Chapter 37: Looking Back

It took some time for Xin to find his way back to the elephant; the darkness and the mindless state in which he had wandered from it were the cause. Still, in a way it was a way to delay the moment of meeting with Maha. Something he was afraid of because of shame.

Finally seeing the long horn of the beast shining in the moonlight and the light above it, he felt a mix of joy and anxiety. With these feelings, not quite opposite, he climbed upon that trunk and, keeping his balance, made a swift jump to the top. Then into the door and light.

"Hello." He said awkwardly and quietly, hoping she would be sleeping. Not for long, once he saw her eyes shining into his soul he remembered – night creature, right. Night creature but she kept the illuminating formation on. Why? For him to see the way.

Honestly, when people are too good to you, it hurts even more. He lowered his head and sat before her. Then raised it, remembering how they should communicate.

"Hello." Slow and indifferent.

"I see your point, I was paying too little attention to you, I'm sorry. And I am not saying that to insult you. I wasn't paying attention to you as a fellow... intelligent being. I treated you as a baggage. From now on it will be different."

"Thanks." Both for the words and for how she pretended nothing of that ran-away stuff has happened.

"I am glad you are well." She slightly nodded; her black hair touched the ground.

"I think we should start with what happened during the teleportation."

Several pictures surfaced in the Xin's head: a white fog, suddenly a black smoke, Ying Zheng vanishing and a palm going straight through him. And the painful crash afterward; his eyes slightly twitched.

"The process was intervened in, someone wished to transfer us to a particular room in the same Nexus. I'm not sure who, but he was strong, strong enough that I only managed to pull you out. Ying Zheng, sadly, no. I can not say where he is now, we can only hope that he is capable enough. That is also the answers your second question."

"Is he okay? Can he deal with that guy?"

While not the most pleasant person around, Xin could say he had a bad opinion of Ying Zheng. Even opposite, he saved his life, put him in danger, sure, but saved in the end. They were kind of friends.

"In a frontal confrontation, no. But whoever it was, he wasn't in his full strength, injured, and much more severely than I am. However, his base power is high, probably even at the Fourth Rank."

"That is also… the reason I am here. About the teleportation array misfiring – that has happened, just before, with me. I was making some researches in one old Nexus when suddenly the array activated and teleported me here; the nexus of Peninsula of Turtle Back should have been accessible only from local points. Seems like that being, or these beasts, or them cooperating changed it. At first, I was not sure of the exact reason; I was taken captive by Ying Zheng before I could check anything. I even though it was he who utilized the Nexus, giving how eager he is to gain Light Cultivation Technique."

"But, if you and Ying Zheng were there before, why haven't you noticed all the beasts?"

"The Nexus is large, seems like I had the luck to appear in a rather unclaimed part of it."

Now the backstory of the whole deal became clear. A lot of coincidences, Xin though, from Ying Zheng and Maha being near in the moment of teleportation and how the animals were far from them. Maybe there was some deeper explanation, or maybe, well, luck.

"Now you wish to know what the current plan is."

Xin almost nodded but kept his sight straight.

"You should know that I am not planning to break my deal with Ying Zheng, or you. However, right now we have little choice. While they treat us well, essentially, we are captives. I do not know what the king of beasts, that blue wolf, wants from us; he's very careful about it as if there is a high chance I may refuse. But seeing his temperament, once that really happen, he, no doubt, will start using more violent methods."

"Really?" Xin wondered about it.

"Yes, do you remember…"

"Knock-Knock-Knock!"

Shivered their door.

"You can enter." Said a hoarse but calm voice and a grey wolf, leaning, stepped in. First, he felt a gust of wind. The female demon, cross-legged, was staring at the moon in the window. He does it too sometimes. Ha. The boy-demon was also sitting to the side, doing something with the formation on the floor.

"Sorry for disturbing."

Said Mo Guang.

"The Emperor wishes to see you."

Two pairs of shining eyes concentrated on him.

"Very well, lead us." Said the female and stood up. The boy followed her and closed the door.

…

Just how Xin expected, the night camp of beasts was distinctly different from, how he imagined it, was human's army camp. Bonfires were rare and far between, the night was dark, sounds were rare but loud; as if he was walking in a forest. Well, he was. Just a bit more populous. From the size and shape of the dark shadows blinking at the corner of his eyes, he was sure that different kinds of beasts were living separately from each other.

He saw several monkeys in the moonlight on one tree and a bunch birds on the other, far, far away, with sentinels on the trees between monitoring the monkeys.

How was that supposed to be an army? High chance they will clash together once the battle starts. How that supposed to be a kingdom in the first place?

Feeling doubtful, he jumped over another bush and finally saw the residence of the Emperor of Mo.

He was, just like the grey wolf, more human-like in his approach. Just a regular, but a lavish tent. Half-transparent, so he could see shadows blinking inside.

Mo Guang escorted them up the entrance and then stopped.

"I was ordered to stay here." He said with his stare on the tent.

"When you will finish, I will lead you back. Now, enter." He lifted the curtain.

Maha nodded to him and walked in, Xin closely behind. Then the curtain slowly fell back.

The tent was large and white. Both the fabric of walls, the color of carpets, of furniture, of illuminating formations. White world, like a plain in a winter, when tight clouds cover the sky. A funny though appeared in the Xin's mind: he blends there well.

"Come here, come here." Said a gentle voice from another curtain. Xin and Maha looked at each other and went in. First, the boy felt a mouth-watering aroma. He saw a vaster space, with a long table and at least dozen chairs around it. And only one was taken; the blue wolf in a blue gown was sitting in the middle chair, Xin counted. The table itself was laid with many steaming, meat dishes. And strangely, a locked little chest in front of the wolf.

"Sit, please."

He said with a smile on his face.

Xin was unsure where exactly, however, Maha walked to the left and sat directly against the wolf. Xin, after a moment of hesitation, took the chair next to her.

"Hello, my guests." Sais the wolf, but Xin had a hard time hearing him. All his attention was on the baked ham before him. These days he was mostly feeding on whatever berries and edible plants and mushrooms he could find. Needless to say, not the most healthy or pleasant diet. However, he couldn't hunt, right?

Now, seeing an actual food his stomach was about to start a rebellion.

"Oh, you must be surprised. Sorry, I forgot your kind needless of food. I was so worried about the meeting, you see, that it left my head."

"Doesn't matter." Said Maha and lightly patted Xin's shoulder. He jolted and shook his head.

"Well, now about the reason for our meeting…"