I will help you

"Haaah, haaah, senior, didn't I said to look behind and notice me once you saw someone running after us?"

"I did!"

"Well, please explain why there is someone in the front while licking his weapon again?"

"....I mean, I really did. But, I don't know why...I mean, I really didn't see him!!"

"Thank you very much. Please remind me to not ask you any question again in the future."

In the middle of the forest on the way down of the mountain, Ling who is still carrying his senior on his back just a moment ago now putting him off to the ground after realizing that someone blocking his way.

With a face full of annoyance, he then changes his sight toward someone in the front, an adult with his entire body made of muscle along with a weapon hanging on his left and right waist, and currently handling one dagger-like thing while grinning mischievously at them.

"...Well, I purposely using the forest to off-track people, but never expect someone to follow me? Is there something I can help you with, Uncle?"

"Wow~ Such a nice boy you are! Actually, I have a little concern. I don't want to let anyone alive after we killed the boys above, so I have been wondering what should I do now~? Do you have any suggestion?"

Didn't know what to do with the current situation even after making sure to run through a difficult and dark forest, Ling who still calmly glancing around for a fraction of a second decide to probe the guy first and ended up receiving a scary answer.

'He manages to catch up to us, so we can't run anymore.', thought Ling, frowning that he ended up in a difficult situation.

"...To be honest mister, you might not know but I feel like the other two friends of yours seems like a nice guy! I bet they only ask for some ransom before letting them go? Why don't you check them first and then ask them while at it whether should you resort to killing or not?"

Yet, when he started speaking, Ling always using smiles and happy tones as if an old buddy who just met after a long parting, which then answered in the same manner.

"Oy, Ling! What the hell are you talking about!? Killed? Does senior above killed!??"

But, the content was scary enough for the senior who is still young to be greatly shaken, face paled after the word death and killed being mentioned so lightly as if it was some trivial matter. No matter how cruel they are to him, none of them actually planning to kill, which he thought such a word was way too heavy of punishment in his opinion.

"That's a nice suggestion! But, I apparently already killed someone before, so I really really don't want people to know who I am!"

"Wow, I have my condolence."

"Hiiii!!!"

The senior who is still in disbelief couldn't stop himself from shrieking anymore as his foot that's already dislocated begin to tremble from fear. Yet, the little boy in front of him actually could answer with a sympathetic tone, his facial expression full of pity and sympathy making even the adult in front of him to be greatly surprised.

"...thank you very much. We had been on the run for quite a while so your word really touched me."

"I am happy to hear that."

"Well, we are in a bit tight spot for money too, so when you "Purposely" bumping into us and scatter a lot of your money, I thought that you want us to follow you so we did."

"...I thought you are all just a normal neighborhood bully, but as expected of this cruel world, I am being way too careless this time."

"Hahaha, that's good to hear. You know, the world is really cruel, especially for the weak! It's better if you be more careful in the future."

"Ling, is this what you mean by plan B!?"

"Haha...haha. Anyway, would you let me go so I could be careful later then?"

While ignoring the question from his own senior regarding the so-called plan B, Ling who heard such kind advice can only laugh hollowly.

'No matter what kind of plan you made, mistakes always happen. But, really such a heavy mistake that I made here.' Thought Ling while smiling wryly after considering his rash action and contemplate it.

"I apologize, but I can't. Hmmm, I am quite like you to be honest. Then...how about this? I will let you go if you kill that senior of yours with your own hand?"

Kill his own senior.

Ling who heard that kind of condition didn't even spare a glance at his still sitting on the ground senior of him and shakes his head right afterward, confusing the guy in front of him who just about to smile as if looking forward to an interesting show.

But, of course, he still wants to live longer so he thought a bit for a moment and then open his mouth.

"Of course it's not that I completely reject that condition. But, I mean, no one can tell whether you will let me go afterward after all. Then, how about this? I am quite curious of who is someone that you kill---"

Ling who just about to give his own condition suddenly saw the guy in front of him lowering his hand and then hurriedly taking out his short sword.

*Swooosh

*clang!!!

With his hand trembling, he then looking down at that dangerous thing that manages to stab all the way down to its handle to the ground even though it just falling down without any force behind it.

Ling who just barely escapes being killed became shaken, his heart thumping loudly as if it was trying to come out of his chest.

'He aimed it at my chest!!!', shout Ling in fear after confirming that the thing that's stabbed on the ground was a short sharp dagger that very well could pear open his still developing soft skin.

"...Well, criminal on the run. You just trying to surprise kill me yet I can parry it with my small sword. Don't you think you would have a hard time killing me?"

Yet, what's coming out of his mouth still one that contains a little bit of sarcasm as if he didn't anger him enough. The guy who not only comes to realize that the little boy indeed manages to survive his surprise move start to look at the little boy more seriously now and then take out another dagger from his waist.

"You really need to be taught a lesson, brat. I am the one who is making the decision here. Now kill that brat if you want to live."

But, not even letting Ling calm himself down, the guy who is actually somewhat flabbergasted with the brat reflex said that demanding word with clear killing intent and anger.

"You really think you are the boss just because you manage to black that one weapon? I have much more on my waist and some on my breast inner pocket. The real-life battle is not as interesting as a duel between disciples you know?"

"...then~ Have you ever being pursued by someone who wants to dissect your entire body so that they can sell your eyes, liver, kidney, even your heart for money, all without considering whether you are dead or alive?"

