Jiang Ying Yue slept comfortably covered in a warm comforter. A soft sigh escaped from her mouth as she twisted slightly adjusting her position, however, for some reason, she couldn't help frowning with her eyes shut.
Eh...why was this bed so hard?....
Wasn't her days of suffering in the special force camp over?.....
" Awake?" The cold yet seemingly gentle voice suddenly rang in her ears waking her abruptly from her sweet sleep.
Yes, how could she forget it's been a while since she crossed over?
" Eh..." Jiang Ying Yue nodded weakly with her eyes closed not daring to face the man.
Last night, under Wei's repeated persuasion and coaxing, Jiang Ying Yue had 'reluctantly' agreed to...ahem, use him as her bed-cum- heater.
Now thinking back about all the absurdities she did last night....her cheeks burned furiously.
It must be cold that froze her brain making her impulsive and stupid!
Jiang Ying Yue didn't dare think more and hurriedly squirmed out of the man's embrace.
They had a long day ahead.
*****
On the other side,
Tian Shan, Yuan Fang and Xiang Qing Ling were also preparing to set out after a sleepless night.
They were so tense and vigilant throughout the night that they couldn't get a wink of sleep. They looked haggard and unkempt.
However, at the moment they couldn't care less.
Last night, according to Tian Shan's instructions the guards had tried to test out the effect of Jiang Ying Yue's magical herbal powder.
And the effect was just as they were anticipating. The medicinal powder seemed to have some strange smell that only the beasts could spell. They seemed to find it repulsive and we're very resistant to it.
However, they also discovered a fact that the powder seemed to have varying degrees of effect on different beasts. And the matter seemed to be related to their ranks. The higher the cultivation the less impact the powder would cause on them.
It was unfortunate. However, this effect was better than nothing.
With this powder in their hands, the three of them felt that their safety could at least be guaranteed unless they met some unfortunate circumstances.
The only other problem now they had was that they only have a limited amount of medicinal powder in their hands. It wasn't much but it was enough for them to use it for a round.
So, they just hoped that they could get out safely and arrive at the edge of the forest before sunset and before the medicinal powder lost its effect.
The trio set out with their guards in tow making their pace as fast as possible.
As they walked trying to find their way out of the dense forest time quickly passed. After walking for a long while they finally halted in a place to take a brief rest.
They seemed to have come far away from the place where they had rested last night.
The forest was vast and dense, spreading far and wide in browns and greens.
Sometimes, it was difficult to tell how far they had walked or were just around in a circle.
Whenever they walked they repeatedly scanned around to make sure they weren't walking in circles.
" I just hope we can make it back before it gets dark." Xiang Qing Ling said as followed behind Tian Shan as they resumed their journey.
Behind her walked Yuan Fang, who seemed to be hoping for the same.
If possible how he wished to fly back to his Lanlan at this instant!
Sigh....he hadn't seen her for a day but it felt like ages.
" Yes, that's what I'm hoping too...shush..." Tian Lan paused abruptly gesturing the two behind to keep quiet.
" Master, there are people ahead." The guard, who was scouting the route ahead came back and whispered, " And they seemed to be from your academy." The guard had just caught a glimpse of a few familiar faces before he came to report.
Tian Shan also heard the noise of the loud argument and frowned slightly seemingly recognising the voice.
However, what did this have to do with them?!
They were people from different worlds, to begin with. All walking their paths. Even when their paths happen to intersect for once, it was only for a brief moment. After a brief moment of intersection, they had to part.
Whether this parting was on good terms or bad terms it didn't matter anymore.
Especially, when it was time to return.
" We'll continue this way, if we were to change our course now we might deviate from the path and get lost again." Tian Shan responded without a second thought.
And the other two who had already handed the command over to him followed behind without any question.
Thus, they continued on the same route intending to brush past them without causing any trouble.
After discussing it for long while they had decided on taking this route, now they just couldn't give up halfway, wandering the wilderness like headless flies.
However, they didn't seek trouble didn't mean trouble wouldn't come looking for them.
While they were planning to slip away silently without attracting any undesired attention, someone who seemed too bored listening to the heated spat discovered their existence.
" It's all your fault, you're the one who repeatedly persuaded me to join along!"
" Bah! Says who?! At that time weren't you the one who said that one must not be tied down by relations when looking for success? I just merely suggested that we can consider Xiao Tingfei's offer if Senior Tian Shan doesn't mind it. And it was you, YOU, Gao Peng who insisted we join him! Now that things have come to this and everything was messed up you're pinning all the blame on me! Gao Peng, be a man and shoulder your part of the responsibility!"
" Huh!...a mere suggestion?... you just gave a mere suggestion and that's all!! Who are you kidding?! Who in the academy doesn't know about the feud between Senior Tian Shan and Xiao Tingfei? They'll basically like water and fire....and yet you're saying that if Senior Tian Shan doesn't mind, then why don't you just--"
" Someone's here!" Exclaimed the 'bored' person pointing towards a certain direction.
