As Lian Mei and Xiao Ping moved cautiously through the oppressive depths of the Qinxu Forest, the memories of their fallen comrades weighed heavily on their hearts. The morning's events replayed in their minds like a haunting melody, each note a stark reminder of the lives lost. The sight of the lifeless dry corpses of their two comrades in the forest.
'I can't get the look of Tian Rong's dry corpse out of my head. He looked so surprised in death' lamented Xiao Ping
"I can't stop thinking about Yu Yan's smile," Lian Mei said, her voice soft and trembling as she clutched her herb pouch tightly. "She always braided her hair so carefully, like it was her own kind of armour."
Xiao Ping nodded, his usual playful demeanour stripped away, replaced by a somber gravity. "And Tian Rong... he always had our backs. I keep expecting to turn around and see him standing there, ready to fight whatever came our way. I know death was a certainty in the forest and was well prepared for it happening as we embarked on this mission but not the way Tian Rong and Yu Yan died. There's something suspicious about their death."
'They were not killed by beasts. Seemed more like black magic.' Emphasised Xiao Rong. 'I remember an outer sect disciple being found in a similar state just before we left for this mission'.
'I think so too.' Replied Lian Mei 'or could it be the work of demonic arts practitioners? Elder Yi was said to have been killed also just before we left.'
'But we cant be sure that Tian Rong and Yu Yan were killed by demonic art practitioners. We didn't see the body of elder Yi, so cannot be certain that they died in a similar fashion. But I remember the outer sect disciple you are talking about, I also saw the body and it looked exactly how Tian Rong and Lu Yan looked in dead.'
They fell into a heavy silence, the rustling of leaves and distant bird calls filling the void. The guilt of leaving makeshift graves for their friends instead of bringing their bodies home gnawed at their souls.
"Do you think we could have done something different?" Lian Mei asked hesitantly, her green eyes glistening with unshed tears. 'Could it be that a member of the sect is a black magic practitioner?'
Xiao Ping's grip tightened around his twin daggers. "I've thought about it a hundred times already, Mei. But the truth is, I don't know. This forest... it feels alive, like there's something watching us, waiting to claim its next victims as it claimed the other two."
'I'm glad we separated from senior brother Lu Feng though. I can't lay my fingers on it but I feel like Bai Fu knows what happened to them. He was looking and acting weird' said Lian Mei
'I thought so too. And the way Bai Fu was looking at Lu Feng and the corpses was creepy. Like he was trying to tell us something. I think he knows what or who killed tian Rong and Yu Yan' agreed Xaio Ping.
'That was the impression I got too' said Lian Mei
'I remember rumours making the rounds that the dead outer sect member was last seen with senior brother Lu Feng.' Xiao Ping mused 'Thank the heavens we separated from them. I don't know if he is the one that killed Tian Rong and Yu Yan but I don't want to find out. I think we should continue on our way. Maybe we'll find other sect members
The weight of their loss slowed their steps, but the survival instinct that drove them forward was unrelenting. As they pushed deeper into the forest, the air grew colder, the canopy above thicker, choking out what little sunlight filtered through.
Then they heard it—a guttural growl that seemed to echo from all directions at once. Both froze, their weapons drawn and ready.
"Something is coming," Xiao Ping whispered, his eyes scanning the shifting shadows.
Before Lian Mei could respond, a mighty beast emerged—a monstrous creature with midnight-black fur, glowing crimson eyes, and jagged claws that seemed to cut through the very air. The Duskmaw Ravager. Its sheer size dwarfed them, and its low, menacing growl reverberated through their bones.
Lian Mei's breath caught. "We can't fight that thing, Xiao! We need to run or find a place to hide!" They turned left and took to their heels, running at breakneck pace while the giant monster beast roared and chased after them.
'Its catching up to us! Screamed Xiao Ping as he glanced back briefly and saw the beast looming behind them as it gained speed.
"We don't have a choice," he said through gritted teeth, positioning himself between the beast and Lian Mei. "Get ready to run if I tell you."
The Duskmaw Ravager lunged with terrifying speed, its claws slashing through the air. Xiao Ping dodged, rolling to the side, and retaliated with a swift strike of his dagger that barely grazed the beast's thick hide. The hide was like iron causing Xiao Ping's dagger to bring out spark as it gave the beast a glancing blow. The beast roared in fury as it lunged for the seemingly helpless target, Lian Mei.
Lian Mei unleashed a burst of her spiritual energy, forming a protective barrier around her and Xiao Ping. The Ravager roared in fury, slamming against the barrier with relentless force. Its slams initially appeared ineffective against the magic dome. But with continuous slams, cracks began to form on the protective dome, spiderwebs began appearing across the shimmering surface.
"I can't maintain this spell for much longer. If it continues bashing against it, the dome won't hold for long!" Lian Mei cried, her energy waning as the strain of maintaining the barrier took its toll. She was only in the six level of the Qi controlling realm, her power was limited.
Xiao Ping took advantage of the creature's focus on the barrier, darting out of it from behind and going behind the beast, striking at its vulnerable hind leg. This time, his blade sunk deeper, eliciting a pained howl from the Ravager. But the victory was short-lived. With a furious swipe of its massive tail, the Ravager sent Xiao Ping flying into a tree. He crumpled to the ground, groaning in pain.
"Xiao!" Lian Mei screamed, dropping the barrier and rushing to his side. Blood trickled from his forehead, and his breathing was shallow. The Ravager turned its malevolent gaze on them, preparing for another attack. Desperation surged through Lian Mei as she stood protectively over Xiao Ping, summoning every ounce of spiritual energy she had left.
"Stay away!" she shouted, unleashing a wave of energy that momentarily forced the creature back. But it wasn't enough. The Ravager recovered quickly, its fiery eyes burning with renewed fury.
Suddenly, a sharp whistle like sound pierced the air. The beast hesitated, its ears twitching at the sound. It growled low and retreated into the shadows, disappearing as quickly as it had appeared.
Lian Mei collapsed to her knees, panting heavily. She turned to Xiao Ping, whose eyes fluttered open. Relief washed over her, but it was short-lived as she noticed the gash on his side, blood seeping through his torn robes.
"We need to stop the bleeding," she said, her voice shaking. She rummaged through her herb pouch, pulling out a handful of medicinal leaves. Her hands trembled as she worked to bind his wound, her thoughts a whirlwind of fear and determination.
"Mei..." Xiao Ping's voice was weak but steady. "You saved us."
She shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "No, we were lucky. If that whistle sound hadn't scared it off..."
He managed a faint smile. "Lucky is better than dead."
As the forest fell silent once more, Lian Mei glanced around warily. Whoever or whatever had driven the Ravager away may still out there, and may not be friendly, she thought to herself.
'We need to get out of here' said Lian Mei. 'Who or whatever made that sound could be targeting us'.
With that, they moved through the hostile undergrowth, every rustling leaf and distant growl keeping their nerves on edge. As time dragged on, exhaustion set in, but the fear of stopping in the cursed forest kept them moving. Night descended like a shroud, plunging the forest into suffocating darkness. They found a narrow clearing to rest, lighting a small, contained fire. Xiao Ping stood guard while Lian Mei tried to tend to their scrapes and bruises, especially the bash at the back of Xiao Ping's head where the ravage had thrown him against the tree. It had a large gash and was swollen.
'Well! What have we here' they both turned at the sound of the words only to stare into the dark eyes of Lu Feng holding a sinister dark spear and smirking at them from the edge of the clearing.