Chapter 11
Over his head is shrouded in darkness, tall straight trees around him are thin and withered. Once in a while, cackling sounds of crows echoes loudly, and the woods that he is threading into is pitched dark and ghastly eerie as if it was inhabited by ghost and demons. He had always been afraid of the dark ever since he was a child and that fear continues to grow along his adulthood. It was his weakness he could do nothing to overcome. This horror really puts his mental threshold to the test! He wrapped his arms tightly around him trying to calm the raised hair in his body. He clenched his chattering teeth while he walks with his trembling softened legs.
“Stay cool, stay cool, you’ll get there soon——” Zi Li staggers as he walks while mumbling to his self to raise his courage.
Snap!
All of a sudden, a crisp sound of a twig breaking resounded behind him which seemed to be out of place.
When Zi Li heard it, he immediately hid at the tree besides him. His back oozes with cold sweat as he widened his eyes and stared at the trees shrouded with thick chilly air. Despite being afraid, Zi Li didn’t panic and asked ‘who’s there?’ in an outburst, he’s afraid that it might provoke the ghost.
If by any chance it replied ‘it’s me’, then what would I do?
Zi Li stayed still and nervously waited for any strange movements, his heart palpitating so hard it almost threatens to jump out of his throat. Just as he turned around, there was a shadow that suddenly swooped fast in front of him.
“Hwaa!——-” Zi Li shouted in shock and fell down in his butt. He swung his hands in frenzy to swat off the shadow that was attacking him.
Chirp! That thing that seemed to be a bird scratches at the back of Zi Li’s hand and only flies away after it was satisfied.
Zi Li sits panting, stroking the stinging slashes at the back of his hand. It became clammy and sticky, as well as bleeding!
“Fucking bird!” Zi Li shouted in annoyance.
Snap!
Another sound of a dried branch being stepped on was heard.
The muffled sound immediately made Zi Li who was burning with fury shudder in fear. When he abruptly turned his head, he saw two phantoms with disheveled head making their way towards his side.
“Whaa!——Ghost!——” He couldn’t handle it anymore and made a mad dash to escape.
“Don’t chase me! Help!——“Zi Li cutted a sorry figure as he shouted and screamed.
That something on his back didn’t show any sign of giving up in its hot pursuit. In fact it was getting nearer and nearer. Zi Li jumped in alarm and his feet tripped, causing him to stumble down to the ground.
The tension haven’t subsided yet, when he felt a sudden ‘thud’ crushing his body twice.
“Waaa! Don’t eat me——oomph——” The phantom extended its smelly hands and covered Zi Li’s mouth. It’s disheveled hair brushes against Zi Li’s ears as it whispered: “Don’t shout again, or you’ll attract the guards over!”
The other phantom pinning Zi Li’s struggling legs asked: “What should we do now?”
The phantom covering Zi Li’s mouth mumbled fo a moment, then it leaned to his ears and whispered: “We will let you go, but will you promise not to shout again?”
He nodded with all his might, then he immediately jumped to the side the moment he was freed, and used his sleeve to furiously wipe his mouth.
So damn stinky! So damn filthy!
At a clearer glance, he then noticed that those two’s height is not past his chin.
“You guys are people!”
“You don’t say! You thought we are not people but ghosts? Only you who looked like a ghost with that scream of yours.” The little demon pinning Zi Li’s legs earlier angrily retorted.
When Zi Li heard him, he got mad at once. He lunges at the little demon calling him out and strangled him while sitting on top of him and spitting curses: “You motherfucker! Who wouldn’t think of you guys as ghost when you were the one running around the forest very late at night?! I’ll strangle you!”
“Wha-what are you doing, quickly let go of my little brother!” The other little demon rushes forward at once to rescue and pry off Zi Li’s hands from his younger brother.
“*cough* *cough* Y-you’re really thinking of strangling me to death?!”
“Fuck you! If I can, I want to hack you two to pieces with a sword!” Zi Li was shouting as his anger has yet to subside. These two made him yelled for his mom and dad and he almost pissed his pants in terror. These two shitty kids not only didn’t offered their apologies, their attitude were even arrogant?!
“Senior brother, it was certainly our wrong just now. We really didn’t intend to scare you. So when you suddenly break into a run from us, we were worried we will lose you, that’s why we we’re forced to chase after you.”
