24 Departure Part 2 A nice addition
Of all the people that gathered at the second area to meet up with those who left first, Shen Yue was suprised to see Yang Xin. She covered herself up well but the way those who traveled with her reached her made it obvious. And they all reeked of medicinal herbs.
The "young" Gu Yan was there. The pill did wonders for the old man and he looked to be in his 20's. Considering most that knew him when younger were dead, he was able to pass himself off with no issues.
They made it over to Shen Yue and introduced themselves. Mainly wanting to just talk with him before he departed. But caught up in the momentum and excitement, they stood back longer than they thought.
It would be a few hours before they left anyway. So shopping was extended for a little while longer. Yang Xin piked his head about his Alchemy and could not find anything that didn't match what the others said or what he wrote on the test.
"Good. Then I will be coming with you." Yang Xin walked to Shen Yue's right side moving in step with his own. The fact he was as tall or taller than most adults made things easier. She was having difficulty seeing him as someone of the younger generation. "So you dabble in Alchemy, Inscriptions, Blacksmithing, Tailoring, and what else?"
"A bit of everything. I am foremost a doctor everything else is a means to an end." Shen Yue answered. Which was true. Original Earth he was a Plastic Surgeon. In Star Martial God Technique the Flame Vortex Core allowed him to bring up the studies of the various medicine while he expanded his knowledge. "Good profession but I will not limit myself to only that."
But being a doctor was what he accomplished originally before reincarnating. So he just considers himself a dabbler. Unless he took tests and pass for the Dimension he was in. Which he did for Alchemy. He has no desire to become an Alchemy Master. If their was a pure medical field aspect for it, then that would take a good bit of his interest.
After 15 minutes or so the two made it to a small market street. It was too early for most of the food stalls to be open. But a few early risers were opened here and there. As they travelled Shen Yue had observed all the anger, hatred, and animosity in the area.
Yang Xin asked questions regarding Alchemy when it was convenient. Aware that Shen Yue looked over the people critically as they moved. Buying a few supplies here and there, he tips the good-natured people decently enough.
'What an odd way of changing people in the shopping area.' The senior Alchemist took a few hints in regards to how to get ahead in the future. Shen Yue was just to.. odd in his movements.
The ones having a bad time, he purchased whatever was useful for himself and only paid its value, not the cut-down price they offered.
The few bad people he bought the useful things at a low price. Or not at all. It made for a weird shopping time. AS the stall owners grumbled they didn't sell anything worthwhile like their neighbors.
When they made it to the outer gate that leads to the wilderness to a path back to the other area, the guards stopped them. Why they were here at this time was odd.. But the two had a look of greed on their faces.
So most likely followed them from the market or just a coincidence.
"Hey halt you two!" The guard said with authority. Seeing the two keep walking, he became even angrier. The blatant disrespect ticked him off. "I said halt!" He ran up and tried to grab Shen Yue.
"Get lost!" Shen Yue said infusing a little energy into his voice. When it hit against the man's body he froze on the spot. "Annoying little pest!"
Yang Xin continued to walk not caring about anything else. She was thinking over a few alchemy properties and didn't sense any danger to her persons. The guards were much weaker than her and would have shit themselves if they took the time to recognize her.
Slightly surprised he stopped, the guard broke out of his daze. Looking down revealed he pissed himself only. Thinking a slight second, the feeling was that of blood. At that moment, he etched into his mind not to mess with those people again.
As the first guard made it back over the second wondered what happened. "You ok there?" Looking down he saw the wet marks on the man's pants. "How the hell did a Bronze Rank scare you like that?"
"I don't think he was a Bronze Rank. He has to be hiding his level somehow." Seeing the second guard not really believing, he pressed his concern. "Do you think a Fifth Rank Silver stage of my caliber would be scared off by a little brat?!" He was getting ready to throttle his partner but stopped when he noticed someone coming.
"What is going on here so early in the morning?" A man and a few of his personal guards asked, coming up. The man then spoke with authority in his voice "is this what the guards who protect our walls do all day? Squabble like milkmaids?!"
The man was a member of the Tie Men Family. Who was based in the Northern part of the City. It was odd they were around these parts at this time of day. He was actually the patriarch of the family and went by the name Lei Zhuo.
"We are sorry, Lord Zhuo. We meant no offense. We just came across some people we didn't recognize." He couldn't say he was trying to get money out of them.
"Oh, tell me of them." Lord Zhuo looked only slightly intrigued. 'Maybe it is the target the Sacred Family put a hit on?'
The Sacred Family actually put a hit out on Nie Li for causing Shen Fei trouble with Xiao Ninger and Ye Ziyun not to long ago. But also one on Shen Yue to bring back alive. They wanted to find out the secrets of his Alchemy.
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In the Forest-
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Back in the forest Shen Yue and Yang Xin had taken a small break after running a little. Shen Yue placed a wager that if Yang Xin was able to catch him, he would answer one single question of his. And vice versa if she couldn't. Needless to say, she lost.
They were not far from the meet-up spot with Chen Linjian's camp. While recovering, Yang Xin had found some animals playing around. She went out to play with the little tigers. By the looks of it, they just lost their parents.
