Yezun's Group
"They are heading toward us but...." Yezun says but he pauses from sprinting a moment making other three behind him halt before him, sprinting just as fast as him.
"But what?" Da Quing ask, huffing for air.
Since they have entered, they have been on high-speed run and fighting demons, monsters and ghost alike along the way. They didn't even stop for break at all. The only moment their feet seems to stop moving, though short, is when they were surrounded by hoard of demons.
In their group, all are them have good stamina to keep up with running and fighting except Guo who is now being drag alone grumpy Chu. The distance limited Chu had put on Guo at the beginning came to be very useful because if not constant tug and pull of string, they would of have left Guo a long time ago without realizing.
"I feel demon's auras with them and a human as well." Yezun describes as he widens his sensing into the demon's auras and abruptly retract his energies with a shock expression.
"What's wrong, my lord? Are they in danger?" Da Quing ask, panicking that his both didis is in big danger.
"No.... I don't think so... I mean she could of have them killed a long time ago if she wishes to." Yezun said, puzzled himself.
"What do you mean by that? Do you know this demon then?" Chu asks now and Guo is shivering in fear for this geges.
"I do know her. You won't believe me who is she... But it looks like she is leading Yunlan and Wei toward exit intentionally, but I don't know why." Yezun honestly confesses.
"Who is she then?" Guo Changcheng ask.
"Zhu Hong, the queen of all demons in this forest." Yezun said making others gulp down their saliva.
"A Demons' Qu-een?!" Guo squeal in unbelieving tone making Yezun sighs... See I told you guys won't believe me when I tell you...
"And how did you make such acquaintance, darling?" Da Quing ask, but something is off in his tone, making Chu and Guo look at him, but not Yezun.
"Kitten, don't be jealous of her. We only met when I was lost in this forest. And trust me, we don't share positive opinion of each other. The first time we met, she was trying to eat me alive!" Yezun said with distaste making Da Quing calm down.
"But I heard that she is sexist demon that can seduces anyone...?" Da Quing said with pout making Yezun chuckle at his jealous wife.
"Kitten, you know that no one is sexier than you for me, right~~ Suppose I prove it to you just how sexy I find your body on my bed, hmm?" Yezun whispers almost purring with lusty voice making poor Da Quing turn red, and poor Gou is also red because he just now got what they are talking about, and Chu...well, still dead zombie I suppose... and impatient one at that.
"Ahem!" Chu clears his throat bring the couples back to their pressing situation.
"Er--- We could wait for them here for them to run into us or we can pursue them ahead. What do you guys want?" Yezun ask, now serious again.
"Time differences between those two options?" Chu asks back with frown between his grumpy face.
"Not much, just about 10 minutes differences." Yezun answers with a shrug.
"My lord, I want to pursue them. I'm worried about them. What if other demon surrounds them? I want to be there to help if needed." Da Quing requests and worries is clearly shown in his green sparking eyes making Yezun understand.
"Well, you heard my wife! Mother-hun has spoken so we pursue. Anyone want to object?" Yezun question, although it just pretense since no one can go against his order, not that they want too anyway. They are as worried about Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan as Da Quing, maybe less expressive as Da Quing.
"Our leader sure love Da Ge." Guo happily whispers to Chu, but Yezun and Da Quing hear it, nevertheless.
"That because I made it my principle to never go against my wife if I want to be well fed and sleep in the bed for good night rest." Yezun whispers back to Guo who is giggling now, Chu rolling his eyes and Da Quing just sigh... looking at his playful husband.
"Can we go now?" Da Quing break up their conversation and they start going toward the other group.
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Shen Wei's Group
"Guys, we have company, a major one." Zhu Hong coldly said making others alert.
Just right on queue, the ground starts to shake like an earthquake but it's not earthquake. It's like something is moving below ground in large number and fast.
"What's going on?" Yunlan ask worriedly and make his hold onto Shen Wei tighter protectively, so they don't fall.
"They are coming from underground. I'm afraid we all will have a hard time fighting them." Zhu Hong admits worriedly while looking at Shen Wei.
"Why? I thought everyone in this forest is scare of you?" Lin Jing innocently asks.
