The Tale Never Ends Chapter 124 The Mysterious Forest

The two dark and cadaverous figures drifted towards me and stopped. "Who summons us?" One of them spoke before they recognized me. With a quick change, they began to speak more amicably, "Oh! It's you, sir! So fate has brought us together once again! What is your purpose today?"

Much to my amazement, it was the same pair of h.e.l.l Guards whom we had encountered after our adventures at the haunted hospital!

I immediately released the souls of the fox demons from my gourd and told the two keepers of the Underworld about our fight. They were gleeful at the prospect for more rewards, bowing respectfully while wearing cheerful smiles as they muttered words of thanks before they left.

The pair of h.e.l.l Guards had barely disappeared and Yuan Chongxi grumbled, "You should've asked the two Guards about the whereabouts of Aunt Ulan's soul while you're at it! They are the keepers of the Underworld. Surely they know a thing or two!" But before I could answer, G.o.dmother knocked on his head with her knuckle. "And what makes you think they'll tell you? Every life and death is destined by Fate. They would be going against the will of Heaven by divulging such secrets! Severe penalties will be awaiting them!" Chongxi rubbed at his head and muttered a disinterested "oh". "G.o.dmother is right," I said, nodding, "The h.e.l.ls Guards have their own rules. Imagine the embarra.s.sment if they could reveal nothing to what we ask."

With the matter of the fox demons concluded, it was time we continue on our hunt for Aunt Ulan. With a brisk wave to Edelweiss, I began strolling towards the entrance and motioned for everyone to leave. But n.o.body moved. I turned back and discovered Edelweiss and the girls all shocked with their mouths hanging wide! It took a moment before one of the girls uttered, "B-brother-in-law... What were those two!?" But what she said left me stunned. I was usually addressed as 'Young Master' because I was Aunt Ulan's G.o.dson. But somehow they have begun addressing me as 'Brother-in-law' all of a sudden! Then again, it was understandable; Edelweiss has always been viewed by the rest of the girls as Aunt Ulan's second-in-command. Given their younger age, it should be normal that they call me such.

With my cheeks emblazoned with red patches, I replied, "That two? They're h.e.l.l Guards, what else? They were here to help escort the souls down to the Underworld." Still, despite my explanation, the girls were still frightened. It was surreal for common humans to encounter the paranormal. Even Edelweiss was still perplexed. But as bandits in the Mongolian wilderness, the girls quickly recovered from the ordeal, although they began surrounding me, peppering me with more questions about the supernatural.

Edelweiss' snickers came suddenly from a corner. "How brazen of you!" She scowled her fellow sisters, albeit much to their amus.e.m.e.nt, "Our Chief and s.h.i.+yan's parents are still unaware about everything between us. Yet you decide everything on your own!" But G.o.dmother quickly quipped, "It's okay! Let G.o.dmother decide for you!" Realizing that things were spiraling out of hand, I immediately put a halt in their banter by roaring loudly, "ALL RIGHT! ALL RIGHT! OFF WE GO NOW!"

I survived the trek out the cave system by enduring the constant teases pelted at me by everyone and we got back on our horses. We began riding again and the trees around us began to look more spa.r.s.e and thin. We must be far away now, I mused as we came before a mountain gorge. I made a signal to slow down to observe as our horses traipsed uneasily amongst the wood. The dusting of frost on the ground of the forest was no more.

Suddenly, a loud "eh" came from one of the girls. She called at me, saying, "Look, Brother-in-law! There's a human skull here." The sudden remark made all of us turned. A human skull was hanging from a broken branch on a tree. With my Spirit Sight, I found there was nothing peculiar about the skull that was festooned with dust and bird droppings. I heaved a sigh of relief. "It's all right. No problem here," I p.r.o.nounced to everyone.

However, Lin Feng was still wary. He was looking around, surveying our surroundings carefully while murmuring, "Who the h.e.l.l would hang such a thing on the tree?" "I've heard of a kind of bird which loves to hang their prey on a tree after catching them!" Yuan Chongxi interjected. "Nah..." I disagreed, "If this is the work of such a predator bird, then there would also be other bones from the rest of the person's remains. But there's nothing under the branch. I'm guessing that this might be the sinister prank by some hunters to ward people off!" "Such an awful prank!" Some of the girls began complaining, "how terrible!"

