They speculated a monster was sealed in a circular formation that ended life in its vicinity for viridescent thorn-laden vines had conquered all but the round black rock at the centre, where “he” sat. Owing to its purported ability to spawn lotuses with each step and survive off wild berries, grass and dew, some people revered it as a spiritual entity of nature, while some sought out demon slayers to subdue it. As the days went by, less and less people mentioned it, treating it as a bygone myth. In truth, the “monster” had yet to leave the dense forest.
His jacked physique that set the contours of his black robes proved he had trained arduously for an extensive length of time, yet, despite having commuted along this old path hundreds of times already, it still evoked as much trepidation as his first time. His fear didn’t stem from the fear of nature preying on him; his fear stemmed from the aura the large man inside imposed.
“Where… is it?”
As soon as the blaring voice from atop the black rock hit his eardrums, the visitor had to churn energy to sustain self-awareness in spite of them practicing the same discipline.
“My Lord, I have sent men to find him. The slippery kid has yet to show himself, unfortunately.”
“… Why don’t you have all the followers go after him?” Unlike the rumours of him being some monster, he could articulate himself coherently.
“Yan Shisan seems to have grown suspicious of something. He has ordered his subordinates to keep an eye on Three Gorges Dam. We are forced to remain covert in order to not reveal the incredible skills you bestowed us. Therefore…”
“Excuses.” The moment the man on the rock opened his eyes was akin to springing a lethal trap. The ratio of white to black in his eyes was so skewered that he resembled a savage without pupils. “So what if Yan Shisan is getting involved? The skills I imparted to you are enough for you to rule the pugilistic world. Why can’t you tell me what you’re hiding? Have you forgotten the oath you swore in my presence?”
His visitor bowed until his torso was parallel to the ground. “I beg your pardon, My Lord! I dare not withhold information from you. It is just, before you complete your training… the situation is difficult to keep under control… Please rest assured, My Lord. I will definitely bring it back for you to become the greatest warrior under and above heaven!”
“… The greatest warrior under and above heaven,” muttered the man on the rock. “… The greatest warrior under and above heaven!”
The sudden shout almost knocked the visitor out. “According to our latest intel, he somehow figured out the importance of shengyin blood, so he did not take the bait. That said, he is no match for our followers in combat. We will apprehend him aboard the ship. At present, they should be in Yichang.”
The visitor exited the forest some time later, where a group of approximately a hundred men in brown robes attired in robes identical to his design showed up.
“My Liege, what are Lord Miguo’s orders?”
Lacking the same confidence as before, the man who visited Lord Miguo replied, “Yan Shisan is pushing his luck. Our orders are to show him where he belongs. We should’ve captured Hua Feihua by now. Use any means necessary to make him talk. We must obtain it for Lord Miguo. Lord Miguo shall be the greatest warrior under and above heaven!”
***
“Hey…”
“Don’t talk to me.”
“Uh…”
“Don’t talk to me, either.”
Hua Qing and Su Li felt stupid after the long conversation last night with Ming Feizhen more than any other emotion. At this point, they didn’t want to experience any more negative emotions.
Ming Feizhen scrubbed his head, unsure of what to do: This is what I get for being honest? I wouldn’t have been so honest if it was somebody else asking.
“I left the mountain to make money and find a wife. Why won’t you listen?” Ming Feizhen mumbled under his breath. He didn’t speak loudly as the passengers had come to.
The passengers didn’t remember anything once they woke up or why they fell asleep without rhyme or reason, but they were starving. When the kitchen staff went to prepare food, though, they thought a ghost was on board since there wasn’t any food left. If that wasn’t spooky enough, the sudden disappearance of the story teller, Ma Hanshan and Wei Changfeng did the job.
Everybody on board was convinced the trio’s disappearance was linked to some grudge between people in the pugilistic world. They just didn’t mention it or question it to avoid putting a bulls eye on themselves.
Thanks to all the mess, nobody paid attention to the beggar who suddenly joined Su Li’s group.