"Yes, but that is only hold true for above ground creatures which is under my control. What is coming now is lièhuǒ. They are residence of wrath of fire underground. They are deadly poisonous, vicious with their attack. They don't possess understanding or emotions. The only thing they know is bloodthirst and think with their stomach, especially for strong power. They don't usually come above ground... Hey Shen Wei, who are you really? How come your power even awaken lièhuǒ? Lièhuǒ are known to be territorial to their domain and quite powerful to begin with. It's rare for them to be crazed with power awakening like creatures above ground" Zhu Hong asks Shen Wei who is silent.
"I'm sorry... I don't know either. I just found out that I'm half Tengu and human...." Shen Wei guilty apologize to others.
"Shen, it's okay. It's not your fault anyway. If anyone to blame, it's me. You guys came here to look for me, didn't you? So, thank you for coming to my aid, even though we only knew each other not that long ago." Lin Jing sincerely expresses his feeling toward Shen Wei with soft smile.
"Xiao Wei, your friend is right. You are not to blame. I knew your secret, but I failed to know about this forest. Besides, your power is not supposed to be awaken until you turn 18, so I don't understand why your power awaken earlier...I'm sorry for dragging you into danger." Yunlan also soothe guilty Shen Wei.
"*Sigh! * You idiots, calm down! I'm not blaming anyone here. I'm just curious is all. I just never experience this before. Besides, we must fight them with full strength! Yunlan, I assume you know how to use your power?" Hong asks and Yunlan nods.
"How about you, Shen Wei?" Hong asks Shen Wei.
"I don't know..." Shen Wei admits.
"Wait! We can't have him use his power! It will only drag more demons toward us!" Yunlan protest.
"Look, Yunlan. I'm sure you are worrying about your lover. But there is no point anymore. If we don't use power, nobody is getting out from here alive. Besides, demons, monsters and ghost above ground already retreating to their domain now since I'm sure they already sense lièhuǒ are coming." Hong explains.
"Shit!" Yunlan curse under his breath and look at Shen Wei worriedly.
"But how can he fight with his condition?" Lin Jing points out because Shen Wei is still staggering from his wounds.
"Can you heal yourself?" Hong asks but Shen Wei just give her innocent blinking eyes.
"Do you know anything about your power?" Hong asks again but her impatient is thinning.
"Oh right! Xiao Wei, remember that I recover from miasma affect? I think you can do the same for yourself!" Yunlan excitedly proposes to unconvinced Shen Wei.
"Ah Lan... I thought you were bluffing before? How can I heal you when I don't even know my own power?" Shen Wei states matter-of-factly.
"Xiao Wei, I think I know how it works. Can you do as I request?" Yunlan ask instead of indulging his Wei's smart mouth.
"Okay." Shen Wei weirdly said making Yunlan preen.
"Do you remember I ask you to determinedly wish that I would be fully recover?" Yunlan ask and Shen Wei nod.
"Just do the same but this time, I want you to wish for you to heal yourself from your injuries." Yunlan directs.
But Shen Wei is still skeptical that it will work but looking at Yunlan's pleading eyes, he sigh and decides to give a shot. After all, it's not like they have many other options right now.
"Okay. But please step back from me first. I don't know how all these works, so I don't want to accidentally hurt any of you." Shen Wei requests and other three steps aside from him.
Please... power that residing inside me, help me heal my injuries so I can help my Ah Lan and other's fight... please work ... work. their lives depend on it!
*Gleaming red light spark out from Shen Wei Body*
Shen Wei keeps wishing and wishing while keeping his eyes close in concentration that he didn't notice his body glowing again but this time, the power that surrounding him is blazing red, not beautiful sparking blue and blacks. The power is hot, really hot that Zhao Yunlan, Lin Jing and Zhu Hong step further away from Shen Wei.
"What the--- " Zhu Hong said in surprise and Yunlan is worried because its different from when Shen Wei healed him while Lin Jing is mesmerized by the power display.
Shen Wei could feel his bone reattaching itself with crackling sounds inside him, open fleshes are closing on itself making his breathing become easier and he could feel his fatigue is going down at rapid pace. After couple minutes, he slowly opens his eyes when he felt he is healed since all the actions inside his body ease its actions.
