World of Beasts

by Tinalynge

  Most people found it entertaining to see what was going to happen, but no one felt sorry for Xue Wei or Wang Xiaoyun.

  The third day, Xue Wei and Wang Xiaoyun were out walking together. They found themselves in the central marketplace when suddenly they were surrounded.

  Three experts were standing in a triangular formation around them, all wearing masks. Their strength was clearly at the ninth layered Ordinary Warrior rank.

  "I would like to see how you flee this time," one of them sneered. "If you try, we will take your little miss and play with her instead of you," another grinned while the third just stayed quiet.

  Xue Wei had heard them, but he just sneered at them. "You think that you can entice me to fight you from that alone? Who said that I could not take her with me?"

  Having said that, Xue Wei grasped Wang Xiaoyun's hand and activated the Forbidden Rush ability. Although he was not as fast as he was when he was on his own, he was still able to flutter away together with Wang Xiaoyun.

  A moment later, they were a few meters away from the encirclement that they had been in. They grinned at each other, turned on their tail, and started to run away.

  They did not let go of the other’s hand. Instead, they squeezed their hands tight and ran, and continued to run fast and far away without looking back and without caring for where they were running towards.

  This happened time and time again the same day. More than twenty experts of the ninth layer of the Ordinary Warrior rank were out looking for them. Every time they were spotted, they would have to run for it.

  At the start it was okay. It was even somewhat entertaining, but as it happened time and time again, Xue Wei understood that someone was targeting them.

  "They are getting into bigger groups," Xue Wei said right as they escaped past seven experts at once. This time, they had been gathered in an almost perfect circle that made it near impossible to escape.

  Xue Wei had the support of the Forbidden Rush ability, and if he was alone then it was no problem to escape, but dragging Wang Xiaoyun with him required extra focus, time, and energy.

  Chapter 25 - Pursuit in Tiankong City

  More energy was needed when Xue Wei was moving with Wang Xiaoyun, and he was starting to feel its toll on his body.

  "We need to get away from here," he sighed as he shook his head. It had been amusing at first to flee, but now it was evident that this was a movement of significant scale against him, and that their aim was him and Wang Xiaoyun.

  Fortunately, it was not only Xue Wei who had noticed this, but the other families had also seen the same, even the commoners had noticed it, and people were starting to gossip about who exactly could be so brazen and try to attack Xue Wei in the middle of the day.

  Experts continued to move in bigger and bigger groups, yet as they grouped up, they also found that it was getting harder and harder to locate Xue Wei and Wang Xiaoyun.

  It was as if two sides were playing hide and seek. Xue Wei and Wang Xiaoyun were just two people, and they soon learned to hide in the crowded areas.

  Sometimes, the commoners would call out and alert the groups of pursuers where they were, but most of the commoners had changed their opinion about Xue Wei after seeing him cripple two noble-borns while protecting three commoner girls.

  To get vengeance for the many girls who had been abused by the nobility, they felt much better, and Xue Wei had achieved this revenge.

  "This way, young master, young miss," a blacksmith said with a smile and led Xue Wei and Wang Xiaoyun into the smithy.

  "If you walk through the back of my smithy, you will reach a charming little restaurant. It is not very busy, but it is used by the majority of the commoners around here. I doubt that the nobles and their guards have even heard about it."

  "Why don't you go there for the sake of having a bit of peace on your date? I will ensure that they do not know where you have gone, and I am sure that the restaurant will not tell anyone either as long as you spend a few coppers."

  Xue Wei grinned and cupped his hands in respect. "I am very grateful for your assistance," Xue Wei said gratefully. Xue Wei and Wang Xiaoyun crossed the smithy and walked out through the back gate into a small alleyway where there was a little restaurant known as the Black Lion.

  The Black Lion was small; there were at most fifty tables with chairs. The room was dimly lit as the gate was in the alleyway, but the scent of food that wafted out smelled great, and Xue Wei felt his stomach rumbling.

  "Why don't we go in and enjoy ourselves?" Xue Wei asked, and Wang Xiaoyun giggled. She took Xue Wei's hand. Xue Wei felt a comfortable coldness, which was as if he had touched porcelain, and he squeezed the hand gently.

  There were no customers within the restaurant, only a single waitress and a matron standing behind the counter were present. When they saw Xue Wei and Wang Xiaoyun, their eyebrows rose in surprise, but a smile also spread on their faces.

  "I assume that the young master has decided to hide here for the time being?" The matron laughed, her big chest heaving up and down.

  Xue Wei was surprised that even this person knew about the current chase that was ongoing in the city, but he could only grin slightly as he nodded his head. "We are indeed on the run right now, and found your charming restaurant by the help of a certain blacksmith. We would like to hide out here for some time. Of course, you will be paid handsomely in return."

  Xue Wei picked up three silver coins from his purse and placed them on the counter. "We will take the room in the corner, and would like some food and wine. If we manage to get through the day unnoticed, then I will double your pay," Xue Wei said. The eyes of the matron shone, not with greed but with pleasant surprise.

