Yan Hao and Xiu Bingbing walked the rest of the way in silence, not talking to another. The whispers of mockery continuously followed them wherever they went. Yan Hao got the impression of it being a walk of shame than a walk home.
After some minutes, they finally arrived at Bingbing's home. It was a simple wooden shack and didn't differ in any way from the other shacks nearby. They were all small in height and size, not looking impressive or anything.
"We're here," said Xiu Bingbing. "That's my home."
Xiu Bingbing and Yan Hao both entered the shack. The interior looked more stylish than the outside. The table, chairs, decoration, and everything didn't seem to come from the Spirit Realm but were probably moved here from their world.
"Take a seat. I will go change and be right back," said Xiu Bingbing in a lovely voice and turned her back to Yan Hao, walking to another room with her seductive hips swaying.
Yan Hao took a seat at the table and looked around the room.
The room was held very simple. There were neither images nor other personal possessions. The shelves were empty and the table without decoration.
Suddenly, Xiu Bingbing returned in a new outfit: black hotpants and a white shirt.
She went into the kitchen and began making some food. A sweet aroma of spices and meat came from the kitchen and left Yan Hao drooling. The smell alone was so enticing for Yan Hao that he couldn't keep himself calm. All he could think about now was how it would taste.
Minutes went by and finally, Xiu Bingbing came back from the kitchen. She held a white plate in each hand and gave one to Yan Hao while placing the other one on her spot on the table.
"It's Chicken Teriyaki. I hope you like it," she said and sat down.
"Ah, yeah, sure," stuttered Yan Hao and grabbed his chopsticks.
He could smell the sweet and warm aroma of the food. The chicken and rice were still steaming hot and seemed freshly cooked.
The long piece of chicken was thinly sliced and orderly arranged. The crust seemed crispy yet the sweet sauce placed on it made it look soft. The orderly lined chicken slices were placed on top of a neatly placed wall of rice.
Yan Hao took a slice of chicken glazed by a sweet sauce and put it into his mouth. The meat was soft and mouth-watering. It was the best he had ever tasted.
After they both finished their meal, Yan Hao patted his belly and said, "Thank you for the meal. It was really good," with a smile on his lips.
"I'm glad you liked it." Xiu Bingbing seemed pleased and collected the empty plates, bringing them into the kitchen.
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As Xiu Bingbing turned her back on Yan Hao to walk into the kitchen, Yan Hao noticed that she still wore the two leather straps with empty coin sockets on her thigh.
"Bingbing, can I ask you something? The people in the village said that you never killed a monster. But when I met you, you came from the deeper parts of the forest. Why were you so far in the forest when you could have hunted the weaker monsters on the edge of the forest?"
Xiu Bingbing halted in her steps, turned her head, and regarded Yan Hao. After a while, she said, "It's a secret," and went into the kitchen.
Curiosity overcame Yan Hao and he started pondering what she could possibly do deep in the forest. He had many thoughts about it, but he wasn't sure about anything.
The evening went by and Xiu Bingbing said her goodbye to Yan Hao, sending him off. He was still pondering what Xiu Bingbing did in the forest.
"I will just take a look," decided Yan Hao.
The sky already turned pitch-black and the two moons were the only source of light in this darkness. Yan Hao made his way toward the bridge leading off the island and strode along the street.
The shops were already all closed and only a handful of people were present on the street, probably on their way home.
It didn't take long for Yan Hao to enter the forest and find the place where he met Xiu Bingbing. He had a good memory after all.
As he arrived at the mentioned spot, Yan Hao lightly chuckled and secretly thanked the Abyss Wolf King. "It will be easier than I thought to find out where she was. I just have to follow the path of destruction left behind by the Abyss Wolf King."
Dozens of trees smashed into smithereens and deep scars scratched into earth were only the bare minimum of what the monster left behind. It was as if it paved a road for Yan Hao, not anything remained standing in the way and everything was stomped or smashed.
Yan Hao set up a smile and walked along the path, stepping over fallen trees and stomped bushes. He flicked the Abyss Wolf Dagger coin between his fingers and played with it, passing the boredom while walking.
<< Meanwhile at the center of the forest >>
An enormous pyramid with a mirror-like surface was surrounded by multiple tents. Groups of guards patrolled the ways between the tents like watchdogs. They were clad in black military clothes and a golden dragon was engraved on their left shoulders.
One group, which had two instead of one dragon engraved on their shoulders, approached the biggest tent in the vicinity. The tent was bigger than a house and female laughter could be heard coming out from it.
The group stopped before the tent and their leader went it after he announced his presence. The inside of the tent looked more like a palace than a tent. Red carpets were laid on the ground, fully covering the meadow, and multiple candles were lightened in the middle of the tent.
At the end of the tent, a 20-year-old man sat on a silver throne. He was clad entirely in black clothes and the hood covered his head. His bone-white hair stuck out under the hood and covered his eyes, leaving only his nose and insane smile in view.
A beautiful teenager girl stood behind his throne and massaged his shoulders. Her hair was dyed blue and black and she had a playful expression with pugnacious eyes.
The guard straightened his back and reported, "Captain, we lost the girl and the Abyss Wolf King."
Bai Long grabbed the armrests of his throne and the smile on his lips cracked wider, tearing over his entire face and showing his white teeth. He licked his lips and stretched his neck as he said, "It doesn't matter. The Abyss Wolf King will come back - it always did. But this time when it comes back, make sure to kill it. Without the Abyss Wolf King Emblem coin, we can't enter the Seven Spirit Pyramid."
He lowered his chin again and glared at the guard. Bai Long brushes the girl's hands off his shoulders and slowly leaned forward. His smile got even wider, filling his entire face, and he said, "If I don't see a dead Abyss Wolf King by tomorrow, I will make sure that I will see you dead."