and voice was taunting and vicious, however it was actually truth being coated to sound like sarcasm.
Baili Haoyue finally got the signal, though he still doubted and vigilant around Xie Hei, there's something in his eyes that showed belief and fun. With a nervous smile he replied, "Is that so, then-"
"HOW EVIL OF YOU REN XIU!" An Xiao cut in with a shout and teary eyes, "How could you easily sacrifice people!? Even though there might be a way for all of us to be saved!"
I could see a long heave of sigh on Ren Xiu, Baili Haoyue, and Xie Hei's eyes.
"Then you think of that way after i leave this place," Ren Xiu responded coldly.
The teary eyes weren't disheartened, but instead glared with determination towards Xie Hei, "Sir Xie Hei, can everyone leave in exchange of my life?"
Everyone was dumbstruck, including Ren Xiu.
Xie Hei chuckled lowly, seemingly disgusted, "Do you think your life has that much worth? Who do you even think you are? Some holy savior?"
"I might not be a savior, but i do want everyone to be saved!" the girl shouted confidently with a trembling fist.
"You ain't worth nothing, so what makes you think your opinion worth anything?" Xie Hei greatly looked down on An Xiao.
"Every life has its worth! Do not disparage a human life!"
Xie Hei heaved a sigh, "I ain't disparaging any human life, i only speak the truth about you fugly."
Ever since An Xiao began talking, Ren Xiu have been inching little by little, and she eventually stood beside An Xiao to caught her off guard and shove her down.
An Xiao was dumbstruck as she fell on her butt and finally realized the menacing figure of Ren Xiu towering beside her.
"I apologize for her irritating mouth sir, please, just take her," she calmly stated to Xie Hei.
"Pfft- alright," Xie Hei tapped his paws three times to the ground, and an interspatial portal which stretched around seven feet with blaring winds from inside appeared below him. The portal looked like a beautiful enchanting night sky full of sparkling stars, hollow and captivating, urging people to get sucked in. The beauty of the stars was used to bewitch people to jump in as Xie Hei's food. However as seconds goes by, the sparkles of the stars decreased little by little, "If you do not want to immediately die, i advice you not to jump in when it still sparkled."
I held the half blind boy and grabbed Jian Yu's shirt to prevent them from approaching the portal. While Ren Xiu and Baili Haoyue were already vigilant of Xie Hei's warning and narrowed their vision to minimalize seeing the told sparkles. However maybe due to shock and frustration, An Xiao was unable to hear Xie Hei's warning and approached the portal in a delirious state caused by the stars enchantment. An Xiao reached out to the portal.
"Wha- stupid! it still sparkled!" Ren Xiu quickly grabbed An Xiao's shirt, and as she pulled her back, her body inevitably pulled upfront because of lever force. My breath almost stopped when Ren Xiu was about to fall to the portal.
"YOUR HIGHNESS!" and truly fortunately, when she was an inch from death, Baili Haoyue managed to grab her. I was about to sigh in relieve when Baili Haoyue began to pull her back. However it seemed too late as they are now both caught by the blaring moving winds with their bodies flying above the portal as wind lacerated them.
"SISTER-IN-LAW!" i ran up to them as i saw blood splattered all around caused by the whirling winds, their clothes was instantly ripped all over, Ren Xiu's white robe are now soaked red.
"GENERAL!!" Jian Yu also shouted in dread.
"ARGH- YOU GUYS DON'T PANIC! WE WILL DEFINITELY COME BACK IN A WEEK, STAY CALM AND DON'T MAKE A FUSS! DON'T MAKE ANYONE EXCEPT THE SOLDIERS UNNECESSARILY WORRIED! JUST WAIT FOR US!" even while her body was being slashed by the winds, she still gave a sound command.
An Xiao seemed to wake from her stupor and immediately got frightened to found two people drenched in blood mid-air, "R-Ren Xiu! G-general! What should i do?! I will help you right now!!" she stood and began to ran up to them.
"STOP IT, I'M NOT DEAD THIS IS JUST SCRATCHES DON'T GET CLOSER I DON'T HAVE TIME TO ARGUE WITH YOU RIGHT NOW!!"
An Xiao immediately flinched and stopped on her feet.
Lucky they didn't make direct contact with the portal surface, or the winds with split them whole and gave them no chance to live. Xie Hei has no control over this, thus there's nothing i could do beside following them into the portal afterwards.
I stood beside the portal after Ren Xiu and Baili Haoyue lose consciousness, staring at the two people beginning to be swallowed up, i gave final instruction, "Jian Yu, protect my sister with your life, i will definitely come back, do as Ren Xiu have said. An Xiao, don't you dare do anything only to mess up. Wu Chen, don't you dare step outside this forest and just follow Xie Hei," the two people were completely swallowed and the sparkles was gone, and thus i jumped in.