Hyunhei's Troubles

"Let's watch each other's back until then."

Hyunhei was suddenly reminded of the person he cherished before. Rushi often told the former Nianzhen that they would protect each other so no one could bully them. He said the exact same words to her.

Not long after, they heard some rustling noises in the bushes nearby. They quickly prepared themselves for a random battle. There was a strong gust of cold wind, which made Hyunhei's veiled hat fly off.

"M-My hat!" He tried to chase with his hat but accidentally tripped on a tree root.

"Hyun-Hyun, watch out!" Jingyi screamed from behind. Hyunhei was confused by the situation and eventually felt a heavy aura in front of him. He can't see it clearly due to the dense fog surrounding them. The only clue he got was a loud shrieking, and Jingyi was nowhere to be seen, though he could hear his fading scream. He tried to get up, but when he did, he felt uncomfortable and nauseous because of the foul smell. He can confirm that the thing before him is neither a beast nor a dark spirit but rather a demon. While beasts may smell foul because of blood or filthy secretion, spirits do not excrete any odor; they only give off a heavy aura.

Hyunhei noticed that his dagger was with Jingyi. When he was about to be pounced on by the demon, he muttered, "Am I going to die again without knowing my purpose?" He was about to cry when a man dressed in black appeared in front of him and cast an array that trapped the demon inside.

"Get up stupid, or are you waiting for your death?"

This man is so blunt and harsh, Hyunhei thought. He stood up despite the uneasiness and picked up his hat. The fog dispersed as he summoned fire in his hands, and Jingyi finally spotted him.

"My reckless brother, don't run off like that. I was so worried— huh? Who is this man?"

"I-I don't know—"

"What are you idling for? People should not wander around in places like this, especially if you cannot protect yourself from this feeble creature." The man finished off the demon with a powerful spell that made the array shrink and crush what was inside it. Hyunhei bowed slightly to express his gratitude.

"M-mister, we are indebted to your kindness—"

"Drop the formalities, and let's get going!"

Jingyi dragged him away from the scene as the negative energy increased in that area. The Gloomy Forest is home to such wild creatures, yet some unexpected visitors showed up to cause more trouble for the passersby. Luckily, the young Xin brothers only encountered minor difficulties before reaching the forest's exit. They believed the demons gathered up at the previous location because one of them got killed by a random dude.

The uneasy feeling from passing along the Gloomy Forest was lifted by the fresh autumn wind from the east, infused with the sweet floral scent of blooming chrysanthemums alongside the road. To lighten the mood, Hyunhei and Jingyi picked the best flower heads to use later. Likewise, they searched for an excellent spot to take a breather and consume the leftover meat buns.

After a few hours of walking, they finally reached the foot of Mt. Tianluo. The young Xin brothers wavered when they realized the Feng Huang Sect was at the mountain's peak. They cannot even catch a glimpse of any building from their position. They rested for a bit and continued their journey.

"Hyun-Hyun, that man gives off a dangerous vibe, but he seemed to be a cultivator."

"I agree. The array he made previously was awesome. I think it's somehow like this." Hyunhei cast his spell on the wild rooster nearby. His brother was at a loss. He could not believe what Hyunhei had just done.

"What the heck am I witnessing right now? Did you just make an array exactly like his by just observing it?" Hyunhei nodded at him with a confused look. "C-can you also do the crushing thing?" He nodded and flattened the poor rooster inside. "O dear heavens! What did I do to deserve such a talented brother like him?" Jingyi knelt down and attempted to kowtow, but Hyunhei prevented him from doing so. Their brotherly playfight lasted for half an hour before continuing their journey.

As soon as they caught sight of the sect's entrance, they saw several students heading in the same direction as theirs. Somehow, they felt at ease and spirited after their tiring journey. They were assisted by the senior disciples, who led them to their rooms to settle in. They were also provided food for the day and given some instructions to avoid unnecessary problems.

"We'll be sleeping peacefully at last!" Jingyi muttered as he stretched his back on the bed. Before sleeping, they decided to sneak out and clean themselves in the hot spring near the sect's premises. At first, Hyunhei was hesitant, but he was finally convinced when Jingyi pointed out his dirty hair and clothes. They still had a day before the exam, so they planned to visit their uncle before tomorrow's breakfast.

Jingyi fell asleep so soon, while Hyunhei still thought about the incident earlier. He didn't pay much attention to the details, but he sensed a familiar aura from the man in black. When he was about to sleep, a noise came from their stuff. He wanted to wake his brother up, but he was sound asleep. He carefully hopped out of bed and slowly walked toward the noise source. There's a little creature scavenging for his belongings. As soon as he realized that some of his leftover grilled fish was kept inside that bag, he grabbed the little thief with his hands and prevented it from escaping.

"Don't you dare steal my grilled fish! They're mine!" he whispered. The thing kept hissing and squirming, so Hyunhei decided to know what kind of creature it was. He murmured a spell, and a light floated beside them, illuminating the room. To his surprise, it was a weird, four-tailed white cat.