"Caw—caw—"
The quiet of the forest was shattered by the hoarse cries of avian soul beasts, filled with panic and alarm.
The cicadas that had been chirping in the summer night's jungle seemed to fall silent in an instant, and a faint, rusty scent of blood began to permeate the fresh air.
The full moon hanging in the night sky was obscured by drifting dark clouds, completely blocking the tranquil, watery moonlight. The entire forest was plunged into darkness.
As light and shadow shifted, Tang Sui, who had closed her eyes to meditate, was suddenly pulled from that wondrous state of cultivation. She opened her luminous eyes with a startled gasp, looking with unease into the depths of the pitch-black forest.
Ever since activating her demon power, her five senses had become much keener than usual, and she could occasionally catch glimpses of information carried on the wind.
Like now—the scent of blood drifting on the breeze.
Besides the unfamiliar smell of blood, there was also a scent she knew intimately... the blood of Tang San!
"Brother?!"
Realizing whose blood scent was mixed with the wind, Tang Sui leaped up from the large rock.
Clutching the ugly cloth doll Tang San had made for her in her arms, her frail, slender body seemed as light as a feather, transforming into a wisp of wind blowing through the forest. Her feet seemed to find wind, covering several meters with each step, stumbling and rushing towards the source of the blood scent her demon power had sensed!
Brother?
Little San?
Tang Hao, squatting in the trees, shifted his feet, his expression stern as he followed behind Tang Sui, deliberately controlling his speed, not revealing himself yet.
Who didn't have their own little secrets these days?
Maintaining a permissive attitude, Tang Hao watched the small figure speeding through the wind, a thoughtful glint in his eyes.
It seemed... his children each had their own little secrets.
If that was the case, he could use this opportunity to test these two little ones.
If... they could possess the ability to protect themselves, then after they both went to the Soul Master Academy, he could temporarily leave this village and finally settle... his own affairs.
"Roar—!"
A powerful wolf's roar suddenly erupted from the depths of the forest, startling away many soul beasts of shallow cultivation.
This was because they could detect the anger and killing intent mixed in the wolf's roar.
If they lingered in this territory, they might be caught by the enraged wolf beast and torn to shreds!
"Rustle, rustle,"
Beneath the quiet surface of the forest, currents were stirring.
This roar seemed to be a signal, causing the gentle forest of the day to shed its guise of peacefulness, revealing the darkness and danger hidden within its depths.
Tang San's knees scraped against the loose stones on the ground, tearing his trouser legs as he tightly gripped the dagger forged from fine iron.
His arms were crisscrossed with several bloody gashes from the wolf beast's sharp claws, the wounds now churning flesh and oozing blood.
"Awooo—!"
The wolf beast, relentlessly pursuing Tang San, let out a long howl towards the sky, as if pronouncing a sentence.
Tang San couldn't understand the language of soul beasts, but he knew that after the other party's howl, its gaze towards him became even more terrifying.
The scent of fresh blood stimulated its senses, and the primal instincts of bloodlust and predation made the wolf beast unable to resist pawing at the ground with its claws stained with reddish-brown soil.
Its fur had also been cut by Tang San's dagger, resulting in several bloody gashes that dripped blood little by little.
A trace of blackness, concealed by the night, silently mixed with the crimson.
Tang San silently calculated the time for the poison to take effect, daring not to relax for a moment. Both sides faced each other in a tense standoff!
— Author's Notes —
Searched for inspiration all day in Teyvat [silently lying flat]
See you tomorrow~