Book 2: Chapter 43: Scouting Ahead |
Hu Rong sat at the very edges of Yin Hu’s domain. A natural circle around the Calamity that affected the world around it without it even meaning to. No monster stayed within, all the Spirits and Spiritual Beasts hid in their domiciles hoping they weren’t noticed, and even the critters and birds stayed out of the way and silent when he was close enough to sense them.
Closer to statues than living things. Just like the one he had in his hands now.
The little red sparrow did not even complain as Rong held it in his hands, petting its lusciously colored feathers slowly and watching as monsters acted normally just ahead of them while everything behind could not be sensed.
Rong shifted off the large boulder he used to overlook the area, holding the bird out in his extended hands.
The frozen bird did not shift or move, and then it fluttered slightly as it crossed past the dome of influence. The second his arms reached a foot past, it woke up completely, stirring from whatever state it had been. Some type of defense mechanism or something. The red sparrow stretched its wings, kicked its legs out, and shook its entire body before it took off from his hand, flying in a wide circle outside of the domain and then right back in.
It landed exactly where Rong had picked it up from, returning to its previous state.
He supposed that they would freeze themselves until he left, or loop around the domain to keep out of his sight.
Why is it so… calm and quiet? I don’t understand any of what's going on?
The world around them, as strange as it was, remained serene and tranquil for the most part. Yes, there were moments that threatened the very existence of everything around them, but that hadn’t been the normal state of things in general. Yin Hu reacted to people and things threatening the girls mostly.
Or at the very least, what they had experienced before.
The First Calamity had ripped through the world's fabric of reality and arrived in a fit of flames and a jagged scar in the sky. A scar that hadn’t healed until roughly two hundred years ago. That wasn’t mentioning the echoing announcement of all their deaths and the soon to be annihilation of the planet itself or the promised destruction of everything and everyone they loved.
Rong got none of that from Yin Hu.
If he was being honest, he got the exact opposite feeling. The Hu Ancestor was building, rebuilding, or whatever it was he tried to construct by faking his connection to a lowly family clan that had been destroyed. It left him confused. More so when he had been accepted as an inner court member and a direct disciple. Why would he need to do that? Yin Hu was the strongest thing he had ever witnessed directly. What did he need from someone like him?
What does he see in me that I don’t see in myself?
It didn’t help that even dragon hatchlings felt comfortable enough around him to sleep on his lap…
Much to Shui’s shock and consternation.
Rong couldn’t help as a wide smile grew on his face as he remembered the scene of her waking. Jumping to her feet and searching for what should have been a tight ball of small dragons huddled around her, except there was nothing. Shui had ran out, hammer ready, Mr. Mo Mo on the warfront, and with the intent to cause serious damage to anyone that may have attempted to steal them from her.
Only to freeze in her tracks when she found them on Yin Hu’s lap.
A look of heart wrenching betrayal was the only thing she could express for long moments as she stared slackjawed before falling to her knees.
Rong wasn’t sure if the Calamity even noticed Shui’s look as it continued to pet the six rascals, purring in his lap, and leaning into his hand. Doing everything they could to make the situation look worse in Shui’s eyes–
He snapped his head to the left. His senses stretched as he felt waves of Qi he recognized distantly.
A familiar feeling to them, but they were too far away to make out.
Each wave felt skittish and rash, as though they struggled to respond to whatever it was that had attacked. The longer he leaned in the weaker they became.
Rong knew, wholeheartedly, that if he did not go now, he would not make it in time.
He cursed under his breath and launched himself out of Yin Hu’s domain. Reaching blistering speeds faster than he had ever gone in ages as he covered miles in seconds. Tearing through the forest and dodging would be attackers and beasts that tried to get his attention for battle.
The closer he got, the more panicked the Qi became.
And he could understand why. Between the semi familiar Qi was one that carried greater cultivation. Not a major realm above, but enough to cause great distress.
Rong just hoped whatever had attacked would find his target too troublesome to continue an unnecessary fight when easier prey might be available elsewhere. It wouldn’t make sense to fight to the death for a single meal after all.
He crashed through the forest foliage and into a large clearing prepared for war. Form shimmering as blades appeared in a dozen limbs. All more than capable of carving into a Calamity level monster if he wasn’t killed before getting close enough to cause damage. –
It’s them. What the hell are they doing?
He found the figures of two people. One kneeling over another, holding them close to their body.
“Wu Xui?” he said as he approached, changing his form into something they would recognize. The little boy.
The lady did not respond. Rocking back and forth as she whimpered, too exhausted to cry out loud.
Rong quickly understood why when he got close enough.
While she was covered in shallow cuts, bruises, and bumps, Zhong Da was in another state entirely. He was missing an arm from the shoulder, large gashes covered his entire body. Deep wounds on his chest that exposed the ribs. He was leaking blood by the bucket full every second. Should have been dead had he not been a cultivator, but even one as strong as he was had no chance of making it long if he didn’t get help. There was a lame leg in between too.
“W-What happened?”
“R-Rong…?” Wu Xui whispered, only seeing him now. Her lost eyes immediately brightened. “Help. Dong Dong threw himself in front of the beast. I was too slow…” she turned back to her husband within her arms.
“X-Xu Xu. Who is it? Get behind me,” Zhong Da said in a weak voice. He trembled as he tried to push her away and face whatever danger had arrived.
Newfound tears began streaming down Wu Xui’s cheeks. “You’re not supposed to do that, you idiot! Remember who you’re supposed to be! Sacrifice? You’re supposed to be greedy! Throw me in front of its maw to escape, not whatever this is supposed to be.”
“Never.” Zhong Da coughed blood and he gave her a weak smile. “Never will I sacrifice my dearest love.”
“Oh, Dong Dong…” Wu Xui blushed.
“Alright. That’s enough.” Rong had heard more than his fair share already.
He shivered as he enveloped the love birds in slime and pushed hard to get to Yin Hu before the idiot died. Rong did his best to stem the bleeding, but it was hard without crushing Zhong Da’s personal Qi to invade his core and meridians.
It was a delicate balance that Rong struggled with as he pushed himself to his very limits to get back in time.
Yin Hu would be upset if he let his tea pourer die in the forest when aid was so close.