  "We will give you all the food and snacks you could possibly eat," the matron laughed before she went beneath her desk and rummaged through some boxes. After a bit of time, she straightened her back and in her hand were a veil and a bamboo hat.

  "I can guarantee that my staff will not betray you, but I cannot say for sure that my other customers will not. Knowing those men that are trying to catch you, they will offer up a reward for finding you soon."

  "Some will be tempted, and they will lead the people straight to my restaurant. Although I fear no one, I do not wish for my place to be ransacked or destroyed by random vengeful cultivators. Thus, if you could wear this, I will be very grateful."

  Xue Wei looked at the bamboo hat and grinned. "Sure thing," he said and accepted the hat, placed it on his head, and went to the darkest corner.

  Wang Xiaoyun grinned too as she accepted the veil and hid away her face. Now they looked incredibly shady, but at least no one was capable of seeing who they were.

  Soon, food and drinks made it to the table, and the two relaxed as they started eating and drinking, chatting and laughing together.

  Time went by fast; the two were not gulping down the food but taking it slow while chatting, so they did not feel full until after a long time. All the dishes were made from mortal animals, and although they were not able to increase their strength, they tasted amazingly well, and both Xue Wei and Wang Xiaoyun, who were used to eating Fierce Beast meat, were astonished at how tasty these dishes were.

  Slowly, more and more customers started to appear in the restaurant, and although Xue Wei and Wang Xiaoyun were being noticed and glanced at from time to time, no one tried to interrupt the two in their talk together and the meal they were sharing.

  The restaurant turned bustling, and many people appeared in the small chamber. Many started ordering and eating their dinner, and after dinner, most stayed to enjoy some beer and wine.

  Xue Wei and Wang Xiaoyun waited for the sun to set before they rose to their feet and paid an extra five silver coins to the matron and made their way into the narrow alleyway.

  They were walking hand in hand, but they had kept the veil and the bamboo hat, hiding their appearances as they made it to the main road.

  As soon as they made it to the main road, the two were stopped in thei
r tracks, both looking slack-jawed at the sight in front of them.

  The main road was filled with one massive group of mask-wearing cultivators. There was around forty of them, and all forty were gathered together in one large clump.

  In the middle of the group were two experts that were facing one another, mumbling words to each other with low voices.

  "We better get going," Xue Wei said as he tightened the grip on Wang Xiaoyun's hand. "This is something we cannot handle," she agreed, and her heart started beating rapidly.

  Both Xue Wei and Wang Xiaoyun were feeling the cold sweat on their backs. Although Wang Xiaoyun was strong for a Wayfarer without having her bloodline activated, she was not a match for even one or two of these experts.

  Now, forty were gathered in one place, and if they truly got entangled by the group, they would have a hard time escaping.

  "Why hasn't that old man Shen Bingwen moved against them yet?" Xue Wei swore, but he knew he could do nothing. It was clear to everyone that these men were after Xue Wei, but they had not shown their identity, so everyone was guessing as to where they could have come from.

  Xue Wei and Wang Xiaoyun walked casually past the group of experts. They did not look at them; they completely ignored them while talking with one another as if they were an old married couple.

  "Hey, you two!" someone suddenly called out, and Xue Wei and Wang Xiaoyun stopped in their tracks and turned around. Their hands were shaking slightly.

  "Yes, the two of you, what is the point of those outfits? Why are you hiding your faces?" The one who was speaking was a person from the group of forty experts.

  His face revealed his doubt, and Xue Wei was gritting his teeth. "When I count to three, we run," Xue Wei said with a very low voice that only Wang Xiaoyun could hear. "I have regained a lot of energy from the break we had at the restaurant. We will run all the way to the Wayfarer caravan. They will not dare touch you when you are there."

  "What about you?" Wang Xiaoyun asked with hesitation, but Xue Wei just gave her hand a soft squeeze. "I will be fine," he promised, "I have my Forbidden Rush, they won't be able to see me make my move."

  "I hope so," Wang Xiaoyun did not sound too confident, but she decided not to question him. She knew that she was dragging him down with her, so she agreed to the plan of getting her home first.

  "I asked the two of you a question," the masked man repeated, but Xue Wei started counting below his breath, "One."

  "I am going to remove your hat if you do not remove it yourself." "Two."

  "You asked for this!" "Three!"

  As Xue Wei counted to three, Xue Wei and Wang Xiaoyun turned on their feet, and the Forbidden Rush exploded with the fullest power that Xue Wei could handle.

  Although he was still incapable of teleportation, and although any Earth warrior would be able to see his movements clearly, these were all below the Earth Warrior rank, and thus their ability to perceive his movements was limited.

  If Xue Wei were alone, he would be able to escape easily, but he was not alone. He had Wang Xiaoyun with him, and he was pushing his ability to the limits, continually fluttering from side to side and further and further away from their original position.