The moment his body is healed, the red blazing aura surround his body start to fade its bold color and eventually disappeared altogether. Shen Wei could feel that power is burning through his every single vine like hot lava, hot and boiling but it doesn't give him uncomfortable feeling. It's like it always had been like that from the beginning.
"Ah Lan! I'm healed!" Shen Wei happily said while moving around, twist and turn his body and pat his ribs to feel any pain but found nothing. The moment the red blazing is gone, Yunlan didn't wait for another second to collect his Xiao Wei into his tight embrace.
"Ah Lan? What's wrong?" Shen Wei asks worriedly
"Nothing ...Xiao Wei. I'm just happy that you are okay." Yunlan said while releasing sighs.
"Guys, they are here!" Zhu Hong shouts making them alert of oncoming predators.
Just like that, earth shake more, and ground break apart and deformed creature pop out from broken ground one after one like ants. And they are so fast on its four limps running and in matter of minutes, they already surround the groups.
The lièhuǒ are skinless, hairless, have a feature like large dog but much larger with long and boney legs and hands. The skull has huge hole like the brain fall off from human skull with huge mouth. No one can tell if the creature has eyes or not, but they sure know where they are going.
All of them are howling in unison with its big mouth and took predatory stand as if it about to leap onto action to catch their prey.
The ground that was originally filled with trees and greenery with large trees, bushes and other plans became a desert, dried out land with many cracks in the ground creating dust storm from lièhuǒs running around.
"What kind of hideous monsters is that?!" Lin Jing screeched behind Zhu Hong who is shielding him, and Zhao Yunlan is doing the same, but Shen Wei is not going to let others save him.
"Everyone! Don't leave the group. And make sure to not get close to them. Their bodies are poisonous!" Zhu Hong warns them, and they create a group in middle of hordes of lièhuǒs with their back touching each other's, facing lièhuǒs.
Just when lièhuǒs are about to jump toward the group all at once making them panic but they stop in midair, frozen in place shocking the group greatly.
"You dared to lay your filthy claws on them, then you must be tired of living!!" A deadly voice echoes through the place leaving prickling shock wave of energies along with it. Just in instant, all lièhuǒs burns into dust and disappeared leaving the group shock frozen.
When they are back to senses again, they are looking around to find the voice and sees blazing red butterflies surround a beautiful figure with red robe with long silver hair. There also some sort of smoke covering the half of its body. Two out of four recognized their lives savior, and other two are mesmerized by the intimidating beauty.
"Leader!" Zhao Yunlan shouts like a kid seeing Yezun there and shortly after, Da Quing comes running behind Yezun and past Yezun who is smirking at the group and crashes both Yunlan and Wei into very tight hug.
"Da Ge. We are okay." Both Yunlan and Shen Wei say sweetly making Da Quing's limp boneless.
"Glad...so glad... to see you guys again." Da Quing finally chokes out, and both Yunlan and Wei sympathetically rub Da Quing back to calm him down.
"Wait, Da Ge! Who is that person who just saved us?" Shen Wei finally ask making Da Quing let go of them.
"Someone you need to meet Wei di. But we have to get out from here fast before another wave of lièhuǒs come." Da Quing explains and stand up helping Yunlan and Wei get on their feet.
"Okay, Da Ge. But where is Uncle Chu and Guo di?" Shen Wei ask back, but Yunlan just points toward Yezun where Guo and Chu smiling at them making him happy to see them all save and sound.
"Alright everyone. We have to get moving. Exit is not that far from here, right my Queen?" Yezun said and his tone turns sarcastic when he brings his attention toward Zhu Hong who just snarls back at him.
"Let's go everyone!" Da Quing said before Yezun and demon queen start a fight of their own to settle their old disputes.
As Yezun said, they see the exit not long after and they successfully leave the Timeless Forest. Finally, they all can breathe in fresh air for once.
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A/N: Long chapter but finally they are safe.....😅😅😅 I hope you guys like the chapter. As always, your comments is very much welcome~~😙😉
See you next chapter~🥰😍