" Who?!" The parties who were fighting froze for a moment before their focus was shifted to the place the person pointed at.
" This one...really has a damn pair of good eyes!" Yuan cursed softly while his legs didn't stop.
Not only him, but the others were also doing the same ignoring this bunch of people like thin air.
" Hey...hey, wait!!" The people hurriedly cried out.
They finally met someone who could lend them some help, how could they let them go just like that?!
After being abandoned by that bastard Xiao Tingfei and losing their way they had been struggling to survive.
Most of them were battered and injured and some of them were already dying.
If they didn't get hold of this opportunity they'd be only waiting to end up as meals for those ferocious beasts.
" Heroes, did you happen to lose your way as well?"
Those people ran over in flash and stood before them, blocking their way.
" Move, don't block our way!" The guards warned sternly looking cold and murderous.
If it were some other day or some other people they would have already retreated a few metres back in the face of a such murderous threat.
But, who were these people?
They were the ones who had been baptized by the brutality of the Beast Heaven Mountain for a day and night.
In comparison to those hideous-looking man-eating beasts, these people looked far more pleasant to their eyes.
" No, no, wait. Aren't you looking for a way out, how about we help you?" Someone instantly came up with an idea and suggested fearing that the other party would run away.
" Move, we don't need it. Don't delay our matters." It was the guard who responded again.
Tian Shan, Yuan Fang and Xiang Qing Ling, who were surrounded by their guards tightly were already starting to get impatient.
The guards could also naturally feel their masters' impatience and pointed the tip of their naked swords towards the person's throat.
Their action was enough to send a message--' You either move or we slit your throats!'
The air instantly chilled down and the excitement and anticipation turned into fear.
" Now move." The guard gestured with his eyes, the look in his eyes cold and menacing.
The person froze, the cold touch on his neck sent a shiver through his spine.
The person didn't dare move or nod and just stood woodenly letting the guard push him aside.
The three of them sighed in relief. For now, they didn't want anyone to know of their identities. They just wanted to leave this as soon as possible, they didn't have much time on their hands after all.
They thought the situation was resolved and they could leave easily just like that. But...who knew that 'the damn pair of good eyes' that Yuan Fang had complimented a moment ago was adamant about proving its superior function.
The pair of eyes accurately spotted Tian Shan, who was the tallest in the crowd.
" Tian...Senior Tian Shan?..."
" What are you mumbling about?" asked the person beside him.
" I seemed to...no, it's Senior Tian Shan...I just saw Senior Tian Shan!" The person seemed to realise he wasn't seeing things and repeated excitedly.
Damn it, if it was Senior Tian Shan wouldn't things be easy for them?!...
As soon as his words landed the person felt someone push him aside roughly, " What did you say? Who was it?!"
The person didn't like this rude behaviour and the commanding interrogative tone and frowned in displeasure.
" Why aren't you saying, are you deaf?!" However, the person didn't notice this and kept on inquiring, throwing repeated glances at the people passing.
Seeing the person's rude and bossy tone the person finally lost his temper and snapped back, " Why don't look for yourself?! Shouldn't you be the one who should be more familiar with those people, why are asking me now?!"
This poked the person's wound directly.
Pie Yao, one of the six people who had left Tian Shan's wing and followed Xiao Tingfei willingly, appeared to have lost it with the last statement.
She threw a hard slap at the person opposite when he was unprepared and dashed off looking for Tian Shan.
" Brother Shan! Brother Shan, I know it's you!!" She shouted from behind.
" Brother Shan, please, please, wait for me....please stop!" Her mournful and defenceless voice seemed to echo throughout the dense forest.
She looked especially pitiful with tear painted face and blood-stained robes. Even in tatters, she was a weak beauty.
However, her pitiful look was only for those who were willing to see.
Tian Shan and the other two weren't the ones who'd appreciate it. It didn't work on them.
What was this for?!
The land where they belong to things like weakness and pity had no place for them.
One could kill their parents, siblings or lovers as long as they pose threat to their interest.
It was a land of merciless people where only the strong would survive.
The three didn't even blink as they continued.
They might have been companions for a few years and unsurprisingly had developed some soft corner for them. But, with the way these people chose to betray them, taking past relations into account was no longer necessary.
" Brother Shan, I've liked you for so long, how could you do this?! How could you be this cruel?!" Pie Yao yelled unwilling to give up till the end.
And this bold and indignant declaration of love finally earned a soft chuckle.
" Ah Shan, how are you going handle this?" Xiang Qing Ling asked with interest as they halted on their way.
" What's there to handle?... Just throw her aside and continue walking." Tian Shan said flatly his voice not showing any tinge of emotion it was as if he was not taking the girl as human at all.
Pie Yao, who was shedding tears trying to look as pitiful as possible, froze.
The emotionless voice and tone Tian Shan used Pei Yao found them completely unfamiliar.
It was the same voice yet Pei Yao couldn't help feeling the person was different.