  Forbidden Rush was not only made for evasion, but it was also made to increase the speed of the cultivator. So far, Xue Wei was incapable of boosting his speed too much as he could only bring out a certain amount of the ability's potential.

  Because of this, they were not much faster than the ninth layered Warriors, but they were still slightly quicker, making it possible for them to continue fleeing.

  The forty cultivators immediately started chasing after Xue Wei and Wang Xiaoyun. They were running fast, and their eyes were filled with excitement. They had finally found their targets again.

  Xue Wei kept dragging Wang Xiaoyun through the city. Not many citizens were out on the streets any longer, but those that were just watched with big and curious eyes.

  It was common for people to attack one another and bully each other in the city, but to cause such a large scale pursuit was just unheard of before.

  As they reached the Wayfarers' caravan, Xue Wei rushed to the safety of the carriages.

  He knew exactly where to go, and he headed straight for the seniors’ carriages where he stood gasping for air and holding Wang Xiaoyun's hand in his own.

  Grandma Meng was sitting outside of her carriage with a small lamp next to her. She was reading a book, and when she saw the two coming towards her, short of breath and with ragged hair and clothes, she broke out into her charismatic cackling laughter.

  Chapter 26 - A Tearful Goodbye

  "Look what the cat brought back," she laughed as she saw their messy appearances. "Well, thank you for bringing the young miss home uninjured, but I think it will be for the best that you do not venture out the next couple of days."

  "Unfortunately, the master is supposed to return tomorrow after gaining information, and as soon as he returns our caravan will be moving again. I am afraid to say it, but today is the last day that the two of you have been able to spend together."

  Grandma Meng was usually laughing, but now her face grew solemn as she said that, and her voice was low, and her expression turned apologetic.

  "You will be leaving tomorrow?" Xue Wei asked in shock, his heart aching and his chest feeling tight. Wang Xiaoyun also appeared to be completely stunned and looked disbelievingly at the senior in front of her.

  "That is right," Grandma Meng said as she nodded her head. "We are not here for the sake of having fun, after all. We are here for the sake of gaining information about the Ice Harpy, and it seems that the master has gained the information we need."

  "Since he has gained what we need, it is of utmost importance that we continue our pursuit as soon as possible. If we cannot catch her, our entire trip to the Heping Kingdom has been in vain."

  Xue Wei understood the basics of it, but his heart still clenched when he heard that the day of their departure was sooner than he expected.

  "I will come for you," Xue Wei said decisively as he gripped Wang Xiaoyun's arms and made her face him. "I know it is impossible for you to leave your caravan, but one day, I will return to your side. And when that happens, I will make sure that your old man approves of me!"

  Xue Wei vowed to Wang Xiaoyun, who was filled with complex emotions. On one side, she did not want to leave. She wanted nothing more than to stay in the city together with Xue Wei, but she knew it was impossible.

  She was, after all, a Wayfarer. It was in her blood, and she would have to take over leadership of the caravan one day. It was not possible for her to stay with Xue Wei in Tiankong City.

  Hesitating slightly, Wang Xiaoyun went closer to Xue Wei, stood on her tiptoes, and gently pressed her lips against Xue Wei's.

  The touch was soft and gentle but contained so many emotions. Xue Wei could not restrain himself and dragged Wang Xiaoyun into his embrace and deepened their kiss.

  "Well now, I miss the days of my youth," Grandma Meng laughed again, and Xue Wei and Wang Xiaoyun jumped from one another, both utterly red in their faces.

  "I promise to come and find you. You are the only woman for me." Xue Wei said thoughtfully as the redness quickly diminished and a stern expression appeared on his face.

  Tears welled up in Wang Xiaoyun's eyes, and she tried to speak, but no words left her lips. "Wuuwuu," was all that she managed to say, as the tears streamed down her cheeks, and she softly nodded her head.

  "She will be waiting for you," Grandma Meng said seriously, and with one last glance at Wang Xiaoyun, Xue Wei nodded his head and turned around, started running away from the Wayfarer's caravan.

  On the way home, he met some of the masked cultivators, but these masked cultivators never got to see even a glimpse of him as he evaded them using the Forbidden Rush ability.

  When he made it back to the mansion, Xue Wei elegantly jumped over the wall and entered the estate.

  The first maid he found was given the ta
sk of drawing a warm bath for him. He had already been eager to increase his strength so that he could bring honor and fame to his uncle so that he could be strong enough to reclaim his memories, but now he had something else that was urging him to get stronger too.

  He wished to be by Wang Xiaoyun's side. He knew that she had a unique bloodline as she was a Wayfarer and that Wayfarers married others of their kind, but Xue Wei would not accept this fact. He would be so strong that they could not question his strength, so strong that even the Wayfarers would recognize him.

  Xue Wei went straight to his bedroom, where a big wooden tub filled with steaming hot water was waiting for him.

  He had long since been ready for the next herbal bath, but he had never gotten to take it because he was hanging out with Wang Xiaoyun. He now knew that they were leaving the following day, and he was perfectly well aware that it would be impossible for him to say the second goodbye.