Booker slashed out with an instant Dialyze, slicing into the mists and forcing them to recede. Impurities splattered from the wound. The spirit was forced back, but the shock of purifying water wasn’t enough to completely dispel it. Instead, the yellow mist began to solidify, forming a ghoulish creature with elongated talon-fingers and a hunched, spine-covered back. It hissed…

But it was too late. Booker had seen its eyes shift as the purifying water hit home. Some of its humanity was surfacing…

There was very little fight left in Booker just now. He had used Furnace once before, and Dialyze as well. Three or four was his limit before passing out – one more use might well leave him incapacitated. And losing consciousness here was a death sentence.

So Booker stood tall, faced the creature down, and pulled away his mask.

It hissed, but there was a bare flicker of recognition in its hollow, sunken eyes. It knew the brand.

“I have the blood of the valley, just like you. And just like you – I’m no cultivator. I’m guessing you came here because of the spirit tree root, isn’t that right?” He asked. His tone betrayed no fear, but only a calm and steady power. “You were brave to even try, and clever to come this far. You must have been ready to give your life to break through a cultivate. Please hear me now. I know because I’m the same way.”

The creature spat out a foul angry noise and clacked its jaws. It crept towards him slowly, moving with a hobbled half-walk. Just as the corpse had a crippled left leg, so did the spirit.

Booker held his ground. “I can’t offer you a second chance, even if you deserve it. You’re dead now, and it’s best if you move on. There are lives beyond this one waiting for you.”

If it comes any closer… I’ll smash the lantern on its skull. I don’t think it really has a physical body, just the energy of a spirit shaped into physical form, but fire might do something.

“But… If you let go, and don’t fight me now, I’ll carry your bones to the surface. Surely you didn’t come here for only yourself? If we’re anything alike, there are people you wanted to protect. Lives that you wanted to lift onto your back and carry with the strength of cultivation.”

Now, at last, the creature paused. A thin breath escaped its monstrous jaws and it looked at him with those solid black eyes, measuring him.

“I mean it. If you can speak – if you can give me a name – I’ll help them in your place.”

The beast’s head tilted, but it didn’t speak.

“In fact, I think I already know them.” This is a gamble. But… “You should be Kuei-Lan and little Hua’s father. Isn’t that right?”

The names didn’t just have an impact. The undead creature flinched back, retreating towards the shadows and clutching its ears like it couldn’t stand to hear them.

“I know. I know, you don’t want to think about them. But if you came this far, I know you did it for them.” Booker didn’t allow it to retreat. He stepped forward, speaking louder now. “The best thing you can do now, to honor your loved ones, is accept death. Move forward, and trust that they’ll live good lives. I’ll make sure they do. This burden of yours… I’ll carry it for you.”

The creature cringed at the edge of the cave, hiding its face. But finally it spoke. “Theyyy… tthhhheeey cannnn’t knoooowww….”

Booker shook his head. “I won’t tell them.”

“Pleeeaasseeee…. Help them…”

“I will.” He reached out and gently held its shoulder. The spirit shivered, once, and then slowly began to collapse back into a clear white mist. In its last moments, Booker saw a surprisingly young man, with a sharp beard and a sad smile.

Then he was gone.

Booker sighed, not sure how to process those few moments. But eventually he just shook his head, slid his mask back into place, and returned to digging up the herbs, placing them carefully in his pack. After that he wrapped the man’s bones in the ragged clothes he’d worn, and lifted the sorry bundle onto his back.

Taking his fifth and nearly final pill, Booker left the hollow cave of tree roots. He plucked a fistful of dandelions as he went, wanting to test the air in the cave for any drafts that might lead him back by a faster route.

Sure enough – gently blowing the dandelion seeds into the air let them drift slowly in towards a tunnel on the left. Stopping every so often to test again for the draft, Booker made his way back until he caught sight of a familiar glowing marking on the wall.

Perfect.

Soon, he was back at the lake. Wading in up to his waist, he grabbed the rope and began to climb, hanging the lantern around his waist. As he reached the top, he gave three strong tugs.

There was a pause, and then the calling of wild birds in panic. Taking that as his cue, Booker hauled himself over the edge and moved swiftly on his belly towards the exit. The light of day was enough to blind him, a glaring white nothingness that waited beyond the cavern’s mouth, but as he pushed his way out into the soft grass and the feeling of wind on his face, he smiled helplessly at how beautiful these simple things could be.