"...Of course not. They would only kill me after all."

"Such a shame. Because being threatened by that kind of psychopath person is waaay scarier than being killed."

"What do you talking about?"

"Well, I have a plan C mister. Are you curious?"

"Eh? You have plan C Ling!?"

The guy who is clearly more cautious than before after even his attempted assassin being parried by a mere brat now completely surprised by what he heard. Tilting his head a bit and then narrowing his eyes toward every part of the boy's body, he absolutely sure that he carried nothing other than the small dagger on his current hand now.

'We are way too far from the road. Even if that brat "Call" another group other than us, probably they wouldn't be able to get here that far. In that case....' thought the guy with a bit of contemplation and then suddenly dash closer toward the boy without even saying anything, clearly wanting to finish Ling off as fast as possible.

"Heh..."

Yet, Ling who saw that didn't panic as if he already expect such a thing to happen, and when the guy become close enough, he then takes out something from his pocket.

*Swoosh

*Swishh!

With the thing being thrown right at his face, the guy unexpectedly manages to roll to the side, and that whatever it is that Ling used on him.

"Hah! I know you would do somethi---Damn brat! Where do you think you are going!!!"

The guy who just about to brag about his cleverness found that the thing that's thrown at him actually just a pebble and the brat actually already running away while carrying his senior brother, angering him so much that he reflexly throw another short dagger at Ling.

*Swoosh

*Clang!

Again, Ling manages to parry that dagger.

But this time, he didn't forget to pick it up while it still rotating in the air, and then continue running away. The guy who watches such a robbery right in front of his eyes unconsciously glance toward the short dagger he had thrown when he first attacked the brat.

There, nothing but ground with a little parting grass and a little slashed hole falls on his sight.

"YOU BRAT!!! YOU DARE STEALING THINGS FROM MEEE!!??"

Humiliation.

That's the first time he felt such a wrath-inducing one because, no matter what, he is still someone who practice cultivation. But, such a person actually being toyed and mocked by such a brat, and now the only thing on his mind was only one thing,

"I WILL KILL YOU!!"

As expected from an adult who is possessed by madness, he manages to get closer to Ling who is already running first within only a few seconds.

5 steps, 3 steps, and in no time, the guy now already right behind Ling, swinging his blade that he didn't intend to use at first but now have no hesitation to do.

"NOW!!!"

But, that shout became another humiliation for him.

Because of his clouded mind, he didn't spare a glance toward another boy on Ling's back, and the senior who was waiting for that signal thrown a powder right toward his face, fall clearly to his eyes.

"ARGHH!!"

Stinging and burning pain so much that he wanted to dig his eyes out make the guy unconsciously roaring in pain.

Yet, he didn't stop his motion at all, and the swing he blindly did...

*Swooosh

...slash nothing but the air because Ling already rolling down to the ground and manage to avoid it easily.

"Fiuh! Plan B success"

But this time, Ling didn't run away.

Taking the short dagger he just stole before after taking his senior down first, Ling then walks around the roaring and panicking guy calmly and soundlessly.

"DAMN BRAT!! JUST HOPE YOU MANAGE TO RUN FAR AWAY BEFORE I KILL YOU!!!!"

Narrowing his eyes, Ling then walks closer to him, closer and closer, before then throwing the dagger right toward the guy's stomach whose both hands still covering his face.

"UGH!!"

Feeling the stabbing on his stomach, the guy finally realizes that the cunning brat didn't run away but actually still around felt intense fear for a moment before then he thinks of nothing.

Because the guy who reflexly bend his body down after being stabbed on his stomach present his neck at the right height for Ling to jump a little and cut it cleanly in one swing.

*Swiiish

*Thud

"Y-y-y-you---Waaah!!!"

"No time to waste, let's run!!!"

The senior who witness such a gruesome spectacle already tearing up and almost shouts in fear but stopped in the middle because Ling whose cloth now became bloody didn't stop his motion, immediately carry up his senior brother and flee the scene.

Of course, the senior who is still young became somewhat scared of anything, whether a dead person or the killer that's currently protecting him with his own life on the line.

"Y-y-y-ou just killed a person you know!? And also, why did we run again even though he is already dead!??"

But, that senior still grit his teeth and ask the thing that confuses him because he feels a bit sorry and worries about his little junior brother, being tired after carrying and keep running around without rest.

"That is plan C, a powder that I prepared just in case, and I only have one. If the other guy above come and realize we manage to kill his companion, I don't know how to fight back---*Barf"

Ling, who want to convinced his senior that they are still in a dangerous situation suddenly couldn't force himself to calm down anymore and ended up throwing up, it all happening while he still on the run.

"Waah, Ling, are you okay!?"

"Ughh, I am not okay. It's the worse.", answer Ling, face clearly as white like a dead person.

Yet, he didn't stop his foot and disappear from that place.

...

"...Incredible. Not only bold and smart, but he is also cautious and fearless on top of very quick to take action, even though he vomited right afterward."

On the place where the headless corpse at, a certain chubby boy currently standing with hands clasped on his back, looking at where Ling departed to. Smiling mischievously, that boy, Dutten who glances a bit at the corpse then headed somewhere else, walking up to the mountain where the oak tree located.

"It is really such a shame. Why?? You are really...Well, no need to worry, I will help you."

With such a word, Dutten who just walking a few steps suddenly already far away from the places before then disappear completely under dark and the rustled trees.