Chapter 136 - The Return Of Howls

Something moved in front of her in the bushes.

Cheng Xiu frowned, contemplating whether she should actually investigate the sound or keep looking for San Zhe. Even though it seemed to be very obvious what she should do, it wasn't. There might be a chance that the thing hiding under the bushes could lead her to San Zhe.

Cheng Xiu raised her weapon in front of her cautiously and walked forwards.

Something moved out of the leaves at an amazing speed and went away in the opposite direction.

Cheng Xiu cursed and followed after the shadowy figure.

She burst out of the foliage into a small clearing. The noon sun highlighted her entire feature in a warm light.

Cheng Xiu was briefly blinded by the light and blinked.

"Sister Xiu! Run!"

Cheng Xiu froze and turned around to see where San Zhe's voice was coming from.

His voice seemed to echo everywhere around her.

Cheng Xiu saw a flash of gold in the corner of her eyes.

She dashed forwards towards it.

There was nothing there.

Cheng Xiu frowned. "Brother San? Brother San?"

Her calls echoed in the clearing and yet there was no other sound. Not even the sound of falling leaves could be heard.

Cheng Xiu's heart filled with apprehension as she walked forwards the way she had seen the golden thing was in and guessed that it might be the direction that San Zhe had run off to.

Cheng Xiu hated the feeling that filled her heart at that moment. It was the dread that one would feel when they could sense that something was watching them but couldn't see what that thing exactly was.

She had no choice but to take this route though as she had no other clue of where San Zhe could have gone to.

The cool air of the dense forest refreshed her senses as she left the clearing.

Cheng Xiu frowned. Could it be that the clearing actually had a negative effect on her?

She gave the sunlit clearing with a curious gaze and stepped forwards towards it again.

As soon as the sunlight of the clearing touched her skin, Cheng Xiu noticed the slight agitation in her Qi flow.

She also felt a bit weak. Even though the effect was not that dangerous, but Cheng Xiu's instincts told her that if she was in contact with it too frequently she would not like the consequences. And she had a premonition in her heart that she would have to face this kind of clearings more as she walked through the forest.

Cheng Xiu stepped back into the shadows of the trees again and felt her senses become sharper.

She thought for a moment and decided that in some ways this was an easier task.

All she had to do was avoid the clearings.

Cheng Xiu felt her heart thump. Did she just jinx it? Did she become a crow's mouth for herself?

Cheng Xiu could not help curse herself for thinking that thought.

She looked towards the east, which was the direction that she saw the golden shadow.

Cheng Xiu shook her head to get rid of all the other thoughts and walked forwards again.

She walked through the forest, looking through the trees.

There were many kinds of trees around her. A lot of teaks, rosewoods and ashwoods were around her.

Cheng Xiu frowned as she realised that she was looking at the same kind of trees for more than half an hour.

And yes, she was one of those people who were able to distinguish trees from each other.

Cheng Xiu looked around her in confusion.

The deathly stillness of the area around her made her even more agitated than anything else.

Cheng Xiu heard a hissing sound to her left.

She whirled to face that direction.

Cheng Xiu's eyes darted this way and that as she tried hard to see what had her instincts on so much of an edge all of a sudden. And she hoped it was a snake at least.

Cheng Xiu heard a growl to her left and saw glowing blue eyes in the depths of darkness in between the foliage of the bushes.

Cheng Xiu froze. She knew that glowing blue eyes.

Growling and barking echoed her surroundings.

A few strands of blue fur caught the light and become visible to her.

Cheng Xiu froze, her heart falling to her stomach.

She recognised the creatures who had come to visit her. Direwolves.

Almost like her thoughts were a summon, the creatures began to step forwards into the light.

In another part of the forest, Yaksha was facing an old man who threw spears at him at a speed that would have left anyone else dead on the ground already.

Yaksha dodged them skillfully.

"You won't be able to help your human friend, Demon Lord," the man said with disdain on his face. "So what if you are the ruler of the demon clans! Once we have the Crimson Stone and its Keeper we Serpents will rule supreme."

Cold black eyes stared at the man as though he was looking at an inanimate object.

The cold indifference in the masked Man's eyes made the elder even angrier.

"Do you think that human of yours will be able to save herself from the creatures that lurk in the Viridian Forest?" the man mocked.

Yaksha waved his hand.

A gush of wind appeared out of nowhere and rushed towards the man.

The wind went through the middle of the man.

Blood oozed out and the man fell to the ground in two pieces.

Yaksha looked on coldly at the increasing pool of blood at his feet.

A woman in purple appeared in front of him then.

"Brother?" Diana called.

Yaksha looked towards her with deep, calculating eyes. "It would seem that there is more going on with my friend than I had initially anticipated. You will have to look after my affairs for some more time."

Diana frowned. "What happened?"

Yaksha gave her a derisive smile, though she was not able to see it through the mask.

"It would seem that the Crimson Stone and its Keeper has appeared."

Diana froze. She wanted to deny the news already. "Then..your friend…"

Yaksha nodded.

Diana looked at him in excitement. "Brother! This is great news! You can ask your friend to lend it to you!"

Yaksha shook his head. "She is from the righteous sect, and is a human as well."

Diana wrinkled her nose in distaste. "I had forgotten. Surely she can ask one of the Elites to change her nature?"

Yaksha looked towards the forest. "There is no need for her to change her nature. That stubborn humanity of her is her most charming feature…but I am getting worried that she is still in this world when she should be resting."

Diana felt her heart shiver. "You want to kill her?"

Yaksha laughed. "I will if she stays here more than 12 hours."

Diana did not understand his words but decided to trust him.

"Is there some other news?" Yaksha asked her.

Diana nodded. "Lord Luther has been in contact with Lord Yu. It would seem that he is once again making moves against you."

"I see."

"And.."

Yaksha looked at her at the hesitance he heard in her voice.

"And?"

"Elites Lighting Simp, Sage Wine, Kavya Resonance, and Lucia Frasier would like you to retreat the Ghosts you placed in their presence."

Yaksha had a one-sided smile on his face at her words, his eyes twinkling. "Was that their exact words?"

Diana smiled. She could see from the twinkle in his eyes that he intended for them to react the way they did. "Lightning Simp said that if you do not call back the Ghosts then you should not blame him for pulling the stick in your…ass…out of you through your mouth."

"He always had a bad temper."

Diana chuckled and then looked at the dark forest behind him. "Are you not going to help your friend?"

Yaksha sighed. "I promised her I would only help her when she asked to."

"I see," Diana said and then bowed. "Then I will take my leave Brother."

Yaksha nodded.

She disappeared in a flash of light.

He looked towards the development in the dense forest, the mask creating a hologram right in front of his eyes for him to see what was happening to his rival.

A direwolf lunged at her.

Cheng Xiu jumped to the side and raised her sword in defence.

He really hoped that she could win against these creatures. After all, she had won against the Experts of this game when they had years of experience with her in the battle area. She had to win against a bunch of dogs.

* * *

In the real world, a silver-haired man walked into an extravagant palace-like house.

A bald man laughed and shook hands with the man. "President Xiu! Welcome! Welcome!"

The maids and young ladies in the room blushed as they stole glances at the excellent features of the man. That, paired with his cold eyes, made them all feel weak-kneed.

The man took his hand out of the old man's grip and wiped it with a towel.

The bald man stared at the action for a moment and then laughed it off even though he felt indignation rise in his heart.

A light chuckle was heard behind him.