“Brother.” Xan grabbed him by the shoulder and hauled him up, trying to brush the dirt off him. “Euch. This stuff is disgusting.” Trying to clean him up might have been a mistake – Booker was covered in the sticky, sappy residue of the poison fronds, which served to anchor their seedpods to him. It was more than a little poisonous, and Xan winced as it stung at his fingers.

“Did you reach the center?” Fen asked. Booker’s sight was slowly coming back, and he nodded, stumbling down a few feet away from the cave and resting his tired body on a fallen log.

“I did.” He confirmed, once he had fully adjusted to the light of day. “I found plenty of herbs there, just as you said, and I think I found Kuei-Lan’s father as well.” He unslung the bundle of bones and rags from his back, laying it respectfully on the ground.

“Ah.” Musician Cloud, their guide, sighed as he saw the pendant. “Yes, that’s their father alright. I’ll carry it back and inform them… We knew, of course, but there’s always a bit of hope until the body is found…”

“And there’s peace in knowing, I hope.” Booker said. “I’ll go with you. It was… thanks to their father’s markings that I made it. I should thank the family for his aid.” That feels like the kindest lie for why I should owe them generosity.”

“Don’t sound so dire.” Xan insisted. “You’ve conquered an ancient trial! You’re one step closer to your goal!”

Booker nodded. “Once we get on the road again, we’ll drink and celebrate. For now? I’m exhausted.”

“And,” Fen added, “Badly in need a bath.”

“Yes.” Booker agreed. “Badly.”

— — —

Booker bathed in a nearby lake, washing his clothes clean and hanging them over a branch to let Froggie dry them out with his flame. Getting the residue of the poison caves off him felt like heaven, and helped dispel the phantoms of tiny legs crawling up his back.

When he was done he rejoined Fen and Xan – Mountain Cloud had already gone ahead, delivering the bones to the family.

“You were right about that girl, Rain.” Fen said, casually playing a tune on his zither. “She has spirit eyes. The Sect will pay us handsomely for discovering her.”

Booker nodded. “I thought it might be something like that. Still… There’s no rush is there? She’s a bit young to be separated from her sister.”

“Give her a few years. We can wait.” Xan agreed.

Together they walked back to town, and Booker stepped into a small hut. The atmosphere within was undeniably dark. Light came from a single glassless window, little more than a hole in the wall, and shone on the skeletal remains that lay in the center of the single room.

The two sisters looked up. Hua was sniffling, her eyes red with tears, but Kuei-Lan had clearly shed her tears a long time ago. She clasped her hands and bowed. “Thank you for recovering our father’s remains. Elder Northsparrow, you’ve been exceptionally kind to us. I feel like this is the hundredth time I’ve had to thank you.”

He shook his head. “It was thanks to your father that I was able to succeed in the cave. In the end, I’d feel ghoulish leaving now and profited from your misfortune.”

Reaching into his bag, he took out two healing pills and offered them to her. “This goes a little way towards paying that debt. Continue taking mundane medicines for three days, otherwise the old healing herbs you took will interfere with its effectiveness, and could make things worse. As for the rest… Join me outside for a moment?”

As they stepped into the light, Booker glanced back to make sure Hua wasn’t listening.

“Your sister has spiritual eyes.” He said simply. “Her destiny is leading her towards the Mantis Sect. But we three are willing to make sure she’s safe there.”

Beside him, Xan and Fen both nodded their heads. “I know this can be frightening, but we’re not proposing to take her away right now. She needs to grow into herself a little before she’s ready.”

“Elders…”

“Please.” Booker said. “Speak from the heart. We’re not going to be offended.”

“I…” Her voice cracked. “I can’t. I know she has spirit eyes, I’ve always known, but… I can’t lose her too.”

It’s a harsh world, in the Sect. But it’s ultimately better for Hua than remaining here. Once glance and you can see neither of them are eating well. Booker laid a hand on her shoulder. “Then you should come to Mantis City with her. I have some friends there that will help you build a new life.”

At that… Kuei-Lan hesitated for a long time, before wiping her eyes and saying, “If that’s what it takes to help Hua live a good life. A better life than this fucking village…”

Booker smiled softly.

