Senior Brother Du Hu

After the incident with the middle-aged man, the girls became more cautious when venturing out into the forest. They both tried to stay more aware of their surroundings and activated Shrouding Fog when even the suspicion of another cultivator's presence was felt. After a few close calls the girls grew accustomed to avoiding others with ease.

Settling back into their old routine, the girls combed a new section of forest in the morning. One of them would return to the cave around noon, while the other continued the search until late in the afternoon.

On a day two weeks later, Yan had just head back to train her Coldmist Breathing Technique. Yan believed she was close to reaching the fifth layer of Qi Condensation for some time. She was quite eager to head back to the cave and attempt a breakthrough.

Yan did not have the same knowledge of the various plants that Hong Wu did. Any time Hong Wu stopped to collect a herb, Yan would behave restlessly wanting to forge ahead in hopes of a bigger payout. For this reason, Hong Wu did not mind it when Yan left in a hurry. Rather, she chuckled wishing her luck.

Hong Wu went back around through the section of the forest they had just searched and was about to make a second sweep of yesterday's area when she heard a cry for help. Without thinking too much about it, Hong Wu rushed towards the direction of the voice. As she moved closer, she started to hear sounds of battle.

When she reached the source of the noise she saw a young male cultivator sending weak spurts of flame at a rather enraged boar. The flames seemed to have little effect on the boar other than making it even madder. The boy showed a trace of despair as he jumped away from the charging animal.

Hong Wu thought back to the moment when she was close to death facing down a wild boar much like this boy before her. 'If Yan wasn't there to save me I would probably be dead now. I suppose I should pay that forward.'

Hong Wu made her decision, she activated her Shrouding mist and cast Frozen Blade upon the dagger she took from Cang Rong. Creeping up behind the animal, Hong Wu waited for when the animal tried to charge. At that moment all of its attention would be focused on its prey, giving her the opening she needed for a sneak attack.

As the boar lowered its head and began to paw the ground, Hong Wu jumped out of the surrounding mist and plunged her weapon deep into the base of the animal's thick neck. The attack killed the beast with a loud squeal.

Hong Wu removed her weapon from the animal and turned to the young man. Without a word of thanks, the boy had already started to sprint from the scene. Hong Wu was left standing over the dead animal with an incredulous look. 'How rude! You could have at least said thanks.'

Turning back to her fresh kill, Hong Wu decided not to make a stink over it. 'At least I found dinner. Time to head back I guess.'

First cleaning the kill, Hong Wu then lifted the dead pig over her shoulders and headed back to the cave.

Thirty minutes later Hong Wu noticed multiple voices from behind heading in her direction. "Over here! The tracks go this way!"

Grimacing, Hong Wu cast Shrouding Fog and disappeared into a cloud of mist. She then waited for the search party to move on so she could head back to the cave. The other disciples were now coming up to where Hong Wu was hiding. They numbered about ten. The first person Hong Wu noticed was the boy she had just saved. Scanning the rest of the group Hong Wu caught sight of the absent-minded boy she first encountered in the forest and the man who fought Yan and her over the Fair Mud Lilies.

'There is way too many. Hopefully they just blow past me.'

Slinking further away, Hong Wu tried to get out of the search party's range. The man with two missing fingers slowed down, eventually coming to a halt. The rest of the group stopped with him.

A handsome young man of about twenty walked past the rest and approached the disfigured man. This man had an air of superiority that could not be hidden. His facial features boasted perfect symmetry and elegance. His expression held an arrogance only someone born noble would have, as if others owed their subservience. The other cultivators showed difference to this man, and someone with a discerning eye could even see the disciples around this man showed hints of fear.

The handsome man called out to the eight fingered man, "Junior Brother Li, why have we stopped?"

The man surnamed Li looked towards the ground with a frown. He then closed his eyes and made a few hand signs breathing in deeply. As the man named Li opened his eyes, as small smile grew upon his face. "She is here somewhere. The smell of a fresh kill is still on her, and it's strong too. She should be hiding close-by."

'Dammit! So they are looking for me.'

Hong Wu had her suspicions, but what this man just said had confirmed them. "Wonderful," the handsome man chirped, "fan out and find her. Anyone who thinks they can forage in my neck of the woods needs to be educated in the proper procedures."

"Yes Senior Brother Du Hu," the other cultivators called out before springing into action, carefully combing through the area.

Hong Wu was terrified at the idea of being caught. Still carrying the boar, Hong Wu could hardly leave it for them to find as that would be drawing a line straight to her. Carrying it was even more out of the question. If she tried to haul the extra weight while escaping there would be no chance of getting away.

One of the disciples, another young man, walked closer and closer to her, until he was only a few meters away. Pretty soon, he would be able to notice some of the peculiarities of the fog cloud in front of him and discover Hong Wu. Gritting her teeth, Hong Wu made her decision. Hong Wu hurled the pig carcass at the man and sped off in the other direction.

Hong Wu's aim was true and the young man fell back from the impact. At first he was stunned thinking a live animal attacked him. After taking a second to collect himself he realized he had just been duped. "She's over here, I found her!"

Noises of disciples closing in on all sided surrounded Hong Wu. She desperately pushed forward, but there were too many of them. They already had formed a large encirclement that Hong Wu would be hard pressed to break through. 'Who is the weakest, I have to find someone I can take quickly and get out of here.'

Looking around, Hong Wu caught sight of the youth she had just saved earlier that day. Anger rose within her as she began to charge. The young boy tried desperately to chant an incantation, but Hong Wu's battle experience trumped his and her movements were much more agile. She was able to quickly summon a single Frost Blade and shoot it straight into his shoulder.

The boy howled in pain as Hong Wu blew by him. Just as she thought she was in the clear, she was suddenly blindsided by the handsome man. He had swiftly made his way from thirty meters away right to Hong Wu's path of escape. With a strong blow from his fist, he made direct contact with Hong Wu's temple.

Hong Wu flew through the air slamming into a tree. She then slumped to the ground concussed and gasping for air. Walking over from another direction, the man with eight fingers turned her on her back and stepped directly on her chest, his good fist clenched high in the air. "Wait Junior Brother Li, this one has some fight. I could make good use of someone like her."

The man named Li was clearly upset with these words, but a single glance from the handsome man reminded him of his place. Fear and difference returned to Li as he stepped away to make room for this handsome man.

Hong Wu was still in a daze and could not hear or see clearly. When she finally came to a few seconds later, the handsome man stood domineeringly over her. "You have quite some nerve hunting in my neck of the woods. Do you not know where you are, who you are dealing with? Speak!"

Hong Wu tried to respond, but her words came out all jumbled, "I was...saved him...hunting?"

"I am Du Hu, and this is my turf. Anyone who hunts here pays tax. Since you want to forage around here so badly you will do the same."

Du Hu reached into Hong Wu's robes. Hong Wu froze and shuddered at the man's hands touching her bare skin. Surprisingly his hands did not linger at her breast, but instead quickly retreated. "I'll will be taking this as assurance."

Hong Wu's heart dropped. Inside Du Hu's hand was her sect token. "One-hundred merit points worth of harvest a month. Anything extra, we split with ninety percent going to me. Do well, and I may even return this to you."

Du Hu dangled Hong Wu's sect token in front of her mockingly. At this moment, Du Hu's handsome face transformed to show a demonic grin.