50 A Reluctant Hero

MingYu's brain was lacking oxygen, so the concept of respecting one's elders had been tossed out the window about a mile back between here and the monastery.

The old man's brows twitched furiously in the dark as his axe halted mid-air. He turned his darkened face toward MingYu and scowled after raking the monk from head to toe with his beady eyes.

"Is this how you address your elders, you damn rascal?"

MingYu flinched at the harsh tone. Deciding that they didn't have time for this, MingYu snapped,

"You need to get out this instant!"

He tried to step closer and usher the old man out of the grove, but he was stopped in his tracks with an axe that was swinging at him threateningly.

"You are in my woods! You are the one who should get out!"

The adrenaline was draining from him, replaced by annoyance as MingYu barked,

"Who the hell cuts bamboo in the middle of the night, anyway?!"

"My wife snores too loud, so I couldn't sleep! It has nothing to do with you!"

MingYu snarled as he advanced, trying to snatch the flailing axe out of the man's grasp and push him out of the woods. They were running out of time! MingYu didn't know how long PingZe could keep the creature at bay!

"Look, old fart! We-"

MingYu halted as the old man's face turned white as a ghost, his eyes nearly bulged out of his head. He screamed and flung his axe forward before he abandoned his bamboo stack and sped away. The axe flew past MingYu and hit something solid before falling on the ground with a soft thud.

MingYu's hairs were raised on end, his spine rigid as he slowly turned his head to take a look. Blood pools stared back at him. His feet moved faster than his brain, thankfully, otherwise, he would have been a goner as YueQin launched forward like a tiger.

The sky looked rustic above them, as the first morning rays crept over the land. MingYu panted and heaved as his knees lifted higher, trying their best to leave a larger gap between MingYu and the monster. He could hear YueQin scurrying after them on all fours, like a beast. Picking up his pace, he soon caught up to the old man. The man was struggling, his breathing was pained and raspy.

One look at him, and one knew he wouldn't make it out of the grove alive on his own. MingYu cursed under his breath. He didn't want to be a hero, not anymore! Why must Gods force him to be one?

Seeing no way out of it, MingYu reached his arm over his back, stretching his wound in the process. He hissed, tears blurred his vision as he felt hot blood coat his fingers. He ran behind the old man and, with shaky hands, drew incantations over the man's robe. It was safe to say he had never drawn an incantation in his life that was as terrible as this one, but it should shield the man from YueQin for some time.

The sounds of talons scraping the soft earth halted. MingYu spared a glance back, and to his surprise, YueQin was nowhere to be seen. His feet slowed down by themselves as he turned his head around, trying to locate her. Even worse than losing the beast, he couldn't see either of the brothers anywhere. Just his damn luck!

As he hurried after the old man, bamboo leaves rustled down to the surrounding ground. The trees swayed like a strong wind was blowing through the grove, but the air stood still. A sound of bamboo snapping echoed through the forest, alerting the two. MingYu yelped as he shoved the old man left while he dived right, crashing into the ground as YueQin dropped from the treetops she had climbed, her talons extended to slices their heads off.

She twisted her body around like a snake and gripping the man's ankle, pulled him off his balance. She hissed and snarled as she crawled over him. Her hands touched the man's back and instantly the incantations lit up like the sun, burning her talons into a crisp. She gave an unsettling howl, as she fell back. But not long after, her talons regenerated, and she flexed them, going for the kill.

MingYu had now crawled up on his feet and with swift moments, he undid the bandages around his arms. Jumping over YueQin's back, he twisted the fabric around her neck and using his weight, pulled her out of the old man's reach.

"Run!" He screamed, but the man was too scared to move. He only laid on the ground, shivering as he shielded his face with his arms.

YueQin was too strong, and with ease, she threw MingYu off her back, over her head. The bandages slipped from his hands as his back hit a bamboo trunk, emptying his lunges.