“It’s important she begin training.” Xan added. “Her eyes will assure her a place in the Sect, but she needs to start training now to succeed there. Start with basic physical training. Have her run, lift weights, but most of all, have her do it every day. The dedication and the regiment are as important as the results.”

“And eat meat.” Fen passed her a small purse. “You can’t become a martial artist on foraged greens. Take care of yourself as well.”

“If anyone bothers you,” Booker added, “tell them clearly and directly that the Sect is backing you in this. If we return and anyone’s wronged you, they’ll answer to us.”

— — —

Together they left the village, wandering out into the wilderness once more. This time they paid a fisherman with a small boat to walk with them, Xan and Fen carrying the boat easily overhead. Crossing the river was no problem at all. The white-water dragonfish had long since exhausted their qi and faded, the fate of most minor elementals. As they left the fisherman at the shore and journeyed on, Booker could finally remove his mask and breathe easily once more.

What’s more, he could let Snips, Froggie, and Zhu-Zhu out to explore. After days of being cooped up in their jars, they were eager to explore – especially Zhu-Zhu.

For the next few miles, Booker wandered along behind Zhu-Zhu as the mole followed its nose, sniffing the air cautiously and then taking off on a beeline for this or that valuable treasure. In a short time, Booker discovered a sparkling blue gemstone that Zhu-Zhu clung to and gnawed on insistently, several more special medicinal herbs, and a scattering of wild mushrooms.

Glass Bell Herb

Intact // Dull-Quality

Harvested for its cosmetic properties, this grass bends under the weight of translucent flowers that emit thin and beautiful music in the wind.

Toxicity 10% (-)

Beautification 5% (-)

Qi Recovery 5% (+)

Appetite Suppression 10% (-)

Astringent Monk’s Moss

Intact // Dull-Quality

Brewed in hot water, this common tree moss produces a powerful purging effect. Used to remove toxicity from poorly made medicines.

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Vomiting Poison 10% (-)

Diuretic Poison 10% (-)

Toxicity Purging 1% (-)

Toxicity Purging 5% (+)

Pure-Hearted Monkeyhead Mushrooms

Intact // Dull-Quality

A cluster of thin mushrooms, frequently cooked and eaten by vegetarian monks. The stalks at the center absorb only purified nutrients, and thus provide minor cultivation benefit.

Potency 5% (-)

Cultivation Boost 5% (-)

Qi Recovery 5% (+5)

Qi Recovery 5% (-)

Each time, he would cut a portion of the medicine away and give it to Zhu-Zhu, then carefully store the rest. The gemstone he allowed Zhu-Zhu to keep, as both he and his companions were unsure of what it might be.

My stock of herbs is running higher than ever. He considered. I should get away from the group sometime tomorrow, once I’ve replenished my energy, and quickly make some pills. I’ve got…

He checked his pill vials, and the results were quite sad to see. He was out of healing pills and berserking pills. He still had a random cultivation pill lying around, which he portioned out to his three cultivating spirit beasts. There was a sleeping pill he didn’t remember making and a pair of poison-spitting pills he’d designed to neutralize Snips’ toxins. The most valuable pill left to his name was a darkness pill, one that he’d made to help him escape tricky situations.

I’m basically impoverished. Very embarrassing for an alchemist. Once we get settled in at the Lao-Hain camp, I should pop open one of the material boxes from my quests. I have plenty of herbs, but not quite a complete set of any…

Speaking of…

Quest: Local Flavor

Goal: Create 5 (2/5) different medicines from plants and ingredients local to the Lower Mantis Valley.

Reward: Apprentice Page.

If I complete this, I’ll get the ability to fully absorb all the knowledge of a single book, and understand it completely. I can’t help but think that’s a massive advantage, especially since it can be used as simply as laying hands on the book for a single second.

It’s also the easiest of my quests to complete, so I should start on it as soon as we reach the Lao-Hain.

That night, when it came time for his turn to watch the fire, Booker began to work. He took out the wolfberries he’d found in the cave, and the brittlegill mushrooms Zhu-Zhu had discovered. Little guy has been putting in work… I think this first pill ought to go to him.

Zhu-Zhu was snoring in his jar, wrapped around the shard of blue stone when Booker checked his bag.

Lifting the little mole up by the scruff of his neck and setting him down on the forest floor, he said – “Little guy, I’m making some pretty strong medicine tonight. I guess I might be willing to share it if you find me something good.”

