Chapter 91: The Next Day

They had survived the night. Zen’s earlier foot injury had been worsened from last night’s battle. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, he could now feel the pain and could no longer walk, let alone stand.

He was now sitting, his back propped up against a tree. Xue Shaonu and Geyi Kun were inspecting his foot. Geyi Kun clicked her tongue in annoyance as she washed the blood.

“You must be very happy, Wang Zen.” Kun said.

“Why’s that?” he said.

“You have two pretty girls washing your feet.”

Zen looked away, “Well, I wouldn’t exactly say two.” He winced as Geyi Kun applied a little more pressure than necessary while cleaning the wound.

“Would you three stop playing around?” Cho shouted, looking at them. “Will he be able to walk or not?”

“The injury is bad,” Xue Shaonu reported, looking into Zen’s eyes who avoided her gaze by looking at his foot. “You really pushed yourself last night.”

“Is the kid weak?” Yang said as he rose to his feet. “I was injured,” he said showing off his bandaged arm, “and I’m still ready to go.”

“Your arm was injured, not your leg!” Xue Shaonu snapped.

“If he can’t walk, then all he will be is a burden.” Cho said, brandishing Zen’s sword. “If he is a burden, then he is one I will cut off.”

Zen clenched his hands in anger at being threatened with his father’s sword. He glared at a smug looking Cho before a pain brought his attention to Kun’s hand, which pressed against foot.

“Would you get your killing intent under control,” she hissed quietly.

Zen sighed and he looked at his cousin, Jao Cong, who sat a little away, looking at Zen with concern. Zen felt like a failure. He had failed to protect his comrades and if he was not injured, they could have ran away. He felt it was his fault that they were still hostages.

Geyi Kun opened her palm out to Cho. “May I have my storage stone please?”

Cho raised an eyebrow, “Why?”

“I have some medicinal herbs that may help.”

Cho dug out a few storage stones and stared at them in confusion.

“What’s wrong?” Xi, the female bandit, asked.

“I seem to have lost a storage stone.” He said, before looking at the three academy students. “I guess it was lost during the fight.” Which one is yours?”

Geyi Kun pointed her storage stone out and it was thrown to her. She summoned a small jar containing crushed medicinal herb in front of Cho before throwing the storage stone back to him. Kun took a bit of the red coloured herb. “Here,” she said as she fed him the herb. “Keep that in your mouth for a while and then spit it out after a few minutes.

“It makes my mouth tingle.” Zen said.

“That’s expected, considering it is a poison that causes paralyses.” Geyi Kun said dismissively.

“What?” Zen shouted before making to spit the herb out but Kun placed her hand over his mouth. “It won’t kill you, you idiot! I’ve only given you enough to numb the pain. Just make sure you spit it out as soon as you can no longer feel any pain in your injury.”

“Done!” Xue Shaonu said as she finished wrapping up Zen’s injured foot.

“Thank you, both of you.” Zen gritted his teeth and raised himself to his feet, much to the shock of both girls. He then began limping forward. “There, Cho. I am no one’s burden.”

Cho smirked as he looked at the limping boy.

“Wow, your herb works really well.” Xue Shaonu said as she looked at Zen’s back.

“The amount I gave him should only work in a few minutes.” Kun said. “That’s not the herb, that’s all Wang Zen.”

“Geyi Kun, today we’re going to escape.” Xue Shaonu whispered to the girl opposite her.

“How? We don’t have any chance, especially with Zen hurt.”

“We do. The storage stone Cho is missing, is my stone.”

“You stole it?” Kun was shocked.

Xue Shaonu shook her head no. “Zen did while he was fighting with Cho. I’m going to make my move but I’ll need your help. They’ll probably separate us and make sure we can’t communicate like before, so I need to tell you this now. When I make my move, make sure to protect Jao Cong and assist me when you can.”

Kun nodded.

Jao Fuu and Deng Ai walked through the forest. The snow began drifting from the sky.

“Great, just what we need, more snow.” Fuu grumbled.

“The unnatural warmth of this forest is starting to dissipate.” Deng Ai said. “I suspect the night tonight will be difficult to survive.”

“I better find my brother soon because I will make Zen pay for every cold night I spend out here.”

That’s when it happened. Jao Fuu saw it from the corner of her eye, a brown blur coming for her, and she knew she would be too slow to stop the beast’s claws, heading for her face!

There was another blur, and the puma was sliced before being kicked away.

Both Fuu and Ai watched in awe as Hue Yi, sheathed his short blades behind his back, looking at the dead cat. He turned to look at the two, each of their faces reflected off a lens of his spherical glasses.

“You two are quite the odd couple.” Hue Yi said.

“Oh no, we’re not a couple! Not yet! I mean we’ll never be… not that I wouldn’t…!” Deng Ai’s cheeks were growing redder with each word.

“Thank you for saving us,” Fuu said, silencing Deng Ai’s ramblings, who bowed in agreement.

“You two are from Goixi Academy.” Hue Yi said, noting the academy badge on Fuu’s left breast. “What are you doing here?”

“We’re looking for my brother, Jao Cong. He was dragged here by Wang Zen to look for the Snow Ram.”

“Wang Zen?” Hue Yi laughed a little while shaking his head. “Why am I not surprised?”

“You know him?” Fuu said.

“Sadly,” Hue Yi said before turning around. “You two can take the beast’s carcass, but I suggest you leave the forest. There are murderers here, so it’s not safe.”

“Okay, I slipped up once but I can handle the wild beasts…”

“I wasn’t talking about the beasts,” Hue Yi said. “I was talking about something even worse, opportunistic humans.” The older boy turned to leave.

“Wait! We can’t leave. My brother is somewhere in here and will need my help.” Fuu looked at Hue Yi pleadingly. “Please, can’t you help us? Can’t we work together?”

Hue Yi took a moment. “Fine, only for a while though. I have my own reasons for being in the forest.”