43 Run!

Zhang Yong watched helplessly, as the little girl disappeared behind the large maw of the black beast.

Afterward, silence reigned over the scene. The beast did not move, only its chest bobbed up and down, signifying how it was alive. It purred slightly, not caring for what had occurred.

Zhang Yong punched the ground, and his knuckles blistered from the impact. "Damn it," he yelled out, and his voice reverberated in the lonely field, only for the flowers to listen. "If only I was stronger... If only... If I had the power of that old man!"

Suddenly, the beast started to growl. First quietly, but then, its voice grew louder and louder, like the bell-chimes on a cathedral would as the sun slowly descended. It jumped (no, it leaped) into the air, taking a maintain of dirt with it. The grass was uprooted, the flowers disappeared, while it sprung around hectically.

It then stopped; as abruptly as it started. The thing seemed tense, legs quivering and mouth tightly clenched together. The beast did not mind Zhang Yong at all, and that made him scared.

"You mean it?" he heard someone ask, and the voice struck him familiar. The beasts mouth shot wide open, and there she stood: the little girl, a blank smile on her face and drenched in saliva. She pushed with her hands and legs, forcefully separating the beasts jaw. She jumped out, and with all her might plus the momentum gathered by gravity, she took a tooth with her. 

The beast howled in pain for the first time.

Zhang Yongs eyes nearly popped out as he bore witness to a scene that only happened in fables. The little girl shot her arms up in a. victory-pose; she grinned, in her hand the tooth, just as black as the beast itself. 'Ah, it's this power,' Zhang Yong thought.

"You're alive," he somehow managed to ask.

The girl pushed the tooth into Zhang Yongs hands. The tooth was sharp, with a matte black. The stench was revolting–he did not want to imagine what the girl smelled like. She pouted and said, "Of course I am. Did you think I just went and signed my life off like that? I am still young, that should be your role!" She placed her hands on her hips.

Zhang Yong, even with her harsh words, could only laugh. A relieving act. "I am so glad you are fine," he sighed heavily, and felt the weight in his chest disappear. It was funny–this was the illusory world, still he never felt so alive, and his emotions never so vivid, even in the real world. He supposed, this truly was the charm of Shou's Store of Fates.

His slight endeavour into his ephemeral mind, was rudely interrupted by the beast. It barked angrily, sending a shiver down Zhang Yongs spine. He stared at it, and once more, he realised how scary that thing looked.

The girls smiled wryly and then shouted, "Run!"

"Damn it, so we are back with this again!" He picked the girl up again and their little flight continued.

However, thanks to the girl, he had enough rest for now, and his feet began working once more, moving full throttle with his movement arts.

"Hey, is what you said true?" the girl asked.

"What? What do you mean?"

She continued: "That beast you see is called a Shadow Creature. I know, not a creative name, but it does its job. These creatures come randomly–though people say they come from the witch." She whispered quietly and with cute innocence, "I don't believe that though."

Zhang Yong continued running. "Thanks for the info, but you can save the exposition for when we make it out alive."

She shook her head. "Since these things can come anytime, everyone in the village has to be prepared all the time; thus they have developed a martial art, to combat these creatures. Naturally, I am no exception." She lulled, "But I'm not strong enough." A sad sigh escaped her sulky lips. "I planned to let the thing swallow me and then punch my way through. Good idea, right?"

"Terrible idea! Absolute Horror-show of an idea! Finding out your crush is your sister kind of idea!" he reprimanded her harshly.

"Well did you have any better ones," the girl rebutted, seemingly mad at her genius being denied. "Well, never mind that. I came out because you said something interesting."

"Huh, what do you mean?"

The girl looked at Zhang Yong. "If teach you the secret arts, will you be able to slay that beast?"

The unexpected question caused him to halt, and he almost stumbled to the ground. Still he nodded with fervour. "I can! I can!"

"Great! I will show how to do it, so listen carefully."

Zhang Yong turned to her; with a bewildered expression, he asked, "Right now?"

The girl nodded. "Of course right now! When else?" She started to explain, indifferent to his opinions. "So, first of all, you are a cultivator, right? I saw what you did there."

Zhang Yong agreed with her assessment. "I've been cultivating since I could speak. That was, I suppose, around three."

"Good, then you should be familiar with Spiritual Essence and all that." She opened her arms out and used her whole body to explain. "You know, that thingy, like air, all around us; Only that this one you can control."

"Yes, I know what you mean," Zhang Yong told her. After all, these were the first things one learned in the road of cultivation.

The girls blank eyes lightened up. "That's good." She then turend serious. "Listen, this part is important. So what you have to do, is feel the Spiritual Essence around you, and use it as your own. You need to feel that thing and just like that take it as your strength." She added a few explosion noises. "Bwah~ Bwah~ and finally you can be as strong as me."

Zhang Yong looked at her with confused eyes. The girl replied with a smug face, evidently proud of her own words. She only waited for his astonished reaction.

However, his response came differently. "Uhh, doesn't that go for all of cultivation?"

The beast growled in the background. The noise seemed to have gotten closer.

"No! No! No!" The girl puffed her cheeks and screamed angrily. "Wha you cultivators do goes more like 'Swish'! That's a power even mortals can achieve, so it goes more like 'Bwah'! The difference is the feel."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Zhang Yong felt helpless. He immediately regrettted putting his hope on her. "Damnit, why did I ask a kid to explain it to me anyway?"

"Hey, that's how my mum taught it to me!"

"Nevermind that, we are in a serious situation right now!" The black beast in the back inched closer, as Zhang Yong got slower. He could practically imagine that foul breath crawling donw his neck. Or maybe it was the smell of the girl that made him think so.

The girl stared back. Her face turned pale as the beasts eyes locked with her. "Ah, I think I can see my mum waving at me."

"Don't watch! Don't watch! That's not a place you wanna be at." Zhang Yong picked his pace.

He blank stare continued, she muttered, "I always thought I would go out battling the witch. Ah, mum, I'm sorry, I could not get revenge for you."

Zhang Yong wanted to say something, but a sudden thought flashed by him. 'The witch! Yes, of course, the witch!' He frantically moved his head. What direction was she again? Damn, he could not tell, it was all the same field to him.

Shou's voice suddenly appeared in the back of his head. "You need to go right."

"So you've been watching the whole time," Zhang Yong screamed into the ear, and he laughed loudly.

The girl jumped back in fright. "What's wrong? Who are you talking to?"

Zhang Yong continued laughing. Then, he thought about how to answer her question. There was no way for him to explain who Shou was—the maker of this little illusory world, he supposed. "God, I'm talking to God," he said non-chalantly; And as he did, he changed directions towards the right.

"Hmm." The girl showed no reaction.

Soon enough, that familiar house appeared in the far distance. Normally, he was supposed to avoid it, but this time, it was a welcome sight.

"Ah! Don't go there," she screamed, the voice came from the top of her lungs. "She will steal one of your bodyparts!" Or even worse, kill him. But she did not find it in her heart to say so.

"It's fine, just trust me."

Lucky for him, he saw a mask-wearing woman standing right in front of the door. Her one uncovered eye glimmered red, the same eye-color as the beast. Seeing her for the first time, both the girl and Zhang Yong felt a heavy shiver run down their spine. Even though it was the beast feverlishly chasing them, Zhang Yong could not help slow down. It was all his instincts that told him so.

He shouted, "Hey, dumb witch! Here we are! Take whatever you want from me!"