Zhu-Zhu sniffed the air, caught scent of the wolfberries, and immediately began to squeak. The little mole scrambled off into the woods, and Booker casually brought out Snips as well, saying, “Go watch out for your brother, Snips. He’s on a mission tonight.”

As the two left, Booker cut out the poison pith at the center of the wolfberries, and scraped the gills from the mushrooms, reluctantly setting both aside. Poison is… it’s not a fit way for anyone to die. But it’s also my best defense. I should save this… And make that poison needle weapon Master Ping suggested long ago.

There were plenty of wolfberries in his pack, and Booker spent a long time separating the good orange-red flesh from the foul white pith, dicing and chopping with the heel of his knife and using the point to scoop out seeds.

Soon, Zhu-Zhu waddled back into camp, and Snips buzzed up to land on his arm. Zhu-Zhu spat out a large dark acorn, which the book swiftly identified–

Ironbody Tree Nut

Intact // Dull-Quality

A nut that protects its delicious inner flesh with a steel-hard and toxic shell, which most creatures struggle to break through. Thus, despite being valuable, these seeds were common throughout the valley before human arrival. In recent times, they have been overharvested by the Sect.

Potency and Toxicity 5% (-)

Skin Toughening 10% (+)

Beast Cultivation 5% (-)

Toxicity 10% (-)

But as Booker reached down to take it, Zhu-Zhu reared up and grabbed his finger gently between his teeth, and began to pull on his hand, trying to lead him back towards the forest.

“Huh? You want me to follow?” Bemused, Booker pulled his hand free but followed as Zhu-Zhu led the way towards a magnificent old oak. In the center of the house-thick trunk, there was a large split that carved open a hollow. Zhu-Zhu scrambled stubbornly up the bark, sliding back down several times before managing to dig his claws in enough to climb up.

As Booker looked inside… he could only whistle in surprise.

The hollow was packed wall to wall with more ironbody nuts. Booker whistled aloud. “Some squirrel must have been very busy.” He remarked, considering the accumulated value. While the useful properties weren’t too much from a human perspective, the nuts had a great deal of value simply as binder for pills due to their potency-boosting effects, and even more value if you could involve their potential for beast cultivation.

No doubt about it… Zhu-Zhu has earned the pick of the lot. No, it just makes sense to focus on strengthening him first. Snips is obviously far stronger in combat, but right now, I have Xan and Fen to rely on. Zhu-Zhu provides something neither of them can, and something that synergizes with my abilities from the book to the utmost degree. Even beyond that, if strengthening him lets him find more medicines… it pays for itself.

Reaching in to scoop fistfuls of precious seeds and other, more common varieties into his bag, he paused to hand a softer-shelled nut to Zhu-Zhu and scratched the mole on the head with a single finger as the little fellow squeaked happily. “You really earned your keep today, Zhu-Zhu. You’ll definitely eat good tonight.”

Filling his bag, he headed back, casually trying to crack the nuts in his palm by squeezing two together. It was an old trick, and with Rain’s physique should have been easy – but these were simply on a different level of hardness.

Eventually, after he finished with the wolfberries and it was time for the next watch, Rain shook Xan awake and handed the giant one of the steel-shelled tree nuts. “Here. Can you crack this?”

“Mmm?” Confused, his eyes still closed, Xan closed his fist around it and squeezed. There was a sound like a tree falling under a storm, an enormous splitting, and Fen stirred faintly in his sleep. When Xan opened his hand again it was shattered into small pieces. “Y’r welcome.”

“Come on.” Booker said. “I’ve got plenty more.”

One eye cracked open. “Rain. What are you talking about?”

“They’re medicine. And they’re too tough for me to open. Don’t worry, you can go back to bed after. I’ll take your watch.”

“‘k.” Grunting, Xan rolled onto his feed and Booker lead the sleepy giant over to a rock, handing him a smaller stone to use as a hammer and instructing him to begin splitting the tree nuts open. It took an hour to open them all, during which time Xan slowly regained consciousness.

“What are these for?” He asked eventually.

“Medicine for my spirit beasts. We found them in a tree.”

“Mmm…” Hammering one open, he picked a shard of flesh from the remains and asked, “Are they poisonous?”

“Not too poisonous. Tell me how it tastes.”

Popping it into his mouth, Xan winced. “Pah!” He spat into the dust and wiped his mouth, complaining, “Bitter!”

