Prologue

Their hearts pounded as they continued to run deeper into the dead forest. Brown dry vines barricaded their path, their poisonous thorns scratched their expensive clothes, making them bleed and burn. However, they paid no attention to this.

The silence was chilling. The sounds of bubbling water from lakes, chirping birds, buzzing insects and croaking frogs couldn't be heard at all. 

Miles swallowed, he looked into the black depths further and felt that going forward might be as dangerous as going back. Is this a classic case of the devil and the deep blue sea?

Some people go through a qualitative change when they face death. Miles came to an abrupt halt. 

He could not hear the noise from the men chasing them. Perhaps, they had lost them. Should he fake a path for the men? He looked at his cousin with determination in his eyes, "Go on, I will stall them."

Levi stopped and he appraised him "Are you crazy? What can you do to them? Throw a water ball?" His tone was a bit sharp.

Miles furrowed his brows. "I have broken through to the sixth stage of Dao Imbibition. My practice of the Vital water strike has reached the second level. I can do more than throw a water ball." He explained honestly in a low voice.

Seeing the taciturn expression that reminded him of his brother as he broke the news that can drive people to envy, Levi bit his lips slightly. 

He listened closely but the entire surrounding was silent. Had those human traffickers gone? 

He picked up his phone and dialled his brother's and cousin's numbers respectively. It did not go through again.

Miles saw what he was thinking and reminded him, "There is no signal in the dead forest."

"I know." Levi snapped, suddenly realizing that his voice was louder than it should be, he looked around his surroundings in panic. 

He had chosen to adventure in the Dead Forest because he had heard so much about it. Everyone in school was so scared of it, he wanted to boast that he had visited it.

He shut his eyes and refused to cry. He felt so tired and hungry. Why had he been so stubborn? Why did he have to drag Miles into this? 

If the traffickers don't get him, Cousin Kelan was going to kill him. No, his brother is going to deal with him first. A shiver of chill ran down his spine and the tears he was holding back escaped in two rolls.

Miles watched Levi in tears and felt uncomfortable. He lifted his hand and four cigar-shaped missiles made of water appeared in front of him. 

He said in what he felt was a comforting manner. "I can create more than water balls. I can create four water missiles. if I try very hard, I can create five."

Levi watched the missiles for a while and started laughing. Miles smiled in relief, he wanted to say six but that would be lying. 

Cousin Lyle said that good boys don't lie but then good boys don't also run away from home. The one comforting his crying cousin soon burst out in tears.

The two ten-year-old boys hugged themselves behind a large tree. They rested and continued to dial their older brothers phone numbers profusely.

*************

Lyle stabbed the long curved blade into the last man's vital point and cut through it. There was no extra movement. It was clean and neat!

A large dark line appeared on his throat and blood gushed out, spilling all over. The man clutched his throat as despair and regret filled his eyes. He wanted to speak but his severed trachea did not let him say a single word. More blood flowed out before he collapsed, joining the remaining four traffickers on the ground. 

Lyle looked at the bloodstains on his spotless white shirt and frowned. He debated between changing his clothes and helping the three frightened young girls in front of him. He reluctantly chose the latter.

The young girls looked very young around nine to eleven years. Their face was extremely pale and one even had a slap mark on her face. They had bruises all over their body. They must have dragged along the floor because their skin was scraped raw and dust covered their body.

When they saw him looking over them, they curled up, desperately trying to hide. 

Lyle sighed, they were the same age as his younger brother and cousin. He deliberately controlled his spiritual energy to cut the ropes that bound them. 

He crouched down a few steps and said in a gentle, coaxing manner. "Don't be afraid, I have called the police. Big brother is not a bad man."

The oldest one among them was a very pretty girl with big blue eyes, round cheeks and a sharp little chin. The other girls behind her were just as beautiful. It was clear as day what the traffickers had in mind.

"Big…..Big brother Lyle" She sniffled.

Lyle's voice softened even further, "You have seen me before?" 

The girl hesitated a few seconds then nodded, "On T.V"

He looked at the little girls who were now staring at him in shock. At least they had stopped crying. "If big brother did not kill them, they would kill you."

The girl's tears flowed swiftly as he spoke, obscuring their field of vision. "Bad people. They were bad people." She said, trying to console herself from what she just saw.

Suddenly she felt a hand on her back, she froze. Lyle ignored her tense body and continued patting her. "Don't be afraid, it is all right now, it is all right." His spiritual energy covered her, luring her to sleep. He then did the same to the other girls. 

chak-chackk-chak-cha… 

A helicopter that had 'Bureau of Internal Affairs' written on it flew by. ' Finally ', Lyle thought. The dirty clothes and environment were almost making him dizzy.

A tall and beautiful lady soon jumped down with four other officers behind her. She looked to be in her late twenties. She was very elegant. 

She gazed at the five men stacked on each other and the three girls lying on some clothes by the side. The entire scene looked oddly arranged.

She signalled an officer to check on the girls while she went over to greet the teenager in front of her. "You are the one who called the police. I am Captain Lin Mengmeng."

'Lin Mengmeng'. Lyle had never heard of the name. However, she looked young for a Captain. He smiled at her with a pleasant demeanour. "Lyle Morgan. I was just passing by."

His name was like a firework that lit up the sky. He could feel all eyes focus on him. He sighed deeply within his heart.

Rather than make the police relax, it made the Captain tense even further. "May I ask what one of the twin jades of Sein City is doing in our little district?"

Lyle wanted to say he was just passing by or something else but he knew they would not let the matter go, they might even interrogate his little brothers. Won't that traumatize them?

"I was training."

Captain Lin Mengmeng nodded like it made perfect sense. As expected for a genius. To train in the dead forest, this place that was devoid of spiritual energy. How terrifying.

"They are not all dead." A young officer called out as he turned the body he was holding up and down. "Captain Lin, these two people are still alive."

Lin Mengmeng turned to the teenager whose pristine clothes did not match his environment. He just smiled at her, leapt on his sword and flew away.

Stopping him on the account of murder? A minor against 5 grown men. What else could it be but self-defence?

"Search their entire hideout, we need to know the whereabouts of the other girls." She ordered.

**********

Kelan watched the two little fools that were his brothers and shook his head as usual. With a soft sigh, he remarked inwardly on their bad luck and lack of awareness. 

He was as tall as a pine tree and when he stood on his sword, he stood very straight, giving off the imposing presence of a military officer. He was the direct opposite of the young man flying to his side.

Lyle nodded at him as if acknowledging him, before looking down at the distressed children and chuckling. "They are done running."

"Hmm" Kelan said.

Lyle's eyes twinkled, it was clear that he was finding the entire situation funny. "I am sure this lesson is etched firmly into their minds. Next time, I doubt they will go adventuring in dangerous locations. Let's pick them and leave, this entire forest is giving me a bad feeling."

"Eh" The second twin jade of Sein city said before following his older cousin to land beside the large tree.

********

Unknown to them, thousands of miles away, in the very depths of the centre of this large formation that was the dead forest, a man lay on a jade bed. 

His long white hair sprawled over the bed, his skin was fair and he had a red vermillion mark embellished on his forehead and a beautiful book rested on his chest.

Perhaps it is destiny, perhaps it is not but with the arrival of these young people and their troubles, he began to move. His body was sluggish probably due to his nine hundred years of sleep. His shoulders shifted a little and he opened his eyes to look at the cave he resided in.

His eye corners were wide and his eyeline clear. His eyes, which have not been seen in Terra since the death of Lord Raizel, were golden.