A GIRL..??

Ling Aotian landed on the snow with a heavy thud, his knees buckling slightly from exhaustion. Still,his fingers trembled as he reached for the concealed egg beneath the snow. He was in dire straits and he knew no one would come to save him. He knew from his memories and experience that there is no such thing as divine intervention, their is no warmth in this land, no sudden surges or what not.. just cold. The kind that seeped into bone.

He stared at the shapeshifters closing in, and for one brief moment, he considered fighting. He gave up on this endeavour. He knew he could not win. Racking his brain the girl's scream suddenly turned into a chuckle. "Found you," she said, her voice no longer panicked but cold and mocking. From her tone, it seemed that Ling Aotian had made quite a commotion when he had activated his movement skill. It was very likely that he has attracted these fiend's attention after they saw the egg in his hands.

The wolves— no, the shapeshifters landed around him, their bodies twisting mid-air as fur gave way to flesh, claws becoming fingers, and snouts morphing into pale, cruel faces with gleaming eyes. They stared at him, a whole moment without a single one talking. A dozen of them just looking at him,waiting to see Ling Aotian's next move.

"That egg belongs to us now," one of the shapeshifters said, he was a tall man with jagged scars running down his bare arms. "Hand it over and we'll make your death quick."

Ling Aotian didn't answer. His eyes darted between the girl, who now stood beside the scarred leader, while the ring of enemies tightening around him.

His lips curled in disdain. "So this is what the world's come to? Using little girls as bait… disguising yourselves as desperate prey…"

The girl laughed. "It works more often than not. You humans are all so predictable : 'heroes saving beauty ' and all that."

Ling Aotian did not frawn, his face not showing the slightest of emotion. There was no fear, no hatred, there was nothing. His expression was calm, too calm, making the shapeshifters raise their eyebrows in disbelief. Does this human have a trump card he can use..? Is that why he is too calm..?

While the shapeshifters hesitated to make a move, Ling Aotian was already secretly absorbing spiritual Qi. He was already circulating the spirit Jade refining technique as jade Qi formed in his Extrodinary meridians.

Then he saw the shapeshifters also circulate their Qi, a sign that they were about to transform to another form. Shapeshifters were a unique kind of spiritual beast, they had a sliver of a humans intelligence. They would trick humans every now and then to absorb their essence blood; a nutrient that allows the to evolve and unlock more of their bloodline abilities. Ling Aotian had guessed that they sensed the essence energy of the egg and they would not stop hunting him untill they got it. But he still remembered their unique trait, they were cowardly. If they knew they could not win, they would not approach.

He looked at them as their hesitation wained, slowly closing in as they slightly encircle him. Ling Aotian moved, it was now time.. " Time for my performance ..!"

A smile escaped his face, barely visible before being replaced by an expression of fear. The scarred shapeshifters smiled, finally seeing that expression that he loved so much. He knew that their prey was finally scared. He thought that this expression plastered itself after Ling Aotian thought of ways to escape but failed. And so his speed increased, wanting to devour the eggs essence as soon as possible.

Ling Aotian watched their movement as he pretended to be terrified. When the shapeshifters got close enough... He ran.

When he ran, his speed was slow. Ling Aotian used the snow to show of his pathetic self. He ran without grace, his movement a half stugger and a half stumble, letting out a scream of horror everytime a shapeshifters got close to them. His performance was truly topnotch. Restoring his jade Qi with every second as he ran on the snow.

Suddenly, the scarred shapeshifter leader accelerated with speed. He was testing whether Ling Aotian had a trump card or not. As soon as he got near him however, Ling Aotian was trembling with fear.." Take it..Just please spare this lowly one's life.. please..!" Ling Aotian even got to his knees. His voice cracking with sobs while his tears flowed like a fountain.

"Continue to run little human..! It's no fun if you don't ..!" Said the little girl who was once being chased.

Ling Aotian looked at her with disgust. He couldn't let this performance of his continue. His pride could not allow that. He, who had once stood with the peaks of this world was begging..? Even though it was just acting. He could not allow this to continue.

The scarred shapeshifter noticed the change in Ling Aotian's attitude, but it was too late. The little girl shapeshifter was already pouncing on Ling Aotian in her wolf form. Ready to tear him apart like tofu.

" No..stop !" The scarred man suddenly screamed, making the others have a weired expression on their face.

BVOOM !! A semicircle of fiery Qi blured all of their vision. An explosion following as Ling Aotian's hand waved horizontally to capture all shapeshifters in his attack. He let out a shout as he screamed .." Sun..blade explosion ..!!"

The little girl was now cripsed coarpse. Her body slowly turning to her original form, a figure with the head that resembles chimpanzee and a body that resembled a black cat. It was a weird sight.

" No wonder heaven gave you the ability to turn into other creature !!" Aotian spoke. His eyes though we're looking at the other shapeshifters. They were all dead, with their bodies slightly undamaged compared to that little fiend.

" Disgusting bunch!! I wonder how heaven tolerates your faces..! It truly is impartial..ha ..ha..ha ." He laughed with a mocking expression. His hands still holding on to the massive egg as he eyed the direction where these shapeshifters came from. " They must have a dwelling somewhere .."

***

Ling Aotian arrived at an isolated cave. It outer rim covered by a sheet of grass that almost misled him since the snow covered the grass as camophlage. Inside, it was actually warm,with a fire still raging, a welcomed surprise that made Aotian delighted. He placed the egg atop a thatch of grass and he himself lied down to rest. These last few days had been hard on him. He had slept of the cold snow Al night long. While it still wasn't enough to freeze him due to circulation of Qi, it was still uncomfortable. He slept for five hours, only waking up after he hard a loud cracking sound.

The egg. The egg was hatching. Ling Aotian watched the process with new found curiosity. He had always thought that this egg was to odd. But, who wouldn't ? It was a damn bear egg. Just what the actual fuck was that..?

Ling Aotian restated the campfire, adding wood to reignight the fire all the while keeping his eyes rooted in the egg.

The egg cracks became web-like. Putting suspense with every second it cracked. Ling Aotian was holding his breath, unconsciously excited to see what would come out of a bear's egg.

An hour later.. his brows forrowed. What he was seeing was just inconceivable..

A little hand came out of the egg.Then a leg, and another arm and finally, like water garshing out, a little girl of about five years cracked the whole egg open.

" What the actual fuck??"