" Continue." Wei raised a brow, his regal aura now containing a trace of evil. His voice was low barely audible but revealed unprecedented malice and danger.
Thump! Thump!
Wei Mo could hear his heart beating wildly. A chilly wind blew pricking his spine making him numb for no reason. His knees started to buckle sensing this clear hint of the danger.
Was...was his master angry?....but, how's that possible?!
Wei Mo had a fierce urge to scratch his head.
" Yes, my lord. The two were supposed to get married this year. However--"
" Supposed to?" Wei caught the word and interrupted again.
This time Wei Mo really had the urge to cry and howl in misery.
'Master, let me finish it, let me finish it!!'
His heart was already beating wildly witnessing the master's strange behaviour and tone. With his master's repeated interruptions every few sentences he felt like he was about to pass out from tension.
" Yes--" Wei Mo braced himself and started again, however, even before could he complete a sentence he was cut mid-way.
A fierce wind blew past him suddenly catching him off-guard and causing him to nearly fall off the tree.
On the other side, Jiang Ying Yue had just woken to take her shift. It was her turn to take up the night watch.
Since they were many people they had all decided to take turns in keeping night watch and it was fair to all.
Last night it was Wei and Tian Lan. Tian Shan and the other two had to enter the forest the next morning so in the end this burden fell on Tian Lan.
" Sister Qin, you can go in and get some sleep. I'll take it from here." Jiang Ying Yue walked out of the tent bundled in a thick cloak. As a chilly wind blew Jiang Ying Yue couldn't help but shrink her neck slightly.
It was too cold at night in this forest. It was mid-summer but it felt like icy winter. It was cold to the extent that a cultivator's might wasn't enough to ward off this chill that seemed to seep into bones.
Jiang Ying Yue glanced forward and caught a figure similar to her sitting by the fire.
The person was bundled so thick and tight that it was almost resembling a cocoon, only with her tiny head peeking out.
Jiang Ying Yue's lips twitched fiercely, however, the moment her eyes caught the hem of her thick cloak she quickly suppressed it.
Who was she laughing at?
She herself wasn't any better.
" Xiao You, you up? It's too cold outside!"
Jiang Ying Yue could even hear her teeth chattering from a distance.
Ah, poor child!....then
Jiang Ying Yue was pitying the little girl when a thought suddenly barge into her mind and her head couldn't help but tilt upward glancing at the cluster of tall trees at some distance. The towering trees were looming high in the darkness making it extremely difficult to see anything.
Jiang Ying Yue squinted her eyes wondering why that dead man preferred sleeping there instead of a warm bed. She had been kind enough to give him a nice and warm tent to sleep in out of her goodwill as an employer but that obstinate guy still had to act tough. Hmph!
" Xiao You, do you.....is master Wei alright there?" Following her gaze Qin Xia asked doubtfully, her teeth still chattering and words incoherent.
She was both curious and doubtful, it was too cold but Master Wei had insisted on hanging on that tree. She couldn't understand why someone would reject a warm bed and choose a cold and uncomfortable tree branch to sleep in so willingly.
This was something beyond her thinking capacity.
Although from the way their Senior Brother Tian Shan treated Master Wei with blatant flattery, it could more or less guess Master Wei must be quite powerful and this bit of chill won't kill him. However, one's strength didn't equate to one's comfort.
No matter how powerful one was hanging on a tree to sleep one would still feel very uncomfortable.
" Yes, I guess so." Jiang Ying Yue shrugged carelessly, " Perhaps this is the way of immortals. Sister Qin, we're all mortals let's not bother about them." Jiang Ying Yue retracted her gaze and walked forward.
Qin Xia:"...." ' Yes, perhaps this was how genius acted, however, aren't you also the one?'
'Carrying a whole set of the kitchen while going out for training, are you any less than an immortal?!'
One immortal was calling another immortal an immortal and making fun of him. What a joke!
" Sister Qin, hurry up drink this then inside and rest." Jiang Ying Yue ignored the man and walked over before taking a seat beside Qin Xia, pouring her bowl of hot water. When the person wasn't looking she also took a chance to secretly pour a few a drop of Moon spring into the warm.
Taking the bowl the girl smiled sweetly thanking her before gulping down the water, " Thank you, Xiao You."
As soon the warm water touched the tip of her tongue warmth current flowed into her body seeping out the damp chill from every crevice of her bone. This kind of warmth was different from what came just from drinking hot water. It was a feeling as if her entire being was rejuvenated after the harsh winter after basking under the warm sunlight of spring.
Qin Xia felt that she had an illusion that spring was here. She couldn't help but blink a few times, touching her cheeks.
....No, it really felt warm and comfortable.....
Jiang Ying Yue witnessed her strange reactions and immediately spoke out to distract the girl.
" Sister Qin, hurry up and go!"
" Alright." Qin Xia gently wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her robe and got up to leave," Goodnight."
However, she didn't take a couple of steps she paused and turned back, " Is this cloak thick enough for you, it's too cold outside you should get a few more layers. Be careful not to catch a cold."
