All was relieved when he saw the crow, in the dull consistency of his heartbeats he hears the swell of hope. It was weak and meager yet still present within his chest. He watched with bated anticipation at the tree above, the crow calmly peered at him with its slitted golden eyes. Then suddenly its frame warped gyrating inward, as the force halted a human shape appeared. Ah Zhong flinched as dread inadvertently seeped into his chest.

《 Had he escaped one human monster into the clutches of another?  No, he hadn't...  》

He shook his head. This being in front of him still emits the qi of a primeval cultivator the difference between human and primeval cultivators was the way the qi behaved, in them, it would vibrate and be absorbed gradually and in humans, it would be sucked in like a vortex leaving behind impurities. This is why primeval cultivators would gather qi at a slower rate and why they were stronger at the same rank as a human cultivator, their foundation was superior.

The solid tree made no movement as the man sat and hung his feet over the branch. The man rested his back leisurely against the truck of the tree. He wore a complex black robe embellished in red silk, his hair a darker black pulled tightly behind his head with a red ribbon leaving his bangs to hang at each side of his forward. His prominent sharp eyebrows curved towards his eyes and as he reached into his robe they lowered and pushed together with frustration.

As he freed a metal pipe from the robes material his eyebrows relaxed. From his finger an obsidian flame ignited, he placed his finger on the opening lighting it. He then placed the other side in his mouth and inhaled not moment passed before he removed it from his mouth and blew smoke from his lips.

「 Please! Will you help me? 」

「 Why would I help you? 」

The man asked in an indifferent tone holding the pipe between his fingers. By curling his fingers around it the man brought attention to its striking gold designs. The man was right Ah Zhong and him were strangers, why would he go out of his way to help him? He quashed his sentence in his mouth as this thought arose in his head.

「 As an elder aren't you responsible for aiding your junior?」

Ah Zhong argued banking on this universal law.

 「 Oh, so you intrude into my territory and have the audacity to lecture me. I could kill you, no. 」

The man's gaze flicked to An Ling before he resumed speaking.

「However, with the state you two are in I could just wait until you fall over dead.」

The man wasn’t grandiloquent with his words, they held a certain unpleasantry and were concise. Ah Zhong felt rage rising within him however he didn’t lash out he instead dug his claws into the dirt, the released when the anger left him. He thought to try a new approach.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

「 Esteemed elder, could you find it from the kindness of your heart to help us little ones? 」

The man shook his head and let out a heavy sigh.

「Enough with the formality, it grows old. Call me by my name, Zeng Ru.」

Zeng Ru stood with ease placed the pipe in his robe and then abruptly jumped from the branch. Yet contrary to his expectation Zeng Ru did not plummet but instead gently glided to the ground.

「 We’ll continue this talk inside my house. 」

「 What house? 」

He was confused all that was around him were trees. Zeng Ru lifted his eyebrows as if saying, 【 Are you blind? 】He began looking around uncontrollably in every direction. The faintness of smile formed on Zeng Ru’s face as he held his fist to his lip allowing a laugh to leave his mouth.

「 Over here. 」

Zeng Ru pointed place he looked three times. The tree’s seemed to disappear and a small hut appeared in their place. It was a small wooden hut with a chimney. They walked a short while to reach the door. Zeng Ru opened the door and motioned for him to go inside. Inside was even smaller in size than the outside. the room consisted of a bed, a round table, two chairs and a fireplace.

「 Lay your friend on the bed. 」

Ah Zhong did as he was told and then followed Zeng Ru to the table.

「If I am to help you and your friend I have a few conditions.」

「 Anything. 」

Zeng Ru sat in the chair near him before folding his hand below his chin. his golden eyes locked into Ah Zhong's holding his gaze.

「 I can easily help you and your friend to recover. But is that all you wish for? Do you not seek power? 」

Ah Zhong went pale and his back straightened. Was he that transparent?

「Relax, I haven’t read your thoughts….Everyone yearns for power.」

「 Power...Can you really grant me it? 」

Zeng Ru paused for a moment before answering.

「 Boy, I can’t grant you anything. I’m not a demonic beast. I can, however, guarantee you and your friends full recovery and transfer you some of my powers. 」

Ah Zhong took a sharp breath. Power, that is what he yearned for most in this world. He childish thoughts run rampant imagining himself as a commander of a grand army stepping on every enemy that crossed his path.

「 Don’t get to ahead of yourself. First you must listen to my three conditions. 」

He flinched again.

《 How does he do that? 》

「 Ok... 」

「 First you must find my daughter and pass her this medallion. 」

Zeng Ru placed on the table round silver medallion that was hung on a loop of string. In the middle of the medallion was a round jade crystal encircled by a red trimming.

「 Secondly I want guide my daughter back to our village. And thirdly you must bury me. 」

「Bury!?! But you are not dead.」

He eyes widened in surprise. Ah Zhong inspected him for any grievous wound but found nothing. Zend Ru expression flashed with a brief hint of pain.

「It is not external. I am dying from a curse. That is also the reason I cannot save my kin, this forest that I cannot leave will be my final resting place.」

Zeng Ru sighed.

「 How? 」

「 Do not vex your mind over this. My enemy’s are large in number and you are far too weak. 」

His expression fell and his lips turns downwards. The pity he felt for this newly meet stranger weighed heavily on his chest.

「 How will I find your daughter? 」

「 All will be revealed soon. For now let us leave my home. When I transfer you my powers I do not want to destroy my house by mistake.  」

Zeng Ru seeing his confused expression laughed mirthfully.

「 Whats left of my belonging are in a chest bellow this bed. It would be hard to collect them if the house is destroyed, correct? 」

「 You're giving them to me? 」

「 What use would worldly possessions be to me after im dead? 」

Zeng Ru stood up and walked to the door.

「 Shall we? 」