Nick and YunYun looked at each other in despair.
"Do you have some water as well?" YunYun weakly asked.
"Of course, just drink the medicine first. It will be good for you." Feng urged and the two emptied the bottles at the same time to just freeze lifelessly with open eyes. YunYun was in her half sitting position supporting herself on one elbow and fell down on her back, but Nick was paralyzed while kneeling and looking at the princess.
"Hahaha! This is too hilarious!" Everyone laughed and Chu Feng spoke, "I was thinking on how to feed them the poison but they drank it themselves! Such morons! I wonder how they even managed to escape from the Nestri empire."
The other eight people finally came closer.
"You two – dose the fire, not only it's disgusting, it's more embarrassing that someone can't make a proper camp fire in the woods." Feng ordered and said with a deep scorn, "I'll go first, make sure that the 'young master Nick' sees everything clearly."
Three hunters hurriedly poured water on the weak fire and for a few moments the small place was filled with smoke.
"Just what the hell did they try to burn here? Is it too hard to gather few dry branches to make a decent fire?" One hunter complained.
"Let's be happy they were even alive. At least we now can play with the princess – I've been dreaming of this moment for ages." Another laughed and everyone joined.
"Alright, you b*tch! You never thought a day like this would come, did you?" Feng dropped his pants and spread YunYun's legs to comfortably position himself between them.
But just as he prepared to tear her clothes off, he noticed that both his hands had dropped to the ground and his upper body slowly slid and fell down to the side as well. The last thing he saw was YunYun's wide grin.
While the rest of Chu Feng's followers froze in shock, Nick already moved behind them and Wakizashi soundlessly and quickly cut them in halves as well. YunYun barely managed to dart in front of the two closest enemies and beheaded them with her Katana before Nick killed them as well.
"Let's leave this place for a few minutes until the smoke disappears," Nick said and they ran out from the dead end, "Those idiots took their time and I'm not certain how long the antidote will work. We don't want to loose ability to use Qi like they did."
While waiting for the arrival of these 'guests', Nick added to the fire a few butches of the toxic mugwort. After inhaling its smoke, besides a light psychotropic effect, it removed person's ability to manipulate Qi for several minutes. This was the reason why the nine people didn't manage to react in time and lost their lives. Of course, the first sneak attacks would have been lethal anyway, but they were Qi masters and their first reaction was to put up a Qi armor and to perform some defensive techniques – with sword or without. Unfortunately they got additional shock when they couldn't feel Qi in their Dantians and this split second was all Nick and YunYun needed.
When they got few hundred meters away and looked at each other, they couldn't hold back their laughter.
"YunYun, you didn't learn from my mistake." Nick pointed at her and laughed. Her Katana was longer than Wakizashi and, if Nick only managed to 'open up' emperor's stomach back then, she easily cleaved Feng in halves with her first swing and with the next cut off his hands. But since he was basically above her, all the gore splashed on her and now she was painted with blood all over.
"You don't look much better." YunYun snorted and she was not wrong. While Nick managed to avoid most of the blood, the event was still brutal enough for him to get sticky and red.
"Blergh! After that guy touched me I feel like I stink all over." YunYun complained.
"Actually that is the stink from the expelled spotted jungle spider's venom. You don't remember it because I threw you in the bath tub at that time, but all the girls stank quite a bit because of that, me as well, obviously." Nick explained, "Alright, this should be enough. Let's see what they had on them."
They spent around an hour carefully inspecting every piece of clothing and luggage the nine people carried, but unfortunately they got nothing noteworthy apart from some money. After a short discussion they decided to not bother with the bodies since no one could prove they were the killers even if someone found the place. It was more important to find a water source to clean themselves up.
There was no reason to rush out of the woods after completing the queen's task and, even if they didn't intend to hunt, there could be places with rich natural Qi in these mountain ranges that were covered with woods. Since they had eleven days of time, they could wander around for seven or eight days and then run back. Of course, as always, every move would be a part of the training.
Thus, after washing themselves in a mountain brook, they spent the next days traveling deeper in the woods while enjoying the scenery. There was no strict rule on how to find places rich with Qi – it could naturally gather in some lakes, meadows, valleys or mountaintops. Of course, the surrounding vegetation should be in some way special around that spot and there might be a strong beast guarding it as well.
They considered the risk of disturbing a high ranked beast, but at this point both were confident in their speed. Previously they even had to slow down so the pursuing Qi masters would not loose them and this fact boosted their confidence even more.
Nick wasn't optimistic about their chances and decided to later do more research in the capital and, if there were no furtherfindings, they could go to Styx kingdom and try their luck there. He had good a relationship with princess Cira who was married to current crown prince and was confident she'll try her best to help him. It would be a nice change compared to queen Hu around whom he always felt like walking on a sharp blade. In addition, it was higher chance to find the place they were looking for on the Eastern continent because of its peculiar geography and nature.