Looking at her smile that showed Elderly concern Jiang Ying Yue could only nod sheepishly feeling that her crossing was really tragic.
As days passed her skin was growing thicker than the city wall, calling these teenagers big brother and sister despite being an old day. And she didn't even blush...tsk, tsk, she had degraded so much.
" Xiaxia, are you back?" Hu Meilin peeked her head out of her thick quilt.
" Yes, it's too cold outside. I almost froze to death." Qin Xia quickly took out her outer robe ready to get under the covers when a blood-curdling cry rang out suddenly.
" Aaahhhh!...."
Qin Xia was so scared that her legs gave away while Hu Meilin shrunk under her quilt.
" What happened?!" Tian Lan ran out hurriedly out of her tent hearing the cry followed by Jiang Ying Mei and others, who were worried about their master( sister).
" Sister Tian Lan, I think that cry came from there." Jiang Ying Mei pointed at the tent in the furthest corner. The injured man they brought today was settled there.
" Let's go and see what happened." Tian Lan took her steps forward as she continued, " You stay behind alright, sister will protect you."
Now that she mentioned sister she suddenly remembered Jiang Ying Yue.
" Where's Big brother?"
" Yes, where's Xiao You?" They didn't see her around, " Did he go inside?" Tian Lan pointed at the tent of the injured man.
Tian Lan knew that Jiang Ying Yue had gone out to take her shift in guarding. Because her tent was closer to them she had heard her and Qin Xia talk.
Jiang Ying Mei and the other two didn't respond but their feet moved faster towards that tent.
Qin Xia and Hu Meilin also came and hurriedly strode in the same direction seeing other the swarm around the tent.
People were about to enter the tent when they suddenly paused and their pupils shrank. They could all sense the danger that was approaching them.
" Where is she?" Wei's cold voice was like a call of the devil laced with malice and killing intent. His powerful figure covered in the darkness stood there like a heavy mountain pressing hard on them.
An unprecedented sense of fear enveloped them making them unable to breathe let alone respond.
This familiar malice they had experienced before, however at that time it wasn't directed towards them.
" I asked where is she?" Wei sounded indifferent as ever yet coldness laced with sinister malice only grew with every passing second.
It was like shards of icicles were lodged into their throats blocking their mouths making them unable to respond, " I..I.."
"...."
A few of them stuttered fearfully.
" Why don't you respond?" His voice was still calm but tell he was concealing his bloodthirst and ruthlessness.
Tian Lan hurriedly tried to calm herself as she clenched her trembling hand, " Master Wei, ...are..are you asking about Xiao You? We didn't see him. We're going to look for him inside, he should be in there." Tian Lan spoke as fast as she could fearing that her slow pace would trigger the man.
" She's not inside."
" What..what?! Not inside!!" All of them were shocked. Especially, Qin Xia who had seen Jiang Ying Yue not long ago was dumbfounded to the extent that she forgot her fear.
" How's that possible? How's that possible I just saw him not long ago?!" Her voice was trembling. The warmth brought after drinking a bowl of hot water was gone as her hands and feet started to turn cold. However, despite all her fear she ran into the tent in that instant.
At the moment she only prayed that Master Wei was wrong yet the reality was disappointing.
All followed behind her one after one only to see the tent was empty. Besides, the only object which looked like a small mound huddled in a corner no one was present.
They knew who that 'mound' was after taking a close look. It was the injured man they had knocked out this afternoon.
" My sister..my big sister, where's my big sister?!" Jiang Ying Mei's tears welled up immediately and her heart was in a panic. Her fear was so immense that she even messed up her form of addressing. However, nobody took notice of it and nobody cared about it at that moment. They were all equally shocked and nervous.
Nevertheless, Wei didn't bother to comfort them and his patient seemed to be running out facing them.
" Ugh..."
"Ah!..."
"....."
An overwhelming pressure abruptly assaulted them and all of them felt their internal organs churning inside. It was so painful that their faces turned pale and they broke out in cold sweat.
Upon seeing the turn of events suddenly another group of people clad in black rushed forth, "Young lady, get behind us!" The guard in the lead pulled Tian Lan behind him.
The people clad in black surrounded the group shielding them from Wei's domineering pressure while at the same time, they also unleashed their auras trying to counter Wei.
However, they underestimated Wei. In the beginning, they could still withstand his aura but as every second went by they found it harder. Their faces gradually turned pale and their throats bobbled suppressing the metallic stench in their throats.
On the other hand, Wei looked at absolute ease his expression still indifferent.
The guards were too shocked as their eyes trembled violently.
This man....how strong was he?!
Even four of them couldn't handle him.
They were all above the Martial Indigo Initial stage and the highest one was already practising the First elemental stage yet they couldn't overcome him.
However, they didn't find it a bit humiliating instead they found it shocking and exciting at the same moment.
They had underestimated this man too much. With this, they also realised that the aura he had unleashed earlier on their young lady was the tiniest portion of his strength and even now perhaps the man was still unwilling to show his real strength.