Ning Shu had no idea what had bitten her, but a growing sense of fear crept up. She quickened her pace through the forest, trying to get back to Manor Garden as fast as possible.
Something wasn't right. She felt uneasy, like something was watching her intently. The hairs on her body stood on end.
What the fudge? Could it be a ghost? Had her luck really sunk so low that she was encountering a ghost in broad daylight? Or was it some wild animal?
She spun around, scanning the area, but saw nothing. The only sound was the eerie call of birds, making the forest seem even more sinister.
Oh god, this was getting too creepy! Ning Shu broke into a run, but no matter how fast she went, the feeling of being watched didn't go away.
She ran for what felt like forever, until her limbs were too exhausted to move, but the goosebumps covering her skin remained.
Now, Ning Shu was getting frustrated. What the heck was following her? If it had any guts, it should just come out instead of hiding and being so creepy. Did it really need to torment someone before attacking?
Frustrated, she decided to stop running. She climbed up and sat on a tree branch, scanning the area once more. Still, nothing.
Damn it, could she really have stumbled upon a ghost?
Ning Shu thought back to earlier. She'd been bitten—two tiny teeth marks were still on her finger—and her food had been stolen. Was it the same thing that had taken her rations?
Determined to figure it out, Ning Shu pulled out a chestnut cake from her bag and kept her eyes peeled, watching her surroundings intently.
She was on edge, listening to the rustling leaves when suddenly, something gray zipped towards her. It moved so fast that before she could even react, the cake in her hand was gone.
Ning Shu blinked in disbelief. She looked down at her empty hand, then glanced around the ground. Yep, the cake was really gone.
What the heck was that thing? It was so fast, she barely caught a glimpse of it. But since it needed food, at least it wasn't a ghost.
Even so, Ning Shu remained cautious. Whatever it was, its speed was insane—it could easily hurt her if it wanted to.
She had felt pretty fast after mastering the Unsurpassable Martial Arts, but compared to this thing's speed? It was like she wasn't even in the same league. Her pride took a hit.
Ning Shu quickly retreated. If her plan to boost the country's welfare through farming was impossible, then maybe it was time to change strategies. After all, she knew martial arts now, so why not join the battlefield and fight for the country?
While these thoughts ran through her head, she continued running through the forest, trying to shake off the strange thing following her.
But seriously—your damned sister, how long was this thing planning to stalk her? Ning Shu cursed under her breath. Not only was it still following her, but now it was watching her with an even more intense gaze.
Without thinking, she yanked off the sack of rations tied to her waist and tossed it behind her.
She heard a flurry of squeaks. It sounded like a mix between a mouse and a fox, but she couldn't quite place it.
Ning Shu quickly climbed another tree, hiding among the branches. From her perch, she kept a close eye on the rations sack below, waiting to see what would happen.