4 Chapter 4

Jin Shao, the man who had killed the deer, cooked the meat and split it evenly between the two. Cai Shengwei ate without the slightest bit of hesitation as he was starving by this point. He wolfed down all the meat given to him in a matter of a few minutes and drank some of the water offered to him.

"Hey, little man, how long have you been hungry for?" The old hunter asked as he stared at Cai Shengwei's manner of eating.

He cleared his throat. "I've been out here since...dawn I believe. I went hungry around noon and have been trying to get some meat ever since. However...the deer's eyes...at the last moment...I just couldn't do it." His eyes became blurry, but he shook them away before they had the chance to fall.

The old man smiled knowingly. "I know the feeling. I was the same during my first hunt as well, when I was just your average farmer. My Pa made me kill it, a jack. I ended up having nightmares for a week before I was able to recover. However, it is strange seeing a knight like you having this type of problem. You must be some type of runt in the litter, huh."

"Y-yeah." Cai Shengwei agreed to his words while wondering what to do next. "I need to get going now. I still have a long journey ahead of me." He stood up and was about to walk away when Jin Shao grabbed a hold onto his arm.

"Hold it! Doesn't the school teach you kids properly these days? Never travel a forest in the dark. That is when the real predators come out to hunt. Plus, you'll end up getting lost because you can't see a thing. It is much better to set a camp up." He lectured as he, too, stood up. "Come now, boy. We need to find ourselves a nice brush to lay in."

Cai Shengwei laid in the brush, hidden away from the rest of the world. His thoughts led in every direction. Back to before he went to the dumb haunted house when he was happy and worry-free. To the future, wondering how he would be able to get to his friends and to escape Lu Fei together, arm in arm.

'What is one of us dies?' His thoughts began to become dark and dreary, but he couldn't sleep. He had too many things on his mind. When his consciousness had finally drifted, it felt like only a few minutes had passed when he was woken by Jin Shao.

He found it strange that someone would help him out so much, but he didn't place it to heart. As long as the guy didn't do anything suspicious, Cai Shangwei would not make a move against him.

For breakfast, the old man caught a rabbit. He had brought it over to Cai Shengwei for him to kill it but didn't have the strength. "Your problem is that you look into their eyes before you go in for the kill. Next time, try to just focus on what you need, not what it needs." The kid nodded his head. He knew the old man was right.

"I'm heading to the Black Castle. It's dangerous there so I suggest you should head to where you need to go." Jin Shao had said.

"How is it dangerous?"

"The Dragon Emperor and the Phoenix Queen are fighting each other over the princess, have been for many, many years now. The poor princess has no chance to escape..."

"I have to head over there!" Cai Shengwei interrupted him. The other two would have to be over there as well, he thought as he remembered Lu Fei's words. At Jin Shao's questioning gaze, he said, "I have family there and I want to bring them to safety."

"It is your choice, little man, your choice." And so, their journey together began. Cai Shengwei had no real need to worry about food anymore as the old hunter would catch something for each meal. As they continued on the same path, Jin Shao taught him some essential survival skills like animal tracking and deciphering between poisonous and good plants.

On their fourth day together, Jin Shao had smiled as though he was the happiest man alive. "We are almost to the castle, Cai Shengwei!" He pointed over to a small mountain and said that the castle lays on its peak. As he studied it, he noticed large, black clouds hovering over it ominously as streaks of red lightning fell.

"What was that?!" Cai Shengwei asked in horror. He couldn't believe what he saw.

"Tribulation." Jin Shao replied. "The heavens have come to show their hatred for the battle between the two creatures and have sent its wrath upon the battlefield. It has been raining down for nearly twenty years now."

"Wow." Cai Shengwei had no further words as he followed the man down the small hill they were currently on. By the sixth day, he had overcome his weakness and had killed a rabbit. He was finally successful in his attempt at not looking into his prey's eyes, but he felt no real joy. Instead, he silently said 'thank you' as Jin Shao taught him how to dissect animals.

By the time the two go to within a few kilometers of the mountains, it was nightfall. That night, they had some deer meat. The chatted happily together until it was nearly time for them to find a shelter. "So," Jin Shao began a new topic. "That sword of yours, you know how to use it? I mean, I never really saw you use it, nor have I seen you practice with it."

"There was no need to use it so far, so why should I want to unsheath my weapon?" Cai Shengwei avoided answering the question directly as he felt something was off with the man's sudden interest in his sword.

"Ah, I see. Well, we should get to sleep before the wolves come out tonight." He said as he went searching for some brush.