“Mm.” While Xan cracked the outer shells, Booker was picking the small shards of flesh out from between the inner partitions of wooden material. He was quickly assembling a large pile of valuable meat, throwing the occasional piece down to Zhu-Zhu.

“Rain, I’ve been meaning to talk to you.” Xan said eventually, with a tone that said it was something of importance.

“Oh?” But Booker already a good idea.

“You’ve… changed a lot recently. And at first, I was happy for you. Really. I think… I dunno, you never seemed happy before. Now you’re a lot more…” He waved a hand vaguely at the air. “But I can’t help but notice, you seem to play fast and loose with your own life. You throw yourself into things that could kill you without a thought. And I’m starting to worry you only started laughing again because you decided not to care…”

“Don’t worry.” Booker smiled. “I care about my life still. But I want to live for something. Sometimes, that means being ready to die for it too.”

“Alright.” Xan gave him a suspicious glance. “But you should remember that’s a last resort, not your go-to. It’s crazy, some of the things you’ve been doing…”

“Ah, it is. But I’ve decided to embrace a certain madness. That’s all part of becoming a cultivator, isn’t it?”

“Hmmph.” Xan grunted. “Maybe that’s part of the story people tell about cultivators. But me? Risk my life? Rain… That’s not me, and it’s not most disciples of the Sect. Think about it. Think about how often they pick easy fights with cripples. That’s not some accident. That’s why they became cultivators. To be the strong among the weak.”

“That’s not you either.” Booker answered.

“No, I became a cultivator to support my family. That’s all. I fight because it’s the best way to do that. If I could pull a plow like an ox all day and still support them? I would.” He crushed another nut, and looked up. “Rain… It’s just a story people tell. I worry that you believe it.”

He did. And I do. Me and Rain are both… idiots like that.

But that answer would have done anything but set Xan at ease, so Booker said, “I promise you. My life isn’t something I’m interested in throwing away. I won’t back down, but I won’t make it easy for the world to snatch away, either.”

For a long few minutes, silence held.

And then Xan asked, “What is it then?”

“Hmm?”

“What is it that you’re after. I want to support my family… What is it you’re chasing cultivation for?”

This one, Booker didn’t have an answer for, easy or uncomfortable. He thought for a long time, and then said, “Honestly? After being unable to cultivate for so long… I just want to show the world I have some value. That I’m as worthy as anyone. I want to…” To be the person in the stories. The one nobody can doubt, or shame, who stands atop the world but only because he’s earned it… “To earn my place in the world, and be happy with it.”

“Huh.” Xan said.

And that was all.

When it was time for Xan to go back to bed, Booker walked out into the woods for a moment, cupping his hands around three new-formed pills made from ground ironbody shells, wolfberry flesh, and brittlegill meat. Fire flared between his fingers, and after he woke Fen to take watch, he fed his cultivation beasts.

Watching his three little spirit beasts eat – Snips precise and delicate, Froggie making the entire pill vanish in a single gulp, and Zhu-Zhu nibbling and biting frantically – he slid into dreams.

Quest: Local Flavor

Goal: Create 5 (3/5) different medicines from plants and ingredients local to the Lower Mantis Valley.

Reward: Apprentice Page.

— — —

The next day they found the Lao-Hain camp, but not the Lao-Hain. The remnants of a migration sat alongside the river, firepits burnt down to ashes and laundry lines still dangling, empty spaces where cellars had been dug, and more permanent buildings that had simply been abandoned: the whole camp had picked up whatever they could and moved on.

The reason why was still sitting in the center of camp.

Three disciples of the Mantis Sect lounged around a campfire, looking ill-tempered and sour as they noticed the approaching trio and stood to their feet, brushing dust off their ornate Sect robes.

“Greetings, brothers.” Fen said amiably, although his glance to Xan was one of warning.

Booker wished he’d remained farther back. Sect disciples were the last people he wanted to see the three of them traveling together.

“Fen, right? And… what’s his face…” Their leader flicked his sleeve at Xan, before demanding “Who’s your masked friend?”

“Nobody of importance. Just a traveler headed the same way as these two.” Booker replied: he had already taken a sprig of his voice-changing herb as they approached the Lao-Hain camp.

