Ming Shin uttered a heart breaking cry looking at the woman. there was no intact part on her body. Only half her left thigh was left below her abdomen and the bones were cracked totally. Half of her face was eaten with one of the eyes balls squashed on the side.
Even her chest seems to be broken and the rib cage has penetrated into her lungs. With only one eye she spotted Ming Shin "K-Kill m-me please" she pleaded.
"Aunt Li" He gave a choked low cry.
In the past when Tan Li was a six year old accompanying with her father Tan Biao in Juuko, they faintly heard a baby cry. At the root of a big tree was a baby wrapped in a soft cloth. never have they seen such a smooth fabric and warm.
Noticing the surroundings and finding no abnormalities, Tan Biao raised the baby as his second daughter. Tan Rui and Tan Li grew up as sisters and Tan Li taught the former how to fight, cook and various things when tan Biao went out to hunt.
When Tan Rui was eight years, Tan Biao was killed my a monster beast. Tan Li took the role of big sister and looked after Tan Rui and did most of the chores while trying to get some food from the adults.
Tan Rui still looked at the tree since she was child in hope that someone who left her shall come back for her. Whoever left her knew that the tree had a calming effect and looked somewhat special in this barren area.
During one of the monster beast attacks when Tan Li grew up, she took part to get themselves some rations and make Tan Rui happy. When she was facing a life and death crisis, she was saved by a handsome young man.
Both the Tan sisters thank the young man named Ming Jian who seemed to appear out of nowhere like a knight on the white horse. One of the days when the latter found something odd with the tree, he decided to fell it look under it.
But he faced a young 16 year old Tan Rui who had surreal beauty and looked like a flower placed in the cow dung. Tan Rui had deep sentiments with the tree and they both bickered. Eventually they seem to have grown fond of each other and fell in love.
Tan Li who seemed to have observed the situation hid some pain in her eyes and was genuinely happy for her sister. Which woman does not like the hero saving united states in the crisis of life and death.
The only clue to finding her sister's family is the locket she had she she was a child. It was scribbled in some language but looked elegant with nice stroke on it. And this young man who came from outside can possibly have more help to her than others.
Eventually Tan Rui got married and changed her name to Ming Rui on her husband's request as previously it was not her real family name. She only had one worry that her elder sister did not find anyone to marry yet always saying that she is yet to find someone worthy.
After Ming Shin was born, he was mostly pampered by Tan Li as her own son and she would try to get any sort of toy or candy and delicious meat whenever possible. She is also the only one who Ming Shin has a relative other than his parents.
After the incident with Ye Guang, Tan Li also decided to study medicine with her sister and accompany her to make sure of her safety. She worked so hard that she eventually got selected as one of the herbal girl.
Both Ming Jian and Ming Shin were also a little relieved that Tan Li would be lonely if only Ming Rui has left alone for Henji and vice versa. Little did Ming Shin know that going out of the city would result in such a cruel fate for Tan Li.
"Kill m-me p-please shin" she whispered with a hint of pleading.
"Damn it" Ming Shin remembered how the past seven years he had treated her like a second mother and how well he was looked after. The loving and gentle aunt turned to be this way. He knew he could not save her with her injuries.
'How c-could I even raise my hand against you, let alone a sword and kill you' he felt his heart tightly gripped. This was too much of a burden for seven year old.
Looking at the sorry state she was in, a part of him struggled to end her life and relieve her. But he has never taken a human life till now. And the first human to kill shall be his aunt, he almost questioned his sanity.
'This is no longer good or evil. It is only what I feel the right thing to do at this moment'.
Look down again and hearing her little whimper, he strengthened himself to clutch his sword tightly. His eyes were red and the veins were throbbing on his head.
With all the resolve he had, he plunged the sword into her heart and ended her life. She seemed to be relieved of her pain at her final moments of death and looked at Shin "Thank you".
