The early morning was veiled in curtains of mist. Damp air clung onto leaves and grass in tiny droplets, soaking the clothes and hair of anyone who wandered through. It was still too early for any merchants to set up shop.
The only awoke person was a man that hit his gong every half an hour, announcing the time. The round timbre of the gong sounded far away, lost in the deep haze, as a shadow weaved through the fog with frantic, unsteady steps.
Wei YueQin didn't know for how long she had been unconscious. The last vivid memory she had was after she was beaten up by two of the Hsu servants and left to crawl into a shady back corner to pass out.
But she remembered snippets of dreams. Satisfying dreams where the Hsu's wailed for mercy but received none, strung along like meats on the market. But that was all just a dream. Nobody cared enough to take vengeance for the Wei's.
YueQin slipped on the wet grass and stumbled forwards, gasping for breath. Raising her hand that had been applying pressure to her injury, she winced at all the blood on it.
Her side was still bleeding, but the wound was not deep. Yet, the moist air kept the injury festering, unable to close on itself. Gritting her teeth, YueQin rolled on her side, relieving the weight on her wound. A gasp of pain escaped her lips as the sharp sting shot up her ribs.
That crazy bitch had aimed to kill! The moment the sharp dagger sunk into her side and jolted her out of her slumber, everything had gone by in a flash. It was now only a blurry memory of tears, blood - and snakes. Not real snakes, but snake embroidery. The dagger had glinted against the silver stitching, blinding YueQin as she came to in that abandoned building. YueQin had kicked the woman off of her when she had raised her hand for another strike and fled into this endless mist.
Lying in her own blood and misery, struggling to stay awake, a shadow crept by and YueQin kept still, her head bowed low under the long grasses. She dared not to breathe. The shadow seemed to move without touching the ground, pushing the grass out of its way as it moved ever so closer. Stopping over her, the creature sniffed the air.
Risking a glance up, YueQin stared into two bright auburn eyes. The gigantic wolf was looking down at her with a spec of curiosity swimming in the depths of its eyes. It sniffed around her, and at the base of her wound, gave a deep growl. When it had circled her to its heart's content, the creature took a step back and sat on its hind legs, studying her in the silence.
Seeing the wolf harmless, YueQin eased her tense body and painfully pushed herself on her elbows.
"Waiting for me to die, then eat me, huh?" YueQin said, taking in shaky breaths, as she presses over her throbbing wound with her hand, cringing at the prickling pain. "Tough luck, buddy, I'm not planning on dying, not yet."
Staggering to her feet, she took shaky steps forward, leaving the wolf looking after her, as she slowly disappeared among the fog, leaving a trail of blood behind.
The wolf sat rooted in its place for a moment, lost in its thought until it picked up on a group of footsteps. Listening closely, he made out five different footsteps, moving so quietly, only he could hear them. He laid low, hiding in the tall grasses, listening to the group whispering to each other over the fog.
"Did you see where she went?"
"No, I can't see anything in this fog!"
"Sect leader is going to kill us." One whimpered, it was the voice of a young male.
"I see blood!" The female voice came from nearby the wolf and the creature slowly backed away from the area, far enough to not be seen by the disciples.
"If we find her dead, sect leader is going to murder us in our sleep." The young male wailed from a closer distance.
"What happened here? There is so much blood."
"I went out only for a quick break and you let her run away!" A voice of a young woman complained.
"She was unconscious, I checked."
"You were unconscious, that's for sure!"
"You think someone kidnapped her and hurt her?"
"I don't understand how. We have been very cautious not to be seen."
"We must find her or we will have to live in hiding for the rest of our lives!"
The wolf watched as drifting purple robes walked past him, fluttering silently like butterflies. Feeling mischievous, the wolf decided he didn't want them to find the girl, so he jumped up on his paws and noisily made his way towards the other direction. The five disciples stopped in their tracks and started trailing the wolf silently.
Pleased that he got the group distracted, he sped to a sprint and soon lost the five behind him. Tapping along while pondering the entertaining situation, he came to a sudden stop. He had picked up on the faint fragrance of lotus' and looking up, dark purple robes stood before him, standing still in the mist, waiting.
Zhu ZongYing's cold eyes ran over the wolf, and something resembling a smile tugged at her lips. "Xie Qiang, what brings you here in this part of the lands?"
Xie Qiang ruffled his fur and slowly, his limbs lengthened and fur changed into fair, taut skin. Standing in full height, he stretched and pulled his hair back, grinning smugly at ZongYing. They were almost the same height. Seeing him in his full glory, she grimaced with disgust and turned her eyes away.
"Just because I tolerate you, doesn't mean I want to see you naked!"
"You know I can't talk as a wolf." Xie Qiang said, but made no gestures to hide himself. He was a perfect specimen. There was no point covering it.
"Can't you at least put some clothes on?" ZongYing sounded poisonous.
"Can't, I left them at a hiding place far from here. Besides, the mist is nice against my bare skin."
"What are you doing here?" ZongYing avoided looking at Xie Qiang as if he was the plaque.
"Just stretching my limps in the fog. It's a perfect weather for a stroll." Something wicked glinted in Xie Qiang's eyes, but ZongYing couldn't see it. "By the way, I didn't know you liked to torture, release, then let your disciples hunt down your victims."
"What are you talking about?" Zhu ZongYing snapped as she turned her gaze over to Xie Qiang, keeping it strictly on his face.
"She isn't even your type. I thought you liked the devastatingly beautiful ones. Or is this why you tortured her? You like seeing the non-pretty suffer?" Xie Qiang continued, enjoying the irritation marring ZongYing's features.
"How I treat my people is none of your business." Her tone was laced with poison.
"Oh, so you admit you aren't strictly after the beautiful and the fair?" Xie Qiang smiled at the murderous glare shot his way. A low chuckle rumbled in his chest. "You surprise me, ZongYing."
"Stop beating around the bush, Xie Qiang. What are you trying to tell me?"
"I'm glad we never got married."
He barely missed the swift crack of the whip that targeted his face.
"The feeling is mutual." ZongYing hissed as she wrapped the whip around her arm. "But that wasn't what I meant."
"Oh, that. I saw your disciples just a while back. Were all crying about getting killed for losing the girl. She was bleeding everywhere, too. You should go easy on the new recruits, not everyone can take your training."
Xie Qiang relished in the moment, as for a brief second, Zhu ZongYing's breath seemed to hitch in her throat. Without another word, she glided silently into the fog, murder clear in her stature. Poor kids, thought Xie Qiang gleefully before he took on the wolf form and sped away.
He didn't get far before the Sun rose, warming his fur. The fog faded away in his path. He passed through the tall grasses and started a light jog around the tall stone walls of Tiang'an. His thoughts were still lingering on the bloodied girl and the poor little disciples who were probably getting their heads bitten off at this very moment by their vicious sect leader. The grating voice of a man he didn't want to see interrupted his thoughts.
"Xie Qiang! Not the mutt I was looking for, but you will do in these desperate times." PingZe called out. Xie Qiang snarled as he turned around to the brightly lit grin on the punchable smug face.
Swiftly turning into his human form, Xie Qiang shot a deadly glare at the clean-shaven PingZe, but PingZe only flinched and cursed,
"Put some clothes on, you damn pervert! There are children around here!"