Chapter 138 Into The Phoenix Chamber Part 18

Yul's scream made the people walking in front of the five Tanzanies turn their heads, just in time to see the huge phoenix lifting Hajime into the air. 

As Hajime was taken away from the others, he quickly reached into his bag and threw a piece of wood to the ground. 

Many large peacocks swoop down and catch the participants walking towards the fort. The participants tried to hide and escape, and many peacocks caught some of the participants, and flew towards the direction of Scattered Forest, while the other peacocks simply followed the peacock that caught Hajime. 

When Yul spotted the black panther walking towards them, he dropped his backpack to the ground and tightened the strap holding his sword to his back. He looked at Abrafo, U-ri and Michio and said, "I'll go after Hajime, and the rest of you go find the pure phoenix egg and the key." The black panther approached Yul. "Abrafo, you decide who is looking for what. When I save Hajime, I will come to you." 

U-ri picked up Yul's backpack and said, "Be safe and bring him back." 

Abrafo said, "If we got both items we will meet at the entrance or come for you. If you found Hajime first, come for us." 

Yul jumped on the black panther's back, and they ran in the direction of the flying peacock. 

The participants slowly emerged from their hiding places and regrouped into a small circle. 

"Do you think they're gone?" 

"What are they going to do with those who are caught?" 

Hai said, "Either feed their young or throw them back to Scattered Forest for the dead men." 

Abrafo said, "New task... Michio and U-ri, you two are going to find the pure phoenix egg, and I'm going to find our key." 

Michio asked, "Where do we start?" 

Abrafo said, "There was nothing beyond that forest. When Yul and I reached the end of that woody forest, we were blocked by another mountain wall." He looked forward. "I believe what we are looking for must be in those mountains ahead of us." 

Michio said, "Let's go there first and then decide where to go." 

Just before the sun set the three Tanzanies and the participants arrived on the mountain and found many golden feathers scattered on the ground. From where they stood, they could see the fortress more clearly. 

U-ri wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Looking from a distance, it does look like a castle, but who knew it was a gable with so many open spaces." 

Michio said, "It looks like a painting with many houses built on a hill." 

Abrafo said, "If that's the case, then there must be hundreds of openings in the mountain... It would be difficult to find the right opening when time is not what we have." 

"We still have thirteen days left," Michio said.

U-ri said, "Finding doors with all these openings would be extremely difficult and time-consuming." 

Abrafo said, "The wall is so smooth and strong that we can't climb in." 

Michio looked at Abrafo and U-ri and asked, "Do you think there will be more than one entrance?" 

Abrafo sighed, "I hope so." 

When the three Tanzanies approached the fort, they discovered that there was no staircase as they wished to enter the fort, but standing in front of the fort was an entrance cave. 

"I thought there would be stairs," one female participant said disappointedly. 

Shi said, "My Lord, no one I have met has ever entered the Phoenix Chamber, so from this point on, we are going forward blind." 

Lixin said, "Everyone, pay attention to your surroundings." 

"Let's not go in, but camp out here for the night," one of the participants said.

"Now that we're no longer compete, there's no reason for us to go in." 

"You're right," one female participant said. 

Shi asked, "My Lord, should we go in or rest first?" 

Lixin saw that many people following them decided not to go in, but Prince Gang gathered the help of other participants to compete with him for the pure phoenix egg, so he had to be one step ahead of Gang. 

Lixin said, "Let's go in." 

Lixin and his party entered the cave. 

Michio looked at Abrafo and asked, "What about us? Shall we go in too?" 

Abrafo looked at the dark cave and said, "Let's go in and rest. Although we are not here to compete for the Phoenix General title, it is best to get the pure phoenix egg before others, so that we can concentrate to get the remaining key." He looked back and found Bong standing by the entrance of the cave. 

U-ri asked, "What about him?" 

"Leave him alone. I want to be as far away from him as possible," Abrafo said. He picked up a stone, drew a leaf on the wall and drew a circle around the leaf. "let's go." 

Hajime noticed that the peacock continuing to lead him over the towering mountains. He found many peachicks nests on the mountain. He knew at once that he was being carried to feed the peachicks. He grabbed the peacock's legs and used all his strength to prevent the peacock from flying higher. The peacock flew around and bumped Hajime's body against the top of the tree, hoping to injure Hajime and prevent him from moving. 

After coming out of the treetop, Hajime's arms, face and legs were cut and burned, but he still fought with all his strength against the peacock to prevent it from taking him higher up the mountain. After fighting the peacock for a while, Hajime didn't have much strength anymore because no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't free himself from the peacock's nails. 

In fear of being fed alive to peachicks and separate from the others, Hajime found a ledge and knew that if he fell on that ledge, he might get hurt but not die, so he pulled out his knife and looked up to see the dark green and blue color of the peacock's belly. Hajime stabbed the peacock's belly three times. The peacock's blood spurted out from the peacock's belly and sprinkled on Hajime's face and mouth. The peacock dropped Hajime's body. After flying up the mountain for a while, the peacock fell. Hajime's body hit the ledge hard, and Hajime fainted. 