On the way they scaled many mountains and crossed many valleys. They met multiple lone rank three and four tigers as well, but during these meetings both parties had a silent understanding and went their own ways. Tigers felt the two were too dangerous, but Nick and YunYun didn't consider tiger meat any good and thus there was no reason to kill these animals.
On the seventh day when they went up a higher mountain to take a look around once again and in the distance YunYun noticed a larger secluded mountain valley with a lake hidden inside. Both decided to check it out, go for a swim and then turn back. They had been in the woods for a long time and the queen might start to worry.
To reach the valley it took longer than they expected and only three hours later they jumped in the crystal clear waters to take a swim. It was quite cold, but very refreshing after the long travel and they floated in there for a while.
After finally coming out, the couple decided to spend the night here and go back only after the sunrise. The place turned out to be just too beautiful – several mountains surrounded it and the dark green woods on the slopes suddenly gave way to a wide meadow and almost right at its center was the lake. The lush grass, many butterflies and singing of the birds in the background made this place feel almost like it was taken directly out of a fairy tale.
While their clothes were drying, Nick made a small campfire and boiled water to make a fresh herbal tea. Only at this moment he realized that around him were actually growing loads of medicinal herbs. He didn't notice any old and extremely precious ones, but the situation definitely indicated they, almost on accident, found the place they were looking for. And it turned out to be such a beautiful one as well!
Both did their best to figure out its location and mark it on map, with additional description of the surrounding mountains. Before leaving on the next day they would note down additional landmarks to be able to find their way back here more easily.
Both were too happy and immersed in the discussion to notice a large figure silently coming out of the woods.
Almost a four meter high and nine meter long gray tiger approached them with obvious confusion in his eyes. Everyone in this world knew this place belonged to him, but these two acted as if they were the true rulers of the mountains! But one couldn't expect anything good from the hateful humans anyway and tiger pondered on how to scare them more effectively before killing them off somewhere further away to not sully his favorite spot.
To his deep shock, when the male human noticed him, he didn't scream, run or try to attack ... but smiled? The evidently young human male stood up, slightly bowed and greeted him. Then expressed his apologies for intruding to this place and explained they didn't know it already had an owner.
Tiger's shock grew when the young female acted the same way – stood up and bowed while smiling. Did they think he was interested in these theatrics? He had seen thousands of humans in his life and none of them were any good. All of them came to the mountains to hunt and kill without restraint.
Suddenly tiger realized – a trap! These two had set up a trap for him! But of course! It was the only reasonable explanation. These two bastards came to his home to hunt, him, the ruler of the mountains!
But then again he didn't see any weapons on them. The female had a small sword on her back, but it could be used as a toothpick, and the male had even empty hands – he carried no weapon whatsoever!
Tiger was confused, because it was his first time seeing a human without a weapon. Of course, he had seen some without weapons before when he sneaked closer to human settlements and watched them stealthily from afar. But the ones who went into the mountains were always armed to the teeth and usually had not only swords, but bows and weird ropes as well.
'Wait! The ropes!'
Sometimes they placed ropes between the trees and on the grass to capture animals alive. But to think these two were so naive and thought there were ropes that could bind him?
He inhaled deeply to feel the scent of surroundings, but felt nothing that could point at any foreign objects. After pacing around a bit he couldn't find anything at all, but he was certain – humans are cunning and devious creatures. He would rather fight an open battle with a horde of buffaloes than a dozen jackals.
Tiger smirked inwardly at his own joke – of course, in both cases he would win! There was no one stronger than him around, maybe only that one annoying fellow could put up a fight, but otherwise he was the one and only king here.
Then he started to pay attention to these two humans again. There had to be some trick here. And there it came! The human male apologized for intruding once more and said he will offer a present a tiger king would love. He claimed that some time ago the two of them battled a rank five snake and now wanted to share its meat.
'Right! Like these two are capable of killing a rank five snake!'
Tiger lowered himself closer to the ground as soon as a strange barrel appeared out of a thin air. It smelled like a fresh meat of a snake, but this whole situation was way too suspicious.
'How can a barrel almost in the size of a human suddenly appear from nowhere? I have to strike first before they try something!'
He jumped at the barrel and clawed it, but to his big surprise only pieces of meat scattered around. Tiger looked at the snake meat around him – this was definitely rank five snake's meat! And there was nothing more, no traps, no weapons.
'Maybe the meat is poisonous? I still have to be careful!'
Tiger took few steps back and cautiously observed both humans, but they behaved really strangely again.