New Foes? Or Friends?

Zhang Wei turned to depart, his back to the frail form lying on the ground. Yet, he halted, as if stayed by some unseen force. With a soft, resigned sigh, he pivoted and approached Shu Shu. Gently, he lifted the weakened youth onto his back, cradling him with an air of quiet solicitude.

Shu Shu, his vitality waning, his senses dulled, groaned feebly, the sound tinged with pain.

"Tch, what a burden," Zhang Wei murmured, his voice low and even, before proceeding onward, his footsteps measured and deliberate.

Shu Shu's eyes fluttered open, his vision hazy at first. As he widened his eyes, he found himself face to face with a young woman, her gaze piercing his. Their lips were mere inches apart, and Shu Shu's heart skipped a beat. He recoiled hastily, rolling onto his side.

Just then, an elderly woman entered the tent, carrying a steaming bowl of water. "Feng, do not disturb our guest," she chastised gently, setting the bowl down on the floor.

Feng, the young woman, looked up at her grandmother with a mischievous glint in her eye. "I was merely curious, Grandma," she said, her voice soft and melodious.

Feng stood up, her eyes sparkling with curiosity, and walked over to Shu Shu, who was still reeling from their unexpected encounter. She sat down beside him, a bright smile on her face.

"Tell me, what's your name? Where are you from? Who are you?" Feng's questions tumbled out in rapid succession, her giggles interspersed between each inquiry. "Do you have a woman? Want me to be your woman?" Her cheeks flushed with excitement, and she leaned in closer, her voice taking on a flirtatious tone. "You're so handsome... are you a prince?"

The word "prince" struck a chord within Shu Shu, and his eyes dropped, his expression clouding over. He remained silent, ignoring Feng's questions.

Feng's face fell, and her expression transformed into a pout. "Uh... are you going to ignore me? Do you know who I am around here? All the men are dying for me to be their woman, so who do you think you are?" Her voice rose, and Shu Shu turned to look at her, shaking his head with a sigh before turning away.

Feng's indignation boiled over, and she let out a loud "Uh!!!" Grandma Lu, sensing the escalating tension, intervened, smacking Feng with a robe. "Stop disturbing the guest!"

Feng's face reddened, and she let out a disgruntled groan. "Grandma Lu! Ah, ah!" Grandma Lu continued to scold her, snacking her with the robe until Feng stormed out of the tent, grumbling.

Grandma Lu turned to Shu Shu, a warm smile on her face.

"Are you hungry?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with kindness.

A middle-aged man, clad in a peasant's tattered hanfu, hastened to a tent, his footsteps urgent. He pushed open the tent entrance, breathing heavily. "Hey Xuan, this was not part of the deal," he exclaimed, his voice tinged with dismay. "You promised to protect me and my family, and now you allow Zhang Wei to bring in a stranger?" Tao's words spilled forth in a torrent, his concern evident.

Xuan, a middle-aged man with a dignified beard, looked up from his seat, his expression one of surprise. As the leader of the survivor team, his duty was to safeguard and guide his people out of the Realm of Void. "What?" Xuan asked, his tone incredulous, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Tao's face clouded, his voice dropping to a low, urgent tone. "Xuan, don't let me die, I'm warning you." With that, he turned and departed, leaving Xuan to ponder the gravity of his words.

Xuan's brow furrowed in contemplation as he pondered the stranger's presence. "Who is this enigmatic individual Zhang Wei has brought among us?" he wondered, his thoughts shrouded in uncertainty. "Does he come in peace, or does he harbor malicious intent? Perhaps he is a malevolent spirit, disguising itself as a mortal?" The weight of these questions settled heavily upon his heart.

Rising from his seated position, Xuan emerged from the tent, his gaze drawn upward to the sky. His breath caught in his throat as he beheld the unexpected sight. "Impossible," he whispered, his voice tinged with awe. "Why does the Heavenly Symbol appear in the desolate skies of the Realm of Void?"

As he stood there, lost in thought, a sense of foreboding crept over him. "What has Zhang Wei brought into our midst?" he mused, his eyes narrowing in concern.

The Heavenly Symbol hung suspended in the sky, its soft luminescence a stark contrast to the bleak surroundings. Xuan's eyes remained fixed upon the symbol, his mind grappling with the profound

implications of its appearance, the heavenly symbol slowly fades away as if it has acquired it's mission.