We circ.u.mvented the tree with the human skull and continued our way forward. That said, the encounter with the skull had induced a dreadful foreboding that I could not explain myself.

We rode till sunset when the sun was already plunging far away into the arms of the mountains that surrounded us from afar. We eased our horses to a stop. "It's getting dark. Let's stop here and make camp. It could be dangerous if we cannot make a fire when the night sets in," I commanded. We dismounted and Yuan Chongxi was suddenly just behind me, poking at my ribs, "So what's for dinner, dear Quartermaster?"

It was because of Chongxi's question, that I instantly grasped the dread that I have felt lingering on my spine! The woods that we have entered was too quiet! Ever since entering the woods, I have yet to hear any chirps of birds or ringing of crickets! The ground of the forest was bare and spotless, completely devoid of any animal tracks! I quickly took out my gourd and summoned my wolves, commanding them to look for prey. But they merely circled around me aimlessly. There were no animals at all in this forest! A s.h.i.+ver of fear ran down my shoulders as cold sweat began to break out. The utter absence of animals did not bode well; no humans would be able to inhabit this sinister place as well! We must leave as soon as possible!

Then I remembered, I have magic and my magical instruments while Lin Feng has his expertise in combat and Yuan Chongxi his savvy in seeing the future. That was nothing we should be afraid of! I set aside my consternation and drew my spectral familiars back into my gourd and began to help to raise a fire. Let them come, I mused to myself, we'll deal with anything that comes as we always do!

It was before dark when our makes.h.i.+ft canopies and tents, constructed using dried fallen branches, were ready. Without any animal to hunt, it was fortunate we brought rations. We nibbled at our meat jerkies while sitting around the fire, sipping at the liquor we brought with us for the trip. m.u.f.fled and quiet tête-à-têtes began around the fire as the rest of the girls paused their teasing about Edelweiss and I. We offered some of our rations to G.o.dmother but she declined the food, saying that she was a demon with powers acc.u.mulated through centuries. Missing a meal or two would hardly weaken her. But she was trying to help us save some food for the journey, I full well knew. Despite her behavioral misgivings, G.o.dmother was nevertheless a kind person.

Yuan Chongxi had found a dead tree which he used as kindling for the long campfire we sat around. He must have been dreaming of another feast of wild partridges when he worked, I wondered. This would explain why the long and huge campfire was raised by razing the fallen tree in three separate parts to build a large fire!

Through the night, I sat just next to Edelweiss and she never stopped asking about my parents; finding out about their likes and dislikes which I obliged by replying to all her questions.

It was only then I realized that I knew nothing about Edelweiss' parents. "What about your father and mother?" I asked in return. To my surprise, she merely smiled. She was an orphan, she said, and it was Aunt Ulan who had found her and raised her like her own daughter. She knew nothing about her biological parents. Like me, our foster parents were everything to us and to know about our biological parents hardly mattered.

Hearing Edelweiss' story, I sighed wearily. "Hmm... I too am hardly different myself," I lamented. "Technically, I am also an orphan. Father found me being carried by an old Taoist priest on his back when I was still a toddler. The priest was fatally injured when he met Father. With his dying breath, he entrusted me and the s.h.i.+yan Blade to Father..." I told him what Father had admitted to me about my past and confessed that I cared little about my true parents, a sentiment that even I myself could hardly explain.

Just as we were talking, I realized that the embers were stirring in the fire, creating fresh sparks that made the blaze grew stronger. Winds began to howl over our heads. It was fortunate we have G.o.dmother with us, I mused. It was with her magic that we could construct the canopies and tents in time before night fell upon us, otherwise, we would still be working in the darkness of the forest.

But something interrupted my thoughts suddenly. The s.h.i.+yan Blade slid off the side of my knapsack to a loud clang on the ground and it was vibrating intensely in its sheath!