Yul, who was on the back of the black panther, saw the peacock suddenly and violently throw Hajime to the ground. Judging from where Yul was standing, he wasn't sure where Hajime could land, but judging from the height, Hajime wouldn't be able to survive if he fell from that height, so his heart was quickly filled with worry, he charged the black panther forward towards Hajime's last location. 

When the three Tanzanies walked out of the dark small tunnel, they came to an open space. Lixin and the others had already set up camp. 

There is a large hole on the top of the cave, and the stars and moon can be seen at night. But since it's dawn now, the slightly dark sky could be seen with little sunlight remains shines into the cave, creating a warm atmosphere. There are ten different tunnels connected to this small clearing. 

"No wonder the air was fresh when we came in," U-ri said. 

Jin saw the three Tanzanies, and asked, "Shall we invite them to join us, my lord?" 

Lixin said, "If you guy wants, don't reveal any information." He stood up and walked towards the sleeping place he had prepared. 

Shi asked, "My Lord, what about that lone participant?" 

Lixin said, "Ignore him, I don't want him to continue chasing us." 

"I understand," Shi said. 

Jin stood up and said, "Over here, friends." 

The three Tanzanie walked to Jin. "I thought we were not friends as long as we were in this forest," Abrafo joked. 

Jin smiled and said, "We are not fighting yet, of course we can continue to be friends." 

Abrafo, U-ri, and Michio sit around a small campfire with Jin, Heng, and Feng. 

"That friend of yours doesn't like us very much," Abrafo said, looking at Shi.

Heng said, "Shi is always like this. Following orders his first priority, but that kid is a good person and very considerate towards others." 

Abrafo was taken aback, "Really?" 

U-ri asked, "So, which tunnel do you want to explore first?" 

Heng said, "We don't know yet." 

Feng said, "Lord Lixin will decide tomorrow, which tunnel will the three of you explore?" 

Abrafo chuckled and said, "We will explore the tunnels you did not choose to avoid conflict with you." 

Jin, Feng, and Heng laughed. "Then we'd better not bother each other after tonight," Jin laughed, and his laughter echoed into the tunnels. 

Michio stood up and started walking towards the entrance. "Michio, where are you going?" U-ri asked. 

Michio said, "Since it is much safer to rest here than outside, I will tell others to rest inside tonight." Michio continued to walk out of the entrance. 

U-ri turned to the people sitting around the campfire and said, "Hahaha... Michio has always been like this, don't mind him." He took the bread from Jin. "Oh, by the way, you don't mind those people coming in. I heard that many participants outside the cave have decided not to fight Lord Lixin, is that right?" 

Shi said, "Despite this, there are still people who are against Lord Lixin, such as you people." 

Abrafo said, "Everyone comes to this forest for their own purpose. Some come to get the phoenix egg, some come for different purposes, and some just come to experience." 

Shi stared at Abrafo and asked, "Then what is your purpose?" 

Abrafo smiled and said, "We are representing the Lai family so, of course we are here for that phoenix egg." 

Shi scoffed. "You are shameless." He gritted his teeth and lay down to sleep. 

Abrafo scoffed. "Why do I feel that Lixin's friends don't like me. Before, Prince Bong, and now this little dude." 

Jin said, "Shi is the illegitimate brother of the leader of the Nok tribe. He was a gift to Lord Lixin as part of the peace treaty."

Abrafo asked, "Even so, they are brothers. Why did his brother treat him like that." 

Feng said, "In Nok tribe, illegitimate sons or daughters are just slaves and have a higher status than normal slaves in the family." 

Heng asked, "Heh, doesn't your country have such a law?" 

U-ri said, "There is no such law in our kingdom. There is no such 'illegitimate' term in our law when it comes to children. Your children are your children, without any different status. We do not use the word slave." 

Jin was in shock. "Really, then what do you call slave?" 

U-ri explained, "We call them servants. They sign a contract to work for the family, and once the contract expires, they are free to continue working or leave the family's home. Even if they are sold to the family, if the individual does not agree, the contract cannot be signed."

Jin asked, "What if they were a child?" 

Abrafo said, "Then this is absolutely illegal, and the seller and the buyer will be thrown in jail and undergo ten years of hard work." 

"Abrafo's father is the chairman of the Ministry of Justice," U-ri said. 

Heng said, "Although we have never heard of your kingdom, your kingdom seems to have very good laws." 

Abrafo said, "Maybe one day you can come and visit. I hope..." 

U-ri cleared his throat. "When we return from our expedition, we will extend you an invitation to visit our kingdom," he said, and a flash of lightning flashed. "It's going to rain." The men looked at each other, and there was lightning and thunder in the distance. 

Abrafo looked at the young men sleeping on his left side not far away and felt a little sorry for this young man. "Hey Jin," Abrafo said.

"What's wrong?" Jin asked.

"How old is Shi?" Abrafo asked.

"He is seventeen years old this year," Jin said.

Feng said, "I remember he was about eleven years old when he came back to Menyi with us."

Abrafo sighed and whispered sadly, "What a poor child, abandoned by his own relatives."