Night began to fall in the quiet village and the silver moon cast weird shadows on the stone paths and thick plants of Eldenwood. Whispers were exchanged between the night villagers.
"Did you hear it last night?" an old man asked softly to the baker while they stood at the soft light of a lantern. "Strange sounds like whispers in the wind."
The baker turned back, shivering a little as he folded in the dough. "I heard too," he said quietly. "Quiet footsteps on the roof. But when I check, there is nothing to see. Just shadows.".
Another villager approached them, pale, speaking softly. "I saw a figure. It was blacker than the night, moving quicker than the wind. It went into the forest before I could yell.".
"Shh!" whispered an old woman holding the beads of her rosary, "don't utter such words before them. They will know then.".
The rumors spread fast and caused alarm. The children were whisked into the houses before sunset, and even the bravest hunters did not venture into the forest after nightfall.
---
Bai Cheng Silent Step Training
Bai Cheng didn't know that the villagers had been at each other's throats. His sanctuary was the open spot in the forest clearing that Gerald and Mei Feng had used to train him that tonight they would be fine-tuning the Silent Step.
Listen, kid, Gerald said, leaning against a tree with his arms crossed. Silent Step isn't just not making a sound while walking. It's about disappearing, becoming part of the shadows. No creaks, no rustles, no traces.
Got it?
Bai Cheng nodded solemnly. "Understood. Move quickly and quietly, and do not leave any indication.
Gerald smiled faintly. "Easy to talk, but hard to do. Now let's see if you can cross this circuit without making any noise.".
Mei Feng sat there on a limb, hollering, "If you don't succeed, you owe me another bowl of stew tonight!
Bai Cheng smiled a little but listened. Gerald's circuit is rather tuff-a path covered by dry leaves, sticks, and gravel so small noise might as well sound louder. He took a deep breath.
He slowly, with great caution, went forward. Each movement was measured, and his body remained still so that not even a slight shift in him could give the least idea of his existence. Beneath his feet, a twig broke and he whistled loudly, blowing through Gerald.
Again! Gerald yelled, his voice loud but not menacing.
Bai clenched his fists and put himself in position. This time, he moved almost fluidly - the body flowing like water; light steps and easy breathing soon after when he was done with his circuit quietly.
Mei Feng clapped his hands in approval and grinned. "Good work, Bai Cheng. You may just make it out alive in combat yet.".
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Gerald said, although there was a glint of pride in his eyes. "Now do it again, this time faster, and remember to breathe softly."
Iron Body Training
Later that night, Gerald changed the training to Bai's Iron Body Conditioning. This time, Bai stood without a shirt under a wooden dummy that had swinging logs. Each log was set up to hit hard, testing his strength.
Stand still, Gerald said, tightening the device. The idea is to make your body strong enough to handle hits that would break most people.
Don't flinch. Don't step back.
Bai prepared himself as the first log approached him. It hit his shoulder, then a strong force passed through his body. He gritted his teeth and would not flinch.
"Good," Gerald said, adjusting the angle for a harder hit. "Again."
The second log hit harder. It hit Bai in the ribs. The pain rushed through him, but he stayed in place with a face showing strong will. Mei Feng watched on the side with her brows wrinkled.
He is just a boy, Gerald she told herself.
Gerald looked at her but said nothing. Of course, it was cruel, and he knew it, but Bai needed it to live. After a few laps, Bai finally fell to his knees, desperately trying to breathe.
"You're tough, kid," Gerald said, tossing him a flask of water. "But tough isn't enough. You've got to be unbreakable."
Bai nodded and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I'll do it again."
Mei Feng sighed and pulled closer a cloth to wipe his face. "You never give up, Bai Cheng. Only don't get too wild.".
"I have to, Bai said firmly. "If I don't who will?
---
Stern cultivator Officer Lin is back.
News spread in the village that a sound of hooves suggested the arrival of Officer Lin. Into the square she rode, two solemn-looking cultivators beside her. Dirty and scratched where the bright armor had once gleamed, Lin looked tense to an extent more than usual.
The village head quickly emerged to greet her. "Officer Lin, what's happening? Where are the other members of your team?"
Lin dismounted, crunching her boots in the dirt. Her voice was low but sharp. "Gone. They vanished near the Dark Forest.".
The villagers fell silent. Shocked, the village head looked at him: "Disappeared? What's that?"
Lin's jaw flexed. "We were monitoring the edge of the forest when we saw. Something. A figure, wrapped in shadow, moving at speeds no fighter I have ever seen. It struck us without warning. By the time we could even respond, they were all gone."
The villagers gasped; their mutterings grew louder: "Was it a spirit beast?" one ventured fearfully.
Lin shook her head. "No. It wasn't an animal. It was something else. Something. not of nature.".
The hands of the village leader shook. "What did it look like?
Lin paused, her expression shifting in the process. "I don't know. It was like a shadow came to life. It moved too fast to be seen clearly, and near it. It felt smothering.".
The villagers began speaking softly to each other and grew increasingly fearful. Lin's voice boomed over the whispering. "We must be vigilant. Whatever it is, it doesn't belong here. And it's searching for us."
The Dark Forest
That night Lin stood at the edge of the dark forest, looking into it. Silent sentinels rose in the trees there, bent branches closing off the moonlight.
One of her teammates came slowly forward. "Officer Lin, what are we supposed to do?"
Lin turned away from him. Her voice was calm, yet her eyes screamed otherwise: "We wait. Hope it doesn't come next for the village.".
Deep in the woods, a soft rustling noise was heard. Lin felt tense, her hand holding the handle of her sword without thinking. But the noise disappeared, leaving just silence.
For now.