YueQin had turned her attention back to the quivering mess before her and dislocated her jaw, letting her mouth hang wide open. As MingYu scrambled on his feet and pushed the old man away, he pulled his arm up to shield himself from YueQin's attack.

"MingYu!" ZhiYi arrived too late. YueQin chomped down on MingYu's arm. Waves of stabbing pain ran through MingYu as he watched the world slow down. Flesh ripped off his bone, blood sprayed over his robes and without a sound, he fainted from the pure shock.

---

MingYu woke into a thumping pain by his side. Blinking his eyes open, the sun was already up, covered partly by the thin leaves of the bamboos. ZhiYi was crouching by his side, his hair was still undone, draping over his shoulders. MingYu avoided his eyes. He could already sense a scolding coming his way.

Looking down at his left arm, he noticed Fan ZhiHao's bandages were now all wrapped around his wound. The layers of fabric were so thick, he didn't think he could lift his arm at all. His fingers were numb. The bandages were so tight, he might lose his arm for the cut in blood flow.

Turning his eyes carefully to ZhiYi, MingYu winced under the eyes that held such icy fury one might think MingYu had slaughtered his entire family and the dog too. Before MingYu could utter a word, he was scolded by ZhiYi. Words like foolish and reckless were thrown around. He had to close his eyes to hide away from ZhiYi's disapproving eyes. They were more hurtful than the words he said.

Then, as suddenly as ZhiYi had started his scold, his voice broke down and MingYu found himself smothered in ZhiYi's tight embrace. He could hear PingZe's chuckle through the mass blanketing over him.

"You really did it this time, brother MingYu. He almost shed a tear. And let me tell you, Wang ZhiYi only cried two times in the thousand years I've stood by his side. He would have ripped her head off if she hadn't loosened her grip on your hand."

MingYu was thankful his face was hidden from others at the moment. He couldn't stop his satisfied, smug expression no matter how much he tried. When he got his face under control, he muttered, "I can't breathe."

He was lying, but he was being embraced for far too long and it was becoming too much on a purely emotional level. He would melt into a gooey puddle if it continued on any longer.

ZhiYi released his hold, and MingYu sat up, taking a deep breath to clear his wandering mind. YueQin had been sitting nearby, observing MingYu timidly all this time. Her bright brown eyes were back. The bloodlust had subsided for now, and the dark flames had disappeared. MingYu felt relief embody him upon seeing her.

She fidgeted with her robes, then lowering her eyes, she apologised. "You must think I'm disgusting, repulsive. I'm sorry."

Scary was more of the word MingYu thought about, but he refrained from saying it. Instead, MingYu tensed as he noticed the old man was nowhere to be seen.

"You didn't eat the old guy, did you?"

YueQin looked horrified, "What? No!"

"He ran off after you fainted," PingZe said with a grin.

"Oh, thank god," MingYu said as he slumped back over ZhiYi's chest. He studied YueQin in silence, until he said, "How did you return to normal?"

"We don't know. After taking a bite from your arm, she became disoriented, and we tied her up. She was able to eat some wild animals PingZe caught afterwards. She turned normal just now." ZhiYi said, but his eyes looked guarded as he wrapped his arms loosely around MingYu, as if shielding him against YueQin.

"Just in case, we should keep an eye out. She might go on a rampage again." PingZe said.

MingYu gave a content sigh as he savoured the moment. His thumping pain was only a dull ache now since he couldn't feel his arm. YueQin was somewhat normalised, for now. Then an uneasy feeling crept inside him, and he frowned. There was something still making him feel on edge. Something important.

The thought materialised in his mind, clear as day, and he jerked up, struggling to get on his feet, alarming the others. ZhiYi was quickly by his side and looked at him with concern. His hands were hovering around MingYu, ready to catch him if he decided to faint again.

"What is it? Are you hurt? Aching?"

MingYu brushed the man aside with his healthy hand and staggered towards what he thought was the way out of the grove. "I'm fine! But I don't know about AhXin and childe Qiang!"

The poor wolf had been stuck with the baby for three nights now!