The middle-aged monk watched Gongsun Elder and said，“Stop this madness， old man!“
Gongsun Elder felt a surge of tension and attacked again， trying to break through the monks' defense. Yet， the middle-aged monk's defense was as solid as a steel wall， impenetrable， causing Gongsun Elder to struggle. His brow furrowed， his eyes flashing with urgency.
The two exchanged quick blows before retreating， each inwardly marveling at the other's skill. Gongsun Elder's martial arts were exceptional， and the middle-aged monk's abilities were not to be underestimated either. They both sensed the strength of their opponent. But unnoticed， the woman in the red dress had vanished without a trace.
The middle-aged monk shouted low，“Red Raven， saving the others is the priority!“ The young monk immediately obeyed， rushing towards the academy， his steps quick and light.
The academy buildings stood quietly in the early morning darkness， their silent presence shattered by the resounding“thud” as villagers forced open the classroom door with a collective heave.
As the door swung open， torchlight spilled in like a beacon from the heavens， illuminating the battered classroom. The light sliced through the swirling dust， heralding the dawn of a new chapter after the disaster.
“There are survivors here! Come， help!” shouted a familiar voice from the doorway. There， the headmaster stood， leaning heavily on a wooden stick， directing the villagers to search for survivors room by room. In the unsteady torchlight， his shadow loomed strong and resolute， like a guide leading the people from ruin to rebirth.
The surviving girl， seeing the headmaster， dashed towards him， her eyes wide with relief and hope. Collapsing into his embrace， tears streamed down her face， each drop a testament to the ordeal she had endured and the unexpected promise of a new beginning.
“We have survivors here!” The joyous cries of the villagers echoed through the dilapidated classroom， their voices infused with an incredible sense of elation and newfound hope.
“Hurry， save A-Lai!“ the girl pleaded， her voice tinged with urgency and concern， as if time had become incredibly precious in this moment.
“Where is A-Lai?“ the villagers anxiously inquired， their figures shimmering in the torchlight as they rushed.
The girl turned around， stunned. In the blink of an eye， the place where A-Lai had been was now empty， with only dried and clotted blood left.
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
The girl wiped her eyes， deeply doubting whether she had experienced a hallucination. Her fingers touched the sticky blood， seemingly still carrying the warmth of the young boy.
This couldn't possibly be a dream!
The villagers looked at the girl with suspicion， silently standing there， listening to her narrate the story that unfolded.
------
In the dense forest， Gongsun Elder raced toward the academy， his steps heavy with urgency. He knew that if the woman in red escaped， she would become a dire threat. Anxiety etched deep lines in his face as he hurried to catch up with the young monk ahead of him.
By the time they reached the academy， the battle was over. The young monk stood beside the massive， twitching centipede， its grotesque body emitting an unsettling aura.
Gongsun Elder approached， eyes scanning the area with apprehension. The young monk， sensing his presence， took a cautious step back.
Gongsun Elder approached， fixing his gaze on the young monk and asking，“Where is the woman in red?“
The young monk’s eyes darted around， his silence and worried expression deepening Gongsun Elder’s sense of unease.
Gongsun Elder felt a headache brewing as he assessed the chaotic surroundings， realizing the gravity of the situation. He hurried over to the headmaster， his voice tinged with worry.
“What about A-Lai? Where is he?“
The headmaster was silent for a moment， then finally spoke，“A-Lai is missing.“
Gongsun Elder’s expression darkened， his brows knitting together in shock. He had expected to find A-Lai， not this dire situation.
“What have you done with A-Lai?”
His eyes turned to the middle-aged monk nearby， who also looked alarmed， a flash of anger and suspicion crossing his face.
Before Gongsun Elder could respond， the headmaster stepped between them， raising a hand to prevent further conflict.
He spoke sternly，“Hold on! There's been a misunderstanding here.“
Gongsun Elder looked at the headmaster， his eyes filled with confusion and puzzlement.
“A misunderstanding? What kind of misunderstanding?“
The headmaster explained，“They were sent to protect A-Lai; they did not know you were A-Lai's master. Our priority now is to find the boy， not to fight among ourselves.“
After getting more details， The middle-aged monk’s gaze softened， a trace of apology replacing his earlier anger.
“Sorry， Master. I misunderstood you. I was entrusted with protecting A-Lai. I shouldn’t have accused you.“
Gongsun Elder nodded， grasping the truth.“I see. I am A-Lai's Kung Fu master， and I am most concerned for his safety. Given that， we should work together to find the boy as soon as possible.“
“Very well，it seems that the demon in red is left. Let's search together!“
The young monk， still trembling with a mixture of nerves and determination， took a step forward. His eyes shone with earnest resolve as he spoke.“I’ll help too. We can cover more ground if we split up.“
His voice， though steady， carried the weight of his youthful anxiety. The Gongsun Elder， sensing the monk's unease， placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder， a gesture of warmth and support.“Thank you，“ he said， his tone filled with gratitude.“We need you to stay here for help.“
The young monk stepped back and murmured，“Why do you always treat me like a child?!“
-------