Legend of The Young Master

Chapter 130: Terror

Wuyi nodded at his beastmaster. These debates and interactions with Jin were the reasons why Wuyi valued this beastmaster so much. Unlike Yun Ming, who was inconsiderate and direct, Jin comparably had more intellect and empathy.

"You possess considerable mystical knowledge," Wuyi acknowledged.

Jin shook his head, his eyes scanning the forest. "I sense we've disrupted some equilibrium by coming here," he said, disregarding the praise.

"All the more reason to press on," Wuyi declared. "We're not in the business of hunting demonic beast or cultivators, Jin. We want to hunt the beast that killed the elder. I took payment for that."

Jin hesitated. "Young Master," he began, then looked away. "You possess your own mystical arts, don't you?"

Wuyi sighed. He knew what Jin was asking about. He was asking if Wuyi cultivated any Qi that is frowned upon, for example, his shadow Qi. He was being subtle about it, calling it mystical arts instead of demonic Qi.

"Yes," he admitted, " But I think you misunderstand if you believe I am experimenting with demonic cultivation. The truth is, it's my noble bloodline. I believe you know more than anyone how potent a bloodline ability can be, don't you?"

"Hmm," Jin murmured, noncommittally. "Now that I've excluded the... the demonic cultivator from my spiritual focus, I can concentrate on the other killer of the elder."

He paused, visibly unnerved. "They seemed interconnected, at least to my perception."

Wuyi studied his beastmaster. "Why do you think someone eliminated this demonic cultivator, Jin?"

Jin shook his head, offering no answer.

"A demonic cultivator aids a mythical beast in slaying an elder. Then, another individual kills him," Wuyi mused. Suddenly, a chill seeped through his cloak and into his chest; he had just received feedback of something staring at them.

He steadied himself, scanning the surroundings. "I have a feeling we're being observed."

Jin nodded in agreement.

"How long has the demonic cultivator been deceased?" Wuyi inquired.

"Two days," Jin replied, his conviction unwavering, as would be expected of the righteous Jin.

Wuyi stroked his chin thoughtfully. "It doesn't add up," he concluded.

They returned to the path, and Jin hesitated before leading them westward.

"The white stag was an omen," Jin declared. "It signifies that the Heavens are with us, guiding our path."

Wuyi looked at his beastmaster with a paternal expression, realizing how peculiar it was given that Jin was decades older than him.

"The stag is a being of the Untamed Wild, just like the Flying Serpent. It revealed itself to us because the dead warrior had spirit stones. The beast, being a lower spirit beast, must be trying to find the source of Qi. It did not come to show us a sign from heaven," Wuyi speculated. "If we want to ponder, we should consider how the meat of that spirit beast would taste."

Jin frowned. He truly believed the stag was an omen, and he felt Wuyi making jokes about it was in bad taste.

"Heavens have been good to you, young master. They gave you a good life, a noble title, and a strong bloodline ability, yet you deny the existence of the heavens and their righteousness!" Jin exclaimed, more as an accusation than a question.

Wuyi kept his eyes on the forest. "Not in the least, Jin. Not in the least."

The trail narrowed suddenly, stifling their conversation. Jin kept the lead, occasionally glancing back at Wuyi as if inviting him to continue speaking. Wuyi gestured for them to proceed in silence.

After a few moments, Jin raised his hand and dismounted, performing his spiritual ritual. The talismanic stick he held snapped in half.

"By the Sacred Guardians," Jin uttered, his voice quivering. "Young Master, the entity is in our immediate vicinity."

Wuyi backed his horse away to clear space from Jin's steed and then retrieved his sword.

Jin readied his repeating crossbow, his eyes widening as he set the bolt in place.

Wuyi focused his senses, listened, and tried to sense the creature through the statue of harmony. The feedback wasn't the highest, but it was there, and he could feel it. And he knew, with a sudden clarity, that the creature could feel him too. The resonance was faint, yet unmistakable.

Wuyi cautiously maneuvered his horse. They were atop a steep embankment overlooking a swollen creek below. He noticed the pathway that led across the water.

On the side facing the fortress, the terrain descended gently before rising sharply along the ridge they had just traversed. Wuyi observed that the ridge was strewn with massive boulders—some large enough to conceal a carriage, others so enormous that trees sprouted from their summits.

"I fear I may have acted impulsively," Wuyi began.

The distinct sound of Jin's crossbow locking into firing position interrupted him. Wuyi's gaze fixed on a colossal boulder, as large as a prosperous farmer's residence. A misty vapor hovered above it, resembling smoke from a hearth.

"It's right there," Wuyi said, without turning his head.

"May the Sacred Guardians protect us in this perilous moment," Jin murmured, clasping his talisman.

Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, Wuyi surveyed the challenging landscape before them—dense with underbrush, fallen timber, and patches of snow. It was treacherous ground for a horse to navigate, especially in combat. Worse, he wasn't riding his battle-hardened spirit beast, Haruki, but rather a horse untested in battle.

And he wasn't clad in his finest armor.

"I've been foolish," he thought to himself.

"Young Master," Jin said, his voice steady as a rock, "I sense another presence. This is my doing."

"Is the creature we're after among them?" Wuyi inquired, maintaining a composed demeanor. Despite the looming confrontation with an enigmatic beast, he took pride in his gentlemanly conduct.

Jin, ever the courageous one, responded, "The entity up the slope is our target. By the sacred heavens, Young Master, what are these beings?"

"Stay close," Wuyi instructed. "You're the beastmaster here, Jin. What are we dealing with?"

Guiding his horse forward, Wuyi led the way down the western trail. Jin followed closely, so near that Wuyi could feel the warmth emanating from his horse. As they descended the steep bank toward the stream, the sounds of unsettling movement reached their ears.

Wuyi's horse leapt across the stream in a single bound, its terror palpable. He too felt a surge of fear but suppressed it. They trotted forward a few yards; his horse was eager to flee.