CHAPTER 82: VICTIMS OF MEN

Zen felt very awkward walking with Xue Shaonu. Everytime he tried to start a conversation with him, she gave him short answers before she went back to admiring their surroundings. Initially, she was even interested in the scorch ape riding on his shoulder but now, she had lost interest in even that.

“So, do guys have any plans on how you will find the snow ram?”

Zen got excited at having her talking first. “Well, we were thinking… well… uhm…” Zen realised that they had no plans.

Xue Shaonu giggled. “Well, I read that the Snow Ram loves blue grass,” she said. “I was hoping maybe to use that to track it down.”

“Blue grass?” Jao Cong tapped his chin in thought. “Blue Grass grows in the western parts of the forest.”

“Well, I can lead us there.” Zen said, taking the lead.

“We three are quite a good team.” She said.

“Ook!” Shibi said.

“I mean we four,” she corrected herself.

They walked for a few hours, with Zen leading them. He had given up on making conversation, choosing to instead focus on his task. He stopped.

“What’s wrong?” Xue Shaonu said.

“Look, up ahead.” Zen nodded forward.

“Bodies,” Cong whispered in horror.

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Zen walked forward, looking around. He could spot no one. “No one is here.” He said as he inspected one of the bodies.

Xue Shaonu walked to one body, seeing the blood on the dead woman’s suit. “What killed them? Wild beasts?”

“No,” Cong said, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. “The laceration I see here looks like it comes from a knife.”

“Yes, and I see no claw or bite marks on these bodies.” Zen said.

Jao Cong ran for the nearest bush where he threw up, much to Zen’s disapproval.

“They were not victims of nature,” Xue Shaonu said, her pale hand running to a necklace made of skinny rope, ending in a leather badge with the symbol of an oval with the character for freedom in the centre, “They were victims of men.” She detached the necklace and gazed at the leather patch, twirling before her. “People can be so cruel.”

“No gold, no storage stones.” Zen said. “Definitely bandits.”

“If there are bandits in this forest, maybe we should turn back.” Jao Cong said.

“Come on, we’re already this far in the forest.” Zen said. “We just have to keep our wits about us and avoid them.”

“I agree,” Xue Shaonu said before she stood up, clenching the necklace in her hands. “I do not want to turn back now, especially not because of the fear of something we may not even come across.”

“Don’t worry, Coz.” Zen said, pointing to himself. “If things get dangerous, I’ll protect you.”

“Yeah, sure.” Jao Cong did not sound convinced.

“Anyways, I think we should move from here.” Xue Shaonu looked at the three bodies in sadness.

“Jao Cong!” Jao Fuu shouted at the other end of the gate to Jao Cong’s residence. She had been waiting for hours, cultivating outside the gate for most of that time, however, she was starting to get annoyed with even that. She just could not understand where her twin brother was. There were no classes and he had a full stock of food. He was not one to go out exploring, usually locking himself up to cultivate or finish a book. She tried to figure out what was wrong, then she opened her eyes and sighed in annoyance. “Wang Zen,” she said.

Wang Zen was still leading the other two to the west of the forest. As he walked, he noticed something strange and familiar about the ground around him. He realised what was wrong a moment too late. Flicking his arm, he silently commanded Shibi away before he shoved Jao Cong, the closest one to him away too. He turned to do the same to Xue Shaonu but it was too late as the ground beneath them collapsed and they fell down a deep hole…