Shen Yue decided to stay put by a giant boulder to check and make sure. Placing his back against it, Astral Sense was spread far in several directions. Catching people moving in the forest, he brushed over them.
He came across people fleeing their current area in another direction, so nothing about them. A few Apes chased after them.
In the third direction, he found two large Black Star Tigers. The two had led those who hunted them away by carrying one of the hunters in their jaws. Keeping him alive as bait. But from the wounds observed on them, they would not survive at this rate.
'I see. It will take me at least 15 minutes to get to them.' Withdrawing his Astral Sense, he stared at Yang Xin playing happily with the cubs. It was a weird sight, to say the least. "Hey, I found the parents!"
"Oh!" Yang Xin trotted over to him. The cubs follow along after. "Where at?" How he found them the farthest notion from his mind. She enjoyed animals when they were young. Just the same as others when they turned vicious and ripped people apart.
"They are that way being hunted. If you watch over these little ones, I will go and get them before coming back." Shen Yue was not worried about the people he sensed coming this way towards them. They were not stronger than either of the two. "You treat the cubs until then."
*Woosh!* Shen Yue took off in a burst of speed. Yang Xin looked on, mouth agape. For a brief moment, she thought she saw things. A small shot of lightning shined where he just stood. If the reports were right then, that was a whole other issue.
"No way, is he that person. I must be tired." Yang Xin plopped down and pulled some herbs from her storage ring. A small saucer was filled with milk tea and healing pills. The tigers licked away in joy. "He raised those Flaming Snakes and Scarlet Fox already; maybe he plans on raising these cubs to."
She was partially right. The thought crossed his mind but he was doubtful if the Black Star Tigers were set in their ways.
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Return-
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It took more than 20 minutes before Shen Yue returned. By his expression, things looked bad. The hunters had gotten away after killing the father and taking it's Demon Crystal. The mother had enough life in her to continue resisting so they fled and were planning on coming back later.
Shen Yue took both demon beasts away before trying to stabilize the mother. She was, after all very violent, so that was a no-go. As they were put into his Internal Space when he traveled, the mother was healed a little.
"I was to late for the father." Shen Yue removed the mother to the side. The cubs ran towards her happy. The Black Star Tiger looked up at the human that snatched it up and the Yang Xin. "You can either let me treat you or die from your wounds."
"Maybe we don't threaten the big Black Star Tiger?" Yang Xin was scared of the fact if it thought its cubs were in danger it would attack dangerously. A cornered animal is very dangerous after all. "How about we just.."
"I will not survive humans." The Black Tiger said lowly. It was strong enough to have gained its Spiritual Wisdom already. Much to the shock of Yang Xin. A demon Beast that did this was extremely dangerous as well as valuable. "I just wish to spend time with my little ones before it is to late."
The little cubs mewed and playfully nudged their mother. Not a the level of comprehending what happened just yet. They just thought their mother was playing with the way she nudged them.
For the next 3 hours, the mother licked and bit her cubs. A sad look grew in her eyes the entire time. Yang Xin fidgeted next to Shen Yue, who did nothing.
Despite her requests, he did not interfere in any way.
"You are a doctor; can you not do something?"
"She refused treatment, and it would be dangerous to do so otherwise." Shen Yue blinked at her in wonder. He did not move to help the tiger, but that did not mean he was not thinking of something. He was thinking about the Beast Manuals that he mixed into his Astral Sense. "If she would agree to live, I can anchor her soul to something."
"Anchor her soul?" Yang Xin only heard of methods like this in Legend. It also requires trust between the two parties.
Nie Li uses a version of it called the Secret Soul Seal. High-level Masters use it with their disciples to ensure loyalty.
'What the heck will he anchor it to?' The Alchemist racked her brain, but the answer was right there in front of her.
"Do you speak the truth, human?" The Black Star Tiger heard everything said the entire time. It's ears were not for show after all. The pleading from Yang Xin and the resolute stance Shen Yue showed impressed it. But it would not beg to live no matter how much it wanted to. "If you can not, I only ask you to watch over my cubs."
"I can save you." Shen Yue moved over, pulling Yang Xin with. The abrupt jerk scared her a bit as well as the realization he was stronger than her. "You can watch over your own cubs in a manner of speaking. She just needs to relax and let what happens to take place."
"Me?" Yang Xin pointed at herself still lost. Looking at the cute cubs and still wanting to know more about secrets that she believed Shen Yu to have she was willing to give it a shot. "Will this hurt?"
"Not as long as you both do not resist." Shen Yue created a rune on the Black Star Tiger's head made of his spirit energy. He then did the same to Yang Xin. The patterns resembled his rune lines on the lowest level. "No, close your eyes and take a deep breath."
They both did so and were pulled into his Internal Space in an instant. The Flame Vortex Core was already spinning as he had refined the male Black Star Tiger while they waited.
Yang Xin and the Black Tiger did not break down but their souls merged in a way. The Black Star Tiger was placed into her Soul Realm. Aware of surroundings and still conscious of matters. The integrated Demon Spirit she had before was devoured and only served to boost the strength of Yang Xin and the Black Star Tiger.
***Updated 12/02/2021 due to comment by Transhumanist. Hopefully they stick. Even found more errors with the word Lightning.