This was the first time in life to hear gratitude from his aunt. To be it like this, he almost cried blood tears and his head was bursting with pain.
The previous huge fight and the time taken after that till now allowed the few beasts nearby to wander to this place. There were three level 1 beasts who were coming towards him.
"I w-won't allow you to defile her body anymore" he roared at the sky and lunged forward.
No matter how exhausted he was before, right now he looked like a candle burning with the brightest flame at the end of the rope. Soon, there are other beasts who followed the sounds and around eight level 2 beasts and thirty level 1 beasts have surrounded him.
Ming Shin grinned "So be it. I shall not let one of you pass over me to touch her again". Unknown to him something inside him seems to wake up and the had the face of a maniac for a child.
Level 1 beats instantly shivered and even level 2 beats were sent a chill down the spine. Nonetheless the level beasts cautiously approached him with others. His speed seems to have more than tripled and burst with power.
His feet looked like they had a consciousness of their own and were as light as a feather during the agile movements. When he observed that some of the monsters were approaching Tan Li, he rushed back and drove them away.
With her as the center he had a cruel fight for more than twenty minutes depleting all the reserves he had from each and every cell of his body. But the light in his eyes were ever so ferocious. There level 3 monsters were still unscathed while four of the level 2 monsters and 25 level 1 monsters have been slain.
His body was aching and creaking beyond what it can take. At a critical time, one of the level 3 monsters seemed to make a move. It did not belong to the agile category but it looked heavy.
A single blow is all it takes to crush him into a pulp. he can feel it.
Deep within the forest thirty five thousand miles away, the convoy was now on it's last edge. They still had to travel another five thousand miles before they can reach the border and hope some reinforcements.
The beasts can also not be as much ferocious after leaving their area. Even Ning Shu had to join the fray and fight the animals. Except for Ning Rui and Tai Xue, the remaining herb picking people seemed to have been already used as a bait these days and Ming Rui's look was bleak.
She cannot afford to fight with the management when she had to take care of her student and the others who are still alive from the village. Ye Ling was visible scared too. She was used to being protected, now even her personal guard fending off the beasts she was scared stiff.
Ming Shin was facing the crisis of his life facing the level 3 monster. He tried dodging two of the attacks but could not dodge the heavy paw which claimed to rip off his heart with great might. He defended with his sword but it was pushed away causing only a small injury to it's left foot.
The monster became even aggressive and hit his chest hard. If he took this attack, he knew his heart would be crushed from within. He put his left hand as a sort of defense and wanted to swing the sword with his right hand again.
The deadly blow landed on his wrist and it was so heavy that the wrist broker and directly penetrated his heart. At the same time, one of the bead had gone off and released it's power.
A mere level 3 beast, where can it withstand such power. It was instantly vaporized. The two level 2 beasts and another five level 1 beats close behind also evaporated into air. Ming Shin heart was penetrated and knew 'This is it'.
The marble which was on his wrist was drenched in abundant heart blood and gave a vigorous glow. It seemed to disappear suddenly from the bracelet and his heart seemed to be healed visible to naked eye.
The other level three beast though shocked by the previous burst had no such intelligence. It ordered all the beats to attack at the same time seeing him at the end of straw.
" Sorry mother, it seems I cannot grow up to protect you. But I'm sure father will not let all harm befall you" he looked bleak.
Elsewhere Min Rui suddenly felt a rest of unease and looked behind in the direction of Juuko as if something was calling out.
Just when the beasts were ready to pounce and nibble him to death, something faster than light which was black and almost invisible fell down from the heavens. All the monsters did not even have time to feel it when they turned to ash and dissipated with a wind.
Faintly up above the sky, Ming Shin could see a pair of eyes with anger and helplessness and there seems to be another set of eyes opposite to him which seems to look at him in an encouraging manner saying 'this is not the end'.
'So, there is actually someone living above the sky' was Ming Shin's last thought before his eyes closed.