A Trial by Halves

Just One More Sacrifice

Though her one question had gone unanswered. And that was why the fungal grass wasn't just destroyed rather than left under the protection of four beasts that would only draw the brave and stupid to try their luck which is exactly what had happened. Thousands of lives had been lost to those beasts in the hope that the fungal grass could be won. Whether for legitimate reasons, or just for the thrill of being able to beat them.

And it went unanswered because Mo Yuan couldn't answer it. It joined one more list of long questions as to why such things existed in their world and none more so than Zhutian Terrace and even the Bell of East Emperor.

But her mind eventually settled on Ye Hua and it was there that it stayed as she quietly slipped out the front entrance with the excuse of getttng a little fresh air. She went unnoticed because her parents were fully enraptured by Er Lis tales of fun filled days on Kunlun Mountain, in fact, not even Mi Gu noticed her leave having also lost himself to the childs happy laughter, though had he looked up seconds before she passed through the entrance, he would have noticed the battle armour that briefly came into view as the hem of her dress flicked up as she turned the corner.

Passing through the main entrance without anything to delay her, she was then on a cloud and heading for Yingzhou island where the Heavenly beasts had been in seclusion since the death of Mo Yuan and Ye Huas father. It was mid afternoon and though the sun was shining, the mists still hung heavily in the air which only increased her apprehension as she landed as silently as possible.

Though her foot falls echoed loudly off the stone strewn beach and instantly killing the deathly silence that met her. She imagined those beasts could even hear her fear as she made her way towards the only cave on the island which suprisingly had a set of steps built into the entrance way, as if purposely provoking anyone stupid enough to visit.

She could not see them from outside the cave, but she could certainly feel them. Their energy was so powerful that she could feel herself choking on it the closer to them she got and she knew that if she didn't calm herself down, she was as good as dead.

Allowing herself a few minutes of deep breathing and quiet contemplation on the reason why she was there, she then took one long drawn out breath before proceeding up the steps and onto the short platform before delving to the left. She didn't have much time owing her, because she knew that Shifu would not be far away. Having left him to gather the soul lamp as well as Ye Huas body before he made his way to Yingzhou Island for the fungal grass, she wasted no more time thinking.

Instead she allowed the fear to sit comfortably in the pit of her stomach. This was a war strategy lesson she had been taught under her Shifu. In fact, the old war lessons were coming back thick and fast. Being fearless was not what won battles, rather it was knowing how to utilize the fear that would save her life. Fear forced every active sense to heighten. Sight, sound, touch, scent, they were all opened along with her inner fox energy which allowed her to see in the dark. To enter any war without fear, one became reckless and made mistakes. And fear was what she had a very healthy dose of which she was still pushing down into her belly when the first rumbling from the cave hit her.

She knew there was a magical boundary that kept them inside the cave, and though one could enter, the trick was staying alive long enough to leave again and no sooner had she passed over that boundary, then the rumbling sound suddenly began to shake the ground she was walking on.

Her heightened senses screamed out in agony while the fear in her belly grew stronger the closer she got to them, until eventually she not only found herself inside the main cavern which was barely lit, but two of the beasts were already in view as her sword erupted from her fan which she had thankfully been able to summon back to her having thought she had lost it.