“The fuck? Of course I will run away! Why the hell are you chasing me like a bunch of evil ghost demanding for my life?!” Zi Li stomped his feet in anger. He truly couldn’t fathom, and it was really uncalled for, why these guys scared him witless resulting to brain cells losses.
“W-we——“
“Go away, leave, don’t delay this young master on my way.” Zi Li decided not to argue with these two unidentified guys any longer, his time is very valuable after all.
Seeing Zi Li swing his sleeves and walks away, their heart jumped in panic and promptly catches up with him. Not for long, three people walked out of the woods and steps into the main road.
“Why are you two stinky kids following me?!” When Zi Li turned around and saw that they were still following him, he can’t refrain from shouting.
“W-we have something to request!”
“I am just a nobody now, its useless to ask something from me!”
“But, we saw you came out from the Chang Kun temple? We saw you come out from the inside.”
“And how did you see I went out of there?”
“While we were being admonished by the Chang Kun monks in approaching the emperor. Along with civil and military officials, we saw big brother come out of the temple. It proves to us that big brother is also an imperial official, and since you are one, you could help us meet the emperor, since the emperor would be too busy to meet us without assistance.”
“You want to have a meeting with that preverted emperor? Why am I the one you’re bothering me with that?”
“But no one is willing to show us the way so we can’t have an audience with the emperor! We tried asking several people, but all their servants drives us away with wooden sticks!” Although Zi Li can’t clearly see the expression of the other person, but he could hear the sadness and frustrations from his voice.
Zi Li’s steps slowed down, he could feel stares in his back for a while now. He suddenly turned around and sarcastically warned: “Could you two little beggars not follow me anymore?”
He already threatened and intimidated them earlier. Yet despite his threats, the two still continued to stalk him. He must find a way to lose them before he leaves the capital. He just can’t waste any more time dawdling here!
“Ah!——” The little demon who got strangled by Zi Li earlier pointed his finger at him and exlaimed loudly.
Zi Li jumped in shock, but he immediately douse the fire of his anger threatening to blow up, “You little shit, what are you shouting for?”
“I remember you!”
“Re-remember who?” Zi Li was a little uneasy from his sudden outburst. This little demon, what is this about recognizing me?
“Big brother, do you still remember that day the ninth prince Hong Qing was chasing after us in the busy streets?”
“That, I remember now! That was the day we got to know he is the ninth prince and you almost thought of blurting it out! I panicked that you’ll reveal his identity so I didn’t let you speak. I regretted it now that I’m thinking about it. It’s so hard to get an audience and we wasted that golden opportunity.”
“Then, big brother, can you also remember that other person together with the ninth prince?”
He was thinking for a while, then he suddenly exclaimed in a high pitch tone. He looked at Zi Li and said: “You are that prince that day! That’s great! You can definitely help us. Please, please take us to meet with his majesty, okay?”
“That’s strange, why do I have to help you two. Get lost, don’t get in my way. If I get caught and taken back, even if I become a ghost, I will not let you guys off!”
The big brother of the two kids sees that Zi Li really don’t have intentions to help, but they had a very difficult time finding someone who would grant them audience with the emperor so why would he let this opportunity slip away? Therefore, as if they read each other’s minds, they throw themselves to Zi Li’s legs and bawled: “Huhu——your highness, we’re begging you, please help us! Your kindness, we will never forget, and we will repay you even if we work like a horse and ox. Huhu——“
They clung tenaciously on both sides of his legs. He wanted to walk away but he cannot. He wanted to fling them off but they won’t budge. Zi Li was getting angry and stressed, but seeing the two hangs on for dear life, he guesses that they won’t let him go unless he promises to help.
“Fuck, you two damn little demons. Fine, this young master agrees to your request!” In the end, Zi Li was left with no choice as he fumed in rage between his teeth.
“That’s great! Thank you, your highness! Thank you!” After attaining their objective, the big brother of the two didn’t notice that he was crying his tears of joy as he replied.
“All right. If we’re going to see the emperor, then from now on, the both of you will listen to everything I say!”
“Ok!”
“Very well. For now, let’s go back to the capital city!”——
Bonbon wanted to say:
For those who forgot, these two were the thieves who snatches Hong Qing’s wallet in Volume 1 Chapter 22 when he and Zi Li ran into each other in the streets.
