"What did you say?!" asked the man grumpily. Xianwu backed a step in trance. Shijei walked before her. "Like she said, we were lost in the forest and because of your arrows we got hurt! Do you want us to tell you our whole story?" he asked in anger. The man looked at him suspiciously. Xianwu felt anger in his words as she took her place back. "Please, believe us. It's all true. Because we faced a lot of dangers on our way here, they seem to be overly cautious." Xianwu continued. The man looked at her mistrustfully.
"And what do you think will make us believe you and your farce!" he grumbled. Xianwu sighed "Ill tempered… looks like I'll have to work hard on this one" she thought. "It's right for you to doubt us. I know very well. But, please trust us." she pleaded. The man looked at her doubtfully. "You! Come here!" the man ordered as he pointed his sword towards Xianwu.
Xianwu without creating a speck of suspension for the tribesmen who surrounded them, walked forward. Xianwu stared at the man in his eyes confidently however, inside her heart even Xianwu was afraid of his domineering presence.
Xiao yin who had stayed silent for a long time, walked towards Xianwu and the man. His hands clutched as he fiercely pulled Xianwu towards him. Xianwu with his strong grip looked at him worriedly. "Look at my sister like that, and I'll gauge your eyes out!" he threatened. Xianwu shocked to the depths stared at him bewildered "Forget working hard! Little Young master, you made the work even harder!!" she thought freaking out.
However, no matter how strong or how tall the man was, standing in front of him Xiao yin gazed back with his threatening glare. The man looked at them for a long while as Xianwu clarified "Sir, I'm really sorry. Please forgive my little brother. He always gets like this when it comes to me."
The man looking around and eyeing every single person who surrounded Xianwu and the other three finally spoke "Come with us, until you explain your whole situation to us. Neither, will you leave nor will we let you go. And, if you dare to do something funny then don't even think about staying alive!" He commanded and threatened at the same time. Xianwu nodded eyeing the other three beside her.
The tribesman surrounded Xianwu and the others. They were walking on the outskirts of the forest of no-return. The man in front of Xianwu and the others behind Senlin, Shijei and Xiao yin. Suddenly Xianwu's mind rang as Shijei' voice spoke up "The tribe that lives in the between the outskirts of the forest of no return and the entrance of bridge of forever silence. Maybe, if we follow them, we might get close towards the Silent city." He guessed.
Xianwu with a slight nod replied "I think so too… but in the meantime, if anyone asks you something, don't reply. Let me make up something." Soon her transmission was interrupted. The man walking in front of her asked. "What is your name? And your purpose of coming here?" his voice was hoarse which suddenly startled her.
Xianwu replied her tone soft "My name is Y…" instantly she paused correcting herself "Xianwu and beside me is my younger brother Xiao yin and my two friends Shijei and Senlin. We all traveling around the area on the outskirts of the forest, however certain circumstances happened and we lost our way inside the forest until you found us." She explained.
The man eyed her while asking "What circumstances?" Xianwu smiled "Right in the trap!" she thought. "By certain circumstances… I meant Human Eating Corpses." she continued. The man with his eyes widened turned around distressed. "What?!" he asked. "Where did you saw them?!" with his unexpected troubled expression Xianwu had already gotten the idea of their connection. Senlin and Shijei too carefully examined.
Xianwu creating a troubled expression for herself replied "Yesterday, the four of were going to on our way. All of a sudden many Human Corpses had surrounded us, we had no weapons yet we still tried to fight them off. And as soon as we realized we lost them. We were all lost in the forest."
The man stared at her in surprise, he questioned "You all were in the forest from yesterday?!" Xianwu nodded. The man observed all of them from head to toe. Leaving out Xiao yin, for whom Xianwu had fixed his clothes a while ago. The other three were as unkempt as an attic.
The man sighed as he walked without relying back. After a walk of half an hour. Xianwu seemed to see flares of fire set alight and round tents set one after another. Under her impression the place seemed to be bigger than her village. The tribesmen who witnessed their arrival seemed to be slightly panicked. However, when they saw the man in front of Xianwu. Their expression converted into smiles. "Looks like people here really trust this person…" she thought gazing at the man before her.
Upon coming to a large fire which seemed to be in the center of the tents. The man turned around to face Xianwu and the others. He sat over a seat, made from redwood which seemed to be from the forest. He asked "You are from the outside world am I right?" Xianwu nodded as she responded "Indeed we came from the outside. We live really far away.
Just like we told you before, we were travelling together to build up our experience." The man continued "Just like you told us who you were, let me tell you too. I am 'Zhòng hongqi' (Yielder of the red flag). The leader of the tribe of no-return" Xianwu pondered "The tribe of no return… it sounds the same as the forest's name…"
"Leader Zhòng, this forest seem to be very dangerous and had lot of resentment ghosts as well. How do you live here?" Xianwu asked. Suddenly Hongqi laughed "Well, then let me as you? How did you pass this forest?" he smirked. Xianwu chuckled as well. "By hiding ingeniously…" she replied tactfully. The man laughed louder. Xianwu in her past had met many people like them. The kind of people who answer less, but wants to hear more. And, if they want to hear more, Xianwu's tricks are enough for that.
"Hiding?!" Hongqi asked in surprise still laughing. Xianwu nodded with a light smile "You can also thing of it as pure luck!" she clarified. "Haha!!" Hongqi laughed wiping his tears. "Little girl~ you are interesting." He commented. Xianwu titled her head "Thank you for your compliment…" Xianwu expressed her gratitude. With a click of his fingers Hongqi called "Fellow tribesmen! We have guests. Bought all our meals to serve them!"
Xianwu who was surprised thought. "Just like that? Did I really win over them just like that?!" suddenly her mind rang as Senlin spoke up "Don't be so happy now, they clearly have an agenda behind their backs. Its better we be really careful." She warned.
Xianwu smiled staring at Hongqi "Of course… who would know it better than me…" she though back. Hongqi staring back at Xianwu again clicked his figures "Everyone, give our guests tents to get themselves tidy as well! Woman with woman and men with men." Xianwu took a deep breath. After a while Hongqi's wife seemed to join as well.