Chapter 67 - You're Back (1)

Xinyi saw a rocky mountain ahead, but the Hutyuns went straight to collide against the rock wall. However, a portion of the wall opened, giving way for them and it closed back as a hard rock again.

This was the magic mountain's entrance that wouldn't open to just anybody, only when it sensed beings with magical powers approaching it.

Far ahead in a meadow of flowers was the sparkling water of Herketish Lake. Nianshi was already there, swimming in his human form. The Hutyuns brought Xinyi straight to the water.

Herketish Lake was unlike any normal lake. It was a huge and standing thick wall of a body of water. Yet, anyone could swim up and down or go further within with no hassle because it defied the gravitational law of nature. The current flowed up and disappeared like a mist at the top.

There were times it was serene. A person ignorant of the mystery of the lake would mistake it as a humongous mirror that one could walk in and saw it was a body of water. Once one was in the water, the body would float vertically toward the outer edge. Going out the water was as simple as going in. One only need to jump or walk out.

The giant fish came out of the water when she saw Xinyi. It was like a white whale but had wings. It could fly out as she wished but didn't dare to spread her wings outside the sacred mountain.

After a short while, Xinyi swam down and walked out of the water. The Hutyuns dried her up through magic in no time. Nianshi flew out of the water and shook his body like an animal drying himself.

"My lady, you must learn to summon the green cat. That scribe has a lot of things that can help you," said Nianshi.

"How?"

"Just concentrate and learn to pull a memorable experience you have had and call him. That portion of your memory will be his door to come out."

Xinyi understood and squatted on the grass. She tried to think of which part of her past she deemed memorable. She thought her days in Forsaken Valley was her most special memory and uttered Skrider's name but... a failure. More memories were dug out by force from the recesses of her mind, but the result was the same.

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Darkness had settled when the Goding soldiers marched out from their camp. When they reached the clearing, Sir Gerd rode his horse in the middle, avoiding the pits. Some soldiers followed him while some passed within the trees at the sides. Yet, most stayed behind the camp, waiting for further instructions.

Ming saw them coming and said, "Here they come," and waved a hand, thinking it was the general and Tyriece with his men. The rest saw an army walking toward them.

"Eh! I thought only two are coming. Why do they need to bring a squadron with them? We don't have enough food to feed all of them," said Lifen with knitted brows.

"Ma, I don't think all of them will eat here but just get more for ten people. The other officials might join us. And bring Zhai with you for his muscles." And Ming nudged his head on Zhai, telling him to go with their mother.

"I'll go with Lady Lei, Sire. I can carry a whole cow for her," said Zang Wei, trying to impress Lifen.

"A cow? Stop your nonsense. Humph, you might die doing it." Lifen walked right away after speaking, followed by the maids. Zang Wei thought she rejected his help and sadly looked at her back. But… Lifen turned around with a stern face. "Are you helping or not?"

Zang Wei hurriedly ran with a big smile. "I'm coming, my lady. Always at your service. Just say the word."

"Humph!" Lifen walked away with chin high but deep inside she was giggling, feeling the thrill like she was in her younger years when suitors marched at her doorstep while she played hard to get. Now, in her fifties, a man twenty years younger was trying to win her heart. It was refreshing to look and feel young again, she thought.

They headed to Cuxin estate, leaving Ming, Zhai, and a few city guards outside the gate while the Goding army marched in silence toward them. Sir Gerd wanted to catch Ming and the Youshians unprepared while Tyriece and the three watched within the trees, far from the clearing. They were too late to warn Ming.

The general, dressed up as an ordinary soldier, followed discretely at the back. Sir Gerd instructed Sir Balin and Sir Gib to stay behind because there were soldiers wearing the Wag stone and would weaken them.

This was also Sir Gerd's precautionary measures against the general and Tyriece. He also didn't trust Sir Balin and Sir Gib because he doubted their loyalty for they might sympathize with their fellow Chiangdas. He even told his loyal followers to 'look after' them, in case they'd try to jeopardize this operation. His assumptions were right. They would try to stop the men from rejoining Sir Gerd.

Tyriece was now contemplating how to warn Ming. The best thing he could do was throw a stone at Ming to get his attention without alarming Sir Gerd.

While Ming stared at the incoming men, three tiny pebbles struck his face. He searched to where it came from. There, within the trees, fifty yards from the city wall was a man hiding discretely and waving his hands at him. Ming couldn't make out the face because it was dark. Only his chain mail was clear because of the moonlight's reflection. But this was Tyriece's mistake.

Sir Gerd saw Ming redirected his head to the trees and got wary thinking it was the general getting Ming's attention. He knew the general and Tyriece were Chiangdas and thought of acting fast or lose his chance of killing Ming. So, he directly shouted, "Archers! Ready... go!"