The three disciples were an odd crew – the clear leader was a young man with a sharp face, narrow eyebrows, and a shaved head prickling with black stubble. His mouth had distinct lines around it, giving him a monkeyish expression as he pursed his lips.

Behind him, a long-haired young man with a broad chin and broader shoulders stood up. He wasn’t as big as Xan, but compared to normal people he was towering. His hair flowed down to his waist, a waterfall of charcoal black.

The last of them was a girl with her hair cut into white-streaked bangs and two long braids that hung behind either ear. She wore countless ornaments on her robes, and Rain’s memories knew her as Fairy Ying, an unbearably beautiful tyrant who’d entered the Sect at the same time as Rain and captivated his heart among many others. His status had never been high enough to say even a single word to her.

Booker was glad. Searching through Rain’s memory, all he knew about her could be summed up in one word – trouble. She drew her blade without hesitation, casually letting her killing intent flash over them in warning.

“Is that so…” The leader said. “If you’re nobody of importance, why don’t you kowtow, huh? This is Mantis Sect territory after all. Show some respect!”

The last words were shouted, but nobody fell for it. This was an open provocation to dig out how powerful Booker really was.

Xan stepped forward. “I may have only known the Daoist Northsparrow for a few days, but I know he deserves better than that from the likes of you, Moy Dongbin.”

Moy Dongbin… Rain knew him as well, but only by reputation. Moy Dongbin was known for his natural ability at what might be called necromancy, subduing and using spirits to fight with. He was favored by Instructor Frostwind and famously a cold-hearted and mean-spirited man.

There was a cold pause, then the long-haired man broke the silence.

“Brothers, brothers. We can’t be treating each other this way, can we? On the road, Mantis Sect, valley tribe, it doesn’t matter. What matters is how you conduct yourself. If you make our new friend Northsparrow kowtow, Dongbin, I’ll kowtow right back, and then where will the Mantis Sect’s face be?” He said, clasping his hands and bowing his head respectfully.

Booker’s immediate instinct was… dislike.

Although his tone might have played at chiding Dongbin and Fairy Ying, it was just that, playing. His tone was bright and chipper but hinted at a gleeful expectation they might fight soon, and hadn’t he waited a bit too long before opening his mouth to ‘smooth over’ the situation?

Yes, he’s just playing at being a diplomat. He waited that long to see if Dongbin would get a reaction, but now that the moment’s passed, he’s shifted strategies…

“I’m glad to hear someone speak the very words that were on my mind.” Booker said, holding a hand over his heart to gesture at sincerity. “May I ask your name? I’m only Northsparrow, a humble daoist traveler.”

“Ah, and I’m only Lang Mou. Here. I happen to have a token of the Sect. If you show it, you’ll be treated with respect anywhere in the valley. Consider it a gift from the Mantis Sect.” He took out a command slip, and walked forward, holding it out to Booker.

Yep. Yep yep yep.

He’s going to snatch my mask the moment I take it.

“Ah, I have a gift for you, then.” He reached into his bag at the same time as he extended a hand to take the command slip, looking totally careless.

And in that moment three things happened.

One, Lang Mou’s hand dropped the token and exploded forward, snatching the mask off Booker’s face with a wrenching force that tore through the strap.

Two, Booker crushed the darkness pill in his bag, and surrounded them both in a billowing, impenetrable blackness.

When that darkness faded Booker stood a step back, out of Lang Mou’s reach – with a new mask over his face.

Lang Mou blinked in confusion. Then, grinning crudely, he began to laugh. His hand crushed the fox mask to splinters between his big knuckles.

“Yes, Lang Mou. I think we’ve barely met, and yet already we understand each other, no?” Booker said.

“We understand too damn well!” Xan huffed, not restraining his fury a bit. “What’s wrong with you!?”

“Brother Xan…” Fen said, fixing his eyes on the other two coldly. Now that Lang Mou had made his move, Dongbin had drawn his own sword. “... has my full support in this matter. If you insist on disrespecting our guest…” With a flick of his sleeve, steel needles appeared between Fen’s knuckles.

Lang Mou recovered from his laughter, holding up a hand. “Now now, there’s no nuuhhhhd… no… noooo….” But he was suddenly choking on his words, gagging and sputtering as his tongue swelled up in his mouth. He sank down to one knee, clutching at his throat.

Because the third thing that had happened in the dark was this.

Snips had slashed an ‘x’ of poison cuts across Lang Mou’s neck.