Legend of The Young Master

Chapter 140: Army

Wuyi recognized that he had become too reliant on his followers; he couldn't even start a fire on his own. This was a vulnerability he needed to address, perhaps by learning a Qi skill related to fire manipulation.

The forest seemed to teem with wild creatures, demons, and other beings he had never even imagined. The Statue of Harmony kept sending him constant feedback.

What have I gotten myself into? he wondered. Had he become too comfortable for his own good? Had his cheat and powers made him too complacent? Here he was in a forest full of demonics and strange beings, feeling no fear or concern. Maybe some fear was there.

This time while preparing the fire, he prepared a small nest of dry tow and birch bark shreds. He asked Valor for help, and one of his fingers turned extremely red. He brought the finger close to a charred cloth; smoke started coming out of the cloth. He dropped it into the prepared nest and blew gently. The fire ignited.

He carefully added twigs to the fire until it was stable, then constructed a small cabin-like structure with the dry wood he had split earlier. He felt a sense of pride looking at the fire he had built.

Jin approached and warmed his hands by the fire, then he wound his crossbow.

"Rest, Young Master," he said. "You go first."

Wuyi wanted to engage in conversation, to ponder over things, but felt it was a good idea to get some rest. The strain of summoning the Red Daoist, plus the drunken stupor of the previous night, had taken a toll. He did not know what situation they might come across at night, so he should get as much rest as possible.

Just as he was about to drift off, he heard Jin shift. Instantly, Wuyi was alert, sword in hand. Jin's wide eyes met his in the flickering firelight. Sometimes, to Wuyi, Jin seemed more frightening than the demonics.

"We need to shift that head; it's unsettling. Even the horse is uneasy," he explained.

Wuyi assisted in relocating the head. As a Qi master, Wuyi had great resistance to cold and heat, but he felt cold for some reason. A potent presence seemed to lurk nearby. Perhaps lighting a fire and venturing into the forest with only one companion had been very unwise choices.

Entering the sacred chamber, Wuyi uttered, "Tegite nos." He felt drained; he was asking the Statue of Shadow not just to hide him but also Jin and their whole camp.

"Young Master?" Jin's voice, tinged with concern, broke the silence.

"What is it?" Wuyi responded softly.

"The stars have disappeared," Jin noted.

"I cast a minor concealment charm around us," Wuyi explained, shaking his head. "Maybe I didn't do it right."

Jin grunted in response.

"We should distance ourselves from the head of the demonic," Wuyi suggested.

The thought of battle or summoning again made him wary; even if he did not spend a lot of energy, it did make him physically tired.

Rising to their feet, they clumsily made their way through the forest, stumbling over roots as they returned to their modest fire.

"I need to rest," Wuyi declared.

Jin gestured vaguely in the darkness, which Wuyi took as agreement. As soon as his head touched the ground, he fell into a deep sleep. The Statue of Harmony would alert him if any danger arose; oddly, using the Statue of Harmony never seemed to tire him like Valor and Shadow. But then again, he could never summon this statue in and out like Valor and Shadow.

While he was in deep sleep, he was jerked awake by the Statue of Harmony. Waking, he heard the sound of hooves—or perhaps claws. Whatever it was, he couldn't see it. The fire had died, and the night was pitch black. Yet, something large was moving nearby, maybe just within reach.

Jin stood close. Wuyi placed a hand on his shoulder, steadying them both in the unsettling darkness.

Crunch.

Crack.

Click.

And then the sound moved away, descending the hill toward the road. After what felt like an eternity, Jin spoke, "It didn't detect us, neither by sight nor smell."

Wuyi sighed, thanking the Statue of Shadow in his mind.

"It's my turn to keep watch," Wuyi announced.

Within ten minutes, Jin was fast asleep. Wuyi gazed into the abyss of the night, circulating Qi of the Statue of Light. His heartbeat steadied, and his fatigue seemed to dissipate.

Outside the protective sphere of the Statue of Shadow's spell, the night crawled by. But eventually, the first hints of dawn tinged the eastern horizon. Wuyi gently woke Jin. Both were alert and armed when Wuyi dispelled the effects of the statue. They found their horses and the head, undisturbed.

Around the perimeter of their makeshift camp, a series of deep, clawed tracks marred the forest floor.

Jin's eyes widened, and Wuyi watched as he traced the tracks.

"Are we inviting trouble, Jin?" Wuyi inquired, trailing a few steps behind.

Jin turned and gestured to the ground. When Wuyi caught up, he saw multiple sets of tracks—perhaps from three or four creatures.

"See, these are similar to what your Dao protector fought. Here's one set moving slowly, and these two are moving quickly. They pause here, probably sniffing," Jin explained.

Driven by a dangerous curiosity, they continued to follow the tracks. Ten steps later, they found eight or ten sets of prints. Another ten steps, and—

"By the Righteous Spirits and all the Heavens!" Jin exclaimed. Wuyi could only nod in agreement.

They found themselves overlooking a ravine, wide enough for two carts to pass side by side and slightly deeper than a mounted man's height. The ravine stretched from the west to the east, its base devoid of any shrubs or weeds, resembling a pathway.

The entire area was a chaotic mix of disturbed soil and footprints. "This looks like an army's doing!" Jin exclaimed.

"We need to get moving," Wuyi declared, quickly heading back to their makeshift camp to gather their belongings and saddle their weary horses.