He could see clearly the figures he had seen before. Up in the trees looking down, Bai Cheng watched six cultivators march across the forest side by side. Their robes were black and red, signifying them to be foreigners; their energy was bad. Bai Cheng's heart ran wild.
"Rogue cultivators," he muttered quietly to Fang, who was sitting by his side on the branch. He panted softly with his tail waving as if it was just another day in the woods.
The leader of the group was a tall man with a scar on one side of his face and a blade strapped across his back. He carried an aura that vibrated the air.
Bai Cheng focused, and his senses tingled. This guy was different from the others. Early Foundation Establishment, he thought grimly. The five underlings had energies steady but controllable. Qi Condensation, sixth level.
"Great," Bai Cheng said to himself, holding onto the tree bark. "Out of the frying pan, into the bonfire. And I'm the marshmallow."
The leader, whom one of the helpers called Boss Wu, suddenly stopped and raised a hand.
His sharp eyes looked around. Bai Cheng froze and pressed himself against the tree trunk.
Is something wrong, Boss? he asked one of the men, a thin man with a constant sneer.
Shut up, Jiao," Ren said sharply. "I don't like this forest. It's too. quiet.".
The sneer left her face, and Jiao nodded, shutting up. They continued on in silence, their steps oddly timed together.
Bai Cheng slid along the branch, which still showed fairly well since the others were vanishing into the trees. He could barely catch them speaking to each other in very hushed tones.
Why must we do this again? grumbled a burly cultivator named Shen Yue, his mace slung at his side like a limp club.
"Because the boss said so, idiot," Jia Ling quickly replied. She was the only woman in the group and her voice cut sharp.
"Yeah, but we've been walking for hours," Fang Wei said, not noticing her tone. "And for what? Animals? Some hidden treasure? I promise if we're here for another 'mysterious object,' I'm leaving."
"It's not your choice," said a bald man with a deep voice—Da Ru. He carried a big axe and walked like he was ready to chop a tree in half at any time. "Boss Ren knows what he is doing."
The last of the five was a thin, nervous man named Bo Qiang. He leaned in closer to the others and whispered, "I heard it's not an artifact this time. It's a map. To something big. A ruin, maybe. Or."
He paused for effect. ".a beast strong enough to make anyone a Core Formation cultivator overnight."
Jia Ling rolled her eyes. "You and your gossip. You'll believe anything."
"Rumors or not," Boss Wu growled, cutting the chatter short, "you're here to follow orders, not gossip like fishmongers."
Silence from the group yet, at that very moment, Bai Cheng was on overtime. A map? Ruins? Or an animal? This was intriguing.
Quiet Pursuit
As they went, Bai Cheng moved from tree to tree, keeping a safe distance. He became like a shadow: silent and unnoticed-at least he thought so.
"Bet they think they're really strong," he whispered to Fang, who tilted his head. "Look at them, all in sync and serious. Pfft, beginners."
A sudden noise under his foot made him jump with a heart. He stood there silently cursing himself.
Fang gave a soft noise sounding like, Good going, smart one.
Below, Wu stopped again, his eyes narrowing. "We are being watched," he said softly but clearly.
The five cultivators quickly took out their weapons and stood up straight.
"By what?" Da Ru asked, drawing his axe to strike.
"I don't know yet," Ren admitted, looking up through the treetops.
Bai Cheng gritted his teeth and held his breath as he looked at them. Fang cleaned his paw and seemed relaxed.
I am a leaf. I am the wind. Not seen.
A squirrel ran out from the leaves, surprising Jiao, who yelled and waved his sword about.
The group began to laugh.
"Good reflexes," Jia Ling teased.
Be quiet! Da Ru shouted, his face red.
Wu didn't laugh. He just looked up at the treetops. "Stay sharp. Whatever it is, it's still out here.".
The Fall
As the group continued forward, Bai Cheng followed, moving slowly and carefully along the branch. He was nearing the point where he could hear more when his foot slipped.
It was small, a little change in weight on a spot of moss. But small was enough. The branch made a scary noise before breaking under him.
Bai Cheng was extremely scared. "Oh no—."
CRACK!
He crashed through the branches below and tumbled awkwardly into the dirt with a thud.
The world spun as he groaned, looking up to the branches above. Fang walked down the trunk of the tree next to him, his tail wagging with him looking very pleased with himself.
"Some guard dog you are," Bai Cheng said quietly, standing up.
The forest was too silent. Bai Cheng gazed up to see six pairs of eyes staring right into him with weapons and suspicious faces.
"Ugh, this is uncomfortable," Bai Cheng said with a forced smile.
Da Ru pointed his sword at Bai Cheng with a sneer all across his face. "What do we have here?
Wu stepped forward, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade. "You've got exactly five seconds to explain why you're following us. Speak. Fast."
Bai Cheng raised his hands and chuckled awkwardly. "I, uh, got lost? It's a pretty big forest, you know?
The air was thick; Bai Cheng had to think of his life to get out, but inside, he knew he had gotten himself into some serious trouble.