"Aren't you coming?" Long Yuzhen was so engrossed in Ziya that he failed to notice the rain had stopped, until Ziya brought him back to reality with a question.
"Do you visit this place often?" As they walked side by side, Yuzhen chose a suitable topic to initiate a conversation. "I must say, the scenery here is rather impressive."
"Not particularly," Ziya replied, her tone lacking enthusiasm.
"I see. How long have you been working at the sect?"
"Almost fifteen years... Anyway, what brought you to this place? This place isn't that famous, so did you just happen to hear about it by someone familiar with this place and decide to visit?" Ziya inquired, her curiosity evident as she deftly turned the plate.
"Ahh... M-Master mentioned this place to me. He had been raving about its beauty, and it piqued my interest, so I decided to come and see it for myself. And, well, you know the rest," Yuzhen replied, using his master as a convenient excuse for his presence.
'This b******, is he using me to win over me, right now?' Chen Zoe thought, his mind filled with doubts about Yuzhen's true intentions.
"Oh, I see," Ziya responded, maintaining her composure despite the absurdity of the lie. "It seems like Young Master Zoe has taken quite a liking to you."
"Haa... My master is quite fond of me, to the point where it seems like he can't do anything without me," Yuzhen admitted with a heavy sigh, his thoughts lingering on the countless tasks he had undertaken at his master's behest.
"Ziya... Yuzhen..." Their conversation was interrupted by Rui's voice, which echoed from a distance as he searched for them.
"Isn't that Rui's voice?" Ziya unintentionally blurted out, and then she hastily made an excuse, noticing Yuzhen's suspicious gaze. "I mean, isn't it my master's voice? Something doesn't feel right. Let's go find him."
With a sense of curiosity and concern, they followed the source of the voice until they reached Rui.
"What happened, Senior?" Yuzhen asked anxiously upon finding Rui, his concern evident in his voice and demeanor.
"No time to waste, we need to return quickly," Rui urged them urgently, and without delay, he led them away from their current location.
Yuzhen was sent back to Zoe's residence, while Rui discreetly took Ziya to his room and continued, "Senior, quickly change your appearance and go to the meeting hall. Leader has summoned you."
"What's going on? Why all of a sudden?" Chen Zoe asked, clearly bewildered by the unexpected turn of events.
Rui responded with a worried expression, "I don't know the details, but I've heard that the north is facing a brutal attack from beast men."
"What?" Chen Zoe exclaimed in shock.
Chen Zoe quickly went to meet his father after learning about the situation from Rui. He wanted a clear understanding of the circumstances, as his memory of the incident was not detailed. All he knew was that the Chen Long sect had succeeded in defeating the beast men, but he was unaware of the root cause of the problem.
Leaving a few elders and disciples in the sect, the rest went to handle the situation. However, the situation was worse than they had thought. Many lives had already been lost at the hands of wild beasts.
The junior disciples, including Yuzhen, were assigned the challenging task of evacuating the frightened citizens. As they moved through the chaotic streets, Yuzhen bore witness to a gruesome scene. Humans and beast men confronted each other, their mutual hatred palpable in the charged air.
Amidst the chaos, Leader Zeng, accompanied by the solemn elders and other seasoned seniors, took charge of the situation. They showed no mercy to the beast men, swiftly and efficiently handling any threats that arose.
"Give us back our children. Where are you hiding them?" The beast men, their faces twisted with anger and desperation, launched frenzied attacks on the humans. They demanded answers in their own language, which the humans couldn't comprehend, except for one person: Long Yuzhen. (He had possessed this ability from a young age, the reasons for which were unknown to him.)
Following the successful expedition, where the expedition team emerged victorious over the beast men, Leader Zeng made a strategic decision. For the safety and reassurance of the villagers, he left behind a contingent led by Chen Zoe and Xi Shen, along with their dedicated disciples, to handle the aftermath.
After imprisoning the beasts that survived, Chen Zoe, Xi Shen and their disciples returned to the inn where they were staying during this period.
Yuzhen's mind was overwhelmed with the words spoken by the beast men. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't dismiss those haunting words. That evening, while they were having dinner, Chen Zoe noticed Yuzhen's distracted state and asked him about the issue.
'Should I tell him, would he believe me? How could I explain, if he asked how I understand the words of the beast men?' [Long Yuzhen]
"First-time experiences can be shocking, but you'll get used to it. For now, relax. We've already handled the matter, and they won't come back to meet their end again." Misunderstanding Yuzhen's silence, Chen Zoe tried to comfort him.
"They will come back," Yuzhen said, stopping Zoe with a single sentence. "They won't return until they find their children."
"Children? What are you talking about?" Chen Zoe asked in confusion.
"They were looking for their children. Until they found them, they won't return."