Ying Feixu ignored the shiver that Huang Ying's calm and natural mannerism sent down her spine, standing up while brushing aside the errant strands of black hair that had fallen in front of her face. Huang Ying started to walk the moment she stood up, his hands resting behind his head as he walked back using the same route they had originally used to enter the forest.
Ying Feixu observed Huang Ying's nonchalant back with slightly narrowed eyes, curious exactly who it was that they were heading out to kill. It was more than obvious that their target had some connection with the Xing Dong they had just killed, but the question was exactly what type of connection.
But Huang Ying didn't bother telling her, and she wasn't terribly interested in asking, more curious about just how the upcoming battle was supposed to showcase whether or not she could use what she had learned. The two left the city in this silent state and quickly started to approach the city, Huang Ying taking the chance to talk with Li Jun.
"Li Jun, are both of them still standing guard? And how many other people are there in the area that might be able to see them?"
Huang Ying glanced back at Ying Feixu, but there was no change in her expression so it seemed like even her extraordinary bloodline was able to let her discover Li Jun's presence. But that was also to be expected, even Huang Ying wasn't quite certain just where within his body that Li Jun's soul was hiding. If he did know then it would give him another edge over Li Jun, he would be able to constantly threaten him with devouring. But for now, the truce between them would have to suffice, Li Jun grumbling out an answer.
"One of them is still standing guard but the other one isn't there. And if you can get to the walls within an hour then you can catch them in a place where no one can see you, otherwise, there'll be at least five or so people that can see you at all times. But the times really have changed, feels like just yesterday when you still adored me as Grampa Jun, now you're basically just using me as a wandering encyclopedia and radar."
Li Jun grumbled but didn't really mean anything with it. In fact, he actually much preferred this way of interacting with Huang Ying, the naive and childish title of Grampa Jun from the past was not something suitable to someone as great as him. Huang Ying didn't bother much with Li Jun's pointless grumbling, putting their current relationship in simple terms.
"Of course the times have changed, the truth tends to do so. You're no longer Grampa Jun and I'm no longer the constantly bent Huang Ying of Green Willows. You're using me to get a new life, and I'm using you for whatever I want, that is all that we are now."
The past was already gone and buried, Huang Ying had died and been reborn and the truth about Li Jun's thoughts had come out. There was no way to go back to how things were, and Huang Ying didn't honestly have much interest in doing so either. The him of the past was pathetic, constantly yielding and going along with what everyone else wanted, it was simply sad.
Li Jun didn't say anything in response to Huang Ying's simple statement, there was nothing to say to it. They were no longer who they once were, or at least Huang Ying wasn't, Li Jun had simply stopped pretending. Huang Ying also didn't ask anything else, speeding up slightly to reach the southwestern exit of the city within the allotted time.
He reached the area close to the gate with about 10 minutes to spare so he had Li Jun give him directions, taking Ying Feixu down along the left side of the wall that surrounded the entire city. And after walking for three minutes, they came across two guards who were walking along the wall while patrolling the area.
The guards were on their way to the southwestern exit of the city to finish up their patrol, Huang Ying's group catching them from behind. Just as Li Jun said, they were in the process of passing underneath one of the towers that rose up from the city wall, its large shadow looming over them. Huang Ying pointed at the two guards as they got closer to them, the guards still not detecting their presence.
"That one, if we were to translate him he would be the appendix. Mostly useless, but still a part of the whole."
Ying Feixu didn't immediately understand what Huang Ying meant, but he gave a wave of his hand before she even got the chance to open her mouth. A fierce gust of wind smashed into the two guards, the one closest to the wall smashing into it headfirst and sliding to the ground unconscious. The second one was alive but groggy, Huang Ying walking over to him and lifting him up by the throat, his black eyes practically piercing through the man. The man tried to struggle and protest, but Huang Ying shut him down instantly.
"Release me, I haven...Gh!"
"You fed information to Xing Dong to make sure that he managed to follow us properly with all his men, I wouldn't call that nothing. I mean, he was supposed to follow us, but hey, you still joined a plot that was supposed to kill us."
Huang Ying clenched his hand once he finished speaking, crushing the throat of the man and causing his body to go limp. Muddy black tendrils covered in maws and eyes stretched out from his arm and latched onto the fresh corpse, quickly devouring it without leaving any trace, Huang Ying still acting as nonchalant as always as he continued walking.
"Alright, let's go deal with the other organs now."
Ying Feixu now understood Huang Ying's strange earlier statement. The guard fed information to Xing Dong so that he could more easily find them after they left the city, an ultimately useless part of the plot but still a part nonetheless. And looking at how easily and calmly he had dealt with the guard, Ying Feixu got to reaffirm one of the thoughts she had formed quite early on, Huang Ying was less of a man and more of a beast.
