42 Punishment

Who would risk their life for such a stupid reason? Maybe an idiot. But the girl had proved to him over and over that she wasn't stupid. Darkscale didn't believe that someone with such a level of initiative and charisma could be that stupid.

The serpent had observed the young human changing her behavior drastically multiple times, even fighting against her own terrified body. She truly had a strong will and very unusual way of thinking, something that made it impossible for him to believe that she could make such a stupid mistake.

'In any case, who cares... I need the herbs so just for now,' Darkscale thought, throwing the problem in the back of his mind. He decided that he would play her game, at least for now. However, at the first incident where she tried something funny, he would definitely change his point of view.

"We need to go," stated the snake, looking deep in the Blood Forests around the dirt path. "This place will be soon crammed with hungry beasts," he continued with a distant voice, trying to focus on the forest around the path to capt any unusual sounds that could alert him to the presence of the predators.

Not that he was scared of the beasts that the great amount of blood and corpses would inevitably attract towards the battlefield. He simply wasn't in the mood of fighting against a pack of red wolves or some other random creature brought there by the presence of such a great feast. He wanted to find a place where to rest a couple of days and then use Star Leaf to travel toward his objective; the Yellow Lake Outpost of the Forest Will Tribe.

"Ah...yes" Star Leaf was surprised about how quickly the serpent had changed the subject. It almost seemed as if he didn't care much about what she said, nor about the validity of it. Well, maybe it was because she wasn't being completely transparent with him. However, that was something that couldn't be helped. She didn't trust him enough to explain to him many things that she knew about the Heavenly Reptile Sect. For example, she didn't explain to him how the transfer of energy between dao partners usually happened.

Thinking about that particular thing made her immediately feel an unnatural burning wave on her face. Thankfully, the most intimate method of linking dual cultivators wasn't possible with a dao companion so anatomically different for her.

"I don't know the direction towards the Yellow Lake Region" abruptly said the black devil, attracting the young woman's attention.

The serpent was looking at the human with an annoyed expression. He noticed that she was getting progressively redder, like if she was sick. His eyes narrowed.

'Damn, I hope she's not going to fall sick on me' he hoped. He truly didn't have the patience to handle a sick human.

"We just need to follow the path until we arrive at the first Yellow River. From there we can just follow the river towards the lake." explained Star Leaf, looking at the path between the forest that disappeared on the horizon.

"Although it will take us months with my speed" she continued, nonchalantly. "Maybe we should find a place to stay for a while and cultivate... then I could keep up with your pace" she suggested, an innocent look on her face.

'Tss, you are you trying to fool, human?' the serpent snickered internally, looking at the seemingly peaceful and gentle disposition of the green-haired lady. He could see through her little act! The Forest Will Tribe girl wanted him to help her in her cultivation!

But why would he? To give her more power? No, that would be stupid. Although they were a dao couple in name, he didn't trust her at all. She was lying to him and he knew it. Why would he help someone like that?

'Why would I help a human at all?' laughed loudly the snake in his mind. 'Silly human, I will get what you have to offer and then kick you outside my life... or I even proceed to eliminate you directly!' he felt very proud of his great acumen. The human wanted to trick him? Ha! Not happening! He was the one that would trick her! The moment he will have the herbs that he needed and maybe even some more information about this Heavenly Reptile Sect, he will deal with the annoying human.

For now, he needed to play it safe.

'I think that it's better if we speed towards the region the faster we can" he responded with a tranquil voice, pretending that he didn't even get that she wanted him to help her cultivate.

"Didn't you say that someone is coming to take away two of your tribe members and a dozen of servants?' he continued with a sober voice, moving his eyes around her body.

"Yes, the Heavenly Reptile Sect sends a Recruitment Team to the local Cultivator Clans every so often. They will use the opportunity to come and take the Silver Leaf Tulip, and us away too." nodded the girl.

Darkscale's eyes lighted up: that was some new piece of information that he managed to extract from Star Leaf. Plus, it also provided him with the perfect excuse to refuse her stupid request of helping her with cultivation.

"We need to be fast, we don't have time for that... what would happen if they reach the Outpost and they don't find us there?" asked the snake, holding his head up in the sky in a pondering pose.

"They will arrive in about two years from now, so we have all the time that we need to get there," said the girl while shaking her head. A sly look emerged in her expression and her little mouth twisted in a mischievous smile.

"Two years?" Darkscale's eyes opened wide and his mouth started trembling. Another one! Another person that didn't know how to measure time! Every so often didn't mean every two entire years! Maybe that was a female feature, not being able to tell time precisely, reflected the little snake. He looked again towards the woman and noticed her shrewd expression.

'Damn, it!' he screamed internally, 'She did it on purpose! Dammit this lying human scum! I should leave her to be torn apart by the beast of the forest!'. The snake's eyes burned with a very dangerous fire for a few moments, but then he managed to calm himself: he needed to learn to control his impulses!

Plus, where would be able to find another Forest Will Tribe of the Leaf clan nearby? However, that didn't mean that he couldn't punish her a little for messing with him. A cruel look appeared in his eyes.

"There is no need for that" said coldly the serpent, darting from his place and appearing next to the green haired girl. Looking at the evil glint in his violet eyes, the girl jumped in fright. Yet, before she could do anything, the snake had already touched her and they both disappeared in a vortex of colors, leaving behind only a little iron ring that fell into the ground.

Next, they reappeared inside the Blue Cave.

The young woman fell to the ground, moaning in pain and vomiting all that she had eaten that day. She felt every single cell of her body in agony.

She looked around, confused, and saw a beautiful blue stone structure of some sort. How did she get there?

"What is this?" exclaimed the girl in surprised when she managed to recuperate enough energy to speak again.

"This is where you will stay from now on...enjoy" the snake said mysteriously, disappearing into the portal immediately after, chuckling. Who told her to mess with him, Darkscale?

'No, it should be Prince Darkscale... that's cool, like the damnable monk said' he convinced himself once he reappeared on the battlefield. He actually didn't know why the blue creature had called him that, but he really liked the title.

His eyes wandered across the bloody dirt path for a few seconds, stopping when he found a large wooden wagon not too much damaged. He smiled, darting towards that direction. In the meantime, inside the cave, Star Leaf was still on her knees. She was in pain, but it was gradually lessening. After a couple of minutes, it began to be bearable and she managed to slowly get up from the ground with a low pitch growl.

At the same exact time she finally stopped kneeling, two new things entered the cave from the huge watery circle in the blue wall: a large leather water flask and a dozen of dried meat sticks.

"Here's enough food for a week, see you" said a mocking voice, resounding in the green-haired youth's mind.

Even if she was in pain before, only now did the young girl coughed a mouthful of blood, looking at the miser amount of supplies that the serpent had left her to sustain her an entire week. Was he planning to kill her by fasting?