The sheer calmness and carefreeness he constantly showed, even while brutally murdering others, was not something belonging to a human. Humans were excellent murderers and did so quite often, but even they would feel something when they killed others, whether it be joy, relief, fear, or even regret. But Huang Ying had none of that, he didn't seem to feel a single thing when he murdered, it seemed more instinctual. If she had to use an emotion to describe what he radiated when he killed then it could only be one, hunger.
He was a beast wearing human skin, which made it a little easier for her to accept that he threw her down from her high peak. But accepting it was different from being fine with it, she would still learn whatever she could from him and then kill him, devouring him to further her own strength. Huang Ying glanced back at her while Ying Feixu was absorbed in her own thoughts, his gaze quite clearly questioning how long she was going to linger around before she followed along.
She sent him a slightly annoyed sneer and then followed along, the two leaving the second guard unconscious on the ground. They moved a bit away from the wall and took a more roundabout way, making sure that it didn't look like they came from the direction where the two guards were. They quickly reached the gates and entered the city, their status as students allowing them to easily pass through the guards that were still waiting for their replacements.
And once back within the city, Huang Ying relied on the memories he had devoured from Xing Dong to find his way through the streets. The group of two moved through the streets without a problem and reached their target before long, a textile shop specializing in light and airy fabrics that could be used for dresses. Huang Ying entered the shop while Ying Feixu wondered what connection this shop had with Xing Dong, but Huang Ying quickly answered that question for her.
The shopkeep walked up to them when they entered but Huang Ying simply pushed his hand down, a gust of wind knocking the woman to the ground with enough force to render her unconscious. He dragged her to the back room and tucked her away out of sight, returning to the main room of the shop and pushing aside the counter where people were supposed to pay.
A hidden staircase was revealed beneath the counter, leading down into a surprisingly well lit earthen hallway lined with lanterns filled with luminous stones. Huang Ying casually descended the stairs, Ying Feixu hesitating for a few seconds before following him. The moment her head was beneath the floor of the shop, Huang Ying traced a few lines on the wall, a small array activating and causing the counter to slide back into place.
The two followed the earthen hallway, one more leisurely than the other, the hallway quickly expanding as they followed it. A few doors started to appear along the walls of the hallway, each one leading to either simple rooms or other hallways that ended in staircases, each one leading to an establishment owned by the mercantile Xing clan. And just when Ying Feixu was wondering for how long they would follow the hallway, Huang Ying stopped by one of the doors that lined it.
"Here. We'll follow the hallway beyond this door and arrive in the lowest floor of the section of the Xing clan that Xing Dong belonged to. Once there, I'll only deal with the two strongest people, the rest will be left to you."
Huang Ying spoke in an exceedingly casual manner as he pushed open the door, he didn't bother repeating to Ying Feixu what would happen if she failed to show that she was able to put her training to use. She also didn't need it to be repeated, a sliver of seriousness flashing past her crimson eyes. The two followed along the hallway and started to ascend the stairs, Huang Ying contacting Li Jun once more.
"So, they still all up there?"
"Yes, they're still gathered on the lowest floor, it seems to be their pleasure quarters. I'd ask if you're sure you want to just bust in, but you won't listen to me anyway, and I'll only profit if it ends up killing you, so go for it."
The corners of Huang Ying's lips curved up slightly in response to Li Jun's statement. He wasn't wrong, Huang Ying wouldn't listen to him even if Li Jun advised him to back off. He wasn't particularly angry at the people residing at the top of this staircase, it was just the simple fact that they had in one way or another aided Xing Dong by giving him men or resources for his little plot.
So he'd kill them all, getting his revenge for their little plots while also nipping any buds in case any of those people got too angry at the death of Xing Dong. There was also the fact that two or three of those people might prove to make for a fun fight, he would certainly be able to enjoy fighting them for a bit before devouring them and learning everything they had to offer.
The two stopped at the top of the staircase, a thin layer of stone and wood blocking their path. Ying Feixu expected Huang Ying to once again fiddle with the wall to activate an array, but he used a far more direct manner to open this secret passage. He clenched his fist and smashed it forward, shattering the stone and wood above them and tearing the secret entrance open by blasting away the small fountain that had been used to hide it.
And with the entrance torn open, the two people arrived in a circular lobby decorated with silk-covered couches and various plants that released a pleasant scent, a crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. There were already quite a few people present in the circular hall, which was lined with doors that led into smaller rooms for more private affairs. Some were drinking, some were eating delicacies, and others were starting to get intimate with exotic dancers or women who had been forced to serve as the Xing clan entertainers.
Ying Feixu's pupils shrank sharply when she saw the sheer number of people, easily around 50 or more. But the main problem she spotted was that there were at least 11 people at the 1st Stair of Ascension and two that had reached the 2nd Stair of Ascension. But while her pupils narrowed sharply, Huang Ying simply flashed his calm and natural smile at all the shocked people around them.
"Greetings! I hope you've made some nice memories because they'll be the last you ever make."
Taverius· May 11, 2020
